Hudson Valley Art- New York State

Dia: Beacon, one of the largest contemporary art museums in the world at 240,000 sq. feet. The works were monumental. It is not that the artwork housed in the museum particularly fascinated me, but the setting and the whole gestalt of the place, did. VERY LARGE works of art in VERY LARGE rooms, the museum was once a factory, now it is a Zen like experience. One of the installations was indeed, once again Donald Judd...I feel as if I am following him posthumously across the United States, first in West Texas at the Chinati Foundation, then in Saint Louis at the Laumier Sculpture Gardens and now here on the East Coast... an artist I don't remember ever hearing of before this trip but empty cubes, of concrete, steel and plywood continue to lead me on my travels.I called the R&F hand made Encaustic Paint factory in Kingston and got a private tour of their facility and gallery. It was amazing. I can't wait to get home and do some experimenting. I asked if I could take a picture inside of the guy milling the paint but they said no.

It has been fun driving through the artsy towns of Woodstock, New Paltz, Kingston, Cornwall, Beacon and Cold Spring along the Hudson river. Lots of little co-op galleries and antique stores.


In Hyde Park we got a tour of the Culinary Institute of America and ate in one of their lovely restaurants. Then took a 6 mile walk to walk off all those calories. We went from FDR's home and library to the Vanderbilt mansion and back. It was a lovely walk through the forest.