News
August 2026–A fanciful portrait of Frederick Law Olmsted commissioned by Friends of Olmsted-Beil House (FOBH) has been revealed. Gaby D’Alessandro, a Dominican illustrator living between Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic, and NYC, created Furrow and Folio: Frederick Law Olmsted at Tosomock Farm, which highlights significant aspects of Olmsted’s life at his Staten Island farm, where he lived from 1848 to 1855.
Gaby’s illustrations are known for their dreamlike images filled with nature, symbolism, and attention to detail. Gaby first came to FOBH’s attention with her 2016 illustration of an older Olmsted in The Atlantic.
Her other clients include the New York City MTA, The New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, Remezcla, Target, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, the Botanical Garden of Padua, the Library of Congress, and the American Museum of Natural History.
She has illustrated several books, and her work has been recognized by Communication Arts, the Society of Illustrators, 3×3, American Illustration, and Latin American Ilustración. She attended Altos de Chavón in the Dominican Republic, and moved to New York to complete her studies at Parsons School of Design.
After FOBH raised funds for the Olmsted commission by crowdsourcing, members assembled a list of suggested features for Gaby to incorporate into the portrait. A key to the features can be found here. The portrait will ultimately be displayed at Olmsted-Beil House Park and used in outreach and education programs.
“Gaby has given us more than a portrait,” said Eileen Monreale, President of FOBH. “She has transported us back to Tosomock Farm during the time of Olmsted, giving us a glimpse of his daily life.”