Hudson Talbott Celebration of Life
Sunday May 17, 2026
3:00 pm
Thomas Cole National Historic Site
Catskill, NY
Hudson loved color. Please dress colorfully.
Please let us know if you will be attending
Event Details
Before 3:00 pm Parking is limited. Please carpool. If the lot fills up, please park on Woodland Ave., Hudson Ave., High Street, and other surrounding streets with attention to village parking signs. There is no parking on Spring Street.
3:00 pm Remarks from selected Family, Friends, and Colleagues under the tent
4:00 pm Refreshments and time for reflection and sharing memories. Explore the Thomas Cole National Historic Site and Hudson Talbott: Shining Objects
Please let us know if you will be attending. Hudson loved color. Please dress colorfully.
Hudson Talbott: Shining Objects
Hudson Talbott: Shining Objects is a career retrospective. The exhibition celebrates the work of the late, award-winning artist Hudson Talbott, whose talents have inspired audiences for decades through his children’s picture books.
The exhibition presents more than 75 of Talbott’s works, including a selection of his original paintings and sketches, his painting table, examples of his more than 30 books for young readers, and a selection of his early commercial work.
Talbott’s artistry was interwoven with that of legendary fellow artists. His book We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story was adapted into an animated film by Steven Spielberg. Talbott illustrated the Newbury Honor Book Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, and he adapted Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Into the Woods” into a book for young readers.
Talbott, who died on January 22, was the longest-serving member of the Board of Directors of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, having served on the Board for more than 20 years. One of his books—Picturing America: Thomas Cole and the Birth of American Art—introduces new generations to Cole and the legacy of the artist. Another, River of Dreams, tells the story of the Hudson River. His final book, “The Next Shiny Object,” will be published this summer.
“Talbott brought a painter’s sensibility to narrative, infusing historical and literary subjects with vivid, accessible imagery.” –Chronogram
Photo of Hudson: Ken Schiff | Photo of Exhibit: Peter Aaron | Portrait: Ginnie Gardiner