The Catskills, "America's first wilderness," have played a long and storied role in American culture. The region has been especially important in the development of American visual arts—many Hudson River School painters used the magnificent Catskill cloves, forests and waterfalls as inspiration, and many contemporary artists continue to do so.

The region's natural beauty, along with its relative proximity to New York City, has contributed to a growing arts scene. Galleries abound, from Woodstock to Windham. New bookstores and theaters have opened, and the Windham Chamber Music Festival is now in its 18th season, with recordings from festival concert performances broadcast nationwide on American Public Media (NPR). Here are some links to today's Catskills culture, and to people and organizations that have contributed to the Festival's ongoing growth.