CATSKILL, N.Y., July 31, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill, NY, in partnership with the nearby Olana State Historic Site, continues a summer of unique art offerings on August 12 when the museum will unveil the latest medallion installation for the Hudson River School Art Trail.
In partnership with the Greenway and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, representatives from the Thomas Cole Historic Site and Olana will unveil the "Mount Merino and the Catskills" medallion at 1 pm on Monday, August 12 at Promenade Park, also called Parade Hill, located at the foot of Warren Street in Hudson, NY.
Currently, eight rubbing medallions are installed at key sites throughout the Catskill Mountains and Hudson River Valley, each marking the location where a Hudson River School painter stopped to create one of the artistic movement's iconic works of art. From Kaaterskill Falls to Sunset Rock, the medallions provide hikers with a unique way to capture their own work of art by doing a pencil rubbing as a keepsake. Both the Thomas Cole House and Olana State Historic Site sell official Art Trail Passports, which allow hikers to collect all of their rubbings into one keepsake book. Upon completion, participants may present all nine rubbings to representatives at either site by November 3, 2013 to receive an official certificate of completion, and enter the Hudson River School Art Trail Contest for a chance to win a weekend getaway to the Catskills. For more information about the Hudson River School Art Trail and cotest, visit offers.hudsonriverschool.org.
Summer Festivities Continue in the Catskills
Thomas Cole's summer of creative festivity continues on August 17th when art and ale aficionados will gather for the first ever Beir-Fest, a celebration of local craft brews and the art of Albert Bierstadt. The event is scheduled to begin at 4 pm at the Thomas Cole House, where the exhibit titled: Albert Bierstadt in New York & New England is currently on display, offering a rare glimpse at the artist's New England and Hudson Valley scenes. Tickets for the event are $25 per person if purchase in advance, or $35 at the door, and include tastings of award-winning brews paired with hearty German food, musical entertainment and exhibit tours.
Get an in-depth tour of a selection of Hudson River School Art Trail sites on a guided hike. On August 17th or September 21st, join the excursion to the former site of the Catskill Mountain House and North-South Lake. Additional hikes are offered in October. The $17 price includes a copy of the Hudson River School Art Trail Guidebook, a guided tour of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site and a hiking excursion led by a knowledgeable guide. Reservations are required as guided hikes sell out. Learn more at www.ThomasCole.org.
The Hudson River School Art Trail Contest is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
About the Hudson River Art Trail:
The Hudson River School Art Trail project maps the sites where America's premier landscape painters stopped to capture the wild, untamed landscape of the young country's vast wilderness. The views from these sites appear in famous landscape paintings, and the mobile website at www.hudsonriverschool.org enables people to compare the painted and actual views. There are 18 sites in the Hudson Valley, two in New Hampshire and one in Massachusetts, with sites planned as far away as Wyoming. The Art Trail begins at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in the Village of Catskill, which is fitting because Cole is credited as the father of the Hudson River School. Cole's former home is now the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, located just two miles from Olana State Historic Site, the former home of Cole's friend and fellow painter Frederic Church. Olana is the second stop on the trail, and one of the partners in administering the 2013 Art Trail Contest along with the Greene County Tourism Department and the Columbia County Tourism Department. For more information about the Hudson River Art School Trail, visit www.hudsonriverschool.org.