Autumn Art Festival on the Palisades

05/28/2026

👉There’s still space at this fun event in our favorite park !

05/28/2026

🤗🦋🦋 ✨✨

05/25/2026

🎨Art and history! Beautiful work..✨

Congratulations to artist Deirdre Redel, whose acrylic piece "Soldiers’ Graves" received special recognition at the 2026 Plein Air Open for best representation of America 250. The work captures a powerful connection between landscape, memory, and the legacy of the Revolutionary War 🎨

As the judge, Charles Newman () noted, the painting reflects a strong sense of Americana and reminds us that “we wouldn’t be here but for the Battle of Trenton” 🖼️

Through art, history continues to inspire new perspectives and meaningful conversations as we look ahead to America’s 250th anniversary 🇺🇸

AOY Art Center thanks the Friends of Washington Crossing Historic Park for sponsoring this award.

05/25/2026

🦅Happy Memorial Day!🇺🇸🗽🎨✌️

We hope everyone has a safe and relaxing Memorial Day! Please follow all rules and regulations.

To learn more about US Armed Forces over the last 250 years, visit Fort Lee Historic Park!

05/24/2026

A little bit of history, and art!🎨

On May 24, 1626, Peter Minuit bought the island of Manhattan. Information about this transaction comes from a letter by Pieter Janszoon Schagen. He writes that Minuit bought the land from unnamed Native American people, probably the Canarsee Indians of the Lenape, in exchange for traded goods worth 60 guilders. Historians debate what the value of what the 60 guilders would mean in today's currency and it ranges from $24 to $15,000. One of the points to this that is often lost is the Native American understanding of this deal. They did not simply vanish from the island and many were still present going into the Revolution and beyond. From their prospective, this was most likely viewed as an alliance deal with the goods being an incentive for mutual protection. However, this is still one of the greatest land deals ever pulled off.

Image: 1909 drawing of The Purchase of Manhattan Island by Alfred Fredericks. Popular Science Monthly Volume 75/Brittanica

05/23/2026

🦅Please don’t use balloons outside for your celebrations! Thank you🎈

05/21/2026

🎨Today we celebrate what would have been the late Palisades artist Paul D. Ortlip’s 100th birthday! 🎈
50 years ago this year, during the Bicentennial celebrations, Ortlip unveiled his painting of George Washington and troops with Thomas Paine, on the Palisades. The painting was commissioned by PIP for the Visitors Center and hangs in the lobby to this day. The Paul D. Ortlip family donated several Revolutionary War relics to the center that were found on the Ortlip family cliff property and studio that adjoined the FLHP. Washington and his troops set up a campsite including stone bake ovens on the historic property.
The Ortlip property was where the high-rise buildings The Palisades now stand.
Stay tuned for updates soon for Art Fest 26 this October!!
Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey
Fort Lee Historic Park
Ortlip Family Art

05/09/2026

🌷Yay volunteers!!🙏👏👏👏✨

05/08/2026

👉Check out this cool video at our favorite park! Extra shout out to PIP staff Jenny, Bob, and Charlie!