Second Saturday Art Gallery hop in Beacon

For years, Beacon has had hoppin' Second Saturdays with gallery openings and art happenings. But art refuses to be confined to a hashtagged event schedule. That's why we've expanded this Guide to showcase as many art openings as we can within Beacon's city limits. Artistic endeavors are going up on walls (and sidewalks, and lawns) all the time around town, so keep your eyes glued to this space and refresh often to stay in the loop. We try to update the bulk of this Guide on the Monday before Second Saturday, or as venues list their happenings. But we're constantly updating the Guide as we hear about new events and openings.

Are you planning for the fourth Thursday of the month? Or maybe you're already a seasoned #2Sat pro? Skip the Second Saturday 101 below if you'd like, and head straight for the listings, starting with Dia: Beacon.

Do you have an art opening coming up? Tell us about it: Drop a line to editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com with the who/what/when/where, and include a representative photo, to be considered for inclusion in this Guide. 

Second Saturday 101

Second Saturday is a lively day into night in Beacon, and is a celebration of Beacon's galleries, restaurants and other businesses on the second Saturday of every month. Dan Rigney, former president of BeaconArts (the organization who encouraged this movement to happen over a decade ago and heavily promotes the events) says: "Back then, Beacon was one of the last places people outside of town thought to go on a Saturday night. Now Second Saturday has become a part of the fabric of Beacon. It's such a part of it, many galleries have their opening events on other Saturdays, so that they get two big crowds each month." Second Saturday provides a great reason to walk Main Street and beyond, and explore the events going on around town. It's always a pleasure to dine your way through Beacon, so turn to our Restaurant Guide to help you puzzle out where to eat and drink as you explore special exhibits and happenings.

What to Know About This Guide:

• This Guide includes gallery and art showings that may be hosted in the gallery or in a shop or restaurant. 
• Many of these shows run through the current month, so check back often if you are on an art hunt.
• Closing times posted here are for Second Saturdays only, and may not reflect regular Saturdays. Always call an establishment directly for current hours, offerings, or any other questions.
• Parking can be found on side streets, on Main Street, and in municipal lots. Click here for A Little Beacon Blog's Free Public Parking Guide, with pictures and cross streets!
• Share your way through Second Saturday by using #2SAT, the hashtag created by BeaconArts, and tack on #beaconny or #SecondSaturday if you have room in your tweets or Instagram postings.
• If you are a gallery and have something special to add, please email editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com. 

Late-Night (After 9pm) Spots to Eat and Drink: 

After you walk the galleries, you'll be hungry and need (another) drink! See our full list of restaurants who are open prior to 9 pm in our Restaurant Guide. 

• Bank Square 129 Main St.
• Chill Wine Bar 173 Main St.
• Meyer's Olde Dutch 184 Main St.
• Max's On Main 246 Main St.
• Baja 328 328 Main St.
• Quinn's 330 Main St.
• The Towne Crier (bar only) 379 Main St.
• Oak Vino Wine Bar 389 Main St. (Call first to see if cheese plates and dessert are still being served!)
• Draught Industries 394 Main St.
• The Beacon Hotel Restaurant 424 Main St.
• The Vault 446 Main St.
• Joe's Irish Pub 455 Main St.
• Roundhouse 2 East Main St.
• Dogwood 47 East Main St.

Leave all our Guides open on your phone because they include addresses and phone numbers. Tap on a phone number to call anyone!

Second Saturday, April 14: There's so much going on today - and for the first Second Saturday in a long while, it should feel relatively pleasant outside. Take a break from sowing seeds and spring cleaning to enjoy Beacon's offerings. Don't miss the official opening of the Beacon Historical Society on your way to art galleries! If you're out and about in Beacon and see something that you think we shouldn't miss, tag us on Twitter or in your photos on Instagram (we're @alittlebeacon on both). Enjoy the artsy-tartsiness of our town! Our Event Guide will fill you in on the rest of the happenings - let us know which ones you opt for! Now, let's get to April's art openings and events:

NEAR THE TRAIN, BEFORE MAIN STREET

Dia:Beacon
3 Beekman St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-0100
One of the preeminent modern art museums in the world, Dia:Beacon opened in 2003 in a former Nabisco box-printing factory on the shore of the Hudson River. Many people point to the museum's arrival as a turning point for Beacon's arts-intensive revival. Take a closer look at Dia:Beacon's giant shapes, piles of glass, grayscale geometry, neon tubes and so. much. more. Dia:Beacon offers complimentary admission with identification to all residents of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties on the last Sunday of every month. Dia:Beacon is free for Beacon residents every Saturday and Sunday year-round.
Dia's Second Saturdays: Bookend a trip to Main Street with a guided tour at 12:30 or 2 pm of the museum, including François Morellet's light art incorporating 61 neon tubes, Michelle Stuart's revelation of New Jersey's natural hues, Anne Truitt's sculptural abstractions, and the museum's permanent collection of works by Louise Bourgeois, Robert Morris, On Kawara and many more. Reservations aren't necessary, but may be made at the admissions desk.
On the horizon: Opening in May, exhibitions of works by Dorothea Rockburne and Mary Corse.
Dia hours: Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 6 pm

