River Crossings: Contemporary Art Comes Home

In a unique and groundbreaking presentation of important contemporary art rarely seen in the traditional environs of the Hudson River Valley, the Thomas Cole National Historic Site and Olana, Frederic Edwin Church's Persian-inspired mansion, will showcase the work of contemporary American artists such as Chuck Close, Cindy Sherman, Maya Lin, Martin Puryear, and Gregory Crewdson, some of the 30 artists exhibiting. Stephen Hannock, celebrated luminist painter and one of the exhibition's co-curators, believes that "this is a terrific opportunity to open up contemporary art, as well as these historic properties, to audiences who will see firsthand these shared artistic concerns."

The works of art selected for the exhibition will be shown at the two venues to encourage visitors to experience both distinguished properties and the grandeur of their surroundings, and to present a complete overview and understanding of these contemporary works in a location where many art historians believe American art was born.

The accompanying publication, River Crossings: Contemporary Art Comes Home, will provide readers with a lavish record of this extraordinary and innovative exhibition, and will offer unique and highly informative perspectives on the continuity of the American artistic tradition in one of the nation's most historic locations.

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