DESIGN HUDSON Returns Memorial Day Weekend 2019

  |  April 30, 2019

This year’s DESIGN HUDSON Festival celebrates local design talent, shopping, and architecture through the historic Hudson Valley city’s storied centuries.

Perched high on hill overlooking Hudson, NY, Olana is a splash of color set against a verdant backdrop. The historic estate was designed and built by Frederic Church, a luminary amongst the Hudson River School artists who used the Catskills and Hudson Valley as inspiration during the mid-1800s. Today, the Columbia County city continues to provide inspiration to contemporary creators, and the 2nd-annual DESIGN HUDSON Festival May 24-26 aims to bring those creators and designers to light.

Olana. Photo Credit: Beth Schneck Photography.

Introducing the New Hudson River School 

For this year’s festival theme, the New Hudson River School, designers will express their contemporary interpretations of the palette, landscape, and outlook of Hudson Valley painters Thomas Cole and Frederic Church.

DESIGN HUDSON kicks of on Friday, May 24, 2019 at the Dr. Oliver Bronson House, and continues through the weekend with Designer Home Tours, talks, panel discussions, and shopping along Hudson’s Warren and Columbia Streets, the city’s walkable retail hub.

Elizabeth Moore, proprietor of Hudson’s The Gilded Owl, owner of Elizabeth Moore Fine Art, and board member Hudson Business Coalition, is feeling the excitement surrounding the event this year. “We are energized by the legacy, art, architecture, and environment in the Hudson Valley,” she said, “and we’re jazzed about the opportunity to add to the rich heritage with the great talent and culture of Hudson today. DESIGN HUDSON is an opportunity for the artists, makers, writers, chefs, poets, architects, and design professionals who call Hudson home – or second home – to share the magic of this place with visitors.”

Promenade Hill. Photo credit: Dan Region.

A Rare Peek Inside the Bronson House

During the weekend, Hudson’s historic Bronson House will be open for tours. The seldom-open national historic landmark – with Federal-style, 19th-century architectural elements – will be imbued with contemporary decor, antiques, paintings, and creativity from Hudson antique dealers, galleries, home furnishing stores, and artisans. Attend the cocktail party from 5-8pm on Friday, May 24th, and take a tour on Saturday or Sunday 10am-5pm. Tickets for the Bronson House cocktail party are $50 and available on visithudsonny.com. or by stopping in person at 442 Warren Street, Hudson

Bronson House. Photo credit: Christopher Draghi.

Designer Home Tours

DESIGN HUDSON goers can also take an exclusive tour of other architecturally-significant properties in Hudson on Saturday and Sunday. Designer Showcase Home Tours will feature design installations by local designers and artisans Alan Barlis of BarlisWedlick, Geoff Howell, Amy Row, and Sherry Jo Williams. Tours take place from 10am-5pm May 25 and 26, and tour tickets, including the Bronson House, are $25 or $20 in advance by purchasing on visithudsonny.com. Tickets for both the house tours and the cocktail party are also available for $65.

design hudson

Photo credit: Jennifer Lynn Morse. Room by Andy Goldsborough.

Talking Design

On Saturday from 2-3pm, visitors can join a discussion of The New Hudson River School’s influences of color, landscape, and time period from Hudson’s great legacy of painters, Church and Cole, to contemporary artists. The panel discussion will take place at Hudson Hall, 327 Warren Street, and goes hand-in-hand with Hudson Hall’s current exhibition, Hudson Athens Light. Admission to the panel discussion is free.

Hudson Hall. Photo credit: Dan Region.

Saturday Evening Festivities

Hudson’s vibrant city center sets the scene for Saturday night at the festival from 5-9pm, where visitors can wander from Warren Street, over to Columbia Street, and down to the waterfront. Along the way, they can shop at more than 50 antique galleries, 30 art galleries, 25 modern home furnishing stores, and 25 clothing and jewelry stores. Experience the city’s culture and nightlife at 40 bars, restaurants, music venues and performance spaces. The Saturday Soirée is free and open to the public.

“People have come to Hudson for years for art and antiques,” said Chuck Rosenthal, Proprietor of Valley Variety, and President of the Hudson Business Coalition. “Today’s vibrant business district embraces this heritage while exploring contemporary lifestyles and design. DESIGN HUDSON celebrates all of this, and we hope you can join us.”

Find out more information about DESIGN HUDSON 2019, including participating designers and businesses, at visithudsonny.com.

Warren Street, Hudson. Photo credit: Dan Region.

About Hudson Business Coalition, Inc.

HBCi is a membership organization. Our mission is to stimulate and maintain the City of Hudson's business district with a vibrant and diverse mix of shops, services, restaurants, accommodations, cultural facilities. To achieve our goals, HBCi create a variety of marketing, branding and promotional programs and events attracting people each week of the year.

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