Artist in Action ~ Olana ~
Olana is a 250 acre landscape and work of art designed by Frederic Church as well as Calvert Vaux (one of the designers and architects of Central Park). Frederic Church was a Hudson River Valley School painter who purchased the property and built Olana. It includes 5 miles of carriage roads, which are now walking/running trails that travel through his landscape architecture and art. With a working farm, orchard, pastures, croplands, woodlands, and artificial lake, you feel as though you are submerged into one of Church’s beautiful Hudson River Valley School Paintings. On the landscape sits the Church Mansion of Persian Italian Romanesque Design. It includes his original sketches, artwork, and studies as well as some of the paintings of Thomas Cole who was his teacher. Both are world renowned Hudson River Valley School Painters. As you journey through the Church Mansion, you witness ecumenism in the making ~ with different artifacts from different cultures, as well as artwork, mosaics, or sculptures from different faith traditions, we see a blending of American culture itself and a respect for all faith traditions within the walls of Olana. From the landscape reminding us of the history of Native American people, to the heritage of immigrant cultures, we really see the value, dignity, and worth of every person, no matter where they are from, shine through Olana, as well as through the artwork within it.
While our gallery collection features the land and mansion in the winter, given the change of seasons and the way the mansion frames the landscape, each season is breathtaking and different when experienced there. The Olana mansion itself was built for Church and his family. It includes a stage in the foyer as well as picturesque windows that illuminate and frame the outside landscape, with Persian inspired architectural elements and designs. Church’s main goals were to draw the eye back to the landscape and back to nature. With mesmerizing views, Church’s vision of what he wanted Olana to be is one of a kind, and shows his true gift in the use of nature, light, illumination, and color to draw the eye outward, and the heart inward to basque in the beauty of creation, art and design, and the art of meditation and spirituality in running or walking the physical landscape through the carriage trails. While discovering the landscape and taking in the breadth and depth of it all, you become transformed in the greatness and glory of God as well as the gift of creation. Knowing Church’s artwork and his artistic talent, you can see he took art to a whole new level of reality. Creating an iconic and lasting view, while preserving nature and creation in the process, people can explore and allow their souls to enjoy the gift of the earth, but also the gift of art and creativity. Running and walking the trails, and essentially through Church’s artwork and design, your soul is transported to different states of peace, and transcends the everyday things that can hinder a soul from really seeing the true beauty of God. Olana is just one example of different landscapes that enable a runner’s, artists, or nature lover’s soul to be transfigured and transposed. Purifying the heart and body through nature, light, artwork, design, and faith - one’s spirituality begins to become more authentic and humanistic, yet divine.
Please see our gallery below:
