A Mural for the Lamont Field Station
James Kimak, a founding member of the Flywheel Gallery with over 40 years of experience as an artist and muralist, is working with Lamont Research Professor Maureen Raymo to create a mural for the Hudson River Field Station. Located at the end of the Piermont Pier, it has been a site for research, education and outreach for Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory for more than two decades. The building has been currently undergoing renovations for expansion of Lamont’s work there.
After Kimak was chosen to produce the mural, Raymo suggested a geological timeline as its basis. Instead of a traditional straight line running through the timeline, which ranges from 200 million years ago to the present day, each point in history is connected by the Hudson River. Text on the two four-foot by ten-foot panels describes major events in the history of the Hudson Valley surrounded by colorful images of maps, extinct animals, asteroids and more.
Kimak’s portfolio includes mural installations in high-traffic areas, many across New York City. His work can be seen at Madison Square Garden’s Garden of Dreams Foundation projects, Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital among others. This is Kimak’s first project in Piermont and it holds a special place for the artist. “It means everything. This is the first project I’m doing locally. I’m very involved in the community here, so to have something visually is just big. It could be the capstone of my career and I would be happy with that.” (Kimak is known to locals for his saxophone and bass prowess in the bluesy band, Old No. 7.) To view his work, visit: www.Kimak- Design.com. The Hudson River Field Station has its official ribbon-cutting on September 26.
The concrete portion at the end of Piermont Pier was funded by the National Science Foundation to accommodate Lamont Doherty's research vessel, the Vema, shown below nearing the pier. The deal that gave Lamont the right to dock at the pier was made by Eisenhower who was then president of Columbia University and General Lucius Clay, CEO of Continental Can.