Dear Friends of the HRM,

As we look back on a glorious summer with you all—in spite of some genuinely rainy days mixed in there—I am delighted to revisit a few highlights and share exciting updates and events taking place at the HRM this month. It’s been an incredible season filled with community engagement, and we can’t wait to continue this journey with you into the fall.

This is the final weekend to experience Order / Reorder: Experiments with Collections, with surprising juxtapositions of visitor favorites alongside never-before-seen works from the HRM, as well as significant loans from the Joslyn Art Museum and regional artists. This is your opportunity to see works by legendary artists including Mark Rothko and Louise Nevelson in conversation with first-time HRM artists Samer Akroush (aka RIDIKKULUZ), Joshua Renfroe, and Antoinette Legnini.

Hoop Dreams
I’m thrilled that our new West Wing galleries have been humming with activity and visitors thanks to the uplifting work of artist Kengo Kito. His exhibition, Unity on the Hudson—a testament to the power of connectedness and imagination—continues to captivate visitors. If you haven’t had the chance to experience this transformative installation, I encourage you to take in its wonders and add a memory of your own special moment of connection. Your memories will be proudly displayed and archived with the exhibition, forging a lasting bond between our community and this incredible artist’s vision. And, of course, revel in the views of the Hudson, especially as the sailboats and kayaks go by. Read this recent review of our new wing and inaugural exhibitions in All Arts: Hudson River Museum Soars into Next Phase with New Wing.

Take a Bow!
I want to express my deepest gratitude to all who made our Summer Amphitheater Series the best one yet. Your enthusiasm and support are the lifeblood of our institution, and we are continually inspired by your presence as we use our stage as a creative lab for the performing arts. A special thanks to Ørsted for their philanthropic support as full season sponsors, helping the HRM bring these performances to the community for free.

A Fresh Take on Tradition
We continue our connections to dance, theater, and music all year long. Don’t miss Traditional and Contemporary Japanese Music on Sunday, September 10, at 2pm, when Masayo Ishigue and Miyabi Koto Shamisen Ensemble bring forth an immersive experience of Japanese traditional and contemporary music. For those who would like to take part in a Classical Japanese Tea Ceremony, please join intimate sessions that will take place on Sunday, September 24—also the final day of Kengo Kito’s exhibition—and learn about the formal ritual designed to engender harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.

Bier Here
As you’ve come to expect from us, we love to offer you fresh experiences. To that end we have a fun new program for you: Beers and Bierstadt: Tasting and Tour, inspired by the current exhibition The Bierstadt Brothers and Oktoberfest is not to be missed. This unique event, on Friday, September 29, 5–8pm, which will feature curator micro-tours of the exhibition and seasonal pairing from our local craft brewers, promises an evening of art appreciation and good cheer.

A Conversation in Bloom
I am very pleased that artist Seongmin Ahn and art critic John Yau will be here at HRM on Sunday, September 17, at 2pm, in Floral Dimensions discussing the power of flowers in art, particularly those depicted in Ahn’s solo exhibition Its Inside Is Bigger Than Its Outside: Paintings by Seongmin Ahn and Edward Steichen: In Exaltation of Flowers with Laura Vookles, HRM Chair, Curatorial Department. The HRM continues our commitment to providing accessible programming, and this conversation will feature Simultaneous ASL interpretation by Certified Sign Language Interpreter Nancy Kaplan.

Family Science
You gaze upon it from the shore and in paintings, but do you know much about the life that pulses within the mighty Hudson? The vast and complex food web of this storied river includes everything from ospreys and oysters, to nematodes and nudibranchs, to duckweed and ducks. On weekends throughout September, bring the kids for a hands-on exploration of the Hudson River Food Web.

As we embark on this new season, we look forward to sharing more remarkable moments and experiences with you, our cherished community. Your support and engagement are the heart of the Hudson River Museum, and we can’t wait to welcome you back for a season filled with culture and connection.

In his 1867 “Merlin’s Song”, poet Ralph Waldo Emerson entreated us to:
Live in the sunshine, swim the sea,
Drink the wild air’s salubrity.

Allow me to put it another way: Make it a September to remember.

See you at the Museum,

Masha Turchinsky
Director and CEO