NEWSLETTER
Yonkers, NY — Celebrate the new year at the Hudson River Museum with a month filled with programs and exhibitions for all ages. It’s the last chance to see Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art before it closes on Sunday, January 14. The exhibition examines contemporary artists’ use of animal imagery to address humanity's interconnectedness with the natural world, including works by Julie Buffalohead, Kiki Smith, Walton Ford and James Prosek.
Also this month, enjoy free admission and music by Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra in the HRM Planetarium at Free First Fridays: Music Under the Dome on Friday, January 5. Also in the Planetarium this month: Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon returns for a special showing on Friday, January 19. Finally, join us for a Day of Fashion Inspired by Edward Steichen on Saturday, January 27, featuring a talk with fashion historian Stéphane Houy-Towner and a workshop with fashion illustrator Renaldo Barnette.
Please note: The Museum will be closed to the public on Thursday, January 4, 2024.
Image: Installation photo of Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art by Steven Paneccasio
FEATURED EXHIBITIONS
CLOSING SOON!
Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art
Closing January 14, 2024
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Wild animals have been present in art since the first artists painted images on cave walls or carved figures in stone tens of thousands of years ago. Today’s artists continue to use animal imagery as a way to address humanity’s interconnectedness with the natural world. Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art, organized by the National Museum of Wildlife Art, explores the meaning of these creative expressions within the context of contemporary art. Featuring a diverse group of more than forty artworks from the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s permanent collection, the exhibition offers a wide range of styles in a variety of media, divided into four thematic sections: Tradition, Politics, Science, and Aesthetics. These realms act as overlapping chapters, investigating the ways we use animal imagery to tackle human concerns and responsibilities.
The title of this exhibition is a play on Charles Darwin’s concept of natural selection from his pivotal writing, On the Origin of Species (1859). Darwin’s ideas contributed much to the development of wildlife art in the late nineteenth century, as artists began to represent animals in natural habitats, enacting natural behaviors. From Julie Buffalohead and Kiki Smith to Walton Ford and James Prosek, the artists in this exhibition represent another stage in the evolution of animal art: choosing to represent animals in alternative, unnatural spaces—spaces more often directly linked to civilization than to wilderness.
Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art is organized by the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Generous support provided by Art Bridges.
Exhibitions are made possible by assistance provided by the County of Westchester.
Hudson River Explorers: Prints by Holly Sears
Through January 14, 2024
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Collection Spotlight: Abstraction, 1950–1980
Through January 21, 2024
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In Exaltation of Flowers: Edward Jean Steichen
Through February 18, 2024
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ALSO ON VIEW
Hip Hop Heroes
Through March 3, 2024
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Hip Hop Heroes celebrates fifty years of Hip Hop in Yonkers and its neighboring communities, centering the stories of the pioneers and party goers who helped shape it into a global phenomenon. Featuring art and artifacts from community members, Hip Hop Heroes honors Yonkers, the Bronx, and Mount Vernon as sites of New York’s musical innovation, where artists from The Lox to DMX to Mary J. Blige honed their craft and contributed to a thriving Hip Hop scene.
Hip Hop is generally thought to be made up of four primary elements: DJing, MCing, breakdancing (or b-boying), and graffiti. Recognizing this multimedia dimension of the culture, the exhibition features work by graffiti writers, muralists, and comic book artists. The exhibition begins with an exploration of how the story of Hip Hop has often been told through the visual arts, featuring works by artists such as Antoinette Legnini and Andre Trenier and an original mural organized by Evan Bishop and painted by local artists including Nancy Mendez, Michael Cuomo, and Marco Barrios. These artworks are further contextualized by cherished memorabilia from community members, including a treasured collection of vinyls, ticket stubs, and flyers.
Yonkers-based artist Evan Bishop, who co-curated the exhibition alongside Karintha Lowe, stated, "This exhibition is an important step in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop culture. Yonkers has made a significant contribution and produced iconic artists. Having the Hudson River Museum join in this acknowledgement is huge, and the public will enjoy it. I am honored to co-curate this exhibit with Karintha to make this event a reality. May the architects of the culture be pleased."
