Join to learn more about Marianne North, the groundbreaking female botanical painter who travelled extensively across the globe in the late 1800s and even made her way to Olana. During this presentation, Dr. Lynne Howarth-Gladston will focus on North’s self-styled gallery at Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew (United Kingdom) which was designed to house over 800 of her botanical paintings. The Marianne North Gallery depicts more than 900 species of plants, displaying panoramic educational zones North captured during her trailblazing international travels. Dr. Howarth Gladston will discuss how North, assisted by the amateur architect James Fergusson, designed and built this self-styled gallery, making curatorial decisions and devising fashionable interior design troupes to blend aesthetics and scientific observation in one unique space.

Dr. Lynne Howarth Gladston is a writer, curator, designer, artist and independent academic, with numerous publications on the subjects of Chinese Contemporary art, and curatorial practice. Her most recent book, Marianne North: A Victorian Painter for the 21st Century, was published by Lund Humphries and Kew Publishers in 2024. Howarth Gladston is trained as a botanical Illustrator at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and is a practicing artist who has exhibited in the UK, China, and Australia. Her Doctorate was in Critical Theory, at the School of Philosophy, Nottingham University.

Join experts for a series of dialogues on paintings from OLANA’s collection that are worth a closer look. During each gallery conversation, experts working in fields of science, art education, ecology, and indigenous history will share what they discover within a picture’s frame. Investigate Church’s intimate forest paintings with Marc Wolf, Director of Horticulture and Environmental Stewardship at Mountain Top Arboretum in the Catskills. During this conversation, Marc will explore Church’s ecological eye in three different forest scenes, illuminating the artist’s observations of humanity’s environmental impact.

Marc Wolf is Director of Horticulture and Environmental Stewardship at Mountain Top Arboretum in Tannersville, NY. Marc received his BA from Williams College, is a graduate of New York Botanical Garden’s School of Professional Horticulture and interned at Chanticleer Garden. Marc studied with the noted landscape architect Darrel Morrison and worked as his field assistant on projects at New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden and for private clients. As a writer and performer working in theatre, film and television, Marc received OBIE and National Endowment for the Arts Awards, among others.

This program is $15 per person or $10 for members or Columbia/Greene County residents. To become a member, visit OLANA.org/membership. Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Stop by the Wagon House Education Center for fun activities and prizes from 2:00-5:00 PM, including a special nature scavenger hunt with the Columbia Land Conservancy.

Celebrate Earth Month with art! Stop by the Wagon House Education Center for a free zine-making workshop all afternoon led by The Olana Partnership teaching artists and educators. Let the landscapes of Olana inspire you and explore techniques for making your own zine to take home.

All materials, refreshments, and drinks will be provided. FREE.

Get creative in the kitchen and art studio at Olana State Historic Site! Join The Sylvia Center Chefs and The Olana Partnership educators for a fun, family-friendly program focused on cooking food and making art inspired by Olana’s landscape and history. Try new foods and test new art materials together during this FREE family program! This class focuses on making a delicious Minestrone vegetable soup and exploring early signs of spring.

For families with children 18 and under (children must be accompanied by an adult). This is the first in a series of three classes – register for one or all three! This program is FREE (suggested donation $12). Registration includes art-making supplies and all ingredients to make lunch. Advance registration required. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call (518) 567-2170.

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery tours at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. After your tour, extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM. 

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. $15 adults; children under 12 are free. Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Inspired by your time at Olana or looking for family-friendly fun? Participate in free, drop-in artmaking in the Wagon House Education Center from 1-4 PM and learn more about Frederic Church’s artist-designed home and studio on the Hudson.

This drop-in artmaking program is open to all ages and skill levels; all materials and warm beverages (coffee, tea, and hot chocolate) provided. FREE. No advanced registration required. Contact education@olana.org or call (518) 751-6938 for more info.

The Olana Partnership established the Frederic Church Award to honor individuals who, through their vision, commitment and grasp of creative trends, make extraordinary contributions to American art and culture.

Get a taste of spring! Join beekeeper Chris Layman of Fox Farm Apiary for a free honey tasting and discussion on local pollinators. Discover the fascinating world of pollinators, including the bees in Olana’s own orchard. This program is FREE and takes place at the Frederic Church Center for Art & Landscape. Email education@olana.org to learn more.

