A few months before the annual Thomas Cole Summer Party, they asked us to meet on the lawn by the house Thomas Cole moved into upon marrying his wife, Maria. It was her family home, and it became a multigenerational artistic homestead. Thomas Cole's traveling trunk still sits in an upstairs bedroom, the old studio is as close to how it was left as can be, and the New Studio was rebuilt after an unfortunate demolition. Cole’s daughter, Emily (1843-1913), only knew her father for a few years before his untimely death in 1848, but became an artist in her own right, painting botanicals on china and paper.
The Thomas Cole House was resurrected by a group of Catskill-ites starting in the late 1980s, and led by the late and venerable Lisa Fox Martin. The transformation has been astonishing, and today the Cole House is one of the only places in America where you can see the original decorative wall-paintings done by the artist-in-residence himself, rediscovered after meticulous paint analysis and restoration. Who, we have to ask, thought it was a good idea to paint over them at all?
They have replicated original rugs and tiles, while also creating spaces for showing contemporary works of art by both emerging and established artists. By bringing together works of today with iconic pieces from the past two centuries, they live what Thomas Cole practiced, creating a world surrounded by art for visitors to immerse themselves into.
So, when they invited us to come over, we were curious. Ben had worked there, and we gave a talk about Cole’s trunk a few years ago, but what would this next endeavor be? Jen Greim, a dear friend and Dir. of Advancement & External Affairs, had given us a hint: would we, she asked, be interested in reimagining the summer party?
For many years, the Summer Party was hosted at Lisa Fox Martin’s home overlooking the Hudson River. The location, just like the hostess, became iconic, and it was hard to imagine what the Summer Party would be in the new era we were entering. But is also offered an opportunity to bring the party home, so to speak. This year, it would be, for the first time, at the Thomas Cole House.
An exhibition of work by and inspired by Emily Cole served as inspiration. What would Emily Cole do? We picked out an illustration of Peonies she did on yellowed parchment to use as our palette. Light yellow tablecloth, like the parchment. Green napkins, like the stem. An array of our Classic Vases in saturated neutrals and #1 Red Stoneware planters and feet, full of English ivy and clippings from our garden in white, yellow, shades of green, and small pops of purple and pink. We let areas of our property grow tall, offering waving grasses to rustle under the tent. As one looked through the tent, the line between formal and natural should be blurred. Just, we feel, as Emily would have liked it.
Pulling off making dozens of planters and vases, nurturing hundreds of flowers (go away bunnies!), and installing the lot of it was a big lift. We are so grateful for our team for supporting this project and making the final result possible. And, as guests arrived, they were transported into Emily Cole’s world, just as we hoped they would be.
