GRAHAMSVILLE – On Sunday, April 19th at 2 p.m., Judy Van Put will give a presentation: “The Artists Who Fished the Catskills” at the Time and the Valleys Museum, on St. Rt. 55 in Grahamsville, NY and virtually on Zoom. Created by the late author Ed Van Put and given by his wife Judy, the presentation focuses on the artists from the Hudson River School of Landscape Painters, including Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, and Worthington Whittredge.

The Catskill mountains have played a dual role in American history - they not only attracted our country’s earliest and foremost trout fishermen, but also many of our first and finest artists. Their paintings brought the public closer to nature and spurred tourism and an appreciation of the environment. There are many beautiful landscape paintings, some of which may be familiar; others will allow the viewers to appreciate what these artists found as they hiked, fished and traveled, particularly in the fall, through the Catskill Mountains. Their paintings brought the public closer to nature and as such, spurred tourism and an appreciation of the environment. 

Ed is the author of Trout Fishing in the Catskills, the comprehensive history of Catskill fishing; as well as The Beaverkill: The History of a River and its People, first and second editions, The Remarkable Life of James Beecher, and his last book, which came out in July 2025, A FlyFisher’s Revelations. 

Judy is a past employee of NYS DEC Bureau of Fisheries, serving as a Fisheries & Wildlife Technician, and is now retired from working in Real Estate. She lives in the Catskills along the Willowemoc Creek, and is a member of the NYS Outdoor Writers Association. She writes a weekly fishing column, “Streamside” for The Sullivan County Democrat, and a monthly horse column “Horse Tales” for Country Folks farm journal. She was awarded the New York State Council of Trout Unlimited's Professional Communications Award in 2005, and in 2025 was named a Catskill Legend by the Catskill Fly Fishing Center. She enjoys fishing and writing and is a long-time member of the Woman Fly Fishers Club, the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum, the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild, and the recently relaunched Beamoc Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Admission to this program is FREE for Museum Members and $5 for non-members. Admission to the program also includes light refreshments and Museum admission. The Museum Shop will also be open. For virtual attendance, please email info@timeandthevalleysmuseum.org and put “Artists Who Fished the Catskills” in the subject line and request the link in the body of the message. A link will be sent to you. If you are not a member, please visit timeandthevalleysmuseum.org/support/donate to make a donation prior to requesting a link.

The Time and the Valleys Museum is proud to be a Blue Star Museum, providing free admission to active duty military members (with ID) and up to five family members.  For more information call 845-985-7700, e-mail info@timeandthevalleysmuseum.org or visit www.timeandthevalleysmuseum.org. To schedule a field trip for schools, or group tour for children or adults, please call 845-985-7700.