© 2026
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Scam Advisory: We have been made aware that an online entity is posing as Joe Donahue to invite authors and other creatives onto our radio shows. The scammers then attempt to charge guests an appearance fee for exposure/publicity.
Please note: WAMC does not charge guests to appear on the station and any email about appearing on a WAMC program will come from a wamc.org email address.
The Roundtable

The Roundtable Live from Frederic Church’s OLANA: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and Scenic Hudson

By Joe Donahue
Published May 4, 2026 at 2:58 PM EDT
Ways To Subscribe
Kayla Sacco
/
WAMC
Left to Right: Ned Sullivan, Joe Donahue, Kathy Moser, Sean Sawyer, and Mark Prezorski

Welcome back to our WAMC on the Road live broadcast of The Roundtable from Frederic Church’s Olana.

As we mentioned earlier in the program, The Olana State Historic Site operates through a public-private partnership. The property is preserved and run by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and The Olana Partnership. They also work closely with regional historical and conservation groups in the area.

In that vein, we are joined now by New York State Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Kathy Moser and President of Scenic Hudson Ned Sullivan. Scenic Hudson has long been considered a leader in safeguarding the Hudson Valley’s irreplaceable landscapes.

Tags
The Roundtable olanaOlana State Historic Sitefrederic churchFrederic Church Center for Art & LandscapeScenic HudsonNew York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation
Stay Connected
Joe Donahue
Joe talks to people on the radio for a living. In addition to countless impressive human "gets" - he has talked to a lot of Muppets. Joe grew up in Philadelphia, has been on the area airwaves for more than 25 years and currently lives in Washington County, NY with his wife, Kelly, and their dog, Brady. And yes, he reads every single book.
See stories by Joe Donahue
Related Content
  • The Roundtable
    The Roundtable Live from Frederic Church’s OLANA: ‘Glorious Country: How the Artist Frederic Church Brought the World to America’ by Victoria Johnson
    Joe Donahue
    Historian Victoria Johnson has a gift for uncovering the human stories behind American culture. In her new book, ‘Glorious Country: How the Artist Frederic Church Brought the World to America’ and America to the World, she turns to Frederic Church, the Hudson River School painter whose sweeping landscapes helped define a young nation’s sense of itself.Johnson traces Church’s global travels - from the Arctic to South America - and shows how his art connected American audiences to a wider world.
  • The Roundtable
    The Roundtable Live from Frederic Church’s OLANA: President of the Olana Partnership Sean Sawyer and Consulting Senior Curator Dr. Elizabeth Mankin Kornhauser
    Joe Donahue
    Today marks the 200th Anniversary of Frederic Church's birth, and we are here to explore the creation, creativity, landscape, preservation, and importance of the home and gardens in history and in the Hudson Valley.The Olana State Historic Site operates through a public-private partnership. The 250-acre property is run by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and The Olana Partnership.Our first guests this morning are President of the Olana Partnership Sean Sawyer and Consulting Senior Curator and Chair of The Church 200 Committee Dr. Elizabeth Mankin Kornhauser. She has lead planning efforts for this national celebration, the 200th anniversary of the artist Frederic Church’s birth.
  • Media Project
    WAMC On The Road: The Media Project Live at UAlbany with Rex, Judy, Barbara, and Raga
    David Guistina
    (Airs 05/01/26 @ 3 p.m. & 05/03/26 @ 6 p.m.) The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with former Times Union Editor, current Upstate American, Substack columnist Rex Smith, Judy Patrick, former Editor of The Daily Gazette and former Vice President for Editorial Development for the New York Press Association, Barbara Lombardo, Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany and former Editor of The Saratogian, and Raga Justin, Albany Bureau Chief for Bloomberg Government . On this week’s Media Project, Rex, Judy, Barbara, and Raga are live on the road at the University at Albany to talk with journalism students and faculty from 20 campuses about student journalism, how to get more young people excited about the field, and much more.