In the fall of 2010, the MTA Arts commissioned Holly Sears for Transit and Urban Design, to create the artwork for eleven windows to be installed in the newly renovated overpass corridors at the Metro-North Railroad Tarrytown Station in Westchester County, New York. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided funding for the project. The artist did extensive research on the plants and animals in the Hudson Valley, and the Hudson River itself, and then developed the artwork for each individual panel. These original paintings were digitally reproduced, enlarged, combined, and then layered together to create the laminated art glass panels that were fabricated by Tom Patti Design. Each art glass window is comprised of an object or “creature” layer, and multiple atmospheric background layers, fused together to create the final piece.
Kenise Barnes Fine Art is pleased to present an exhibition of original artwork from this important project. This exhibit is comprised of 12 original oil paintings and a suite of prints created from the paintings.
Hudson River Explorers is inspired by this great river’s majesty and eloquence, and informed by the region’s rich history of discovery, exploration, and travel. The series features six above-water and five under-water riverscapes, each populated by groups of creatures and flora. The scenes are fantastic, magically real, yet firmly grounded in naturalism. From east to west, the panels in each overpass create the experience of one day – from dawn to dusk – with light, color and subject. The plants and animals depicted in the various panels are largely native species, many threatened or endangered, who guide an array of exotic visitors through the watery realm.
The Hudson River Museum, June 9 - October 14, 2012, mounted an exhibition of these paintings. The Laminated art glass installation at Metro North station in Tarrytown completed in September 2012.