The exhibition also builds from artist Evan Bishop’s workshop series, Hip Hop Heroes: Create a Comic Book Cover, which was held at the Museum in the winter of 2023 and introduced participants to the relationship between social issues and Hip Hop culture. Original works created in these workshops will be featured in the exhibition, complemented by a documentary about Bishop’s project, filmed by photojournalist Denzel Walters. A special feature of Hip Hop Heroes will be a series of arts workshops, held in the exhibition space, where visitors will have the opportunity to create their own Hip Hop heroes. The resulting art will be considered for inclusion in the comic book section of the exhibition, which will feature a rotating selection of original works, created by and for our diverse audiences.
Featured in the Museum’s Community and Partnership Gallery, Hip Hop Heroes is guided by the space’s mission to provide an inviting and experimental place to feature local, regional, and emerging artists as well as artists-in-residence and community-based collaborations.
Featured Artists: Tommy The Animator • Robin Alcantara • Marco Barrios • Shanequa Benitez • Michael Cuomo • Antoinette Legnini • Nancy Mendez • NIC 707 • Pose2/MaxxMoses • Lady Slim • Andre Trenier • Katori Walker • Denzel Walters.
Memorabilia Contributors: The Benitez Family • Buddy YoMA • Joe Genovese • Tom Ray • Raymond Vasquez. With special thanks to Ken Davis and Dennis Fields.
This exhibition is co-curated by Yonkers-based artist Evan Bishop and Karintha Lowe, HRM’s Mellon Public Humanities Fellow.
Significant support is provided by the New York State Senate and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
This exhibition is made possible by the City of Yonkers, Mayor Mike Spano; ReStart the Arts administered by ArtsWestchester; and Sarah Lawrence College through a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Additional assistance for HRM exhibitions is provided by the County of Westchester.
Kindred Worlds: The Priscila and Alvin Hudgins Collection
Through March 2, 2025
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Drawn from the private collection of Priscila and Alvin Hudgins III, Kindred Worlds transports an array of contemporary artworks from the walls of their home in Yonkers to the galleries of the Hudson River Museum. This is the first time these works are presented as a collection to the public, demonstrating a dynamic amalgamation of relationships between collector and artist, artist and subject, subject and kin.
For the Hudgins, building their collection was a way of building home and community—a practice that Priscila and Alvin take up in more ways than one, as they have become great friends with many of the artists featured in this exhibition. In turn, many of these artists have included images of Hudgins family members in their works.
“Our collection is deeply personal and intuitive,” said Priscila and Alvin Hudgins. “We truly love every piece and feel gratitude to the artists that allow us to be guardians of their magical creations during our short time on this physical plane. Our ultimate goal is for future generations to have the ability to enjoy these works. We also hope to inspire people that look like us to realize that they can too, join us in becoming ‘collectors.’”
Themes of myth and memory pervade the collection, as artists take up different visual strategies to convey personal histories. Here, artists such as Bony Ramirez, Laurena Finéus, and Naudline Pierre reinterpret classical techniques in order to create otherworldly renditions of femininity, Blackness, and migration. Others experiment with the materiality of art itself. Artists including Chase Hall and David Hammons use coffee beans, cotton, and grease as mediums, invoking specific histories of oppression and resilience—often in relation to the enduring and forceful presence of colonial structures.
The exhibition is co-curated by Alyssa Alexander, Independent Curator and Arts Administrator, and Karintha Lowe, HRM’s Mellon Public Humanities Fellow. Alyssa Alexander states, “This opportunity to work with two amazing collectors—but more importantly—two amazing people, has been my absolute pleasure! Their collection, and in turn this show, is the perfect opportunity for visitors of all ages to engage with new perspectives within American art at HRM.” Karintha Lowe adds, “The Hudson River Museum’s history has long been intertwined with ideas of home and community—after all, the Museum’s first site was Glenview, the Trevor family home! Kindred Worlds continues to celebrate the profound staying power of art in building community, and we welcome audiences, from local artists and art enthusiasts to college students, to join us in celebrating this stunning and deeply moving collection of works.”
Intimate vignettes provide another throughline across the collection. Drawing inspiration from childhood memories, ethnographies, and family photographs, many of the artists explore how ideas of “home” and “kinship” take on new and unexpected meanings when represented on the canvas. Jordan Casteel, for example, created her MTA series after observing the restful weariness of subway travelers, who find a moment for themselves in the comforting curve of plastic seats. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Raelis Vasquez turned to his family albums for solace, translating his photographs into painted scenes of quiet connection.
And, of course, there’s the ever-present presence of the Hudgins family themselves. We invite you to walk through the exhibition and locate images of Hudgins family members—captured, for example, in Henry Taylor’s gestural brushstrokes and Derrick Adams’s punchy, joyous color palette. These selected works document the Hudgins family’s abiding support of the arts and their vital legacy of Black American collectorship, one that continues to prioritize the success of Black and Brown artists and ensure a more equitable and expansive vision of American art.
Featured artists:
Derrick Adams • Susan Aparicio • Jordan Casteel • Michael Chuapoco • Kevin Darmanie • Esiri Erheriene-Essi • Laurena Finéus • Chase Hall • David Hammons • Devin N. Morris • Toyin Ojih Odutola • Zéh Palito • Naudline Pierre • Bony Ramirez • Jose Guadalupe Sanchez III • Henry Taylor • Raelis Vasquez • Carlos Vega • Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
Kindred Worlds is co-curated by Alyssa Alexander, Independent Curator and Arts Administrator, and Karintha Lowe, HRM’s Mellon Public Humanities Fellow.
Exhibitions are made possible by assistance provided by the County of Westchester.
Additional support provided by Sarah Lawrence College through a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation.
It Takes 2: Unexpected Pairings
Through March 2, 2025
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The power of an artwork is often amplified when in dialogue or debate with another. It Takes 2: Unexpected Pairings explores the resonances and dissonances that arise when unrelated objects are set side by side. These unlikely companions, drawn from the HRM collection, loans from Art Bridges, and private collections, span different centuries, cultures, and media. Their juxtaposition may reveal overlapping frames of reference, draw out previously unnoticed dimensions, or challenge preconceived notions of universality.
In the eight pairings featured here, each explored under a different theme, the artworks stand on their own and also hold a mirror to one another. One poignant pairing reveals two striking explorations of love. Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s Untitled (L.A.), 1991, is installed near an ornate wedding platter from the 1870s. Gonzalez-Torres’s candy-spill work dates from the same year he lost his beloved partner to an AIDS-related illness and is a testament to their relationship. The ceramic dish, produced by W. T. Copeland & Sons, features wedding vows as part of its decoration, including “in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.” The platter was made to hold food for wedding guests, just as Gonzalez-Torres meant for visitors to consume the commemorative candy.
In other juxtapositions, works by Georgia O’Keeffe and Andy Warhol invite us to consider organic forms we can encounter everyday from a fresh perspective, and Winslow Homer’s watercolor of a Florida coastal scene and Catherine Latson’s sculptural dress made of shells suggest changing relationships to nature. Finally, the fantasy realm of children’s play provides a vehicle for artists JooYoung Choi and Mark O’Banks to rewrite history, to upend social injustices through invented worlds and very different artistic sensibilities.
Several works in this exhibition are generously lent by Art Bridges, Bentonville, Arkansas, as part of the Art Bridges’ Collection Loan Partnership initiative.
This exhibition is made possible by generous support from the New York State Senate and Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins.
Exhibitions are made possible by assistance provided by the County of Westchester.
Collection Spotlight: The Hudson River School
Ongoing
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Collection Spotlight: The Art of Skywatching
Ongoing
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PROGRAMS
All events are free with general admission unless otherwise noted.
