HIstorical Society of Woodstock

Woodstock – An Evolutionary Tale
2024-08-24 14:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | PA
A Talk by Town Historian, Richard Heppner
Saturday August 24 at 4:00 pm.
Also – A History Harvest from 2-4:00 pm
In conjunction with the Historical Society’s current exhibit, HSW will present a talk entitled, Woodstock – An Evolutionary Tale, by Woodstock Town Historian Richard Heppner on August 24th at 4:00 pm. The talk will be held at the Historical Society’s Eames House Museum on Comeau Drive. Admission is free.
Much has unfolded within the shadow of Overlook Mountain since the founding of Woodstock in 1787. Over the course of more than two centuries, Woodstock has evolved from a rural Catskill Mountain town to what some have proclaimed to be the “most famous small town in America.” During that span, Woodstock has been buffeted by both internal and external forces unlike other small towns and far beyond what the town’s founding fathers and mothers could have envisioned as the 18th century drew to a close.
So how did Woodstock become Woodstock? While it is a tale that goes far beyond a festival that bore its name (though never held here), it is a tale that includes hardworking laborers cutting bluestone and working the tannery, artists, musicians, conservative and progressive politics, tourists, changing businesses, generational conflict, and a collective of townspeople who often saw the world through a slightly different lens.
During his talk, Heppner will explore the many facets that have combined over the years to create an uncommon history; a history unique in its telling and, frankly, hard to imagine.
Richard Heppner has served as Woodstock’s town historian since 2001. During his tenure, he has written multiple of books and essays on Woodstock history. His latest book, Woodstock – From World War to Culture Wars will be released by SUNY Press on October 1.
Also, on August 24 from 2:00-4:00 pm, HSW will be conducting a “History Harvest.” In an effort to add to the Society’s archives, if you have a unique photo of Woodstock, its buildings, an event, or a memory of another time, bring it to the Historical Society that day and it will be scanned, returned to you and the scan will be added to the Society’s collection.

Celebration: Republication of The Catskills by Alf Evers
2024-08-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Celebration: Republication of
The Catskills
by Alf Evers
An event to celebrate the republication of The Catskills: From Wilderness to Woodstock by Alf Evers will take place at the Historical Society of Woodstock on Friday, August 16, from 7 to 9 pm. Purple Mountain Press of Bovina recently brought out its edition of this definitive regional history.
For countless readers over the course of more than fifty years, Alf’s stand-alone book has served as the gateway to learning about and treasuring the Catskills, in all the region’s intricate and colorful history. Originally published by Doubleday in 1972 and then in an updated edition by The Overlook Press in 1982, the book had become unavailable.
Poet and composer Ed Sanders, author of Alf Evers: An American Genius, and Fred Steuding will share their recollections of working closely with Alf towards the latter part of his life, when both friends assisted with the research and completion of his Kingston: City on the Hudson.
Born in 1905, Evers grew up on a farm in Ulster County within sight of the Catskills. The genesis for The Catskills was when Alf’s frequent articles about local subjects caught the notice of an editor at Doubleday, who approached him to write a full history. It took him eight years to research and write and was published to great success. Thrilling generations of readers since, The Catskills presents the lore, legends, art and commerce, flora, fauna, and natural and manmade wonders that have made the Catskills one of America’s most historically rich and romantic regions. Not least among its delights is the voice of Alf himself as a storyteller, entertaining and wry.

Publishing books since the 1980s, Purple Mountain Press specializes in titles about the Catskills, Adirondacks and other regions of New York State. In 2020, founder Wray Rominger of Fleischmanns, who ran the press with his late wife Loni for many years, was presented with the Alf Evers Award for Excellence by the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development. The publishing house continues under the stewardship of James and Maureen Krueger. Books can be purchased at www.nysbooks.com.

The Historic Woodstock Art Colony – Arthur A. Anderson Booksigning and Discussion
2024-07-20 14:00 | PA
The Historical Society of Woodstock presents Arthur A. Anderson in conversation with art historian Bruce Weber discussing his collection of art from the historic Woodstock art colony, followed by a signing of the recently published book by SUNY Press, The Historic Woodstock Art Colony: The Arthur A. Anderson Collection, on Saturday, July 20, 2024 from 2 to 4 PM at 20 Comeau Drive in Woodstock, N.Y. Admission is free. Mr. Anderson will sign copies of the book, which is lavishly illustrated and includes essays by its eight authors.
Long before the famous music festival in 1969, Woodstock, New York was home to what is considered America’s first intentionally created, year-round arts colony—founded in 1902. Collecting the remarkable range of work produced there has been Arthur A. Anderson’s focus for three decades, resulting in the largest comprehensive assemblage of its type.
The artists represented in this collection reflect the diversity of those who came to Woodstock, including Birge Harrison, Konrad Cramer, George Bellows, Eugene Speicher, Peggy Bacon, Rolph Scarlett, and Yasuo Kuniyoshi, among many others.
Anderson recently donated his entire collection—some 1,500 objects by almost 200 artists—to the New York State Museum, and this book introduces to the public, for the first time, a sample of the highlights of this extraordinary collection, which represents a body of work that together shaped art and culture in New York and forms a history of national and international significance.

