Olana (photo by Dion Ogust)
The Columbia County Council on the Arts (CCCA) and the Olana Partnership will host the third annual en plein air event, “Creating Landscapes within the Landscape,” held at the Olana State Historic Site from Thursday through Saturday, October 16 to 18. Thirty artists from across the country were competitively selected to participate in the event, and will be painting the views within and from Frederic Church’s 250-acre landscape.
Visitors to Olana will be able to engage with the artists as they seek to capture the spectacular vistas on canvases, which will then be exhibited at the Wagon House Education Center for live auction on Saturday, October 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the artists as well as the education programs of the Olana Partnership and the Columbia County Council on the Arts. Tickets for the Saturday exhibition, reception and live auction cost $10 and include entry, a reception with live music and auction paddle. Advance tickets are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome.
On Saturday, the final day of painting, artists will bring their canvases – some still wet from the field – to the Wagon House Education Center at Olana. The works will be put on exhibition and auctioned off at 5 p.m. by Rupert Fennell of Stair Galleries in Hudson. All 30 works will be sold.
Attendees are invited to chat with the artists and view the art while enjoying refreshments and live music by Soul Device. Guests may submit their vote for the Viewers’ Choice Award to be given to one deserving artist. Other awards will be given for Best in Show, Second Place and Third Place.
The historic estate features a Persian-inspired mansion, elements of a working farm and orchard, native woodlands, a ten-acre man-made lake and spectacular views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. The property is linked by over five miles of historic carriage roads created by Church, and developed in much the same way that he composed his iconic canvases, with strategically revealed vistas. Artists and visitors can enjoy the recently restored views to and from Crown Hill and ongoing work in the North Meadow, as well as rediscovering the farm area where the event will be focused on Saturday evening.
Vehicle use fees may apply upon site entry throughout the weekend. For tickets or more information, call (518) 828-1872, extension 103, or visit www.olana.org or www.artscolumbia.org.