Ever wondered how Frederic Church brought his vision of the natural world to life in his art? During this virtual presentation, artist and educator Shawn Dell Joyce will lead viewers through a special exercise to help see Church’s work anew with an artist’s perspective. After examining Church studies together and exploring ideas such as composition, value, and the rule of thirds, participants will learn how Frederic Church and other “Hudson River School” painters approached landscape painting “en plein air” or outdoors.

During this virtual program, author Debra Bruno will detail her experience unearthing her own family’s connection to an often overlooked and violent part of New York history. She will be joined in conversation by Lisa Fludd-Smith of the African American Archive of Columbia County.

Join experts for a series of dialogues on paintings from OLANA’s collection that are worth a closer look. During this program, Dr. Rosanna Flouty will lead a discussion centered on two of Church’s Catskill paintings illuminating dynamics of territorial power.

Join experts for a series of dialogues on paintings from OLANA’s collection that are worth a closer look. This first talk will feature Avis Lang, former senior editor at Natural History magazine and coauthor with Neil deGrasse Tyson, for a conversation on what can be learned from examining Frederic Church’s sky paintings and expanding one’s vision upward.

Presented in conjunction with the 2024 exhibition Afterglow: Frederic Church and the Landscape of Memory, this talk focuses on memorial paintings and objects associated with Frederic Church’s family. During this virtual webinar, Professor Susan L. Aberth will frame these practices within a wider context of American art history.

From the creation of Olana by the Church family starting in 1860 to its preservation as a historic site a century later, women have played a central and vital role in the story of this place. This virtual webinar will explore the untold histories of Olana’s female residents, their social circles, and their artistic contributions.