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Friday, January 5, 5–8pm
Free First Fridays: Music Under the Dome Image
Celebrate the New Year with music in the Planetarium! A woodwind quintet from the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra will play a special arrangement of Modest Mussorgsky’s famous 1874 orchestral work ‘Pictures at an Exhibition,’ complemented by visuals on the dome, in two 40-minute sets, at 6 and 7pm. Check out our current exhibitions and enjoy a bilingual sketching workshop with artist Carolina Amarillo. Enjoy a cash bar with refreshments to warm you up.
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
Saturday, January 6, 1:30pm
Curator Tour of Kindred Worlds Image
Join Alyssa Alexander, Independent Curator and Arts Administrator, and Karintha Lowe, Mellon Fellow in the Public Humanities, for a tour of Kindred Worlds: The Priscila & Alvin Hudgins Collection. Get an insider’s look into the Hudgins family and their vital legacy of Black American collectorship, and learn how themes of myth, memory, and leisure flow through this formally stunning and historically significant artworks.
Support provided by Sarah Lawrence College through a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Sunday, January 14, 1:30–3:30pm
Puppets, Play, and Performance Image
Puppeteer, play, and perform to a recorded soundscape inspired by the Museum’s beloved Nybylwyck Hall Dollhouse in a workshop led by Teaching Artist-in-Residence Sarah Provost, a puppetry and theater artist who brings narratives to life through collaborative visual storytelling.
Support provided by Art Bridges.
Sunday, January 21, 2pm
Black Boy Fly: A Conversation with Joshua Renfroe and Bentley Brown Image
Join Joshua Renfroe, art director at Ralph Lauren, and curator Bentley Brown as they discuss the intersections between visual art and Hip Hop culture, especially in relation to photography and fashion. The conversation will be followed by a Q&A and book signing.
Support provided by Sarah Lawrence College through a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Photos: Joshua Renfroe by Hassan Boone (left); Bentley Brown by George Pejoves (right).
Saturday, January 27, 1:30–4:30pm
A Day of Fashion Inspired by Edward Steichen Image
Edward Steichen, one of the finest creative photographers in the world, became the official photographer for Condé Nast’s Vanity Fair and Vogue in 1923. A painter by training, Steichen changed fashion photography forever. Enjoy a Fashion Talk: Steichen’s Iconic Images with fashion historian Stéphane Houy-Towner (1:30pm) and a Fashion Workshop: Steichen’s Inspiring Images with fashion illustrator Renaldo Barnette (3pm).
Saturday, January 27, 1:30–2:30pm
Fashion Talk: Steichen’s Iconic Images Image
In this illustrated talk, fashion historian Stéphane Houy-Towner delves into the genesis of Edward Steichen’s creative vision, as expressed in the murals on view at the HRM, focusing on the artist’s iconic fashion photography that reflected the aesthetic of his times. Following the talk, see Edward Steichen: In Exaltation of Flowers and discuss how the compositions combine the aesthetics of Symbolism and Art Nouveau, while anticipating the Art Deco style. Simultaneous ASL interpretation by Certified Sign Language Interpreter Nancy Kaplan, M.A., C.I.
Saturday, January 27, 3–4:30pm
Fashion Workshop: Steichen’s Inspiring Images Image
Fashion illustrator Renaldo Barnette leads a hands-on fashion illustration workshop inspired by the costumes and poses in Edward Steichen’s In Exaltation of Flowers. Design your own clothing in the style of the paintings’ era (1910–1913), and discuss (in English and Spanish) how the colors and construction of the time influence the fashion of today.
Freelance fashion designer, illustrator, and creative consultant Renaldo Barnette is Assistant Adjunct Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where he has taught for thirty years in the Fashion Design Art Department, instructing students in Figure Drawing, Flats & Specs, Portfolio Development, and Fashion Model Drawing.
Support for A Day of Fashion Inspired by Edward Steichen is provided by Art Bridges.