WOODSTOCK PERSONALITIES: 40 Years of Photographs by John Kleinhans
2024-06-07 - 2024-07-28 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Opening reception
Friday June 7 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Exhibit Open – Saturdays & Sundays, June 8 through July 28, 1–5 pm
Gallery Walk-throughs with John Kleinhans on:
Sunday June 23 at 2:00 p.m.(with art historian Bruce Weber)
Sunday July 14 at 2:00 p.m.(with artist Paula Nelson).
The public is invited to these events at no cost. For more information: (845) 679-2256 or info@historicalsocietyofwoodstock.org.
The Historical Society of Woodstock presents our opening exhibition of the season, Woodstock Personalities: 40 Years of Photographs by John Kleinhans, on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 20 Comeau Drive in Woodstock, N.Y., with an opening reception on Friday, June 7 at 7 PM. The exhibition will run through July 28 and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission is free.
This exhibition of 94 photographs, taken over a span of forty years by John Kleinhans, features pictures of local personalities. Seldom seen without a camera in hand, Kleinhans considers these photographs to be what he refers to as “a visual diary” of casual meetings and unexpected encounters with local friends and associates.
Kleinhans, a Pittsburgh native, set up his first darkroom in 1965 in New York City. After a 12-year academic career specializing in visual perception, he settled in Woodstock in 1979. He was drawn mainly to landscape photography and, commercially, he specialized in photographing artwork and architecture. During the 1980’s he was a photographer for the Woodstock Times and other publications.
A casual meeting in 1983 with Robert Angeloch, founder of the Woodstock School of Art, led to a life-long involvement with the school where he was a student, handyman, and board member. He also served on the boards of the Woodstock Artists Association and the Center for Photography at Woodstock. From 1988 to 2007 he worked as a designer and product developer at Woodstock Percussion. With his wife, artist Paula Nelson, he founded Precipice Publications which released his books: An Image of Monhegan (1997) and Woodstock Landscapes (2000).

REVIEW
Woodstock personalities highlighted in photography exhibit
by Geddy Sveikauskas
John Kleinhans has been photographing the creative people he has known in Woodstock – many of them painters and sculptors – for 40 years. Of the more than 80,000 images he has produced over the four decades, a carefully selected 94 are currently on exhibit at the Historical Society of Woodstock’s facility at 20 Comeau Drive on weekend afternoons from one to five p.m.
These are digital snapshots, not carefully staged studio portraits, “Records of unplanned encounters with friends, co-workers and casual acquaintances,” as Kleinhans puts it in the foreword of the exquisitely produced catalog entitled “Woodstock Personalities.” The expansive circle of Kleinhans’ friends and acquaintances know that he and his camera are virtually inseparable. His friends are used to him moving around or making a quick suggestion before snapping one or several shots. The result can be an extraordinary display of the social intimacy among old friends – creative Woodstock at its best.
For the creative people of Woodstock, life is a labor of love – and a bunch of other feelings as well.
The affable Kleinhans, gifted with an ability to intuit the narratives that connect people, has a doctorate in experimental psychology from Rutgers University, where he taught as a professor for a dozen years. But as he wrote, “Photography eventually triumphed over psychology.”
In Woodstock, Kleinhans also worked for several years at Garry and Diane Kvistaad’s Woodstock Percussion, Woodstock art historian Bruce Weber has contributed informative single-paragraph texts of explanation that accompany each photograph,
“Woodstock Personalities,” curated by Letitia Smith, closes on July 28. The sumptuous 68-page catalog will remain.
Hudson Valley One Review June 27, 2024

