The Pollinator Pavilion

The sculpture for pollinators and pollinator-lovers alike at Thomas Cole National Historic Site.

The Pollinator Pavilion

There’s a new visitor on the block of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site. The Pollinator Pavilion is a space for both people and pollinators alike to enjoy personal encounters with one another in a setting welcoming to both species.

The 21.5 foot-tall Gothic-style pavilion, created by world-renowned artists Mark Dion and Dana Sherwood, seats one person at a time on an ornately decorated wooden couch. The pavilion is painted in a lavender color, and is packed full of various flowers, plants and paintings. The flowers are used to lure the gorgeous Ruby-throated hummingbird, the only type of hummingbird that lives in the Catskills.

Dion and Sherwood are no strangers to working with animal-related artwork. Their goal is to “decontextualize in which individuals can see themselves as part of nature and understand their own capacity to foster an environment of ecological balance,” according to Thomas Cole’s website. They value the animal’s individuality just like humans’ and want both species to greet each other face to face.

The paintings lining the pavilion are inspired by a series of striking, moody works by Martin Johnson Heade called The Gems of Brazil (1863-64). Those paintings will also be on display at the Historic Site in the spring of 2021 as a part of the Cross Pollination: Heade, Cole, Church and our Contemporary Moment traveling exhibit.

Visiting the Sculpture

The pavilion will be open to the public until Fall 2021. The grounds of the historic site, which the pavilion sits on, is free to walk from dawn until dusk every day.

Admission, which grants access to the Old Studio, Main House and New House, is $15. It is free if you are a Thomas Cole National Historic Site member, if you’re under 16 or if you’re a student with a valid ID. Buying general admission tickets online and group visits are temporarily paused until spring due to COVID restrictions.

Take Amtrak to the Pollinator Pavilion

View this Thomas Cole National Historic Site sculpture via Amtrak to Hudson Station (HUD)—Don’t forget to use the Amtrak See New York and Save 15% discount! The station is 5.1 miles away from Thomas Cole National Historic Site, making it an easy and convenient option to get to the event.

Get picked up from the Hudson Station and taken to your reserved NYTRAIN Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Click here to reserve your car or call the Hudson office today at 518-828-5492.