American realist Edward Hopper once said, "In every artist's development the germ of the later work is always found in the earlier. What he once was, he always is." His boyhood home, the Edward Hopper House in Nyack, NY, celebrates its 40th anniversary as a non-profit arts center in 2011. To commemorate this milestone they are presenting "The Year of Edward Hopper," a series of special events and exhibits honoring Edward Hopper and his legacy. Hopper's early paintings, drawings, and watercolors, as well as memorabilia from the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Arthayer R. Sanborn Hopper Collection Trust, will be on view. This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to experience Hopper’s work in the very place that helped shape his vision and where he lived when the work was created. From the House’s porch, windows, and yard, visitors can see the Victorian architecture that prevails in many of Hopper’s paintings and witness the play of light on neighboring houses—the same light that inspired Hopper to proclaim, “What I wanted to do was paint sunlight on the side of a house.” These artworks, some of which have never before been published or exhibited, will be viewed for the first time within the context of Hopper’s personal and natural environments, offering a singularly rich experience. Planned activities include a walking tour of local sites that served as subjects for some of Hopper’s later masterworks, including “Pretty Penny,” “The Lee Shore,” and “Seven AM.” Workshops, lectures, and other educational programs are planned as well. IMAGE SHOWN: Edward Hopper, (Artist's Bedroom, Nyack), ca. 1905-1906, Oil on composition board, 15 1/16 x 11 1/16 in. (38.26 x 28.1 cm), Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Josephine N. Hopper Bequest 70.1412 ©Heirs of Josephine N. Hopper, licensed by the Whitney Museum of American Art. Photography by Jerry L. Thompson