Welcome To Catskill

Fall View of Olana, image courtesy Olana State Historic Site, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Olana Readies for Fall Tours

Olana State Historic Site has just completed a very successful summer season. To date the historic site has served over 90,000 visitors, compared with 50,000 during the same time in 2007. “We are delighted with these end of summer figures” said site manager Linda McLean. “Strong tourism at Olana spills over into the surrounding community, supporting our local economy. Supporting our friends and neighbors is as much our goal as sharing one of New York State’s cultural icons with the rest of the world.”

House tours this fall will be Wednesday through Sunday (and Columbus Day Monday) from 10 AM until 5 PM, the last tour beginning promptly at 4 PM.

Tours are on the hour and half hour, reservations are recommended. The house will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays. In addition to the house tours, the site will be offering many events like Fly Tying and Casting Demonstrations by Trout Unlimited on Saturday September 13th, The Barry Hopkins Run on September 14th, a Harvest Moonrise Walk on the 15th, and a Geology Ramble Sept 28th. October offers the spectacular Hudson Valley fall foliage as a back-drop for events like Paint-Out Olana on October 5th with the Barefoot Boys, the New York 77th Regimental Balladeers on October 11th, and THE PUMPKIN WALK on October 18th. Special Saturday Family Tours that have been so popular over the summer will also continue through September and October. Grounds are open daily 8 AM until sunset.

For more information about these and other events call Olana at 518-828-0135 or visit www.nysparks.com. The Olana Partnership, Olana’s not-for-profit group who works with the State of New York to support events and programs at Olana, will be holding additional programs and events at the Wagon House in the farm complex by the lake.

To find out more about those events call The Olana Partnership at 518-828-1872 or visit www.olana.org.

Olana is a New York State Historic Site and a National Historic Landmark. Olana is one of seven historic sites and thirteen parks administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Taconic Region.

Check it out!
The Catskill Soccer Club has their own web site
Catskill Soccer Club

http://www.catskillsoccerclub.org/

free103point9 Newsroom

http://blog.free103point9.org/newsroom.html

Car Wash is in... this building is out

The owner of the Car Wash by Wal-Mart has purchased the former House of Video building (owned by Aubuchon realty) to demolish and expand the car wash.

I found this neat site link showing a 360 degree
view in front of our Courthouse

http://hudson-valley.360cities.net/fs.html?loc=Catskill_Main_Street.p36

Budget Travel selects Catskill !!
10 Coolest Small Towns: Catskill

Click here for a link to the article
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2008/08/02/AR2008080201282.html

The Chili Cook Off is on again this year !
Contact the Heart of Catskill Association
for more info 518-943-0989

Get YOUR FLAG READY

Please join us in this FLY THE FLAG campaign. We have a little less than one week and counting to get the word out all across this great land and into every community in theUnited States of America .

THE PROGRAM: On
Thursday, September 11th, 2008,
an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States . Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this seventh anniversary of one our country's worst tragedies. We do this honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms. In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.

Get YOUR FLAG READY

Saturday, September 13th
from 1 to 4pm

Symposium Celebrates Interns at
Thomas Cole House Catskill, NY

Patrons enjoy recent event at Thomas Cole House
Photo credit: Brian Branigan

On Saturday, September 13th from 1 to 4pm, the Thomas Cole House celebrates the contribution of its interns - both past and present - with an afternoon of presentations by students from Bard College, Mount Holyoke College, SUNY New Paltz, Vassar College, and Williams College, exploring their ideas on topics relating to Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School. Two hours of student papers will be interspersed with questions and answers led by Kevin Avery, Associate Curator, Department of American Painting and Sculpture, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Linda Ferber, Vice President and Museum Director, The New-York Historical Society; and Elizabeth Kornhauser, Krieble Curator of American Painting and Sculpture, The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. A panel discussion will follow, exploring how the internship experience affects academic and professional studies.
Admission is free.

The event takes place at Temple Israel, which is next door to the Thomas Cole House, 218 Spring Street, Catskill, New York. The Cole board and staff wish to express their gratitude to the Temple for generously hosting the event. For more information about the event, please contact Gregory Rosenthal, Education Coordinator, at 518-943-7465 ext. 2. Students who would like to explore an internship at the Thomas Cole House are encouraged to contact the historic site now. This national historic site welcomes student interns year-round to work on a variety of projects and gain valuable in-depth museum experience. Academic credit can be arranged for students who complete a minimum number of hours per week, as determined by the college or other academic institution. To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter and one page statement of purpose explaining why you want to work at Cedar Grove and what you hope to gain and contribute. Application materials can be sent by mail to PO Box 426, Catskill, New York, 12414, attn: Internships, or to education@thomascole.org. More information about the internship program can be found at the Intern Program section of the Thomas Cole website, http://www.thomascole.org/interns.