2 Way Brewing Company
18 West Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 202-7334
Special for Second Saturday: Celebrate 2 Way Brewing Co.'s second anniversary and enjoy the art of Sebatos! While other kids were playing stickball in his Brooklyn neighborhood, a physical condition kept young Sam inside, flexing instead his creative muscles. Inspired by classical masters of art, he studied painting at the School of Visual Arts. His works range from vibrant landscapes to quiet portraits, sports figures to tropical animals. Come see his first show in Beacon, and wish him and 2 Way Brewing both a happy birthday - cheers! Show runs through the end of May.
Hours: Second Saturday opening reception, 6 to 9 pm

Mother Gallery
18 West Main St. #7
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: Welcome Beacon's latest gallery arrival! Beacon resident and artist Paola Ochoa has opened a gallery in the currently hopping, formerly kind of sleepy, beige mini-office complex on West Main Street that houses Beacon Pilates, 2 Way Brewing, and the spankin' new hardware store. The first exhibition is The Cruellest Month, with a title borrowed from T.S. Eliot, featuring more than four dozen startlingly talented artists. If that's not enough for you, there'll be music, too, from the Dramastics. Described as "a fantastical cornucopia of color, form, and gesture," don't miss artists Nathan Carter and Brock Enright with drummer Ed Klinger and singers Trinity Lewis and Jennifer Sunmonu.
Hours: Second Saturday opening reception, 6 to 9 pm; music at 8 pm

The Shed at Spire Studios
45 Beekman St.
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: Join photographer and all-around cool guy Ethan Harrison at The Shed at Spire Studios to see his latest collection, STRAY, a visual exploration of displacement. This event will showcase wild animals, in spaces with a human footprint. Ethan is going west to Colorado very soon, so make sure you see him and his awesome photography before it's too late. There will be food and donation-based drink, with proceeds going to support The Shed!  
Hours: Opening reception, 5 to 9 pm

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
15 South Ave.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-1369
The church frequently hosts Art in the Sanctuary events on Second Saturday. Past art celebrations have included organ concerts, photography openings, popular music performed in a choral style, knitting sprees, and contemporary, contemplative labyrinth walking. The church is wheelchair accessible.There is ample parking in the rear of the church; enter on Beacon Street. 
Special for Second Saturday: Maybe you picked one up as a youngster for a required band class, and maybe you didn't practice as much as you should have, and maybe it's a painful aural memory... But it doesn't have to stay that way! See and hear what practice could have led to, with this concert from the St. Andrew's Recorder Ensemble: Maris Kristapsons, director; recorder soloists Kathy Maxcy and Bruce Beard; and Susan Guse on harpsichord. Free will donations accepted.
Hours: Concert at 4 pm with reception to follow

THE WEST END
(Close to the train station)

ReMADE
133 Main St.
Beacon, NY
We've seen a lot of changes over the years in the space that is now home to ReMADE. The shop started a Second Saturday tradition of spotlighting a single artist, no practical function necessary for their work. ReMADE fills an entire wall with the work of a single artist.
Hours: 11 am to 6 pm

Catalyst Gallery
137 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 204-3844
The intention of this artist-run space is to create an opportunity for individual artists or groups to show and sell work in a vibrant community that supports the arts.
Special for Second Saturday: Susan Keiser returns to Beacon and Catalyst Gallery with Portraits. The dramatically lit photos evoke forgotten gardenscapes - a setting familiar to Keiser, whose professional background includes horticulture management (right alongside the Oxford University Press senior editing, nbd). She might be the only artist to exhibit at Catalyst to have a plant named for her. Also on exhibition is Fujiroids by Scott Lerman. (Think of Polaroid-style photos, but with the differences created by using Fuji film instead.) Through Sunday, April 22.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, April 14-15 and April 21-22, 1 pm to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, 6 to 8 pm

Theo Ganz Studio
149 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(917) 318-2239
Theo Ganz Studio, the little gallery with the big windows in Beacon's west end, was founded by artist Eleni Smolen as a venue for contemporary artists working in all media. Recognizing the importance of exhibitions in an artist's career, Smolen concentrates on presenting actively engaged emerging and mid-career professionals in either solo or group exhibitions.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 pm, and by appointment

Bannerman Island Gallery
150 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 416-8342
This gallery is devoted to showcasing the beauty of Bannerman Island Castle and the Hudson Highlands that surround the former arsenal. Works in the gallery are available for purchase, benefiting the Bannerman Castle Trust's preservation efforts.
Special for Second Saturday: Getting excited for spring? Well, you don't have to wait through April's showers to see May's flowers. Get a jump on seasonal inspiration with Bannerman Island Gallery's Art of the Garden, featuring botanically-inspired paintings by more than 20 artists. Most works will be for sale. A great outing for garden clubs! Through Sunday, June 3. 
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 pm or by appointment; Second Saturday opening reception, 5 to 7 pm