Experience the energy of Bollywood dancing at Olana State Historic Site with instructor, Arobi Hanif! Learn moves to trendy and iconic Bollywood songs during this fun, beginner-friendly outdoor class at Olana and stick around for a special performance on the East Lawn outside the historic house. FREE; outside the historic house. For ages 12 and up; space is limited. Email education@olana.org to learn more.

Get your binoculars ready for this special spring migration bird walk at Olana State Historic Site! Join the Alan Devoe Bird Club and The Olana Partnership on an exploration of Olana’s artist-designed landscape and learn more about visiting birds and the species that call this region home during the peak of spring migration. Open to birders of all levels. This program will take place in the landscape along Olana’s historic carriage roads.

FREE. Advanced registration required. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call (518) 567-2170.

Image credit: Suzy Allman

Get creative in the kitchen and art studio at Olana State Historic Site! Join The Sylvia Center Chefs and The Olana Partnership educators for a fun, family-friendly program focused on cooking food and making art inspired by Olana’s landscape and history. Try new foods and test new art materials together during this FREE family program! This class focuses on making a Senegalese mango salad bursting with herbs, cherry tomatoes, and golden mango and creating colorful art and food.

For families with children 18 and under (children must be accompanied by an adult). This is the first in a series of three classes – register for one or all three! This program is FREE (suggested donation $12). Registration includes art-making supplies and all ingredients to make lunch. Advance registration required. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call (518) 567-2170.

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery tours at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. After your tour, extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM. 

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. $15 adults; children under 12 are free. Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Inspired by your time at Olana or looking for family-friendly fun? Participate in free, drop-in artmaking  in the Wagon House Education Center from 1-4 PM and learn more about Frederic Church’s artist-designed home and studio on the Hudson.

This drop-in artmaking program is open to all ages and skill levels; all materials and warm beverages (coffee, tea, and hot chocolate) provided. FREE. No advanced registration required. Contact education@olana.org or call (518) 751-6938 for more info.

Get creative in the kitchen and art studio at Olana State Historic Site! Join The Sylvia Center Chefs and The Olana Partnership educators for a fun, family-friendly program focused on cooking food and making art inspired by Olana’s landscape and history. Try new foods and test new art materials together during this FREE family program! This class focuses on making seasonal Summer Rolls using crunchy veggies and exploring outdoor sculpture in Olana’s historic farm complex. 

For families with children 18 and under (children must be accompanied by an adult). This is the first in a series of three classes – register for one or all three! This program is FREE (suggested donation $12). Registration includes art-making supplies and all ingredients to make lunch. Advance registration required. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call (518) 567-2170.

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery tours at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. After your tour, extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. $15 adults; children under 12 are free. Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Inspired by your time at Olana or looking for family-friendly fun? Participate in free, drop-in artmaking  in the Wagon House Education Center from 1-4 PM and learn more about Frederic Church’s artist-designed home and studio on the Hudson. 

This drop-in artmaking program is open to all ages and skill levels; all materials provided. FREE. No advanced registration required. Contact education@olana.org or call (518) 751-6938 for more info.

Enjoy vibrant mariachi music with Mariachi Citlalli! Experience the sounds of Mexico, a country frequently visited by artist Frederic Church, all against the backdrop of Olana’s breathtaking views. FREE; the performance takes place outside the Historic House. Check in at the Visitor Center for details.

Inspired by your time at Olana or looking for family-friendly fun? Participate in free, drop-in artmaking  in the Wagon House Education Center from 1-4 PM and learn more about Frederic Church’s artist-designed home and studio on the Hudson. 

This drop-in artmaking program is open to all ages and skill levels; all materials provided. FREE. No advanced registration required. Contact education@olana.org or call (518) 751-6938 for more info.

Experience the energy of Bollywood dancing at Olana State Historic Site with instructor, Arobi Hanif! Learn moves to trendy and iconic Bollywood songs during this fun, beginner-friendly outdoor class at Olana and stick around for a special performance on the East Lawn outside the historic house. For ages 12 and up; space is limited. Email education@olana.org to learn more.

