Implementation of a new permanent exhibition on the first floor of artist Thomas Cole’s house Cedar Grove, an immersive multimedia experience, resources on the website, and in-house AV programs.
To implement a new interpretive exhibition at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site that will engage visitors more deeply with the humanities themes that are raised by the life, art and writings of Thomas Cole (1801-1848), the seminal 19th-century artist who is considered the founder of the Hudson River School of landscape painting, the nation's first major art movement. The project is based on extensive research and uses imaginative formats in order to engage broader audiences than have traditionally attended historic house museums. This project continues ten years of interpretation at the TCNHS focusing on Cole's creative process--from sketching outdoors in nature to composition and execution in the studio. The proposed new exhibition will go deeper, exploring the personal and societal influences on Cole's art-making, providing the context for understanding how these images came to profoundly shape American attitudes towards nature and landscape.