Event Calendar

The Coachman’s House is open for exploration when you visit Olana. Once the home of the Church’s carriage driver, the space is now home to a reading room, peaceful spot where you can learn and relax while you wait for a tour or program to start. There are comfortable chairs, lots of books and articles, and even some cool activities for children. Stop by during your visit out this season, and leave time to read about Church and Olana. Coachmen’s House is located adjacent to the Visitor Center.

If you are on Facebook, join Olana’s first ever dynamic, interactive, virtual book club. This online book club will include occasional appearances from the author and The Olana Partnership educators. TOP will launch this online book club with the newly published book Embattled River: The Hudson and Modern American Environmentalism, by David Schuyler.

ABOUT the BOOK: Embattled River describes the efforts to reverse the pollution and bleak future of the Hudson River that became evident in the 1950s. Through his investigative narrative, Schuyler uncovers the critical role of this iconic American waterway in the emergence of modern environmentalism in the United States. Writing fifty-five years after Consolidated Edison announced plans to construct a pumped storage power plant at Storm King Mountain, Schuyler recounts how a loose coalition of activists took on corporate capitalism and defended the river. Led by Scenic Hudson, later joined by groups such as Riverkeeper, Clearwater, the Hudson River Valley Greenway, and the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, the coalition won the first of many legal and publicity battles that would halt pollution of the river, slowly reverse the damage of years of discharge into the river, and protect hundreds of thousands of acres of undeveloped land in the river valley. With these legal and regulatory means, the contest between environmental advocates and corporate power has continued well into the twenty-first century. Indeed, as Embattled River shows, the past is prologue. The struggle to control the uses and maintain the ecological health of the Hudson River persists and the stories of the pioneering advocates told by Schuyler provide lessons, reminders, and inspiration for today’s activists. Order your copy through the Olana Museum Store to support Olana and see you online on the 26th.

Historic Landscape Tours give visitors new views and celebrates Frederic Church’s legacy which is Olana in its entirety. The Olana Partnership is launching the 2018 season with more regular public tours and specialty tours of Olana’s historic site.
Tours are offered every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday
Walking Tour 10:30, Electric 12:30 and Electric 2:30; Specialty Landscape Tours Monthly at 4pm
Meet near Visitor Center, signage marks starting place.
Reservations are strongly encouraged, please visit the Book a Tour page on www.olana.org. Walk-ins welcome, but not guaranteed.

The Olana Partnership is putting Frederic Church’s landscape masterpiece in a frame in a scenic spot where Church’s first artist studio was set onsite. The installation encourages cellphone art making, selfie compositions, and family portraits and suggested that people view the landscape through various frames both literal and metaphorical. Plan a picnic and a portrait of landscape art making session. Frame is located near Church’s old art studio. All Ages.

The Wander Society’s Adventure Lab in the Landscape
The Wander Society is a secretive underground organization who believes in the intrinsic power of wandering to transcend the problems of modern society, access a higher plane of consciousness, and participate in direct experiences of life. The Wander Society’s Adventure Lab is a mobile unit that functions as a secret portal into the operations and activities of the underground organization. Designed as a space to facilitate exploration the lab is complete with various wandering tools, images, a random assignment machine, and a wandering library.

In the 1860s when the Churches were traveling in the Middle East, Isabel Church said she “loved the tent life” while they were traveling in remote areas by caravan. They also tented in the Adirondacks, Maine, and on many of Church’s remote painting expeditions. The family’s library is filled with tales from adventurers, travel books, and particularly William Prime’s Tent Life in the Holy Land. Installed in parallel with this season’s exhibition, conceptual artist and NYT’s best-selling author Keri Smith created the Adventure Lab and in turn pays homage to the tent and adventuring from the Church’s 19th century experiences, while layering the past with contemporary participatory adventures for visitors to Olana. Designed for all ages, come explore the lab, and make your own adventures. Free and open 8:30am to sunset daily. Opens July 14th and closes on December 1, 2018. Located near Church’s old art studio. All Ages.

Panorama is for young people between the ages of 6 and 14 and will take place Monday-Friday, 9am to 4pm. The Olana Partnership offers early bird discounts as well as reductions in fees for registering for more than one week of camp. Families can choose to participate for one, two or all three weeks. Visit www.olana.org for additional information and to download registration forms and to make payment online. These programs takes place in the Wagon House Education Center.

Week 1: July 16-20 – Olana as an Oasis: Discovering Diverse Ecosystems (Ages 6-12)
Olana is a vast landscape stretching over 250 acres. When Frederic Church designed it, he was clearly inspired by his travels to foreign landscapes – to the deserts of the Middle East, to the frozen tundra in Labrador, to the mountain ranges in South America, to the coasts of the Caribbean – he certainly saw it all. These travels led him to design Olana with both an artistic eye and a scientist’s sensibility for protecting and enhancing his own little eco-system. Explore these different environments through fun scientific experiments and outdoor excursions with incredible environmental educators from the Taconic Outdoor Education Center. Youth will hike, play games, collect and notice, do experiments, make art, and tour the museum, plus much more.

