From the paintings of the Hudson River School, to the contemporary art and sculpture of Dia:Beacon and Storm King Art Center, the Hudson Valley has long served as inspiration to those who create and appreciate fine art.

For centuries, artists have made their homes here, drawn by the ever-changing play of light and the scenic beauty of their surroundings. Jasper Cropsey settled in Hastings to the south, and Thomas Cole in Catskill to the north. Frederic Church perched Olana high on a hill overlooking the river, claiming that "Almost an hour this side of Albany is the Center of the World — I own it...."

Others came and brought their love of art with them. Generations of Rockefellers graced the landscapes of their home at Kykuit with art at every turn. As chairman of Pepsico, Donald M. Kendall developed an extraordinary corporate sculpture garden. And colleges at Purchase, Vassar and New Paltz, built art museums that educate and inform.

All the institutions represented in this presentation invite you to "Follow the Hudson Valley Art Trail," discovering on your own the rich diversity of art experiences that await visitors from near and far. Welcome to this extraordinary region, designated by Congress a National Heritage Area, that has as its core the majestic Hudson River, an American masterpiece.

From Yonkers to Albany, the Hudson Valley Art Trail offers a myriad of art and art history experiences that the true art lover will find captivating. One way to explore the trail is to select the larger museums and sites, such as Kykuit, the Neuberger Museum, Storm King Art Center, Dia:Beacon, the Hudson River Museum, the Kendall Sculpture Garden and the Albany Institite of History and Art.

Given more leisure, you could search out smaller hidden treasures, such as the Katonah Museum of Art, Union Church of Pocantico Hills, the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, the Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz, Senate House or the Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College.

Or you could discover the places in the Valley where artists have made their homes and studios, including Jasper Cropsey's Ever Rest, Russel Wright's Manitoga, Samuel F.B. Morse's Locust Grove, Harvey Fite's Opus 40, Thomas Cole's Cedar Grove and Frederic Chruch's Olana.

However you choose to follow it, the Hudson Valley Art Trail promises you surprises and pleasures beyond compare.

Enjoy!