About Thomas Cole
Long regarded as the founder of America's first art movement, known as the Hudson River School, Thomas Cole (1801-1848) is a central figure in the development of American culture. When Cole made his first trip up the Hudson River in 1825, American cultural leaders were searching for something distinctly American to establish the nation's own culture as separate from that of Europe. Thomas Cole found it in the Catskill Mountain wilderness, which came to symbolize the unspoiled character of the new nation. Lionized during his lifetime and celebrated by a generation of artists who followed in his footsteps, Cole is now widely regarded as the father of American landscape painting.

About Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove is the site where the artist Thomas Cole lived, worked, was married, and where he died at the age of 47. Today the site consists of the Federal style brick home (c. 1815) in which Thomas Cole resided with his family, as well as the artist's original studio building, on five landscaped acres with a magnificent view of the Catskill Mountains.

The exhibition is made possible with public funds from the Greene County Legislature through the Greene County Cultural Fund, administered in Greene County by the Greene County Council on the Arts; The New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; The Bank of Greene County Charitable Foundation; and the Bender Family Foundation.

For more information, call (518) 943-7465 ext.3or visit www.thomascole.org.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

The Barry Hopkins Run at Olana

Join us on Sunday, September 14 at 9:30am for The Barry Hopkins Run at Olana, an Onteora Runners Club Grand Prix event.

Runners may choose to participate in a competitive 7.6 mile double loop race or a 3.8 mile time estimation run. Runners may not wear watches! The runner finishing closest to the time they predicted beforehand wins.

The course traverses mostly unpaved carriage roads in the artist-designed landscape at Olana State Historic Site. The time estimation run was one of Barry's favorite types of competition, possibly because he ran the Olana loop so many times, he could tell you how many footsteps it took. Awards will follow the double loop race.
A free children’s run will precede the adult event at 9am.

Registration is $10 per person; $9 for members of The Olana Partnership or the Onteora Runner’s Club.

Email carri.manchester@oprhp.state.ny.us or call (518) 828-0135 to receive a registration form via email or snail mail.

At 12:00PM we’ll gather at the top of the hill to celebrate Barry Hopkins’ many contributions to our community through the re-planting of an historic oak. Olana, the home and studio of Hudson River School artist Frederic E. Church, is a New York State Historic Site and a National Historic Landmark. Olana is one of seven historic sites and thirteen parks administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Taconic Region.

The Olana Partnership is a private not-for-profit organization which works cooperatively with New York State to support the preservation, restoration, development, and improvement of Olana State Historic Site.

Saturday, September 20, 2008
9:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m.

Rip Van Winkle Rod and Gun Club
Mountain House Road, Palenville NY

Presents Their 1st Annual Youth Day Saturday, September 20, 2008 9:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. (rain or shine)

Demonstrations and Hands-On Instruction in: shooting, archery, fly-fishing, trapping and more!

Mossy Oak Pro-Staffers will be present hand calling and shooting 3-D! All equipment provided through certified instructors!

Children of all ages and skill levels welcome!
Food and beverages will be provided!
Super Low entrance fee: FREE
Pre-Registration Appreciated Registration
and Additional Information:

Keith VanRoy (518) 821-8093

Coming Soon...

Snapfitness, a 24 hour / 7 days per week, gym will be opening in Catskill. It will be located in the church across from the courthouse on Main Street. The gym should be open on or about November.

To learn more about this business
http://www.snapfitness.com/

A charming duplex apartment...

A charming duplex apartment in the historic village of Catskill is available immediately for rent. Wood flooring, stained glass windows, and french doors make this a special place to live. Why be isolated... walk to Main Street, the movie theatre, shops and galleries or hike the local trails. Enjoy use of the backyard or sit on your private balcony porch overlooking the garden.

Heat and hotwater included. Perfect for a single person or a couple. Call for more information or to arrange to see this gem. $950 - 518-943-2189 (or leave message after the sixth ring.)

Courthouse Renovations have started

Temporary Court facilities are located at the formar St Pats school on Woodland Avenue

Saturday, September 20, 2008

STUDIO TOUR

CATSKILL GALLERY ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES SEPT. STUDIO TOUR IN VILLAGE OF CATSKILL CATSKILL, NY:

The Catskill Gallery Association is pleased to present out first Annual Catskill Village Artist Studio Tour, Saturday, September 20, 2008.