Image: Edward Steichen (American, born Luxembourg, 1879–1973). (Left to right) In Exaltation of Flowers: Rose, Geranium; Petunia, Caladium, Budleya; Golden-Banded Lily, Violets, ca. 1910–13. Tempera and gold leaf on canvas. Art Bridges. © 2023 The Estate of Edward Steichen / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Family Art & Science Workshops
Hip Hop Heroes Art Activity Image
Saturdays in January, 1–2pm; Sundays in January, 3–4pm
Create your own Hip Hop Heroes comic book cover in the Community & Partnership Gallery. Instructions and art materials will be provided. Submit your work to be considered for display in the exhibition. Recommended for ages 5+.
Support provided by ReStart the Arts, administered by ArtsWestchester.
Saturdays & Sundays in January, 12–4pm
Family Science Workshop: 100 Years of Galaxies Image
2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery that our Milky Way was only one galaxy among many, and that the universe was far larger than previously believed. In celebration, make your own diorama of the Milky Way and its neighboring galaxies on a scale of 1:5 hundred thousand billion billion, and learn how to measure the distance to places too far away to visit in person. Recommended for ages 8+.
Saturdays & Sundays, January 6–14, 12–4pm
Family Art Workshop: Toy Theaters Image
Create a toy theater out of a small cardboard box, design a habitat, and create animal characters. Workshop designed by Teaching Artist-in-Residence Sarah Provost. Recommended for ages 4+.
Support provided by Art Bridges.
Saturdays & Sundays, January 20–28, 12–4pm
Family Art Workshop: A Ladder for the New Year Image
Using twelve popsicle sticks and some yarn, create a miniature ladder to remind yourself of your goals for 2024 and to reflect on your memories from 2023. Writing down your goals or memories, each on a popsicle stick, and tying them together, can remind us that every year is its own journey! Recommended for ages 10+.
Saturdays & Sundays, January 20–28, 12–4pm
Family Art Workshop: Double Puzzles Image
It Takes 2: Unexpected Pairings explores how unrelated artworks can form a relationship when seen through a certain lens. What two things do you think can be made to go together? Using markers, draw your own unexpected pairings on a blank puzzle to disassemble and reassemble. Recommended for ages 4+.
Saturdays & Sundays, January 6–14, 11:30am–4pm
“Hike the HRM” Backpacks Image
Go on an adventure at the HRM with our new family activity backpack! Our “Hike the HRM” backpack contains fun materials designed for children and their families to enjoy together while exploring the Museum. Take a closer look at art through binoculars, sketch in a communal journal, scour the galleries to complete a bingo-card scavenger hunt, read an animal-themed picture book together, role-play with animal figurines, and take home a sustainability checklist. Developed in connection with Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art. Please note, the latest time to check out a backpack is 3pm.
Support provided by Art Bridges.
Photo: Camille Knop
Saturdays & Sundays in January, 12–4pm
Early Explorers Image
Early Explorers is a safe space for families with children up to age 5 to rest, refresh, and recharge. Explore a selection of books and other activities. Capacity is limited to no more than six visitors, or two families, at one time.
Photo: Camille Knop
Planetarium Shows
Friday, January 19, 7pm
Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon Image
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s iconic album The Dark Side of the Moon with an immersive fulldome planetarium show. The show is organized according to the 10 tracks off the album, some futuristically looking forward and some a retro acknowledgment to Pink Floyd’s visual history, all relating to a time and space experience. It promises to be immersive—an all-encompassing surround sound and visual treat that will take you way beyond the realms of two-dimensional experience. Watch the trailer.
Production of Pink Floyd’s official The Dark Side of the Moon planetarium show has been led by the award-winning UK production studio NSC Creative, working closely with Pink Floyd’s long-time creative collaborator Aubrey Powell from Hipgnosis.
Recommended for ages 10+; 42-minute show. Advance reservations are encouraged.
