"I'll have a Dark & Stormy, please," one guest requested of the bartender, seemingly unaware of how portentous her cocktail order might be. But, as it usually does, the weather cooperated on Saturday, July 24, for Olana's annual (rain or shine) summer garden party. This year's theme, Paradise Found, refers to the many months in 1865, that Hudson River School painter Frederic Church and his wife Isabel spent in Jamaica. (This trip was at least two years before Olana, their Persian-style house overlooking the Hudson River, was so much as a gleam in the artist's eye.) Hence, "island attire" was encouraged. Many male guests interpreted that broadly and wore Hawaiian shirts, while the women seemed to favor anything cool and bright. However, it was the musicians, Hamilton Hill Arts Center Steel Drum Band (single lead steel drummer Jasmine Kendricks, left), who nailed "the look." For future reference, gentlemen, remember clam-diggers? Ladies: if you start with a hibiscus in your hair and work your way logically down from there, you can't go wrong.
Hamilton Hill Arts Center Steel Drum Band
Kay Toll, Olana trustee Asbjorn Lunde, and Sara Griffen, President of the Olana Partnership; Brooke Travelstead and Malcolm Travelstead
Decorating committee member Shaun Fisher, Olana membership director Keith Nyhof, Doug Fisher, Donna Fisher, and Elaine Ewing also on the decorating committee.
Jack Higbee, Mary Ellen Higbee, and owners of The Croff House, a Hudson b & b, Russ Gibson and Duncan Calhoun; Fayal Greene, Dave Sharp, and Gaby Goldet
David W. Forer, Meeyun Taylor, Lewis Hart, Louise McCready, Gabriel Cheng, Louis Kunhardt, Jr., Becky Malinsky, and Thomas Shiah
Janet Schnitzer and Tomm Eaton;band members Janiya Minor, Shalanda Murray, and Jasmine Kendricks
Architect Kate Johns and Paula Forman; Anne Ryan, Tom Heeps and Beth Heeps
Michael Kenney and Chessa Forer; Alicia Kurzer and Mike Kurzer of Shier Winery
Landscape architect and Olana trustee Robin Key, Pam Cohen, and photographer Mimi Forer; artist Stephen King and landscape designer Peter Bavacqua
Anthony Spensieri, Valerie Spensieri, Carol Spensieri and Joel Spensieri
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
