Architects
Byron Bell and Les Walker
"The Magnificent Adventure of Henry Hudson"
The Byron Bell, Les Walker installation is located at White Pines, the symbolic center of Byrdcliffe. It is interesting to note that Henry Hudson and Ralph Whitehead, the founder of Byrdcliffe and builder of White Pines, both set upon almost impossible adventures and both met with resistance from others.
Les and Byron have remarked: “We have responded to the challenge of celebrating Henry Hudson with the genre of Folk Art; a response reflecting our optimism, and the joy and fun of life. We have endeavored to portray Henry Hudson’s journey from Europe to America in a linear series of scenes, beginning in front of the Loom Room, extending to the Main White Pines building and emerging on the left side. It begins with an “Old World” Holland and ends in an open boat heading to the sunset and the unknown. On the way, we illustrate a bucolic Holland countryside, the crowded cities, the sea and the end of the earth, the storms and monsters of the deep, and finally, the tranquil body of water now called The Hudson River. The unknown history, the speculation, the incredible transformation of our land from 400 years ago until now are endless and complicated subjects. Our scenes envision the fears and hopes, myths and facts that might have populated the minds of Henry Hudson and his crew, as they crossed the wide Atlantic toward the great unknown. A Folk Art approach perhaps magnifies the perils of the voyage, and smoothes with simplicity and bright colors the particular trials of Henry Hudson. But, with Folk Art tools, we express our awe and respect for what the voyages of discovery have wrought, and especially as they relate to the Hudson River, its comeback and the revitalization of its waterfront and surrounding towns.”
While this installation is Les Walker’s and Byron Bell’s first public collaboration, they are long–time friends who share two passions: folk art and fine architecture. They have reinforced each other’s dedications to these art forms, added input from their lavish imaginations, and created a four–hands–on team to construct a visual narrative of Hudson’s journey. Art; a response reflecting our optimism, and the joy and fun of life. We have endeavored to portray Henry Hudson’s journey from Europe to
Bio
Byron Bell, FAIA, was educated at Princeton University, (B.A. 1957) and Columbia University (M. Arch. 1962). He has been practicing architecture since 1967, and is now a partner of Bell Donnelly Architects and Planners. Bell built a home for himself and his wife Susan on an incline of Overlook Mountain that is so steep, he had to hire rock climbers to help with the construction. Bell has multiple talents. His wide range of architectural projects includes the American Museum of Natural History, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library at Columbia, Council on Foreign Relations, The Grolier Club, The Century Association, and the Manhattan School of Music. He is also a pianist, set designer, potter, watercolorist, traveler, and with his wife, a major collector and documenter of indigenous craft art from across the globe, many from remote locations. His honors include William Kinne Fellows Memorial Fellowship (1963); First Alternate, Paris Prize in Architecture (1962); Fellow AIA (elected 1995); and National Academy of Design (elected 1995).
Les Walker has been a practicing architect in the Hudson Valley since 1970 and before then, a founding partner in the office of Studio Works, New York City, which won several prestigious awards. In 1984, he designed a residence that was termed “the best small house in America” by Time and House Beautiful magazines. He is also the author of eight books related to architecture. Each of his books includes numerous explanatory drawings integral to the subject matter. The two most popular of these are Tiny Houses and American Shelter. He employs his drawings as a primary method of communicating design ideas, both in his books and his architectural practice. He has also developed unique paper model building skills, which he uses to engage his clients in a more personal design process. He is a graduate of Yale University, where he received a Masters Degree in Architecture and of the Pennsylvania State University, where he received a Bachelors Degree in Architecture. Les Walker is an adjunct Professor of Architecture at the City College of New York and has served on the Board of Directors of the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild for over 25 years. He is keenly interested in the preservation of the historic Byrdcliffe Arts Colony buildings.
