Georges River Land Trust (GRLT) announces the conservation of Olson Field Preserve, in collaboration with the Wyeth Foundation for American Art. This 16-acre property, recently donated from the Foundation to GRLT, will become the land trust’s 24th public preserve, ensuring it remains undeveloped and open for public access, according to GRLT, in a news release. This conservation was made possible through the generosity and spirit of Betsy James Wyeth, who owned the field prior to the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, and through the Wyeth Foundation for American Art’s shared commitment to preserving this significant landscape for the benefit of the public.

Located in Cushing off Hathorne Point Road, the Olson Field Preserve will be open year-round for recreation. Visitors can enjoy a walking path around the field and access to the shoreline for swimming and paddling, and at low tide, the opportunity to walk to the adjacent island, which is home to tidepools and an active osprey nest.

"In addition to its ecological value—including coastal wetlands and important wading bird habitat—the site holds major cultural significance," said GRLT.

The preserve’s namesake field was the setting for Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World, one of the most iconic American paintings of the 20th century, according to the news release. Inspired by his summer neighbor, Christina Olson, observed in the field beyond her family farm house, Wyeth completed the painting in 1948; it is now in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

The preservation of Olson Field Preserve marks GRLT’s second preserve at the intersection of land conservation and artistic legacy, complementing the nearby Langlais Art Preserve, the former homestead and art environment of artist Bernard Langlais. Wyeth and Langlais were contemporaries in Cushing and Langlais later created a sculptural homage to Wyeth’s image of Ms. Olson, which can be viewed along the sculpture path at the Langlais Preserve.

Through a partnership with the Farnsworth Art Museum, visitors to Olson Field Preserve will be able to park in the shared parking lot at the Olson House, which overlooks the preserve. The Olson House, a National Historic Landmark, is owned by the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland. The house is temporarily closed to the public for renovations, but the museum invites visitors to take a self-guided walking tour of the grounds. Now, visitors can also travel across the road to enjoy the Olson Field Preserve as well.

Later this summer, the preserve will be the site of a performance directed by Cushing resident and 2026 Maine Arts Commission Visual Arts Fellow Lihua Lei Farley. The closing event of Farley’s multi-part creative project, SEED, in collaboration with Georges River Land Trust, will take place on August 22 with a rain date of August 29. More information will be shared about SEED in June.

In addition to Olson Field Preserve, Georges River Land Trust manages several ecosystem types across the watershed, including wetlands, forests, bogs, and grasslands. GRLT is focused on preserving land that is ideal both for wildlife and community access. All Georges River Land Trust preserves are open year-round to the public and almost all have opportunities for hiking, hunting, fishing, paddling, snowshoeing and more.

"We are proud to offer year-round, free events to the community focused on outdoor recreation and nature-based education throughout the watershed and look forward to bringing community programs to the Olson Field Preserve," said GRLT.

GRLT is a community-supported, member-based organization. If you are interested in becoming a member to support the stewardship of Olson Field Preserve or future conservation projects like this one, please visit our website (georgesriver.org) or call our office at 207-594-5166.