Farewell Concert at Happy Brooks
2024-05-26 | PA
We invite you and your guests to a Farewell Concert hosted by Tamara Pajic Lang. The family of Michael Lang, which has occupied Happy Brooks’ grand halls since 1979, will be putting it on the market to sell this year.
The event will feature a piano recital by the world-renowned solo pianist and Steinway Artist Katya Grineva at Happy Brooks Estate in Mt. Tremper, in the afternoon of May 26th. All ticket proceeds will be donated to the Historical Society of Woodstock.
One of the most prominent residents of Woodstock, Michael Lang was a concert promoter, producer and artist manager who was best known as a co-creator of the Woodstock Music & Art Festival in 1969. He was only the fourth owner of the magnificent estate since its construction in 1929 by the artist G. Adolph Anderson.
Ticket purchasing is closed • Tickets will not be available at the door.
Ticketholders at the Owner’s Club level will receive a tour of the property conducted by Ms. Lang, including the main house, guest house and beautiful gardens. The tour will begin at 1 pm.
All ticket holders are invited to attend the concert by Ms. Grineva which will begin at 3pm in the Great Room of the main house. Paintings by G. Adolph Anderson, the original owner of the house, and several other paintings owned by the estate of Michael Lang, will be on view.
Refreshments will be served.
In order to qualify for member tickets you may join now. A family membership is $50 ($35 for an individual member; $25 for students and seniors). Become a member
If you wish to send in a check, click here to open, print and fill out the form and mail it to: Historical Society of Woodstock, P.O. Box 841, Woodstock, NY 12498.
payment form for mail in

Annual Sale of Trinkets and Treasures
2024-04-12 - 2024-04-14 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day
Community members have generously gone into attics, barns, and cellars and have donated wonderful items to the HSW sale. Household items, tools, jewelry, small furniture, toys, artwork, vintage treasures and more. All proceeds benefit the Historical Society of Woodstock.

Holiday Market Fair Dec 9-10
2023-12-09 - 2023-12-10 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
ANNUAL HOLIDAY MARKET FAIR
Dates: Saturdays & Sundays, December 2 & 3 and December 9 & 10
Times: 10AM to 3 PM
Location: Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Dr., Woodstock NY 12498
Admission: Free
The Historical Society of Woodstock is pleased to announce its annual Holiday Market Fair. Shop local crafts, holiday cards, local books, original artwork, delectable treats, wreaths, and more. This year also brings the return of the HSW homemade cookie tins and an exhibit from the HSW holiday card collection As always, delicious spiced cider, treats and fresh holly and greens are our holiday gifts to all shoppers.

The Historical Society of Woodstock was founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens. In addition to the exhibition space, which is located at the historic Eames House on Comeau Drive in the center of Woodstock, the Historical Society has an extensive archive consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, textiles, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, documents, film/sound recordings, and antique tools. The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions, public programming, and research.

Holiday Market Fair - Dec 2-3
2023-12-02 - 2023-12-03 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States

Catskill Love Song–Coloring Book signing
2023-11-04 16:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Writer, Steve Charney,and the illustrator, David Goldin
will be signing books
Soft CoverTrim Size: 8.5 x 11 inchesPages: 12Retail Price: $8.95
Our new publication Catskill Love Song–Coloring Book will be available for purchase at the HSW gift shop. It is based on the recent song, “Catskill Love Song” by musician and author Steve Charney. Steve and illustrator and author David Goldin created this coloring book to support the mission of the HSW to preserve, interpret and share the unique history of Woodstock.

While participating in the planning for a benefit concert for the Historical Society of Woodstock (HSW), Steve Charney wrote a melody and lyrics for “Catskill Love Song”, to perform at the show. The words inspired the idea of producing a coloring book as a fundraiser for HSW. Steve Charney and David Goldin donated their time and talent to create this project to support the mission of HSW– to preserve, interpret, and share the unique history of Woodstock.

Steve Charney has lived in Woodstock since 1977. His love for the town and its history inspired him to write this song. He’s also an international magician, ventriloquist, author, songwriter, and radio personality. If you want to find out more about him than you’ll ever need or want, visit his website: www.stevecharney.com
To hear his song, this coloring book was based on a link to: www.youtube.com/stevecharney and search “Catskills Love Song.”

David Goldin first came to Woodstock for one day in 1969 as a kid, playing in a stream at someone’s wedding. He grew up an artist and began working in animation, illustration, and publishing. He moved to Woodstock in 1996 and raised his kids here. David is a local art educator / mentor and elucidator of complex principles and ideas. If you want to find out more about him, visit his website:www.davidgoldin.com

Thank you to the HSW Board of Directors, Andrea Newman-Winston, JoAnn Margolis, Weston Blelock, Print Express.