Launched as part of the CGA's ongoing Saturday Studios program, the tour will feature open studios of artists located in the Village of Catskill and will highlight the importance of the village as a center for contemporary art.

The Greene County Council for the Arts and Cedar Grove, the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, are both participating sponsors and will be included among the sites.

The tour takes place from noon until 5 PM; from 5 to 8 PM, join CGA galleries and special Main Street locations for a street-long post-tour reception! Enjoy refreshments and conversation with area artists as you visit exhibitions and special installations. The tour is free.

All participants must sign up at one of the following Main Street locations to receive a tour button for a tour map and admission to the studios:
Day & Holt Gallery 384 M Gallery Open Studio Patrick Terenchin Fine Art Play of Light

Tour buttons are not required for the evening events.
All studios will be marked on the map and signed with small flags. Some sites may not be handicapped accessible.

Please e-mail David V. Griffin at gallery384@aol.com for more information. A list of participating artists will be forthcoming soon.

We hope you can join us this September 20th!

Now is the time to start
planning your business!

The Greene County Department of Planning & Economic Development is now accepting applications for the Fall 2008 round of the Microenterprise Assistance Program (MAP) classroom training, which offers a nine-week instructional course in business planning and a variety of topics to assist new and existing entrepreneurs.

"The County's Microenterprise Assistance Program has been extremely successful in the development and growth of small business in Greene County," said Planning and Economic Development Director Warren Hart.

Greene County has received three Microenterprise grants from the New York State Office of Community Renewal in the past six years, and the county ranks in the top ten in New York State for percentage of people working in microenterprises. Specific classes cover areas such as marketing, accounting, cash flow analysis, business plan development and business regulations. Instructors include local and regional experts, along with staff from the Planning and Economic Development Department. One of the key goals of the training is to build the knowledge necessary for participants to develop and complete a business plan.

Owners and managers of existing businesses of five or fewer employees, along with potential start-up entrepreneurs, are eligible to participate. A nine-week training class series will be held on Wednesday nights from September 10 to November 12 at the Business Resource Center on the fourth floor of the Greene County Office Building at 411 Main Street in Catskill. The class is $150, with scholarships being available for low and moderate-income persons. Participants must either live or work in Greene County. Applications for the MAP classes are required, and may be obtained at the Informational Workshops, or by contacting the Greene County Planning and Economic Development Department. Applications for the MAP are due in the Planning and Economic Development Department office on Friday, August 29 no later than 4:30 p.m.

The Greene County MAP has operated since 1998 in order to encourage small business owners and entrepreneurs to either start or expand businesses. Upon completion of the business training course and the development of a viable business plan, participants may apply for a low-interest loan from the County's Microenterprise Loan Fund.

To learn more about the MAP, or applying for acceptance in the Fall session, visit www.GreeneEconomicDevelopment.com or call Community Development Specialist Karl Heck of the Greene County Department of Planning and Economic Development office at (518) 719-3290.

Saturday September 27th at 2pm

Imagine That!
Paint Your Own Pottery

A Paint Your Own Pottery Studio - Paint a Story

A Very Smart Cat

Author Mario Picayo will be our special guest We will have copies of "A Very Smart Cat" for sale.

Reservations for painting and books are suggested Seating for 15 There will be a limited number of books, Please reserve your copy as soon as possible

Saturday September 27th, 2008 at 2pm Kids paint a a special piece made especially for this event

Enjoy a story & snack
Fee $15.00
Call 518-719-1920
396 Main Street Catskill, NY
www.imaginethatceramics.com

Imagine That!
Is now offering
Art After-School
Children ages 8 - 14 will be working with clay, canvas, fabric and lots of bric-a-brac. Each segment runs for eight weeks Starting Sept 29th - Nov 20th
We are offering 4 days a week, to choose from, Mon, Tues, Thurs. From 4 - 5.30 pm Sat, 11.30am - 1pm

Class size to all is limited to ten

Sign up is Mon Sept 22nd and Tue 23rd from 2 - 8pm

Please call 518-719-1920 for more info and class fee

We are located at 396 Main Street Catskill, New York 12414

Check out our web site
www.imaginethatceramics.com

GCCA Sprouts Program Thanks Target®

Sprouts, Greene County Council on the Arts’ free summer arts program for children ages 3 to 7, recently announced a partnership with Target®, which has awarded the program a $1,000 grant in recognition of its efforts to provide quality workshops in art, music, theater and dance.

“We welcome Target® to our family of funders,” said Ruth Leonard, co-director of the Sprouts Program. “Together we can make a real difference to hundreds of Greene County children every summer.”