Saturdays & Sundays in January, 12:30pm
Four Tales of the Sky Image
Four cultures, four locations on Earth, four takes on stories in the stars. A mixture of live presentations and beautiful short films that tell stories of constellations, astronomical instruments, and scientific knowledge from various cultures around the world. Produced by One Sky Project, each story is in its own artistic style, featuring the work of international artists. Recommended for ages 6+; 35-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.
Saturdays & Sundays in January, 2pm
The Sky Tonight Image
Take an awe-inspiring tour of the night sky as seen from our area, with topics ranging from visible planets, bright stars, and the Milky Way, to periodic comets, seasonal constellations, alien planets, upcoming rocket launches, and more! January’s cold, clear skies hold the brightest of all night-time stars, and some of the most famous constellations. Recommended for ages 8+; 60-minute live and interactive show. Advance reservations are encouraged.
The Sky Tonight is sponsored by Domino Sugar Yonkers Refinery.
Saturdays & Sundays in January, 3:30pm
Beyond the Sun Image
Celeste is a little girl who thinks she knows all the planets. But when a friendly bunch of celestial sprites arrives with news from beyond the Solar System, she soon learns that the Sun isn’t the only star with planets. There are ocean worlds, super-Earths, demi-Neptunes, and planets that orbit no star at all. Celeste will follow in the footsteps of exoplanet hunters and discover the wonders of the quest for new worlds. Recommended for ages 8+; 25-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.
Glenview Tours
Thursdays & Fridays, 1pm; Saturdays & Sundays, 1 & 3pm
*Please note, Glenview tours will not be offered on Thursday, January 4.
Gilded Age Glenview: Historic Home Tour Image
Glenview is an 1877 home on the National Register of Historic Places, designed by esteemed architect Charles W. Clinton. Explore the six fully restored period rooms on a guided tour and see the fine woodwork, furnishings, artwork, and magnificent architectural features that rank it as one of the most important early Gilded Age residences open to the public. Glenview appears in seasons 1 and 2 of HBO’s The Gilded Age, the popular Emmy Award–winning series from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.
Capacity is limited to 15 visitors per tour. Advance ticket purchase is encouraged. Recommended for ages 8+. Strollers are not permitted in Glenview.
Please note, the Billiard Room is temporarily closed to the public; Nybylwyck Hall Dollhouse is currently on view in It Takes 2: Unexpected Pairings.
Image: Installation photo of Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art by Steven Paneccasio
Press contact:
Jeana Wunderlich
jwunderlich@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x240
Samantha Hoover
shoover@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x216
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Hudson River Museum is a preeminent cultural institution in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area. Situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, the HRM’s mission is to engage, inspire, and connect diverse communities through the power of the arts, sciences, and history.
The Museum offers engaging experiences for every age and interest, with an ever-evolving collection of American art; dynamic exhibitions that range from notable nineteenth-century paintings to contemporary art installations. The HRM’s new West Wing offers sweeping views of the Hudson River in dedicated exhibition galleries. The campus also includes Glenview, an 1877 house on the National Register of Historic Places; a state-of-the-art Planetarium; an environmental teaching gallery; and an outdoor Amphitheater. Accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), the Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting these multidisciplinary offerings, which are complemented by an array of public programs that encourage creative expression, collaboration, and artistic and scientific discovery.
Hours and Admission: Hudson River Museum is open Thursday & Friday, 12–5pm, Saturday & Sunday, 11am–5pm. First Friday of each month, 5–8pm (FREE). Learn more at hrm.org/visit
General Admission: Adults $13; Youth (3–18) $8; Seniors (65+) $9; Students (with valid ID) $9; Veterans $9; Children (under 3) FREE; Members FREE; Museums for All* $2, *SNAP/EBT card with photo ID (up to 4 people). Planetarium tickets: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (65+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free. Glenview tours: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (65+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free.. The Museum is accessible by Metro-North (Hudson Line—Yonkers and Glenview stations), by Bee-Line Bus Route #1, by car, and by bike. Make your visit a One-Day Getaway, and buy a combined rail and admission discount ticket. Learn more about Metro-North Deals & Getaways.