Traces of Time at Catwalk
Since the earliest years of Catwalk Institute, artists in residence were invited—informally and without instruction—to leave a trace of their time before departing. What emerged over the years are a series of handmade scrapbooks, signed and altered by hundreds of artists, writers, composers, and thinkers who passed through Catwalk’s hillside studios.
These books are not guest registers in the conventional sense. They are intimate, spontaneous, and deeply personal: notes of gratitude, reflections on solitude and community, sketches, small artworks, jokes, confessions, and moments of uncertainty. Together, they form a living record of what it means to be given time, space, and trust to work.
Historical & Archival Context
Created between approximately 2006 and the following decade, the Thank-You Books span a formative period in Catwalk’s history—when artists arrived from many disciplines and institutions to work in relative isolation within the Hudson Valley landscape. Each artist approached signing the books differently. Some left only a name and date; others filled pages with drawings, scores, collages, or extended writing. No two contributions are alike.
Because of their fragility and singular nature, these books have been carefully digitized to ensure long-term preservation and public access. Presenting them online allows the spirit of generosity, reflection, and experimentation that defines Catwalk’s mission to be shared beyond the physical site.
How the Archive Is Organized
Each Thank-You Book is presented by years and documented page-by-page. Visitors can browse individual volumes to experience the full rhythm of each book—reading comments, observing marks of use, and encountering the unexpected artworks that found their way into the margins.
Why These Matter
These books matter because they show what rarely appears in finished work: the in-between moments, the gratitude, the doubt, the joy of being held by a place long enough to think. They remind us that Catwalk is not only a site of production, but a haven—one shaped as much by relationships and trust as by output.