The Sprouts program, held at sites throughout the county, engages professional artists who have talent and experience in working with children creatively and who understand the importance of positive early learning. The grant is part of ongoing efforts by Target to strengthen families and communities throughout the country. Since opening its doors, Target has given 5 percent of its income to organizations that support education, the arts, social services and volunteerism. Today that translates to more than $3 million every week.

“At Target, our local grants are making a difference in the communities we serve,” said Laysha Ward, vice president, community relations, Target. “We’re proud to partner with Sprouts as part of our ongoing commitment to give back to the communities where our guests and team members live and work.”

Additionally, Target gives through signature programs designed to inspire learning in children and families.

Programs include: • Take Charge of Education®, a school fundraising program; • Target Field Trip Grants, a program that helps educators bring learning to life for students through the distribution of grants; • Ready.Sit.Read!, a program dedicated to fostering a lifelong love of reading in children at an early age; • Target House®, which serves as a home away from home for families of children receiving life-saving treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® in Memphis, and • Target Volunteers, a program where Target team members and retirees annually donate more than 350,000 hours of time to more than 7,500 community-based projects.

The Candyman
adds hard Ice Cream to their delicious line up !

They have a total of 8 flavors:
6 ice cream,
1 sorbet and
1 frozen yogurt

Hours are M-Th 9-9,
Fri/Sat 9-10pm,
Sun 10-9pm

Come see their new
outdoor seating area!

West Bridge Street in Catskill

The Journey:
Olana’s Summer Arts Program (Session II)

Children ages 6-12 work in small groups at the Picturesque estate of Frederic Church, renowned Hudson River School artist, as they “journey” to one of the locales visited by Church in the 19th century. Through art, music, history and other hands-on activities, children experience the life and travels of this landmark artist.

Call (518) 828-0135 for information or registration.

Grounds are open daily 8am-Sunset, House Tours are available Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4pm.
Call (518) 828-0135 for information:
Monday- Friday, August 4-8, 9am-2pm

Another West Bridge Street
Business Opens

Coldwell Banker had their official Open House on West Bridge Street today. Please stop by and see what is new.

Spring Street Community Meeting
This past Tuesday, residents of Spring Street met as part of the Village's street by street meeting series. Shown above are a few of the residents chatting after the meeting. The meetings have brought out ideas and concepts that we are working to implement. The main bonus of the gatherings are to have neighbors meet neighbors and introduce them to Village Officials.

Broome Street will be next.

Another West Bridge Street
Business Opens !

The Panini Café & Pizzeria
26 Bridge St. 943- 0147 is now open for business
Mon – Fri. from 11am – 10pm Sat. 12 noon – 9pm

CATKSILL GALLERY ASSOCIATION JOINS
"ART ALONG THE HUDSON"

The Catskill Gallery Association is pleased to announce our participation in "Art Along the Hudson," the renowned regional collaboration between major arts centers along the Hudson River Valley. Joining other new participating cities Rhinebeck and Hudson and founding member cities Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Kingston and Beacon, Catskill's "Saturday Studios" program the third Saturday of every month will now be promoted through this unique cooperative media campaign.

Now in its fifth year, "Art Along the Hudson" celebrates the contemporary and historic arts resources of participating cities by promoting a rotating weekend calendar of events. Kingston and Hudson share First Saturdays; Beacon Second Saturdays; Catskill's Saturday Studios takes place on Third Saturdays, along with Poughkeepsie and Rhinebeck's events and Newburgh's events take place on Fourth Saturdays. Information about specific events for each city is available at www.artalongthehudson.com, while an eye-catching brochure, linked to an extensive media campaign, promotes the Valley as a multi-faceted cultural zone of emerging and established talent.

The Catskill Gallery Association is happy to join other Hudson Valley communities in this important promotional program.

Details on our own events are immediately available at www.catskillgalleryassociation.com. As cultural tourism becomes more important a factor in local economies, our commitment towards building recognition of our art galleries, historic sites, arts centers and museums is a step towards ensuring our success as a preferred destination for local, state-wide and national visitors.
Please call Alyson Milbourn at 518-943-0380 for further details and for information on our upcoming summer events!
www.CatskillGalleryAssociation.com

GALLERY 384
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE
2008 AFFORDABLE ART FAIR

CATSKILL, NY: Gallery 384 is pleased to announce our inclusion in the Affordable Art Fair in New York, June 11-15, 2008. This vetted show is one of New York's most significant and popular art fairs, specializing in work by artists at every career level and in every medium. Works offered are priced specifically for savvy beginning collectors with 75% of all work priced below $5,000. We will be representing a full roster of talents from our gallery's two-year history as one of the Upper Hudson Valley's most significant contemporary commercial spaces, including works by Gail Gregg; Roberta Griffin; Cannon Hersey; John Mullens; Christopher Saunders; Alexander Weiss; and Aaron Yassin.

