A Tradition That’s Alive and Well at Hotchkiss This Summer

By Tara Kelly

Artists have gravitated to the Hudson Valley and Taconic Hills for centuries drawn to the dramatic landscapes of rivers, forests, and open farmland patiently waiting to be immortalized on canvas.

If you’re driving around the Northwest Corner this summer, you might catch sight of an unusual number of artists with their easels set-up by the side of the road, or out in a field, painting the scenery. From June 17 to July 5, Grand Central Atelier, a school for classically trained artists based in Queens, will be hosting its 15th annual Hudson River Fellowship. The program invites 20 fellows, all accomplished artists, to  The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville for three weeks of plein-air painting. 

Edward “Ted” Minoff, an artist, GCA Board member, and instructor describes the process of landscape painting. “We do lots and lots of careful drawings and plein-air studies, and then armed with that info we can translate that into a work of imagination in the studio.” As it happens, the sketches are often as compelling as the finished work.

This year for the first time, GCA is also offering three short landscape painting workshops, open to all levels. For more information go to their website:grandcentralatelier.org 

There will be an outdoor showcase of the group’s work at The White Hart in Salisbury on Sunday, June 30 starting at 11 am. All the work will be for sale, and the event is free but please RSVP. —grandcentralatelier.org