Garden Holiday

Clinton Claussen is the Garden Supervisor at Mohonk Mountain House. He has worked at Mohonk for five years, where he has curated his passion and knowledge of plants. The Shawangunks hold a special place in his heart. He is fascinated by the native flora and fauna of the area and brings that fascination to the Mohonk Gardens. Along with native flora, Clinton enjoys bringing interesting and unusual plants to the landscape, especially those that attract pollinators and further build a fun, sensory experience at Mohonk.

Ian Reifenberger is the Head Gardener at Mohonk Mountain House. Ian has been at Mohonk for three years and specializes in sustainability and environmentalism. He is passionate about sustainable gardening and landscape design. Being able to cultivate gardens not just to accent the property, but to harmonize and blend with the beautiful natural environment at Mohonk is important to him.

Michael Allsop is the Greenhouse Supervisor at Mohonk Mountain House. He has been with Mohonk for five years and brought his passion for plants as well as his gardening and landscaping experience to the greenhouse. In his position, he has brought his unique eye to the Greenhouse and surrounding landscapes. He has a vast knowledge of house plant care and specializes in exotic plants and their individual needs. You can see his passionate and playful attitude come through in the plants he curates in the Mohonk Greenhouse.

Patrick Gallagher is a professional artist, designer, sculptor and printmaker. He specializes in carved decorative architectural artifacts for public, private and spiritual environments. His expertise is in the Book of Kells style of Celtic Art. He has taught Celtic studio art at hundreds of venues including three Summer Celtic Art Workshops at the Oideas Gael School at Glencolumkille in Ireland. Mr. Gallagher is an Adjunct Professor at the County College of Morris. He teaches Sculpture, Three Dimensional Design and Art History. He has a Masters in Fine Arts Education from Kean University. Please visit his YouTube Channel under Patrick Gallagher Celtic Art. For more information: [email protected]  and at: www.celtart.com

Sevan Melikyan is the Owner and Operator of Wired Gallery which was founded in May 2012 with the mission to show works by Mid-Hudson Valley Artists. Located at 11 Mohonk Road in High Falls, New York, and open Saturdays and Sundays 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Wired Gallery was named “one of Ulster County’s most high-profile, prolific sources of quality art exhibitions” by Almanac Weekly.

Frederic Chiu plays major venues on five continents: Lincoln Center in New York, Le Châtelet in Paris, the Mozarteum in Buenos Aires, and extensive tours in smaller and unusual venues. With a vibrant concert schedule, a legacy of 30 CDs, and a stream of superlatives from major critics around the globe, pianist Frederic Chiu occupies a special place in the world of classical music. In an eclectic career encompassing unusual collaborations and little-played repertoire, along with explorations into the psychology of performance, Mr. Chiu has demonstrated an ability to go beyond boundaries and to bring listeners with him.

Nell Boucher has been the Archivist and Historian of Mohonk Mountain House for 10 years, starting as a part-time assistant and falling in love with connecting Mohonk’s history to the present. Alongside managing collections, she actively documents current life at Mohonk for future generations. Her role involves assisting guests and researchers, from giving tours to uncovering historical connections, like a touching moment with a guest discovering her ancestor’s signature. Nell’s passion shines through her projects, including her “From the Archives” presentations and contributions to Mohonk’s publications like the books “Mohonk and the Smileys” and “Paintings at Mohonk: Visions of our Surroundings.” With dedication and enthusiasm, Nell brings Mohonk’s history to life for both current and future guests and staff.

Bram Kincheloe is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and owner of Semperviren Studios based in the Hudson Valley. Attending the LaGuardia School of Performing Art and Manhattan School of Music, Bram furthered his art of jazz drumming while also co-forming the soul-rock band Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds in 2008. Establishing a residency at Rockwood Music Ball, the band quickly began touring across the USA and Canada. They went on to record three albums, produced by famed bassist Randy Jackson. Opening for The Avett Brothers, Dr. John, and The Black Keys, Bram has also appeared in acclaimed festivals including Bonnaroo, Voodoo Fest, Cotai Jazz, Blues Festival, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.

Alex Peh is a pianist, improviser and scholar who explores the piano in global classical, contemporary, and improvised practices. A 2021 Fulbright Global Scholar, Peh explores contemporary piano repertoire, finding new approaches to tuning, pedagogy, notation and musical transmission. He has commissioned composers Anna Clyne, Susie Ibarra, Hafez Modirzadeh, Phyllis Chen, Ne Myo Aung, Nikos Ordoulidis, and Kyaw Kyaw Naing funded by National Endowment for the Arts, New Music USA, New York State. Council of the Arts, Harvard FROMM, Arts Mid-Hudson, Asian Cultural Council and Fulbright.  Peh earned his doctorate in piano performance from Indiana University where he mentored with Arnaldo Cohen, Menahem Pressler and Evelyne Brancart. He pursued undergraduate studies at Northwestern University where he worked with Sylvia Wang. He attended the Banff, Aspen and Tanglewood music festivals where he studied with Emanuel Ax, Pamela Frank, Claude Frank, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, and Peter Serkin. He is an associate professor of piano at SUNY New Paltz.

Natalie Forteza was hailed by the Chronogram Magazine “as a commanding vocalist and songwriter of considerable impact…[Forteza] shines here with her dynamic range of rhythms and emotions…” Natalie’s unique, recognizable voice summons emotion through layers of Alt-Soul, Indie, Pop, and World Music.  Along with her band, she has played beloved NYC venues as Rockwood Music Hall and The Iridium, highlights of her artistic debut have been opening for Allen Stone, and Soul singer/songwriter Mutlu, opening for Charlie Hunter and touring with The Latin Dead, all in her Hudson Valley backyard.  Raised in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley area for most of her life, she draws much of her inspiration not only from her own personal experiences but from nature, from food, and from the mélange of different kinds of music she loves and grew up listening to. Grammy winner Michael League of Snarky Puppy, who produced her debut EP “01,” has said, “My favorite musicians are those who have their own sound-the ones you recognize the instant you hear them. This is how I felt when I first heard Natalie. She creates a vibe from the first note, and holds you until the last one…”

Circle Creative Collective is a local community organization of artists and makers that aims to connect and inspire diverse groups by sharing and preserving traditional crafts and skills. With a specific focus on promoting crafts, skills, events, and transformative ideas to honor unique heritages and shared experiences, this collective pursues a more inclusive, creative, and joyous world. Their repertoire includes hands-on social multigenerational workshops drawing on traditional, multi-cultural, and sustainably-sourced crafts including papermaking, weaving, soap-making, felting, gardening, beekeeping, foraging, and many more! For more information, visit www.circlecreativecollective.org.