Opening night is Wednesday, June 11. Contact www.aafnyc.com for ticket information, or contact us at 917-674-6823 to request a press ticket. We hope that you will be able to visit us at the Affordable Art Fair this June!

For further information contact
David V. Griffin at davidvgriffin@aol.com

Work on the new Kaatskill Condos (formerly Irving School) continues as the crew builds up the front entrance.

For more info check out
http://www.kaatskillcondos.com/

Catskill Community Center held their grand opening of the new Welcome Center on Main Street in Catskill.
Shown above are members of the Catskill Drum and Bugle Corp helping cut the ribbon. Photo by Paige Stapleton.

The Muddy Cup Open Mic Nights

The Muddy Cup Open Mic Nights are still going strong every Monday Night, so don't forget to stop by and join the action. We look forward to seeing you there every week! Sign-up at 7PM. In addition, there are shows lined up for Friday and Saturday nights: Check the website for the complete calendar of events. There are plenty of new acts stopping by to play for us this year, including our group of regular performers. So don't miss out on some quality shows... for free! It's all happening at The CATSKILL Muddy Cup! (410 Main Street, Catskill, NY 12414).

Kseniya Bikhler
My name is Kseniya Bikhler and I graduated from SVA.My primary area of skill is Graphic Design while my true passion is Fine Arts. As a graphic designer I combine fine art sensibility with solid design technique into a unique style of work. As A Fine Artist I try to create a unique style by using mixed media in different variations.
http://www.artofkseniya.com/

VILLAGE SUNRISE 2004 mixed media

Catskill Walking Tour Signs and Trail Markers are going up !!

New Exhibition
Sunday May 4 through October 26

"Thomas Cole's Sketch Paintings: An Exploration of the Creative Process"

PRIVATE THOMAS COLE COLLECTIONS ASSEMBLED FOR CEDAR GROVE HOMECOMING RENOWNED SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM CHIEF CURATOR, ELEANOR JONES HARVEY TO SPEAK AT EVENT FREE VIEWING OF EXHIBITION ON OPENING DAY

It was announced today by Elizabeth Jacks, director of The Thomas Cole National Historic Site at Cedar Grove, the launch of the 2008 season with an exhibition of rarely seen oil sketches of famous Cole paintings, including Cole's oil study for Kaaterskill Falls.

The 2008 special exhibition, "Thomas Cole's Sketch Paintings: An Exploration of the Creative Process" opens to the public on Sunday May 4. There will be a free viewing of the exhibition on opening day. Many of the objects are coming from several private collections and therefore have rarely been seen by the public. In addition, renowned Smithsonian American Art Museum Chief Curator, Eleanor Jones Harvey, will be guest speaker.

Cedar Grove Director, Elizabeth Jacks, will be a guest on the WAMC morning talk show, Roundtable May 2. Your interest in attending and covering the May 4 event is welcome and appreciated.

Press worthy story leads might include; Cedar Grove: From Yard Sale to Homecoming (The story of Thomas Cole, the father of American landscape painting and his descendants fateful Cedar Grove yard sale of the 70's, to a resounding return of success.) Smithsonian Chief Curator Visits Catskill (An interview with Cedar Grove opening day guest speaker, and renowned Smithsonian American Art Museum Chief Curator, Eleanor Jones Harvey.) Art Flourishes In Upstate NY (Dia, Olana, Hudson, Catskill), and Old Homes Becoming Centers for Art (e.g; Olana, Cedar Grove, etc.) Interviews and background information will be made available.

This exhibition is made possible in part with public funds from the Greene County Legislature through the Greene County Cultural Fund, administered in Greene County by the Greene County Council on the Arts.

Contact: PR: Brian Branigan (518) 943-4292
For more information you can call Cedar Grove Director, Elizabeth Jacks at (518) 943-7465 or visit www.thomascole.org.

Cedar Grove is located at 218 Spring Street, near the western entrance to the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, with easy access from the New York State Thruway, Exit 21.

Click here for more information.

Music in the Park kicks off 6/19/2008!!!
Click here for the Music in the Park Schedule

The Catskill Boxing Club is open and the Legend of Cus D'Amato continues.
For more information on the club or to get a tour please email us at info@welcometocatskill.com

Home of World Champions

We are in need of donations to keep the Gym running and available to all of our community

click here to

What Type of Restaurant would you like to see in Catskill?

Map Quest - Directions to Catskill