Press Release
May 03, 2019
Janeen Martin
Janeen.Martin@parks.ny.gov
Office (845) 889-3818
Olana State Historic Site Announces New Director
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is pleased to announce the appointment of Amy Hausmann as Director of the Olana State Historic Site in Hudson, NY. Hausmann is currently the Senior Curator and Deputy Director, Collections & Exhibitions at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, NY.
Hausmann, who will begin her appointment in May, comes to Olana with a passionate commitment for the role that art and culture plays in the Hudson Valley as an inspiration for all audiences and communities. For the past 22 years, she worked within the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) administering art and cultural programs through the non-profit New York Transit Museum and the public art commissioning department, MTA Arts & Design. Prior to her work in public art, Hausmann developed the MTA licensing and product development program which continues to benefit and support the Transit Museum's educational and exhibition programs. She began her career at Artists Space, a non-profit alternative arts organization in lower Manhattan dedicated to presenting and promoting the work of emerging and under-recognized artists.
Hausmann has served as spokesperson for the MTA's crown jewel, the 1913 Beaux-Arts landmark Grand Central Terminal, and as a curator, art historian, art director and arts administrator. She leads tours, talks, lectures and programs about historic and contemporary art, culture, design, and architecture and their role in the public realm.
"I am excited to join the collaborative team at Olana, working with New York State's Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation and our partners at The Olana Partnership," said Hausmann. "I love the spectacular landscape of the Hudson Valley and the Catskills and am inspired by the same views and vistas that have fascinated multiple generations of artists. Like so many others, I am thrilled every time I see Frederic Church's masterwork, Olana, rising high above the trees, overlooking the river, mountains and expansive sky and I look forward to sharing this remarkable cultural treasure with our visitors." At the New York Transit Museum, Hausmann led a team of professional curators and archivists who tell stories about the largest urban transportation system in the United States, a system that was designed in the late 19th century and grew to serve 2.6 billion riders annually. The museum creates context and understanding about the role that art, design, engineering and science play in the history, development and expansion of New York City and the surrounding 5,000-square mile region.
She served as Deputy Director of MTA Arts & Design, commissioning and curating innovative award-winning visual and performing arts throughout the MTA system over eleven years as part of the vibrant percent-for-art program. She led a group that presents celebrated programs including graphic and digital art, photography, music, poetry, publications, special events, exhibitions and managed a vast collection of permanent public and contemporary artwork.
"Amy's experience and vision make her the perfect choice for Olana," said Linda Cooper, Regional Director, NYSOPRHP Taconic Region. And Daniel Mackay, Deputy Commissioner for Historic Preservation, shared, "Our agency is thrilled to gain the deep and varied experience that Amy Hausmann will bring to the stewardship and promotion of this nationally-recognized state historic site. She is well suited to inform an effective collaboration with The Olana Partnership and other historic and cultural sites in the Hudson Valley." Sean Sawyer, Washburn and Susan Oberwager President of The Olana Partnership commented, "We are thrilled to welcome Amy Hausmann to our public-private team at Olana. Her depth of experience at the MTA, with making collections accessible to the public and integrating contemporary art and design with historic collections, will help ensure that Frederic Church's legacy remains vibrant and relevant for today's audiences."
ABOUT OLANA STATE HISTORIC SITE/THE OLANA PARTNERSHIP
About Olana and The Olana Partnership: Olana is the greatest masterpiece of Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), the preeminent American artist of the mid-19thC and the most important artist's home, studio and designed landscape in the United States. Church designed Olana as a holistic environment integrating his advanced ideas about art, architecture, landscape design, and environmental conservation. Olana's 250-acre artist-designed landscape with a Persian-inspired house at its summit embraces unrivaled panoramic views of the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains and, today, welcomes more than 170,000 visitors annually.
Olana State Historic Site, a historic site administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Taconic Region, is a designated National Historic Landmark and one of the most visited sites in the state. The Olana Partnership, a private not-for-profit education corporation, works cooperatively with New York State to support the restoration, conservation, and interpretation of Olana State Historic Site. To learn more about Olana and The Olana Partnership, please visit OLANA.org
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which are visited by 74 million people annually. A recent study found that New York State Parks generates $5 billion in park and visitor spending annually, which supports nearly 54,000 jobs. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit http://www.parks.ny.gov/ #nystateparks.