Art on the
Rail Trail

ART is a volunteer committee of the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy.

ART’s mission is to support and improve the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail by creating public works of art along the Rail Trail. These unique art installations encourage local and regional visitors of varying ages and physical abilities to enjoy this amenity, both increasing the diversity of trail users and benefiting the local economy. In addition to bringing public works of art to the Rail Trail, ART also hosts community events including the annual Chalk the Walk every September. Follow ART on social media to stay up to date on happenings!

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ART News 2024‍

Call for Artists - Summer Sculpture Hunt


ART on the Rail Trail invites our creative community to contribute sculptures responding to the
"Amphibians and Reptiles" theme for the 2024 Summer Sculpture Hunt this July on the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail.  

May 1: Submission form due
June 1: Photo of finished artwork due
June 10:  
Finished artwork must be delivered to MHLC office

Click below for additional information and artwork guidelines:

Artwork guidelines and proposal submission form

miniMoCA518


Loop-the-Loop

by Melinda McDaniel

Exhibition Dates:
March 20 - June 1

Location: miniMoCA518, Corner of Hudson Avenue and Adams Street

Artist Melissa McDaniel stands next to mini gallery filled with her artwork: red dragons, green astro turf and gold curtains on the box's interior

Presenting as sweet on the surface, the ceramic figurines featured in my work are recognizableand strange; they are one thing and another simultaneously. They playfully act out themes associated with endless news cycles, politics gone wild, privilege, and identity. Using a library of commercial plaster molds, I create slip-cast positives that serve as my palette. Figurines are collaged from various subjects, including nativity scenes, flora, fauna, and vessels. The final forms are displayed in diorama-like narratives that illustrate the surreality of the human condition.

Melinda McDaniel grew up in Florida, inspired by the visual overload of Walt Disney World and the endless light at the center of the state’s predictable weather. She received a BFA in studio art from Florida State University and an MFA in photography from The Ohio State University. Her work has exhibited at SPACE Gallery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Governors Island Art Fair in New York, the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT, and the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls. She calls Albany, New York, home, where she is also an associate professor at Russell Sage College.

ART Year-end Summary 2022
It was a busy year for Art on the Rail Trail! This year-end report summarizes the accomplishments of 2022.

NEW in 2022: Mural by Fernando Orellana
Fernando Orellana's mural, titled Cathedral, is ART's latest addition to the Rail Trail. The mural is located on the piers under the Cherry Ave bridge in the Town of Bethlehem and was unveiled in October of 2022.

Mini MoCA 518
At the Rail Trail entrance near the intersection of Hudson Ave and Adams St.
MiniMoCA518 will feature free, rotating exhibitions of small-scale artworks commissioned specifically for the gallery. Expanding upon the trend of small, free lending libraries and miniature public art galleries throughout the United States and abroad, MiniMoCA518 aims to present quality family-friendly art programming through ongoing exhibitions at the gallery.

miniMoCA 518 - view installations

Sponsorship Opportunities

You are invited to join Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy as a valued sponsor of our Art on the Rail Trail (ART) project. If you'd like to sponsor ART, please contact art@mohawkhudson.org.
Sponsorship opportunities for 2023 will be posted here soon.

THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 SPONSORS!

I Love Books,
Little Art Gallery Exhibit Sponsor (D. Colin installation and poetry reading)
McSharry & Associates Realty,
Little Art Gallery Exclusive Sponsor

Open call for ART

  1. Artist contact information (name, email, phone, mailing address)
  2. Artist website (if applicable)
  3. Proposal images (1-5)
  4. Examples of past work
  5. Artist CV
  6. Preliminary budget
  7. Proposal summary

Open Call for ART sites

Do you own a property or business along the Rail Trail? Would you like to see more ART along the trail? If so, let’s talk!
Email art@mohawkhudson.org to start the conversation.

View Our Work

Check out the art installations at these locations:

Fernado Orellana art on the columns under Cherry Ave bridge in Slingerlands (2022).
Mini MoCA 518, rotating miniature gallery at the Adams St. Rail Trail entrance in Delmar.
Inaugural exhibition Preschool by Roger Bisbing, 2022.

Oh my! Murals
Share the Trail, a public safety campaign sponsored by Albany County at multiple site on the trail (2021).
Susan Togut art installations between Main St. and Grove St. in Voorheesville (2020).
Young People’s Mural at the Kenwood Ave. trailhead in Slingerlands (2019). A community mural designed by student Emily Meier, project work led by artist Andrea Hersh.
Angela Cuozzo mural for Bliss Juice Bar on Delaware Ave. in Delmar (2019).
John DeMarco art on the columns under the Cherry Ave. bridge in Slingerlands (2018-2022).
Ramiro Davaro-Comas mural on the Rail Trail bridge crossing Delaware Ave. in Delmar (2018).
Andrea Hersh mural at the Adams St. Rail Trail entrance in Delmar (2017).

Check out our photo gallery on Facebook

Featured Artists of the Rail Trail

Art on the Rail Trail believes that public art is a transformative vehicle for uniting diverse individuals and outlooks from throughout the Albany-Helderberg region.  ART strongly welcomes participation from creative voices representing diverse backgrounds and embraces projects that celebrate community building through inclusive approaches.  ART does not discriminate based on factors of race, age, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, national origin, migratory status, disabilities/abilities, political affiliation, veteran status, and/or socioeconomic background.