Inspired by your time at Olana or looking for family-friendly fun? Participate in free, drop-in artmaking  in the Wagon House Education Center from 1-4 PM and learn more about Frederic Church’s artist-designed home and studio on the Hudson. 

This drop-in artmaking program is open to all ages and skill levels; all materials provided. FREE. No advanced registration required. Contact education@olana.org or call (518) 751-6938 for more info.

Take in OLANA’s breathtaking views and learn more about approaching landscape painting en plein air or “outside,” getting inspiration from artist Frederic Church in the process. During this three-part workshop, observe how contemporary painters use plein air techniques developed in the 19th century and experiment with the same approach to create your own finished works of art. Each day, expert art educator Shawn Dell Joyce will teach from a new view at Olana State Historic Site, using Church’s paintings and sketches as points of reference. This workshop will focus on making sketches, matching color to values, and painting finished plein air painting of the observed outdoor scenes.

Shawn Dell Joyce is a Florida-based plein air painter and founder of the Wallkill River School of Art based in Orange County, NY. As a skilled teacher, she has had a tremendous impact on the art community nationwide, teaching workshops in pastel and plein air techniques across the country. Her work has been featured in publications from the Tampa Bay Magazine to The New York Times, is represented in galleries across the country, and has been widely collected by corporations and families around the world including the Georges Pompidou Museum in France and the Museum of Modern Art in NY.

Participants can sign up for one day of painting or all three workshop days and should bring their own usual paints (any medium) and brushes; additional special tools will be supplied. Advanced registration required; $100 per workshop/$75 for members ($300 for all three sessions/$225 for members).

Please contact education@olana.org or 518-567-2170 to learn more.

Experience the vibrant sounds of South America with Andes Manta! Enjoy live music on traditional instruments like panpipes and Andean flutes, along with captivating dance performances, all against the backdrop of Olana’s breathtaking views. FREE; takes place outside the historic house. Check in at the Visitor Center for more details.

Inspired by your time at Olana or looking for family-friendly fun? Participate in free, drop-in artmaking  in the Wagon House Education Center from 1-4 PM and learn more about Frederic Church’s artist-designed home and studio on the Hudson. 

This drop-in artmaking program is open to all ages and skill levels; all materials provided. FREE. No advanced registration required. Contact education@olana.org or call (518) 751-6938 for more info.

Nestled in the rose-red sandstone cliffs and surrounded by the deserts of what is today southern Jordan, the archaeological site of Petra is one of humanities greatest wonders. Hewn from canyon walls, the rock-cut city thrived for centuries as the capital of the ancient Nabataean people. Most often recognized by The Treasury, an enigmatic but stunning structure Frederic Church captured in his 1874 painting, El Khasné, Petra,  the city sprawled for miles.

Join Professor Pearce Paul Creasman for a discussion of the ancient travelers who helped bring this enigmatic site to the contemporary world’s attention and an exploration of the recent archaeological work shaping an understanding of Petra’s history and impact. This onsite lecture takes place in the Frederic Church Center for Art & Landscape; refreshments to follow.

Professor Pearce Paul Creasman serves as executive director of the American Center of Research in Amman, Jordan. His research focuses on the heritage, archaeology, and environment of the Middle East and North Africa. With more than 100 publications to his credit, Dr. Creasman has been recognized for his work by several institutions including: the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, as a fellow of The Explorer’s Club, and he was honored as a “Genius” in National Geographic’s 2021 almanac. His most recent excavations are of the Treasury in Petra (Jordan) and the pyramids of Nuri (Sudan), both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Inspired by your time at Olana or looking for family-friendly fun? Participate in free, drop-in artmaking  in the Wagon House Education Center from 1-4 PM and learn more about Frederic Church’s artist-designed home and studio on the Hudson. 

This drop-in artmaking program is open to all ages and skill levels; all materials provided. FREE. No advanced registration required. Contact education@olana.org or call (518) 751-6938 for more info.

Inspired by your time at Olana or looking for family-friendly fun? Participate in free, drop-in artmaking  in the Wagon House Education Center from 1-4 PM and learn more about Frederic Church’s artist-designed home and studio on the Hudson. 

This drop-in artmaking program is open to all ages and skill levels; all materials provided. FREE. No advanced registration required. Contact education@olana.org or call (518) 751-6938 for more info.