A Catskill Mountain Folk Festival - A Benefit Concert
2023-10-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Christian Science Church, 89 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
October 21 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Featuring John Sebastian, Molly Mason & Jay Ungar and Happy Traum
Admission: $18 in advance. When online orders are sold out, tickets at the door will still be available (scroll to the bottom, to book tickets)At the door, $20
On Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 7 p.m. the Historical Society of Woodstock will present a Catskill Mountain Folk Concert featuring a stellar lineup of musicians donating their time to a benefit concert for the HSW. Headliners include Molly Mason and Jay Ungar, Happy Traum, Tim Kapeluck, Steve Charney, Jeff Keithline, and Pat Lamanna. The concert is a tie-in to the Woodstock’s Farming Story exhibit, which runs through November 12. The set list will include songs about farming, bluestone quarrying, ice harvesting and shipping on the Hudson River, and a mix of old favorites like “Ashokan Farewell.” The concert will take place at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, 85 Tinker Street, Woodstock NY 12498. Admission is $20 at the door or $18 in advance (scroll to the bottom, to book tickets).
Featured Performers

Jay Ungar and Molly Mason met in the late 1970s at the Town Crier. They hit it off and began gigging together. In the 1980s, they co-founded the Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Club. When Ken Burns selected Jay’s tune “Ashokan Farewell” as the theme song for his series The Civil War, the soundtrack went on to garner a Grammy. Jay and Molly have appeared on CBS Good Morning, the Rosie O’Donnell Show, and All Things Considered.

Folk singer, writer, teacher, recording artist and first-rate fingerstyle guitarist Happy Traum began playing guitar and 5-string banjo as a teenager, and was an important participant in the legendary Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1950s and ‘60s. He was a student of blues guitar legend Brownie McGhee, a major influence on his picking style. He and his family moved to Woodstock in 1967. Happy has played in concerts, clubs and festivals throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan, both solo and with his late brother, Artie Traum. Happy has appeared and/or recorded with Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, John Sebastian, Larry Campbell, Eric Andersen, Allen Ginsberg, Jim Kweskin, Maria Muldaur and many other major figures in the folk/acoustic music world.

Tim Kapeluck is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His music is steeped in the traditions of bluegrass and Appalachian folk music. He has performed for years with banjo greats Bill Keith and Eric Weissberg in the Saturday Night Bluegrass Band.

Steve Charney is a magician, ventriloquist, author, songwriter, and radio personality. He’s written dozens of songs for Disney and Jim Henson and has published over 15 books with Scholastic and Barnes and Noble. His radio show Knock on Wood was aired around the country for decades. He was a commentator on All Things Considered and was profiled in The New Yorker magazine. His stage act of magic, music, and ventriloquism has taken him from Africa to California. He’s lived in Woodstock since 1977.

Jeff Keithline’s 50-plus-year career as bassist, composer, sideman, and featured artist covers many genres from pop and rock to string band and gypsy jazz, from folk and blues to free improvisation and electronica.

Pat Lamanna is a folk singer/songwriter living in Hyde Park, N.Y. As a child, she attended Camp Woodland in Phoenicia, where she first met Pete Seeger and began her lifelong love of folk music.

The Historical Society of Woodstock was founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens. In addition to the exhibition space, which is located at the historic Eames House on Comeau Drive in the center of Woodstock, the Historical Society has an extensive archive consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, textiles, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, documents, film/sound recordings, and antique tools. The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions, public programming, and research.

Family Tales of Farming and Country Life Around Old Woodstock
2023-10-07 11:00 - 13:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Would you want to hear the story about the farmer who kept bears as livestock? How about the woman who had a fried rattlesnake recipe and a special skillet just for it?
These and many other Woodstock family stories have been handed down through the generations. Please join with some members of Woodstock families as they recount these tales and many others that will make you laugh and amaze you.
This will be a panel discussion at the Historical Society of Woodstock on Saturday, October 7th, from 11 AM until 1 PM. Audience participation will be encouraged. This event is part of the Path Through History weekend.

Going to Cider Mill

Farmhouse Henry Van DeBogerts House

The Historical Society of Woodstock is located at 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock. Admission to this talk is free and it is presented in conjunction with the final weekend of the Historical Society’s summer exhibit, Goin’ to Town–a Celebration of the Woodstock Village.
The Historical Society of Woodstock was founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens. In addition to the exhibition space, which is located at the historic Eames House on Comeau Drive in the center of Woodstock, the Historical Society has an extensive archive consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, textiles, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, documents, film/sound recordings, and antique tools. The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions, public programming, and research.

Annual Meeting
2023-10-01 15:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States