Directed by Pamela Badila, co-founder of the Badila family’s Diata Diata International Folkloric Theatre company, “Spirit of the River” blends Pan-African folklore with dancing and drumming to offer a dramatic tale of courage, mystery, betrayal, and love. Set in the tranquil African village of Nabisso, Spirit of the River pays homage to the life affirming element of water, while revealing the magical spirit that inhabits it. Water — giver of life, can also take it! The multi-talented Badila family serves as a creative team for this family-friendly production, which is performed by a spirited community cast from the shores of the Hudson River.

This event is made possible, in part, with funds from the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered through the Community Arts Grants Fund in Columbia County by Greene County Council on the Arts.

Depicted: Pamela Badila, photo: Val Shaff

Born in Paris and raised in Hudson, Young Paris‘ (Milandou Badila) unique blend of traditional Afro-culture, high fashion, and visionary approach to music and media make him a creative pop-culture force to be reckoned with.

This concert marks Young Paris’ triumphant return to his hometown since exploding onto the world stage and joining the influential Roc Nation label.

Photo: Mambu Bayoh

6pm doors

In this workshop we will use sunshine to make images on paper and fabric. Artist Caitlin Parker will guide you through the process of making cyanotype photograms, one of the oldest forms of photography that doesn’t use a camera. Participants will learn how to prepare paper and fabric with light sensitive chemicals, compose images using a wide variety of objects and materials including pressed botanicals, and develop the prints in the summer sunshine! You will create several pieces on paper and fabric. Once you know this process, it allows for infinite possibilities! All materials will be provided.

Directed by Pamela Badila, co-founder of the Badila family’s Diata Diata International Folkloric Theatre company, “Spirit of the River” blends Pan-African folklore with dancing and drumming to offer a dramatic tale of courage, mystery, betrayal, and love. Set in the tranquil African village of Nabisso, Spirit of the River pays homage to the life affirming element of water, while revealing the magical spirit that inhabits it. Water — giver of life, can also take it! The multi-talented Badila family serves as a creative team for this family-friendly production, which is performed by a spirited community cast from the shores of the Hudson River.

This event is made possible, in part, with funds from the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered through the Community Arts Grants Fund in Columbia County by Greene County Council on the Arts.

Depicted: Pamela Badila, photo: Val Shaff

Led by Ngonda Badila (whose name means ‘moon’ in Lingala), Lady Moon & The Eclipse are a multicultural collective blending soaring vocal textures with R&B/afrobeat-influenced rhythms to create inspirational music with an emphasis on inclusivity and spiritual unity.

Photo: The Transit Blog

Directed by Pamela Badila, co-founder of the Badila family’s Diata Diata International Folkloric Theatre company, Spirit of the River blends Pan-African folklore with dancing and drumming to offer a dramatic tale of courage, mystery, betrayal, and love. Set in the tranquil African village of Nabisso, Spirit of the River pays homage to the life affirming element of water, while revealing the magical spirit that inhabits it. Water — giver of life, can also take it! The multi-talented Badila family serves as a creative team for this family-friendly production, which is performed by a spirited community cast from the shores of the Hudson River.

This event is made possible, in part, with funds from the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered through the Community Arts Grants Fund in Columbia County by Greene County Council on the Arts.

Depicted: Pamela Badila, photo: Val Shaff

Panorama is for young people between the ages of 6 and 14 and will take place Monday-Friday, 9am to 4pm. The Olana Partnership offers early bird discounts as well as reductions in fees for registering for more than one week of camp. Families can choose to participate for one, two or all three weeks. Visit www.olana.org for additional information and to download registration forms and to make payment online. These programs takes place in the Wagon House Education Center.

Week 2: July 23-27 – Unearthing the Artistic Senses (Ages 6-12)
When people look at a painting, they use their visual senses – however so many other factors influence how you “read and feel” art. Frederic Church’s works of art were meant to activate all your senses. For his masterpiece Heart of the Andes there were pieces of music written to accompany the piece. His famous work Niagara was made to transport the viewer to the edge of the falls and feel the wet-dewiness on their skin. El Khasné Petra was painted to make you feel the sun on your face, the sounds of the camel’s feet and the awe of arriving at one of the wonders of the world. Each day of the week we will explore with all 5 senses and make artwork that we can see, hear, feel, taste and smell. This will be a week of fun, messy, stinky artmaking.

6pm doors

Working within a broken criminal justice system, a team of rebel heroines work to change the the way women arrested for prostitution are prosecuted. With intimate camerawork that lingers on details and brings the Queens criminal courtroom to life, ​BLOWIN’ UP​ celebrates acts of steadfast defiance, even as it reveals the hurdles these women must face. Programmed in collaboration with NeXt Doc – a program of Youth FX and the Logan Non-Fiction Program.

