The Arts in the Hudson River Valley
 The
Hudson River Valley inspired the first, and arguably only, American School of
Art. And the Hudson River School began the evolution of a distinct American
Consciousness. A country widely regarded as little more than a wild frontier
had proven that it could draw divine inspiration from its wilderness just as
it gathered timber and pelts.
Over the years, the Hudson River School of Painting enjoyed times
of great popularity as well as times of near obscurity, only to be revived again and
again as it re-inspired new generations of artists and activists along these shores
and across the nation.
Just as no one could challenge the natural beauty of the Hudson
River Valley, no one could deny its proximity to New York City either. The
Hudson River Painters may have trekked into the wilds of what are now Rockland
and Putnam Counties on their way to Kaaterskill Falls and the Catskills, but
they began their pilgrimages in Manhattan. And they always brought the bounty
they had found back to their studios and galleries the City.
Today the Hudson River Valley, still anchored at its south
end to the Island of Manhattan, is home to many of the Country’s highly
recognized artists, schools, and museums. Artists of all ranks and ages
still enjoy the splendor of our Valley and its proximity to New York City
as an international center for arts and culture. Descendent of the Hudson
River Painters maintain studios alongside photographers, sculptors, dancers,
and actors along the River’s banks and hidden in the hills to the east and
west. Art enthusiasts can attend concerts in landmark theaters, or dance
recitals in a restored barn, tour galleries on picturesque main streets,
or see world-class exhibits in converted factories and in old manor fields.
The juxtaposition of the wilderness to the north and the metropolis
to the south continues to inspire and sustain works of all imaginations in all
mediums. Hudson River Valley Arts seeks to provide an entry into all
eras and areas of artistic endeavor in the Valley with articles, essays, images,
and links to other regional resources.
Take a Virtual Tour of Murals
at Hyde Park Post Office
An Essay:
Murals In The Hyde Park Post Office By Olin Dows
Marist
College Student Presentations on Hudson River Valley Art and Architecture
Related Links
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