Woodstock’s Farming Story
2023-09-30 10:00 - 2023-11-12 17:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Opening reception Saturday, September 30, 3–5 p.m.
Admission: Free
The Historical Society of Woodstock announces the opening of a new exhibition, Woodstock’s Farming Story, on Saturday September 30 2023 at 20 Comeau Drive Woodstock, N.Y. with an opening reception on September 30 at 3 pm. The exhibition, through images and artifacts, looks at how farming has been part of Woodstock’s story from its earliest days to the present. The exhibition will run through November 12th and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission is free.
Like most of rural America during the 1800s, Woodstockers relied on farming to provide for the needs of their families and to serve as sources of income. Even “town families” maintained large gardens and chickens as well as a milk cow in their backyards. Will Rose, for example, writes in his book The Vanishing Village about the wonderful smell of the fruit trees and berries throughout the village. The artists who arrived in the early 1900s also learned the value of Woodstock’s barns as both a subject for their paintings as well as a place to live. The exhibit also looks at present day farmers as they bring their own twist to Woodstock’s farming story.
Would you want to hear the story about the farmer who kept bears as livestock? How about the woman who had a fried rattlesnake recipe and a special skillet just for it?
These and many other Woodstock family stories have been handed down through the generations. Please join with some members of Woodstock families as they recount these tales and many others that will make you laugh and amaze you.
This will be a panel discussion at the Historical Society of Woodstock on Saturday, October 7th, from 11 AM until 1 PM. Audience participation will be encouraged. This event is part of the Path Through History weekend.

”In addition, our new publication Catskill Love Song–Coloring Book will be available for purchase at the HSW gift shop during the exhibit. It is based on the recent song, “Catskill Love Song by musician and author Steve Charney. Steve and illustrator and author David Goldin created this coloring book to support the mission of the HSW to preserve, interpret and share the unique history of Woodstock.

Also open to visitors is the new permanent exhibit Remembering Woodstock and the newly renovated Tool Shed, featuring examples of tools used in Woodstock’s past.

The Historical Society of Woodstock was founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens. In addition to the exhibition space, which is located at the historic Eames House on Comeau Drive in the center of Woodstock, the Historical Society has an extensive archive consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, textiles, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, documents, film/sound recordings, and antique tools. The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions, public programming, and research.

Woodstock Meets the Sixties with historian Richard Heppner
2023-09-16 15:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Saturday, September 16, 3 p.m.
Admission: Free
On Saturday, September 16 at 3:00 p.m., the Historical Society of Woodstock will present a talk by Woodstock Town Historian Richard Heppner titled Woodstock Meets the Sixties. Heppner, who has written extensively on Woodstock history, will discuss how, at the time, a decidedly conservative town “greeted” an influx of young people as Woodstock became a beacon for those seeking music, magic, and freedom. It wasn’t always pretty.
From the early 1960s, through a good part of the 1970s, official Woodstock and many of its townspeople weren’t always pleased with the new arrivals as the town confronted differing lifestyles, issues of drug use, nude swimming, trespassing, and varying political and philosophical beliefs. Through his talk, Heppner will highlight the impact and evolution of changing times in Woodstock as the name of a small town at the base of Overlook Mountain became linked to an entire generation.

The Historical Society of Woodstock is located at 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock. Admission to this talk is free and it is presented in conjunction with the final weekend of the Historical Society’s summer exhibit, Goin’ to Town–a Celebration of the Woodstock Village.
The Historical Society of Woodstock was founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens. In addition to the exhibition space, which is located at the historic Eames House on Comeau Drive in the center of Woodstock, the Historical Society has an extensive archive consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, textiles, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, documents, film/sound recordings, and antique tools. The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions, public programming, and research.

Murder Mystery at the Art Colony - Sept 10
2023-09-10 17:00 - 19:00 | Mescal Hornbeck Community Center, 56 Rock City Rd., Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
To be performed as a fundraiser for the Historical Society of Woodstock
It's 1902 and you're invited to dine at the new Byrdcliffe Art Colony. You’ll socialize with Ralph Whitehead and his wife Jane Byrd McCall. Artist Bolton Brown and hotelier Elizabeth Reynolds will also be present along with college professor Percy Longfellow. You'll be fussed over by a loyal butler and a fortune-hunting maid. Katherine Kerry, a local writer for the Kingston Daily Freeman, observes much more than merriment and gaiety when she witnesses a murder.
Written and directed by Anika Krempl for Theatre on the Road, her historical whodunits have enjoyed sold-out performances throughout the Hudson Valley since 2015. Anika remarked, “Mystery at the Art Colony is a work of historic fiction. Although it features four historic characters, we do not represent any of them as a murderer. Like all of Frank Marquette’s productions, it is rich in fact and fiction, comedy, drama and mystery.”
Along with Anika Krempl, the cast includes Theatre on the Road owner-operator Frank Marquette, Erica Woolley, Nicole Prepeluk, Tom Roberts, Lauren Roberts, Ken Stallon and Jim Keenen. Live period music will be performed by Hannah Tufano.
“Mystery at the Art Colony” will be performed as a fundraiser for the Historical Society of Woodstock, on Saturday, September 9 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, September 10 at 5:00 pm. Tickets are $18.00 in advance and $20.00 the day of the event. Light refreshments will be available for a nominal fee.

