The
Rockefeller Park Preserve Art Gallery,
together with Kiesendahl+Calhoun Fine
Art, present a series of paintings of
THOMAS LOCKER from his book “Hudson:
Story of a River” as well as other
recent paintings of the Hudson. Thomas
Locker’s paintings take the viewer on a
sacred journey that illustrate the river
as: home for Mahican settlements, the
means of exploration by Henry Hudson, a
stronghold for the Revolutionary War, a
mode for commerce and industrialization,
the glorious inspiration for the Hudson
River School of painters, and the
catalyst for the modern environmental
movement.
The
tradition of the Hudson River School of
Art has been the inspiration for Thomas
Locker’s forty-five years of painting.
The Rockefeller Preserve is the fitting
host for this exhibition as it preserves
the lands and views along swaths of the
mighty Hudson.
Born in
1937, Thomas Locker has been devoted to
painting his entire life. Since the
opening of his first solo show at the
New York City Banfer Gallery in 1964,
Locker has held over fifty exhibitions
in both national and international
galleries and museums. Early in his
painting career he had the desire to
share his love and reverence for nature
with children and has done so through
his brilliant, prolific work
illustrating some thirty children’s
books. Loved also by adults these books
include the biographies of John Muir,
Rachel Carson and stories such as “At
the Rivers Edge”. Locker’s numerous
awards such as the John Burroughs Award
and the New York Times Award for Best
Illustration reflect the high regard for
his work. The artist lives and works in
the Catskill Mountains and continues to
find inspiration in the Hudson River.
School
groups are encouraged to come and see
the exhibition and experience the
history of the Hudson River through the
lens of Thomas Locker.
The Art
Gallery at the Rockefeller State
Preserve is located on Route 117 in
Tarrytown, NY, 1 mile east of Route 9.
The gallery is open daily 9 am – 4:30
pm. For information or directions, call
or visit
www.friendsrock.org.
There is a parking fee of $6.00 per
vehicle. For further information about
this exhibit, please contact the
curator: Audrey Leeds – 201-767-0582 or
the Preserve Office – 914-631-1470.
Rockefeller State Park Preserve is one
of 6 state historic sites and 13 parks
administered by the New York State
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation – Taconic Region. For
further information about New York State
Parks, please visit our website at
www.nysparks.com.