Upstate Now
Art, Design, and Rural Life in the Hudson Valley and Catskills
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- $30.99
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- $30.99
Publisher Description
A gorgeous coffee table book rich with photographs and stories about place, community, and living a creative life in the singular world of New York’s Hudson Valley.
Today, the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains are home not only to once-harried Brooklynites adapting to small-town living or West Coasters living a Hollywood version of American country life but also to locals who grew up in the region and are committed to new ventures. Each demographic and generation—from Baby Boomers to Millennials and Gen Xers—brings its own perspective, redefining old ideas and creating exciting new spaces, lifestyles, and destinations. Upstate Now offers an immersive snapshot of the people living in and their impact on this historic and enchantingly beautiful region, exploring:
Cultural institutions, including The Iroquois Museum and the Shaker Settlement
Art destinations such as Bill Arning Exhibitions and the sprawling non-profit Art Omi center
Designers and design landmarks, including the Deer Mountain Inn and architect Steven Holl’s “T” Space for art, music, and performance
Daily pleasures in food, flowers, and farms at places like Silver Brothers Distillery and the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market
While some of the region’s architecture dates to early American history, new designs range from restorations and renovations to modernizations and innovations. What links them all is an appreciation of the natural beauty and resources of the surroundings. Upstate Now interweaves short reports with full feature-length stories, all beautifully photographed by the author.
A FRESH TAKE ON THE HUDSON VALLEY: Collectible books about the region generally focus on residential design and interiors. This book takes a unique perspective, sharing the stories of the people who have made their homes here—including designers, artists, farmers, and entrepreneurs—and explores their creative lives in text and photos.
STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHY: Author and photographer Michel Arnaud is renowned for his portraiture, lifestyle, and interiors work. His previous books include Detroit: The Dream Is Now and Cool Is Everywhere: New and Adaptive Design Across America, and his images have been featured regularly in the pages of Vogue, House & Garden, Architectural Digest, Harper’s Bazaar, and Town & Country.
Perfect for:
Collectors of architecture, design, and décor books
Architectural and regional history buffs
Hudson Valley and Catskill region residents
Lifelong, former, and future New Yorkers
Photography fans and armchair travelers
Host/hostess or housewarming gift
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This inviting survey from husband-and-wife duo Arnaud (Forever Paris), a photographer, and Creech, a book agent and editor, aims to bring the Hudson Valley out from the shadow of New York City. Arnaud, a 30-year resident whose lovely photos fill the book's pages, sees the region as more than an exoticized getaway for burned-out urbanites. While acknowledging its history as a place where new people are continually mixing in with longtime residents, he remarks that this is also the "underlying story of America." The book's other introduction, by Ann Sublett, similarly reflects on admixture as the region's defining quality. As the Hudson River mixes saline water with fresh water to create its unique ecosystem, so too, she writes, does the "flow of people to and away from New York City and into the Hudson Valley" create unique communities. The places highlighted are embodiments of this dialectic between old and new: there's Roxbury, N.Y., once so depressed that its most famous son, robber baron Jay Gould, fled as soon as he could, but now a trendy "hamlet on the rise"; and an early Shaker settlement preserved in Albany, right next to an airport. The result is a lively celebration of a place full of passion, and a wonderful primer for newcomers, of which, as this book suggests, there will always be many.
