5 Eye-Catching Hudson Valley Art Exhibits to Thrill the Senses

A gallery for the blind, a glass-centric showing, and a naturally glamorous collection add color and culture to the region this season.

 

An Ode to Catskill Creek

In homage to the works of Hudson Valley artist Thomas Cole, the Thomas Cole National Historic Site breaks out its special collection of his masterpieces for a show that places the spotlight on the beauty of the region. Dubbed Thomas Cole’s Refrain: The Paintings of Catskill Creek, the exhibition includes 12 original oil painting by Cole, along with works by 19th century artists who were inspired by the local creative. A shining example of Hudson Valley artistry, the show was developed by exhibition curator H. Daniel Peck in collaboration with John Guy Vassar Jr., Professor Emeritus of English at Vassar College.

Thomas Cole’s Refrain opened on May 4 and runs to November 3. Ticket costs vary by season and include admission to the Main House and Old Studio as well.

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Thomas Cole National Historic Site
218 Spring St, Catskill

 

 

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Farm-Fresh Art in Garrison

A colorful outdoor sculptural exhibit at Saunders Farm in Garrison, Collaborative Concepts is a free, temporary show celebrating its 20th year in 2019. Beginning with an opening reception on August 31, the show runs daily until October 26 from 10 a.m. to dusk. Among the 40 installations onsite at the farm, Glass House of Immigrant Portraits by Jillian Enfield features prominently in the show. The traveling exhibit, which began at Ellis Island and has toured the country, showcases moving portraits of immigrants in a glass house format through which visitors can traverse.

The Saunders Farm Project
853 Old Albany Post Rd, Garrison

 

The Glamour of Nature

The catwalk meets the hiking trail in All Dressed Up: By Nature, a hybridized exhibit at East Fishkill Community Library. The show is a one-artist feature on Gemma Kahng, the founder of the Hudson Valley’s Beekman Arts Club, and focuses on the union between fashion and nature. Kahng draws upon her fashionista background, which includes dressing celebrities like Julia Roberts, Madonna, Pink, and Sharon Stone, to compose naturally beautiful works that prioritize details and the innate glamour of her subjects.

All Dressed Up runs September 3-30, with an artist reception on September 6 from 6-7:30 p.m.

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East Fishkill Community Library
348 Rte 376, Hopewell Junction

 

Animal Humanity in Poughkeepsie

Animals as humans? It’s kind of, sort of, not exactly the focus of Those Amongst Us: Artwork by Undine Brod, which uses animal mannequins in place of human ones to examine the human condition. A moving collection, the exhibit prompts introspection and pushes viewers to question the relationships between feelings, connections, and the roles that gestures and expressions play in conveying emotions.

Intrigued by the animal-human experience? The exhibit debuts with an opening reception at Queen City 15 Fine Art Gallery in Poughkeepsie on September 6, then runs until September 28. On September 14, an artist talk from 3-4 p.m. delves into the inspiration and composition process for the collection.

Queen City 15 Art Gallery
317 Main St, Poughkeepsie

 

Un Dia

Un-dia – Braille artwork with poem by Kenn Kotara / Photo provided by Rockland Center for the Arts

 

Art for the Blind in West Nyack

How integral is sight to experiencing art? That’s precisely the question Rockland Center for the Arts (RoCA) explores with its Visions of Awareness exhibit. Featuring works by a medley of legally blind, low vision, and tactile sighted artists, the show explores the power of “seeing” something in the absence of sight. With vision out of the equation, imagination takes control, resulting in pieces that are free from sighted assumptions and, in a way, clearer because of it.

With the opening reception on October 20 from 2-5 p.m., Visions of Awareness runs from October 13 to November 24 and is free to the public. Artists make use of everything from Braille and 3D textures to geometry and steel.

Rockland Center for the Arts
27 S Greenbush Rd, West Nyack


Related: Discover Fun and Fantasy at the New York Renaissance Faire

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