Where in the Hudson Valley Contest: “Art on the Avenue” Esopus Woman and River Mural by Rick Price

A new mural celebrates the heritage of one Valley city

Where In the Hudson Valley…?Few urban areas are fortunate enough to have public artwork as vibrant and colorful as this mural. But the lucky residents of one mid-Valley city can admire the symbolic depiction of their community every time they travel along Main Street.Unveiled last May as part of the yearlong Quadricentennial celebration, the 10 by 15-foot painting was created by local muralist Rick Price and commemorates the 30th anniversary of the launching of the river sloop — named after a famous folk singer — which is depicted in the foreground. The mural shows an Esopus Indian woman “overseeing” various activities — from sailing to singing, farming to fishing — for which this river town is particularly well-known. Composed on plywood using high-grade acrylic paints, the piece took about a year for Price to complete. And although he didn’t have any assistance with the actual painting, a group of local children did lend a hand by creating sketches of the playful fish in the lower righthand corner (which Price shows diving off the paper straight into the Hudson). The inspiration for the mural, Price says, was the “integration of my own experiences” in the community, as well as the “symbiotic relationship” between the town and the organization that owns the famous sloop (which provides free sails each summer to help raise awareness of local environmental issues).Think you know the city that’s home to this marvelous mural? (Brownie points if you can also name the sailboat.) Send us your answers as a comment. The first reader to get it right wins a prize. Good luck!

mural

Photograph by Kelly Marsh

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