Olana – Frederic Church’s Masterpiece

gmcdaniel4444@gmail.com

6 years ago

The National Advisory Council of Olana – January 2019

I serve on the National Advisory Council of Olana, the remarkable house and landscape designed by American painter Frederic Church, home to him and his family, and now a historic site on the Hudson River. I serve principally due to my work in site interpretation, education, and conservation of environs, the latter being so critical as the photo above illustrates — it shows the view of the Hudson from the house.

We met in Manhattan, this time for a convivial dinner at the Knickerbocker Club, before an informative meeting the next morning, marked by a wonderful exchange of ideas, questions, and suggestions.

L-R: Robin Key, landscape architect, board member; me; Sean Sawyer, President of The Olana Partnership; Margaret Davidson, board member and friend (and hospitable hostess); Mark Prezorski, Senior Vice President and Landscape Curator.

A convivial dinner at the Knickerbocker Club in New York the evening before the meeting.

Getting to know our colleagues and looking forward to a meaningful exchange of ideas.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

George W. McDaniel, Ph.D., is President of McDaniel Consulting, LLC, a strategy firm that helps organizations use history to build bridges within itself and to its broader constituents. The company’s tag line, “Building Bridges through History,” is grounded in McDaniel’s personal beliefs and his experience in site management, preservation, education, board development, fundraising, and community outreach. Rather than using history to divide us, he strives to help organizations use history, especially local history, to enhance cross-cultural understanding and to support local museums, preservation, and education. Dr. McDaniel recently led volunteer efforts with Emanuel AME Church and historical organizations in Charleston to use historic preservation to enhance racial reconciliation and healing. McDaniel is also the Executive Director Emeritus of Drayton Hall, a historic site in Charleston, SC, owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

A frequent writer, speaker, and facilitator about such issues, he can be reached at gmcdaniel4444@gmail.com or through his website at www.mcdanielconsulting.net.

Header Image: A view of the Hudson River from Olana..