Frost Valley YMCA is reimagining its historic Forstmann Castle as a new arts destination, launching a fine arts weekend and debut exhibition featuring local artist Hovey Brock as part of a broader effort to expand community access and creative programming in the Catskills.
The initiative marks a new chapter for the longtime youth and environmental education organization, which traces its origins to 1885 and relocated to its current Catskills campus in the 1950s. Leaders say the castle has long been a central part of the property, primarily used as lodging, but is now being repositioned as a cultural space that blends nature, history and the arts.
Frost Valley YMCA CEO Riel Peerbooms said the organization has been working in recent years to broaden its reach and deepen community engagement while staying true to its mission of connecting people with nature.
He said the decision to transform Forstmann Castle into an arts venue builds on that mission, combining environmental education with creative expression. The goal, he said, is to create a gallery experience that reflects the region’s landscape and history while highlighting the work of local and Indigenous artists.
The inaugural exhibition opens May 9 and will feature work by Hovey Brock, a local artist whose project “Crazy River” explores environmental change in the Catskills.
Brock described the project as rooted in lived experience in the Frost Valley area, including family history in the region and observations of ecological change over time. He pointed to major flooding events in 2011 and 2012 that he said underscored shifting weather patterns and their impact on the watershed, along with concerns about invasive species affecting local land.
The “Crazy River” project takes its name from what is believed to be a Lenape term for the Neversink River, reflecting its history of sudden flooding events in the region.
Brock said the work is intended to raise awareness about climate change and its local effects, and to encourage community discussion and response.
“I hope they’ll take from it that the climate crisis is here. We have to deal with it,” Brock said during a recent interview. “The good news is that there is an opportunity to create community through dealing with the climate crisis.”
He said he hopes viewers leave the exhibition considering what actions they can take within their own communities.
From Frost Valley’s perspective, Peerbooms said the gallery is envisioned as a “destination within a destination.”
He said the space is intended to complement the organization’s existing programming while welcoming both regional visitors and local residents.
He said future exhibitions will continue to align with the organization’s mission while featuring a range of artists whose work connects to themes relevant to the Catskills community.
The Forstmann Castle gallery opens to the public May 9 in Claryville. More information is available at frostvalley.org.
Image: Frost Valley YMCA has announced the transformation of Forstmann Castle into a dedicated arts and exhibition space. (Frost Valley)