NEW YORK, NY.- The Olana Partnership announced the appointment of William L. Coleman as Director of Collections & Exhibitions, and, earlier this month, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announced the appointment of Amy Hausmann as Director of The Olana State Historic Site. TOP welcomes Amy and Will, as key members of Olana’s public-private senior management team. They will work to realize our shared vision to make Frederic Church’s OLANA the most widely recognized artist’s home and studio in the world, vibrant with the activity of visitors, students, scholars, and artists.
Will Coleman comes to Olana from the Newark Museum, where he served as Associate Curator of American Art since 2017, with responsibility for that institution’s world-class collection of 19th-century American paintings and sculpture. Among other projects, he made major acquisitions through gift and purchase, curated the exhibition Vantage Points: History and Politics in the American Landscape, and played a primary role in a complete overhaul of the modern and contemporary American galleries. Prior to that appointment, he taught American art at Washington University in St. Louis and at the University of California, Berkeley, where he completed his Ph.D. in history of art in 2015. Among the institutions that have awarded him fellowships are the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Winterthur Museum, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Will Coleman’s research interests include the intersection of visual art and music, a topic he pursued with a master’s in musicology from the University of Oxford, after undergraduate and graduate degrees in art history from Haverford College and the Courtauld Institute of Art. He speaks and publishes widely on the Hudson River School and other topics, for which work he has received numerous awards, including the 2018 Landscape History Essay Prize of the Society of Architectural Historians. He looks forward to taking full advantage of the natural and cultural riches of the Hudson Valley with his wife, Maxine.
Meredith Kane, The Olana Partnership’s Chair says: “We interviewed an amazing pool of national and international candidates, which speaks volumes about the significance of Church and Olana. Will Coleman impressed us deeply with his passion for Olana’s collections and his eloquence in speaking about them in the broader context of American art.”
“There is palpable momentum at Olana these days, with great staff and supporters working to share this iconic place with broader audiences than ever before. I look forward to working closely with Partnership and Parks colleagues to present Olana’s remarkable collections in engaging new ways that will make Olana an ever more vital site of new ideas and inspiration at the meeting of art and the environment” said Will Coleman.
Sean Sawyer, The Olana Partnership’s Washburn and Susan Oberwager President, says: “We are thrilled to have Will and Amy join our public-private team at Olana. Will is one of the country’s most promising young scholars of American Art and brings an extraordinary depth of knowledge and contagious enthusiasm. Likewise, Amy’s 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.”
Amy Hausmann worked within the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for 22 years 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.
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.
Hausmann 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.
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.” “Amy’s experience and vision make her the perfect choice for Olana,” said Linda Cooper, Regional Director, NYSOPRHP Taconic Region
“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.” Hausmann and her husband, Matt, own a home in Oak Hill in Greene County, NY.
