Dear Friends of the HRM,

I cannot deny it, the Hudson is my favorite river. Whether I am viewing its tides from our riverbank perch, from the bow of a sailboat, or in the current situation, as it flows throughout the Hudson River Museum’s campus in glistening marbles, cascading aluminum wire, recycled silver, and versatile bamboo, courtesy of the artist Maya Lin. Full of life and promise, the river, like the HRM, supports new journeys and inspires fresh ways to look at our community and our role in the world at large.

2018 was an especially powerful year at the Hudson River Museum, and in so many ways it reminded me of the vitality of the river and of you, our visitors. Maya Lin: A River Is a Drawing—featured in this week’s issue of The New Yorker, and on view through January 20—has been drawing exceptionally strong local, national, and international audiences to experience this once-in-a-lifetime, site-specific exhibition and its message about the beauty of water and what climate change threatens to erase. Our gallery talks, Sunday Scholars panels, Art Bridges programs, and studio and science workshops have been brimming with participants every week. Educators brought more than 26,000 school children in 2018 to broaden their horizons with us, and with the launch of HRM After Dark, we’ve welcomed an incredible new tide of culture seekers.

My thanks to all who supported the Museum, and in so many ways, this past year. We were honored that you voted us Best Historic Site for our beloved Glenview and Best Date Night in Best of Westchester, and that our year-long partnership with Yonkers Public School’s Museum School 25 was recognized with an Award for Excellence from the Greater Hudson Heritage Network. Your commitment to our work is the wind in our sails and provides us with strong momentum to move forward.

At a time when funding for the arts and sciences remains highly uncertain, the Hudson River Museum is committed to providing a public forum for interdisciplinary and innovative thinking. If you have not yet had the time to support our Annual Fund, please consider making an end-of-year contribution today. You will know that you helped us offer a new program, invite an impactful performer, or mentor high school Junior Docents to become leaders in their own right. On a more personal level, your participation lets us know what matters to you.

That is what we mean by making waves with us. That your presence is a present. As we close out one year and ready ourselves for the next, I wish you and your families a joyous holiday season and look forward to exploring new shores together in 2019.

With appreciation,

Masha Turchinsky
Director