Peter N. Fritsch
THE WEBSITE OF COPAKE,NY ARTIST, PETER N. FRITSCH
               (A.K.A. 'NICK FRITSCH')                         

Coming Soon to ‘The Little Gallery’

A solo exhibit 'Rail Trail: The Power of Place", Visual Meditations on the Hudson

Valley Rail Trail by Peter N. Fritsch

October 1 through October 28
 

Rail Trail: The Power of Place, an exhibition of nine paintings by Peter N. Fritsch, will be on view October 1 through 28 at the Roeliff Jansen Community Library. Come meet the artist at an opening reception on Saturday, October 3, from 1 to 3 p.m.

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Created during 2025 and 2026, these nine paintings explore the changing landscapes of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail in Columbia County—from the brilliant foliage of late summer and autumn to winter snow, early spring light, and the muted atmosphere of a November rain. For Fritsch, the trail embodies the “power of place”; the mysterious ability of certain familiar landscapes to restore a sense of peace and well-being. The exhibition draws inspiration from the Hudson River School and its belief in the restorative—even transcendental—power of nature. Rather than depicting the monumental mountains, valleys, and skies celebrated by a Frederic Edwin Church or Thomas Cole, however, Fritsch turns his attention to a quieter landscape shaped by both nature and human history.

Peter Nicholas (Nick) Fritsch was born in New York City in 1954. He earned a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 1979, where he studied painting with Herb Katzman, Sylvia Mangold, Don Eddy, and Gilbert Stone. Starting in 2016 he studied for three years with Robert Cenendella at the venerable Art Students League in Manhattan.