Celebrating its 25th year in business, Theatre on the Road is owned and operated by Frank and Kirsten Marquette of Rosendale, New York. For more information visit www.theatreontheroad.com

SPONSORS

Please support our sponsors.

Diane and Garry Kvistad of the Kvistad Foundation
Woodstock Building Supply

Murder Mystery at the Art Colony - Sept 9
2023-09-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Mescal Hornbeck Community Center, 56 Rock City Rd., Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States

Levon Helm: Rock*Roll*Ramble
2023-08-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
John Barry,
in conversation with Barbara O’Brien
Book signing, Free
Hudson Valley music journalist John W. Barry will be at the Eames House, Woodstock, on Saturday, Aug. 19, to discuss his book, “Levon Helm: Rock, Roll & Ramble—The Inside Story of the Man, the Music and the Midnight Ramble.”
Levon Helm, a more than 40-year-resident of Woodstock, played drums, sang and played mandolin in The Band. He also developed a successful solo career, winning three Grammys inspired by his legendary house concerts, the Midnight Rambles, held at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock.
Helm’s Midnight Ramble success followed his battle with cancer of the vocal cords; bankruptcy; and nearly losing his home to the bank. A former staff writer for the USA Today Network in Poughkeepsie, Barry documents it all in his book, which is based on recorded conversations with Helm, captured over years.
Barry will be joined for the book discussion by Barbara O’Brien, who served as Helm’s manager during his Midnight Ramble era.
This event, which will also feature signed books for sale, is set for 2 p.m. Aug. 19 and is being presented by the Historical Society of Woodstock on the Woodstock festival anniversary weekend.
Visit rockrollramble.com to learn more.

Anthony Robinson, in conversation with Tad Wise Father of the Man
2023-08-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Anthony Robinson,
in conversation with Tad Wise
Father of the Man,
A Novel about growing up on the Maverick
Book signing, Free

The sons of famous men are notoriously hobbled by their fathers’ reputations. This was not the case, however, here in Woodstock, when one of The Maverick’s first writers, the struggling poet Henry Morton Robinson, emerged into literary stardom with a “book of the year novel” in 1950 entitled, “The Cardinal.” The reason being his only son Anthony Robinson failed to be intimidated by his father’s brief if spectacular career. ( Robinson, Sr, died at 61 and is remembered today more for his classic collaboration with Joseph Campbell : “A Skeleton Key To Finnegan’s Wake.”)
Instead a tenacious Anthony Robinson would himself write several admired novels and short stories, while becoming a local favorite professor of English Literature and director of the Creative Writing department at SUNY New Paltz. Even so, Tad Wise argues that the son of Henry Morton Robinson has– late in his own life—left us perhaps his most remarkable portrait by recalling his own boyhood “on the Maverick,” while yes, reproducing with uncanny accuracy and sympathy the vastly different experiences of a father and son, locked in a struggle rife with anger, resentments, begrudging love, and hard-won respect.
In Father of The Man, the younger Robinson, in fact, emulates a completely different set of mid-century American writers and—while including his own classic friendship with Maverick founder Hervey White—makes an impressive contribution to the Coming of Age American novel.
Wise will interview Robinson on…

Goin' to Town...A Celebration of the Woodstock Village
2023-08-05 - 2023-09-17 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
The Historical Society of Woodstock announces the opening of a new exhibition
Goin’ to Town… a Celebration of the Woodstock Village
Saturdays & Sundays, August 5 through September 17, 1–5 p.m.
Opening reception
Saturday, August 5, 3–5 p.m.
20 Comeau Drive Woodstock, N.Y.
Admission: Free
The Historical Society of Woodstock announces the opening of a new exhibition Goin’ to Town…a Celebration of the Woodstock Village on Saturday August 5, 2023, at 20 Comeau Drive Woodstock, N.Y. with an opening reception on August 5 at 3 pm. The exhibition includes images and reminiscences of Woodstock’s Town Center from the 1800s to present times. The exhibition will run through September 17, and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission is free.
“I’m goin’ to town.” For generations Woodstockers from all over the township have said these words as they set off by foot, horseback, wagon, bike, or car…to the Woodstock Village…for supplies, for work, for entertainment, to worship, to watch a parade, to protest, to trick or treat, to wait for Santa. Woodstock’s original Town Center was located at the intersection of what is now Route 212 and Mink Hollow Rd. in Lake Hill. By 1805 this hub of activity had relocated itself to its present site. At that time “town” was made up of a store, a church, several taverns, and small farms. This exhibition will celebrate the Town Center, so vibrant and well-loved.

Arriving at Rose’s Store on Tinker Street – circa, 1900. (Historical Society of Woodstock Archives/Town Center Collection)

On Mill Hill Road – circa, 1970. (Historical Society of Woodstock Archives/Town Center Collection)

Also open to visitors is the new permanent exhibit Remembering Woodstock and the newly renovated The Tool Shed.
The Historical Society of Woodstock is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 and admission is free.

