Among the greatest of hidden secrets in the Hudson Valley is Opus 40 in Saugerties, an extraordinary one-man site-specific earthwork by Harvey Fite (1903–1976). A pioneering sculptor, painter, and educator, Fite worked diligently on the Opus 40 project for 37 years, all of it his own doing and design (he died three years short of his 40-year goal).

During that time, he founded the fine arts program at Bard College, where he taught for over 35 years. With its subterranean passageways and temple-like setting within a 6.5-acre bluestone quarry nestled into 63 acres of meadows that face the Catskill Mountains, the magnificent Opus 40 is also home to a humble art gallery inside a rustic red barn. Their exhibition "Bruce Cahn: Woodstock Work," curated by Jen Dragon and on exhibit through June 8, is a graceful homage to the late artist and student of Fite’s at Bard College.

Born in the Bronx, Bruce Cahn (1942–2020) is said to have lived a solitary existence as an outsider. During his youth he spent considerable time in the basement of his family home while developing his affinity for drawing and sculpting. Cahn went on to study at the Arts Students League and Rhode Island School of Design (and at Bard as previously mentioned) and he eventually relocated to Woodstock. Read more here.