Benefit art auction for Hill-Hold Museum and arboretum to be held

Hamptonburgh — On Saturday, Oct. 6, an art auction will be held at the Orange County Arboretum in Thomas Bull Park, to benefit Hill-Hold Museum and the arboretum. Visitors will be treated to the beauty of fall through the eyes of artists. The preview begins at 2 p.m. in the arboretum’s gardens, and the live auction with auctioneer Penny Thelman runs from 3 to 4 p.m. inside the main building of the arboretum. Hors d’oeuvres, wine and other refreshments will be served. The blooming flowers and fall foliage are a treat to the senses and inspirations for the artists of the Wallkill River School. These artists have been painting at Hill-Hold Museum and the Arboretum for the month of September, and are now offering their artworks at a public auction to benefit the two nonprofit organizations. Visitors can enjoy a crisp fall afternoon in the park, with a bit of culture and local flavor, and take home a one-of-a-kind original artwork by a local artist. Hill Hold Museum is the historic homestead built by prosperous farmer, Thomas Bull, in 1769. A tour of the 18th century stone house and various 19th century outbuildings, including the 1870 one room school house, allows visitors to step back in time to see what country life was like for the early settlers to Orange County. Visitors have an opportunity to learn how rural families’ needs for food, clothing and fuel all came from the farm. The Georgian style home, which was occupied by members of the Bull-Jackson family for over 200 years before it was donated to the Orange County Parks Department in 1969, was painstakingly restored back to its 18th century form in the 1970’s. The gracious farmhouse retains all of the original woodwork and paneling, wide plank floors, fireplaces and many period furnishings that belonged to the family. Hill Hold affords visitors a taste of Hudson Valley farm life in the late 18th and early 19th centuries with various period buildings, artifacts, antique tools and decorative arts plus the resident farm animals all in bucolic setting with rolling pastures and mature trees. The arboretum was created by a public-private partnership between the County of Orange, working through its Parks’ Department, and a group of interested citizens. Since the 1999 dedication of the Jim and Ruth Ottaway Education Center, the Friends of the Orange County Arboretum, Inc., in cooperation with many volunteers, benefactors and the County of Orange, have diligently dedicated time and money to create this magnificent facility for all to enjoy. The Ottaway Center, Lynn Water Feature, September 11th Memorial and Walkway, Kosuga Education Center and Greenhouse, Vandenberg Family Rill, raised gardens, trees and pergola could not have been possible without the continued support of private individuals like yourself. Volunteers have dedicated countless hours to make this arboretum what it is today, a place to celebrate, a place to reflect, a place to relax, a place to learn, and place to remember those who perished Sept. 11, 2001. Future plans include creating a maze, amphitheatre, Asian maple gardens, Mazur perennial garden, planting additional trees and colorful flowers, as well as creating innovative environmental educational opportunities for children and adults in the years to come. The Wallkill River School is an artist-run cooperative, which creates opportunities for artists to earn income and exhibit artworks. The school runs a gallery called the Wallkill River Art Gallery in New Windsor, as well as offering year-round art classes for diverse audiences. The school partners with historic sites and open spaces in an effort to help preserve the area’s agriculture and open spaces. The public is welcome to attend a workshop for free, participate or just watch, as a regionally-famous artist demonstrated her/his approach to the landscape