Storm King Reopens

Here’s one on our Bucket List for everyone in the ABC Towns: The Storm King Art Center offers an intoxicating blend of art, nature and exercise. Less than an hour away in New Windsor it is a great day trip that should be on the bucket list of anyone living in Armonk, Bedford & Chappaqua. If you are the in-and-out type you can do it in a morning or an afternoon. Or work in some outlet shopping at the nearby Woodbury Common Premium Outlet and one of the area’s top restaurants and you can kill a whole day.

Sculpture on steroids

Widely celebrated as one of the world’s leading sculpture parks, Storm King has welcomed visitors from across the globe for fifty years. Set on 500 acres of fields, hills and woodlands it showcases over 100 sculptures from the world’s finest artists carefully sited against scenic backdrops. Think the Pepsico Sculpture Gardens on steroids.

The juxtaposition of sculptures in their outdoor galleries creates monumental vistas that function like works of great landscape art. Case in point, the Mark di Suvero sculptures set on Storm King’s South Field as seen in our feature photo above.

While the big bangs at Storm King are the large scale abstract steel sculptures, you will also find figurative works in stone, earth and other materials – scattered in nooks and crannies throughout the grounds in intimate settings under trees, next to ponds or on wooded knolls. (Like those pictured here by David Smith.) Their permanent collection includes works by the likes of Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, Maya Lin, Henry Moore, Isamo Naguchi, Louise Nevelson, Claes Oldenburg, George Rickey, Richard Serra and many more.

In addition to its permanent collection, Storm King presents special exhibits of works on loan from artists, private collections, galleries and museums both outdoors and in their museum building. (DELETED FROM THE ARTICLE ARE DESCRIPTIONS OF TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS WHICH ARE UPDATED AND OUTLINED IN THE OPENING PARAGRAPHS OF THIS POST.)

Wear comfy shoes!

If you go, (when you go) wear sneakers or sturdy walking shoes. You will be climbing and descending many hills. If you are the sturdy type and want to see the full exhibit skip your Zumba class at the Saw Mill club for the day. You can get a full workout here. For a more leisurely expereience you can walk the pebbled paths and take in the sculptures from a distance. You can even rent a bike to make your way from one galleried field to another. Of course there are guided tours and special events throughout the year. Such as moonlit walks, Saturday morning yoga, artist chats, poetry readings, kids workshops, bird watching and concerts. An annual highlight is their Summer Solstice and Farm Table Dinner in June.

You’ll work up an appetite… eat here!

There’s a very decent outdoor café where you can pick up a boxed lunch, salads, sandwiches and snacks. Most were made from organic locally grown ingredients. We liked the sweet and savory pure butter scone and the hummus on griddled whole wheat tortilla. The kids liked the organic and grass fed beef hot dogs from Applegate Farm. We all liked the Padgett Farm beef and black bean chili and the Long Island potato chips.

If you’re looking for a more ambitious foodie adventure, there are top rated restaurants in the area. Traditionalists will like The Bird and Bottle Inn set in a 1761 inn in Garrison for New American cuisine. You know the scene. Back Yard Bistro in Montgomery is a highly rated 18-seater but you will need a reservation. Or go right to the top (of the Zagats food ratings) at Il Cenàcola, Newburgh’s Tuscan classic. It ranks number 3 in the Westchester/Hudson Valley food rankings with a 28 score.

If you start early you can fit in a trip to Woodbury Common before you hike through the art at Storm King. Get there at the opening bell at 10am (9am on

Columbus Day weekend) before the tour buses dock. We did and scored well with some back to school shopping. Picked up a pair of Nike Hyperdunks for $95 – regularly $140. Basket is good. And one! (Storm King Art Center, 1 Museum Drive, New Windsor; www.stormking.org)

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE INDOOR MUSEUM REMAINS CLOSED AND SOME AMENITIES MAY BE SUSPENDED. AND OF COURSE RESTAURANTS IN THE AREA ARE SUBJECT TO CURRENT PHASE 4 NEW YORK LIMITATIONS.