Saturday, May 7

I Love My Park Day: Helping Hands Make Light Work

Saturday May 7, 9-11am, Free, Ages 12 and up

Olana State Historic Site is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary, and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) join with The Olana Partnership to invite the public come spend a few hours and help make a difference!  Rain or shine.  For more information visit www.olana.org

Scavenger Hunt: Maps, GPS, Compass Navigation

Olana’s Wagon House Education Center, 3-5pm, $15/Member, $20/Non-Member, Ages 5 and up

What can you find tucked away in Olana’s landscape?  Get ready to search our grounds high and low to find clues that lead you to the prize.  Environmental educator, Fran Martino will teach us how to use compasses, maps, and GPS systems.  For more information visit www.olana.org

 

May 15-October 30

Exhibition “Capturing the Cosmos: Frederic Church Painting Humboldt’s Vision of Nature,” Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-4pm

Capturing the Cosmos, the 2016 exhibition in the Sharp Family Gallery, explores the influence of the great German Naturalist Alexander von Humboldt on Frederic Church.  Acclaimed and revered during his own lifetime, Humboldt is currently enjoying a renaissance due to the recent award-winning bio The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf. Humboldt’s writings inspired Church’s South American adventures and the resulting masterpieces that made him internationally famous, and informed Church’s later trips to Germany’s Bavarian Lakes and Mexico.  Sketches, diaries and artifacts from these trips trace Church’s daring escapades to capture Humboldt’s Cosmos.  To book your tour visit:http://www.olana.org/book-a-tour/

Sunday, May 15

Deep Air: Interdisciplinary Arts Reading Series

Olana’s Wagon House Education Center

All events happen from 1-3 pm, $5/Members, $10/Non-Member, Ages 10 and up

“Deep Air” is a series of talks designed to navigate artistic practice as it relates to travel, ecology, history, and landscape topics.  This year, the series focuses on the very broadest themes of travel, which Frederic Church did so much of in his life, and artists continue to do to seek inspiration and enlightenment.  Tea and cake will be served and a healthy Q&A follows artist talks.  For complete artist biographies visit www.olana.org/education

Matthew Friday & Cara Benson

Kingston based Friday and East Greenbush based Benson make art about landscape and commerce: What is our currency; what is spent?  What will we declare when we take inventory of our landscape through travel and notation?  What cultural edges and borders appear in maps of our resources?

Tuesday, May 17

Pathways to Prevention: Hike with a Doctor

Olana’s Wagon House Education Center

5:30-7pm, Free, All Ages

The Olana Partnership partners with Columbia Memorial Health to encourage healthy community activities.  Participants will experience a 15 minute talk in the Wagon House Education Center, and then medical insight and advice all along the 1.5 mile hike on Olana’s moderately easy walking trails.  Rain or shine.  (Series continues June 21, July 19, August 30, September 20, and October 18)  For more information visit www.olana.org.

 

Beginning May 20

Historic Landscape and Viewshed Tours

Tuesdays & Sundays: 11am and 1pm-Landscape Walking Tours

Fridays & Saturdays: 11am and 1pm-Landscape GEM Driving Tours

Daily/All Season: Download the self-guided audio tour app

The Olana Partnership will offer regular public tours of Olana’s 250-acre designed landscape as a parallel and complementary offering alongside tours of the main house.  The restoration of Frederic Church’s picturesque landscape and stewardship of its dramatic 360 degree views has been a primary focus of the Partnership’s work, and now, in Olana’s 50th Anniversary year, visitors will have the opportunity to experience first-hand the full breadth of Church’s vision for Olana on hour-long tours by foot and electric vehicle.  For more information visit www.olana.org.

 

Saturday, May 21

Skyscape Series: Blue Moon Hike

Olana’s Wagon House Education Center

8pm, $5/Member, $10/Non-Member, All Ages

Join environmental educator Fran Martino for a night hike on the wide and gravel carriage roads.  Frederic Church was famous for his paintings of sunsets, however he was an expert at painting the moon too.   Join us for this night of light and storytelling.  For more information visit www.olana.org

Sunday, May 22

Artful Hikes: Photographic Hike and Rice Paper Prints

Olana’s Wagon House Education Center

3-5pm, $15/Member, $20/Non-Member, All Ages

Walk through Olana’s landscape to take panoramic and detailed digital images.  Learn some basic tips and tricks of phone photography, then make prints of your favorite digital image onto rice paper. Participants must bring their own charged smartphone or tablet!  For more information visit www.olana.org

Wednesday, May 25

Art in the Morning for Preschoolers: Fruit & Veggie Prints

Olana’s Wagon House Education Center

Last Wednesday of every month, 10am-12 pm, drop-in anytime and stay as long as you wish, $10/child (parents free), Ages 3-5

Olana had great success with new programs for our littlest visitors last year and so have decided to add new programs for pre-school children and their caregivers.  Come anytime within the 2 hour block, and add a hike and a picnic lunch. For more information visit www.olana.org

Saturday, May 28

The Tasty History Series: 1872

Isabel’s Flower Garden

3-5pm, $25/Members, $30/Non-Member, or $75/Entire Series, Ages 21 and up

Make three toasts with us to celebrate 50 years of Olana!  This new three part series will explore dining & drinking customs from three pivotal years in Olana’s history. Sign up for one or all three of these programs!  Series continues on Saturday, June 25 celebrates 1966 & Saturday, July 23 celebrates 2016. Location: Isabel’s flower garden, in the case of rain the event will be held in the Wagon House Education Center.  For more information visit www.olana.org

Sunday, May 29

Sunday Art Studios: Sketch Like Church

10am -12pm drop-in anytime and stay as long as you wish, Free, All Ages. Location subject to change at Olana based on weather and project

These Sunday morning programs are designed for local families, heritage and art tourists, and regular visitors who like to make art.  Projects take about 30 minutes and are fun for all ages.  Everyone leaves with a work of art!

For more information visit www.olana.org