Thomas Cole National Historic Site announces major initiative for nation’s 250th

CATSKILL―The Thomas Cole National Historic Site announced on Tuesday a major new initiative in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

Titled “Thomas Cole: Painting the Nature of America,” it will highlight the crucial role of Thomas Cole (1801-1848) in projecting a visual identity for the young nation and include three new exhibitions reflecting his historic role and ongoing influence, as well as additional programming.

In the early 19th century, Cole transformed the landscape of the United States into an iconic symbol of the country, giving rise to its national identity of “America the Beautiful.”

Cole emblazoned his canvases with vast forests, towering mountains, and sublime skies, and in doing so formulated a unifying emblem for the young country. As we mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, Cole’s vision of this place in all its natural beauty continues to inspire and engage generations today.

The three new exhibitions are as follows:

Thomas Cole: An American Visionary

April 25 through December 2026

This dynamic installation of Thomas Cole’s landscape paintings, painting objects, and easels will be unveiled in the new Richard T. Sharp Gallery in the 1815 Main House. It will provide fresh insights into Cole’s work, his love of nature, and his presentation of the landscape in a way that catapulted him to overnight international fame, conveying a visual identity for the nation that still resonates today.

Circles of Influence: Thomas Cole and the American Landscape Movement

June 20 through December 2026

This exhibition – to be presented in the historic Library Gallery in the Main House – will explore the rapid influence that Thomas Cole and his work had on other 19th-century artists, including Frederic E. Church, Asher B. Durand, Jasper Francis Cropsey, Albert Bierstadt, Susie Barstow, Mary Josephine Walters, and more.

Contemporary Vistas: “Light Atlas: Cynthia Daignault”

June 20 through November 1, 2026

This exhibition – to be presented in the reconstructed 1846 New Studio building – will feature an immersive work by Cynthia Daignault, inspired by Thomas Cole, of 360 landscape paintings created on a road trip across the United States.

“Thomas Cole is central to America’s visual identity around the world – historically and today,” said Maura O’Shea, executive director of the Thomas Cole Site. “We’re excited to present these exhibitions and much more in the context of the nation’s 250th anniversary and to engage Americans in the beauty of American art and nature.”

Alan Wallach, Ralph H. Wark Professor of Art and Art History Emeritus and Professor of American Studies Emeritus, William & Mary, and Nancy Siegel, Professor of Art History, Towson University, serve as advisors to the project. They will be among the renowned curators and artists, who will be featured speakers in the Thomas Cole Site’s Sunday Salon speaker series, augmenting the three exhibitions.

Other speakers include Kevin Avery, Graham Boettcher, Terry Carbone, William Coleman, Cynthia Daignault, Elizabeth Kornhauser, and Erin Monroe. The Sunday Salon Series begins on March 29 and runs through December 13.

The dates of the lectures are available at www.thomascole.org/events. Additional programming is designed for K-12 students, teachers, and visitors of all ages.

"Thomas Cole: Painting the Nature of America" at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site is supported in part by The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

Made possible in part by the Hickory Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, Jennifer Krieger and Eric Siegel, National Trust Insurance, LLC, Art Bridges, Anne and Fred Osborn III / The EASTER Foundation, Bank of Greene County Charitable Fund, Columbia Memorial Health, BST & Co. CPAs, LLP, and Eli Wilner & Company.

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

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