The Tools they used— A History of Woodstock Through Tools
2023-06-17 12:30 - 14:30 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Two talks illustrating the use of tools throughout the history of Woodstock.
Richard Heppner, the author of six local history books and the Town Historian, will talk on life in early Woodstock from 12:30 to 1:15.
His presentation will cover farming, blue stone quarrying, ice harvesting, and woodworking.
At 1:30, Graham Blackburn, a master woodworker, and a featured presenter at the national level on woodworking, will discuss woodworking tools and demonstrate their uses.
Until the beginning of the 20th century the Town of Woodstock was an agricultural rural community. The town was largely self-sufficient in that people grew or produced most of what they needed to live a good life. Surrounding the small-town center were many active farms that raised livestock and grew a variety of crops. Farming itself has never been a hugely profitable endeavor in the Catskills, and Woodstock farmers were no exception. They frequently had to supplement their income with other activities such as making shake shingles or barrel staves from locally harvested timber. Ice harvesting from local ponds was a winter job, as was hauling timber and quarried bluestone by sled over snow.
The Tool Shed exhibit highlights some of the stories of the people of Woodstock through the tools they used from the mid-1800s until the mid-1900s. They represent farm families, tradespeople, and merchants. The tools on display show a sample of the types of work in which these people engaged.

Woodstock Art Colony Works On Paper
2023-06-10 - 2023-07-23 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Time: 1–5 p.m.
Opening reception
Saturday, June 10, 3–5 p.m.
with talk by Bruce Weber at 3:30 p.m.

William H. Arlt’s Flowers

David Huffine Library Fair

Florence Hubbard Overlook Mountain

Konrad Cramer Self Portrait

Gallery talk by Bruce Weber
on July 8, 3 p.m.
Admission: Free
The public is invited to “In Care of the Historical Society of Woodstock,” which highlights the HSW’s significant collection of works on paper, the recently completed conservation of William H. Arlt’s Flowers (by paper conservator Sarah Dove), and the conservation needs of pictures by Marianne Appel, Judson Smith and Harry Gottlieb. As a result of the support of the NYSCA/GHNN Conservation Treatment Grant Program, conservation has been completed on Arlt’s Flowers, and paintings Hervey White in His Studio by Arnold Blanch and Landscape by Edmund B. Rolfe. These efforts are part of a long-range plan to care for works in need of conservation in the HSW’s fine art collection, which consists of over 800 works. It is our hope that with the support of people in the community we will soon undertake the care of the pictures in the exhibition by Marianne Appel, Judson Smith and Harry Gottlieb.
The exhibition, curated by Bruce Weber with the assistance of Maria Yeye, highlights three areas of the fine art collection: portraits of leading local individuals; townscapes, village scenes, landscapes; and the sociey’small but exquisite collection of still life. Among the works on view are self-portraits by Kurt Sluizer, Manuel Bromberg, Franklin Alexander, Leslie Bender, Robert Angeloch, Sally Michel Avery, March Avery and Dan Gelfand, as well as likenesses by Judson Smith of artist Sam Wylie and illustrator Miska Petersham, and Aline Fruhauf’s caricature of the author J. P. McEvoy. Outdoor scenes by Clarence Bolton, Reeves Brace, Wilna Hervey, Doris Lee and Mary James, and still lifes by Ernest Fiene, Harry Gottlieb, Georgina Klitgaard, Mary D. Smith, and Milton Glaser are also included.
The Historical Society of Woodstock will host an opening reception for the show from 3:00–5:00 pm on June 10th.
Refreshments will be served, and admission is free. There will be a talk about aspects of the exhibition and the need for conservation by art historian Bruce Weber at 3:30. Dr. Weber will also give a gallery talk on July 8 at 3 p.m. “In Care of the Historical Society of Woodstock” will be open to the public every Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm from June 10 through July 9. The Historical Society of Woodstock is located at 20 Comeau Drive in Woodstock.

more about each artist

BENEFIT CONCERT featuring THE MARC BLACK BAND and SABRINA & THE GEMS with RENNIE CANTINE
2023-04-08 19:00 | Mescal Hornbeck Community Center, 56 Rock City Rd., Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
featuring

The Marc Black Band features the wonderful vocals of Amy Fradon, joyous Eric Parker on drums; and psychedelic inventor and Blues Magoos founder Mike Esposito on bass. Their wildly danceable blues has led to Marc’s induction into the New York Chapter of the Blues Hall of Fame, and his recent album, Everybody Wants My Hat, reached the top ten on the International Folk Radio Charts. As a teenager, Marc fronted the Blades of Grass and toured with many of the biggest acts of the day including the Doors, Van Morrison. A few years later, he became the first indie singer-songwriter to garner a pick hit in Billboard Magazine. In the words of Don Wilcock, editor of the Blues Revue, “Marc’s show is beyond marvelous. It is truly transcendent.”