Now in its third year, Harmony Project Hudson provides free after-school musicianship and string instrument training for Hudson City School District students. This wonderful program continues this summer, culminating in a free public performance at Hudson Hall. The summer camp is open to currently enrolled students, so be sure to check harmonyprojecthudson.org in the Fall to register your budding young musician. All Harmony Project Hudson programs are tuition free.

The Question Tour inverts the traditional house tour model and seeks to layer historic fact with audience perceptions. What happens when your questions about Olana get layered with personal experience, myths, stories and more questions? Deep inspired observation and learning! Master storyteller and museum educator Tom Lee has twenty years’ experience performing in museums and libraries; and his tours are the perfect blend of entertainment and information. Ages 10

6pm doors

Master storyteller Tom Lee has spent the winter writing and tracking the adventurous travels of Frederic Church through the Middle East to prepare stories for inside the main house at Olana. Lee uses art, objects, history and interactivity to help young people (and grown-ups!) fall in love with museums. This is a program designed to introduce youth to the magic of a historic house museum.

SUPERTONE Honky Tonk, Roots, and Rock Festival
Saturday, July 28, Doors open at 3:30, Music until Midnight
Roeliff Janssen (Roe Jan) Park, 9140 Route 22, HIllsdale, NY 12529
Advance Tickets on sale now $23, ($30 at the door).

Website: www.oldtonemusicfestival.com/supertone
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-supertone-music-festival-tickets-43508071814
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/SUPERTONEfestival/
Instagram: @supertonefest

SuperTone Music Festival: a unique blend of eclectic Rock, Honky-Tonk & Roots music.
The line-up is over 12 acts: Hard rock girl band Bat Fangs, New Orleans Jump Blues, Honky Tonk, Rockabilly and Western Swing
of the Jon Hatchett Band and Erika Lewis’ The Lonesome Doves, Thelma and the Sleaze, Donny and the Drag, Burt Murder, Black Lake, The Nice Ones, El Front, Nature Films, DJ Lunar Moss will offer classic sounds and avant garde entertainment.

The festival is held in an open barn at the Roe Jan Park and happens rain or shine. Farm-to-table food, local beer, visual art and craft vendors, national and local talent, affordable tickets and a family-friendly community spirit make this the best party in Columbia County all summer long. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the Hillsdale Fire Company and The Roe Jan Park.

Contact: Jim Wright, Oldtone Productions
297 Wiltsie Bridge Rd, Ancramdale, NY 12503
646-269-9216 /jim@oldtonemusicfestival.com

Artists offer a unique lens with which to “read” an artist’s home & landscape. This season TOP partners with the Institute for Arab and Islamic Art in NYC to bring a dynamic mix of contemporary artists to Olana to layer their perceptions of Middle Eastern influences in Church’s home of American landscape painting. During this series, artists use many disciplines and “poetic license” to talk about Olana and the exhibition, Costumes & Customs with concepts and connections that are unique to the guide. This is not a traditional house tour! Artist-led tours are accompanied by TOP’s Director of Education and end with a glass of wine and a snack on the piazza near sunset. Ages 10

A four-hour class devoted to teaching you what you need to know to begin, and continue, this enjoyable pastime.
Covered in the class are the basics of wood identification; as well as the layout, carving and finishing a hardwood wooden spoon. We’ll focus on carving technique, and hopefully, by the end of the class, participants will leave with a spoon of their own making, as well as the wood, skills and tools necessary to start another spoon. Participants should specify their dominant hand at application.

Panorama is for young people between the ages of 6 and 14 and will take place Monday-Friday, 9am to 4pm. The Olana Partnership offers early bird discounts as well as reductions in fees for registering for more than one week of camp.Families can choose to participate for one, two or all three weeks. Visit www.olana.org for additional information and to download registration forms and to make payment online. These programs takes place in the Wagon House Education Center.

Week 3: July 30-August 3 – PREMIERE! The Nature of Wandering w/ author Keri Smith, The Wander Society (ages 8-14)
Frederic Church is known for being a wanderer of the world. Come learn the art, science, and nature of wandering with artist and author Keri Smith. Smith has designed this week to be filled with secret missions, outdoor investigation, making, deep-looking, teamwork and independent thinking. A few years ago, while perusing a used book store, Smith uncovered a copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass with strange marginalia and symbols. Since then she has worked hard to keep The Wander Society alive and has become an advocate for spontaneity, adventure and real-world observation. Come learn how to be your very own explorer of the world, hang out with Walt Whitman himself, and be inspired by a stunning contemporary artist who loves creativity and history. (Smith is an artist, mother, and a New York Times bestselling author and creator of The Wander Society, Wreck This Journal, and How to be an Explorer of the World. This week is the world premiere of programming that will become a national model; how cool is that?

Nature and health are intrinsically linked and the partnership between TOP and CMH brings innovative education programs to Olana to aid you in your wellness. Join Columbia Memorial Health’s Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Chris Gorczynski will talk about joint pain and CMH’s new precision joint replacement surgery. Participants will experience a 20-minute talk, followed by a short walk with the expert on Olana’s carriage roads. Snacks will be served.