Now open: Winter in the Summer House
The site of the Church family’s “summer house” remains one of the big mysteries at Olana, according to staffers. The structure appears on the historic 1886 “Plan of Olana,” but no evidence of its appearance or use exists IRL.
As part of a new outdoor exhibit at Olana, artist Ellen Harvey’s recent installation, Winter in the Summer House, reimagines this unknown through the form of a hexagonal enclosed structure constructed entirely of gilded mirrors reflecting views of Olana’s landscape and surrounding viewshed.
“I want people to experience the Olana viewshed the way that Church did — as an artist, literally framing the views,” said Ellen Harvey. “Olana belongs to us all, and this piece is intended to literally and symbolically reflect that. The secret engravings on the inside of the structure are a call-out both to Frederic Church’s famous voyage to find icebergs to paint, and also to his ecological legacy. He loved nature and the Hudson Valley landscape so much — and I think we all need to be inspired by that or there will be no icebergs left to paint."
Harvey’s work is part of What’s Missing? Artworks in the Olana Landscape, an exhibition featuring site-specific installations that respond to missing structures in Olana’s historic landscape. In addition to Winter in the Summer House, artist Gabriela Salazar highlights Olana’s icehouse and woodshed with two interrelated pieces titled, A Measure of Comfort (Cake and Cord). The exhibition officially opened on June 14, and will remain on display through November 2, 2025.
As part of Olana’s Third Thursday programming taking place this week, visitors are invited to enjoy free landscape and historic house access from 1 - 6:30pm. Advanced reservations are not available; guided landscape and Explore at Your Own Pace house access are available on-site, day-of, on a first-come, first-served basis.
In observation of Juneteenth, this Thursday, June 19 from 2-5pm, stop by Olana’s Wagon House Education Center for a chance to learn more about Juneteenth, with free, kid-friendly resources and reflection activities with The Olana Partnership educators all afternoon. For more information, visit https://olana.org/ThirdThursdays/.
Pictured: Harvey and her team put the final touches on Winter in the Summer House at the Olana State Historic Site in Hudson on Friday, June 13, 2025. Photos by niki@hvny.info
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