SUPPORTING ACT

Sabrina & the Gems have been rocking the Hudson Valley with their distinctive psychedelic funk/rock for the last 7 years. Sabrina Miller adds her poetry and original songs to Rennie Cantine’s soaring guitar licks. Sabrina & the Gems have played hundreds of gigs, rehearsals, parties, appearances on WDST, and released their record The Dream that Woke You. Drawing comparisons to Grace Slick, Joan Jett and Ani Defranco, Sabrina shrugs it off: “we are here to tell it like we see it…stand up for our friends and family…and rock it hard.”

With Johnny Nitcher bringing years of his Punk/Ska/Rock sentiment to his grooving bass lines, and Mike Dubois laying down his phat drum signatures to the songs, Sabrina & the Gems have carved out their own sound. Woodstock’s Guitar Laureate Rennie Cantine will be bringing Ben Prevo’s old 1969 Black Top Les Paul, Tom Glazel’s old Frankenstrat, a Veillette or two, and the Strat and Fender Twin Joe Beesmer gave him on his way up.

A discussion of Tom Riley’s Memoir: More Light, An Artist’s Life with Meher Baba
2023-04-03 19:00 | Via Zoom
Via Zoom; to join the event, request the Zoom link by emailing historicalsocietyofwoodstockny@gmail.com with “Tom Riley” in the subject line
On April 3, 2023 at 7 PM you are invited to join Janine Fallon Mower and Bruce Weber of the Historical Society of Woodstock in a ZOOM interview with Cathy Riley as they discuss the memoir, More Light, An Artist’s Life with Meher Baba, written by her late husband Tom Riley. Tom, an accomplished artist and renowned storyteller, grew up in the legendary community of Woodstock, New York. He learned of Meher Baba in 1954 and was truly fortunate to spend incomparable time in Meher Baba’s divine company.

Tom’s memoir, More Light, is a captivating account of Tom Riley’s artistic and spiritual journey, which included studying with artist Walter Goltz in Woodstock, years of practicing the art of oil painting and fine illustrative drawing, and membership in the Woodstock Artists Association. First at Winchell’s Corner Store in Shokan and later at Meher Circle in Woodstock, Tom also drew together like-minded Woodstock residents and other seekers who gathered in meetings for many years to share the awakening teachings of Meher Baba.

Annual Sale of Treasures and Trinkets
2023-03-25 - 2023-03-26 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
9am-3 pm each day
Community members have generously gone into attics, barns, and cellars and have donated wonderful items to the HSW sale . Flow blue China, Wedgewood China, linens, household items, tools, jewelry, small furniture, artwork, holiday decorations vintage treasures and more. All proceeds benefit the Historical Society of Woodstock .

“Woodstock Art Colony Kids: with Barbara Carlson, Sarah Mecklem and Meed Wetterau Barnett”
2023-02-28 19:00 - 21:00 | Via Zoom
On February 28, 2023 at 7 PM, art historian Bruce Weber will interview Meed Wetterau Barnett, Barbara Carlson, and Sarah Mecklem, all of whom grew up in Woodstock’s art colony in the period after World War II. They will discuss their experiences coming of age in this unique community, their artistic families, and the impact growing up in Woodstock among a thriving community of artists has had on their lives.
Meed Wetterau Barnett
is the grandchild of illustrator and landscape painter Rudolph Wetterau and portrait painter Margaret Wetterau. Meed was born in Greenwich Village and lived there until they were almost five, when the family broke up. They lived in and near Woodstock until they left at the age of eighteen. They have deep visual memories of both late ‘40s Greenwich Village and ‘50s /’60s Woodstock. Meed has followed the family tradition and is an artist, writer, and singer.

Barbara Carlson
is the granddaughter of John F. Carlson, landscape painter and author of The Elementary Principles of Landscape Painting, and of Margaret Goddard Carlson, also a noted landscape painter. Many of her other family members were involved in the visual arts and music, including her uncle, Broadway performer and singer Robert Eric Carlson. She believes that the “wide, deep, and constant exposure to the arts” that growing up in Woodstock provided was unique.

Sarah Mecklem
is the daughter of Austin Mecklem and Marianne Appel, both noted landscape artists. She grew up in Woodstock with the children of many other local artists until moving to New York City at age 10. She went to art school, including at the Woodstock School of Art. Sarah Mecklem is herself a noted painter and sculptor who has exhibited widely, including at Kleinert James Art Center in Woodstock.
