Just two years after opening on Main Street in Catskill, Gallery 495 has entered into a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Thomas Cole National Historic Site. Running June 20 through August 9, the dual exhibition—Paradise Found: Contemporary Paintings by Lauren Sansaricq—will feature about 20 paintings displayed at both Gallery 495 and Thomas Cole’s historic 1839 Studio. The project marks the first time one of America’s most significant historic artist sites—a destination that draws visitors from across the country and around the world—has partnered in this way with a private contemporary gallery.
For Gallery 495 owner Michael “Mike” Mosby, the exhibition represents more than a successful partnership. It shows how a young business has quickly become part of Greene County’s network of artists, galleries, and cultural institutions.
“I’m proud to say that Gallery 495 has not only fostered a thriving artistic community, but has also consistently championed artists from the Hudson Valley and greater tri-state area,” said Mosby. “This is particularly important to me as a Hudson Valley native who cares deeply about the region, values its unique character, and looks forward to its continued growth.”
For the Thomas Cole Site, the exhibition creates an opportunity to connect contemporary work with the legacy of Thomas Cole, whose Hudson River School became America’s first major art movement. By exhibiting Sansaricq’s
landscape paintings in both Cole’s historic studio and a contemporary gallery setting, the partnership highlights the continued influence of Greene County’s landscapes and creative community on artists working today.
“Arts and culture are a huge economic driver in Greene County, and the Thomas Cole National Historic Site sits at the heart of that artistic legacy as the home of American landscape painting,” said Maura O’Shea, Executive Director. “A recent economic impact study found that the Thomas Cole Site has a $2.5 million value-added impact on the county every year, and this year, in 2026, our visitation is already up 60 percent.”
Investing in Catskill’s Creative Future
Founded in 2023 on Main Street in Catskill, less than a mile from the Thomas Cole Site, Gallery 495 is located in a renovated industrial building—once a trophy factory and automobile shop. By transforming the space into a gallery, Mosby invested not only in a business but in Catskill’s future as a creative hub.
A longtime Hudson Valley gallerist and curator with deep ties to the contemporary art world, Mosby recognized the potential of Catskill’s growing arts community. Together with his wife, acclaimed artist Tschabalala Self, he has made the Hudson Valley his home and invested in Catskill’s future as a place where artists, cultural institutions, and creative businesses can thrive.
As Gallery 495 continues to grow, its partnership with the Thomas Cole National Historic Site shows how economic development can grow from entrepreneurship, local investment, and a strong sense of place. The success story is not simply the opening of a new exhibition, but the growth of a business that chose Greene County, found opportunity here, and is helping shape the community’s future as well as link it to its past as the inspiration for Thomas Cole and America’s first art movement.
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Topics: Success Stories
