Postponed to Sunday, November 15, 2009
8:00 am to 4:00 pm

On Saturday, November 14, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the historic Powerhouse at Nyack Beach State Park, Artists in the Parks will exhibit artwork for sale created by its diverse members. Several artists will be plein-air painting along the 4.75 mile Nyack to Haverstraw Trail. The Exhibit admission is free and open to the public.

Also that day, teams of volunteers will help create six rustic Knickerbocker log benches to be placed along the 4.75 mile shoreline trail between Nyack and Haverstraw, and will clear brush from bench installation sites. Knickerbocker benches are made from locally harvested hardwoods using traditional tools. The first of them were created by AiP member Timothy Englert for the Knickerbocker Ice House site at Rockland Lake State Park.  Sturdy and beautiful, the benches will enhance public access to the Hudson River shoreline trail between Nyack and Haverstraw, NY.  All bench sites have been selected for their views or proximity to historical features

In collaboration with Keep Rockland Beautiful, Artists in the Parks (an initiative of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission) is raising park awareness and funds for the Palisades Parks Conservancy to support their conservation, preservation, and education initiatives. 40% of the proceeds of the sold artwork will be donated to Palisades Interstate Parks Conservancy (PIPC).  Much of the artwork to be displayed was inspired by the surrounding areas and park lands in the Palisades Region. One of the group’s missions is to nurture a love, understanding, and respect for the natural world. Purchasing artwork from an AiP artist is an investment in an original work of art of potential historic value. Original drawings, pleine-air paintings, photographs, mixed media, collages and sculptures will be on display and for sale.

Two works of art will be raffled that day. All proceeds will benefit PIPC and Keep Rockland Beautiful. The first is a full sized giclee print of "Hooked on the Hook" an original oil painting by AiP president Lita Thorne. This is an artist proof, 7.5” x 24”.  The second is a limited edition Miniature Bronze Knickerbocker Bench designed by Timothy Englert, creator of the Knickerbocker Bench, along with a 5” x 7” artist proof giclee print from an original oil painting "Have a Sitdown" depicting one of the benches at the Knickerbocker Ice House ruins at Rockland Lake. Raffle tickets will be available for sale until 3pm. The raffles are $5 each, and five for $20.00.

A “lumberjack breakfast and lunch” for visitors. At Your Service Caterers will be serving wholesome pancakes and stews all day inside the Power House.  The Dutch colonial style building once housed the power plant for the quarries along the Hook Mountain cliffs, and was later converted to a bath house and community room with the formation of the park. The Power House is truly a gem in the rough and represents an extraordinary opportunity for our community to reinvent a forgotten treasure as a venue for community events and a monument to our preservation history. It is currently in the early stages of being restored and is open to the public for special events like this one.

Power House Art Exhibit and “lumberjack” food

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Saturday, November 14.

3pm Artwork Raffle ends.

Nyack Beach State Park, end of N. Broadway, Nyack, NY. Pancakes and stew by At Your Service Caterers; all tableware fully compostable.  $5.00 buys a plate of cakes or a bowl of stew, along with a drink.

Knickerbocker Bench Building

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Saturday, November 14.

Each sawyer team will be scheduled for two hours with the sawmill and our expert sawyers on the upper plateau at Nyack Beach State Park.  Two additional hours of site preparation somewhere along Nyack-Haverstraw trail.

Artists in the Parks (AiP) is a program of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) that positions artists as essential partners in the conservation, education, and community initiatives of parks. This program creates opportunities for creative growth and public exposure for local artists, and encourages artistic exploration of the Palisades region. In all that we do, we aim to nurture a love, understanding, and respect for the natural world.

“The overwhelming and fantastic response to AiP seems to me proof that a program such as this was just waiting to come into the world so that the talented artists in our region could have a chance to partner with the Park system to conserve and protect the beautiful land in our region.” writes Erica Nagel, AiP Founder.

Keep Rockland Beautiful (KRB) is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to community cleanup and beautification since 1997. Learn more at www.KeepRocklandBeautiful.org

Knickerbocker Bench Project - Details for Sawyer Teams:
To register your team and for all volunteer coordination, contact Andy Stewart, Keep Rockland Beautiful, 845-708-9159, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Tim Englert, Palisades Interstate Parks Comm., 845-786-2710 x252, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it