CATSKILL – The Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill recently presented the Pollinator Pavilion, a new architectural sculpture designed by artists Mark Dion and Dana Sherwood.
Combining their well-known site-specific facilities practice, the couple created the approximately 22-foot-tall interactive art to feed pollinators and a position for visitors to notice hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and other creatures., lilac, Gothic-style viewpoint is filled with paintings by original artists, gardens of live pollinators, feeders and seats for one guest at a time.
The pavilion reflects Thomas Cole’s fascination (1801-1848) with the world of herbs, architecture and architectural features of the landscape.It is next to Cole’s reconstructed New Studio building, which was originally designed through the artist in 1846.
“Thomas Cole is delighted with nature and fantasy, and the pollinator pavilion has that sense of fun,” Dion says.”It creates a discussion between architecture and nature that Cole would have appreciated.”
The piece in componenticular encouraged through a series of paintings known as “The Gems of Brazil” (1863-1864) through 19th century artist Martin Johnson Heade (1819-1904), a protégé of Frederic Church, who in turn a protégé of Cole.Heade’s intimate series depicts hummingbirds and will be presented as component of a primary travelling exhibition, “Cross Pollinisation: Heade, Cole, Church and our Contemporary Moment,” which will open in spring 2021.
The installation will remain on until at least the end of October 2021.
The six-acre Thomas Cole National Historic Site, located at 218 Spring St.in Catskill, he houses the house and original studios of Thomas Cole (1801–1848), founder of the Hudson River School of Painting, the country’s first primary artistic movement.For more information, visit http://www.thomascole.Or call (518) 943-7465.
Shannon Fromma is a long-time Capital Region resident and lately lives in Wilton with her husband and two fast-growing children.He graduated from the University of Albany with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Journalism in 1999.Before he had the chance to graduate, he accepted a part-time concert writing obituaries for the Times Union, a role he has replaced over the years.Fromma is recently writing Shopportunist, a frugal column and an award-winning blog.As a participation coordinator, she is also helping to design and introduce live journalism systems at Hearst Media Center.Contact her at [email protected] or (518) 454-5340 .