The Inn & Spa at Beacon
151 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 205-2900
Beacon's newest West End destination is ready for the viewing public. (Read our scoop here!) The lobby of The Inn & Spa at Beacon features evocative still-life paintings, etchings, and art jewelry by the acclaimed Anamario Hernández.
Ongoing: Anamario Hernández's paintings blend contemporary and classical techniques and subject matter. Read more about Anamario in our article about the painter.
Hours: Call for hours

Marion Royael Gallery
159 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(727) 244-5535
Special for Second Saturday: Candelabra: Things That Carry the Light of the World, featuring "finely executed visual perspectives" in various mediums by more than a dozen artists. What carries the light of the world to you? How do you carry light? Don't hide it under a bushel. Bring it to Main Street and the MR Gallery. Through July 31.
In the MR Yard outside, don't miss The Bird's Nest, a site-specific installation.
Hours: Noon to 7 pm (sometimes later); Second Saturday opening reception, 6 pm

Hudson Beach Glass / Fovea
162 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-0068
This glass studio has been casting functional and sculptural objects for over 20 years - a truly special establishment to have in Beacon. Stop in to find blown-glass objects of all kinds, from lights to bowls to wind chimes. Sometimes on Second Saturday, you can watch them blow glass.
Special for Second Saturday: Six Eyes - Three Visions includes photographs, pastels, and paintings from Sarah Griffin Banker, Heidi Ettinger, and Judith Kurz Foster. The works play off one another in a complementary way, and capture or evoke the natural environment. Through May 6.
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, 6 to 9 pm

Clutter Magazine Gallery
163 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(212) 255-2505
The Clutter Gallery is a branch of the Clutter Media Group family, and is focused on showing quality work by both established and emerging artists in the fields of toy design and customization, as well as modern pop and lowbrow art. Clutter Gallery's exhibitions are open to the public and free of charge. 
Special for Second Saturday: British artist Ryan Callanan, aka RYCA, creates art at the confluence of pop culture and other forces - often religion. His works have been enjoyed widely both in the States and across the pond. He returns to Clutter with FutureRetro, including a mix of carded figures, 3D hanging and freestanding sculpture, and a brand new vision of resin toy "paintings." 
Hours: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm; Saturdays, noon to 5 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, 6 to 9 pm

RiverWinds Gallery
172 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-2880
RiverWinds Gallery features Hudson Valley artists. Work includes fine art paintings and photography, plus contemporary crafts including ceramics, jewelry, fiber arts and more.
Special for Second Saturday: Carol Mainardi's Transformational Tides, monocuts and woodprints highlighting sirens of legend. From the watery depths, the mermaids call out to invite viewers to share in feeling the weightless freedom. Come on in, be a part of their world. Monoprint workshop April 28. Through May 6. 
Hours: Sunday and Monday, noon to 5 pm; Wednesday, noon to 4 pm; Thursday, noon to 5 pm; Friday and Saturday, noon to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, 5 to 8 pm

Dream in Plastic
177 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 632-3383
Dream in Plastic frequently celebrates Second Saturday, adorning the walls of their sweet retail shop with amazing artwork from their friends. Exhibits have included photography, painting, and illustrations from like-minded whimsical geniuses. In the past, DiP has been known to offer cupcakes and coffee at openings!
Hours: 11 am to 7 pm; opening receptions are usually 6 to 9 pm

Beacon Institute for Rivers & Estuaries
199 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-1600
This historic brick storefront houses a variety of Institute programs: the WOW! gallery, the Hudson River bookstore and gift shop, its administrative headquarters, and a new venture, Sensor Place. Events feature talks by artists and regional Hudson Valley authors.
Special for Second Saturday: Betsy Jacaruso, a name familiar to Beacon art fans, brings the watercolors of Luminous Waterways to the Beacon Institute. The exhibition celebrates spring on the Hudson River and the valley around it.
Hours: Second Saturday opening reception, 3 to 9 pm

THE MIDDLE & MARKET SQUARE

Beahive
291 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 418-3731
A pioneering co-working space in Beacon, and A Little Beacon Blog's neighbor in the historic Telephone Building, Beahive sometimes hosts art openings. 
Hours: Call for hours and Second Saturday happenings.

Howland Public Library
313 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-1134
Special for Second Saturday: Between the Lines is the third annual exhibit of art created by students in the Beacon City School District. The exhibit showcases vibrant and creative 45 works from kindergarten students through high school seniors. Continues through Thursday, April 26 - so hop to it! 
Hours: The Community Room is open during regular library hours; Second Saturday opening reception, 2 to 4 pm 

Progression Art Studio
320 Main St.
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: Stop by to see what's new!

Oak Vino Wine Bar
389 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 765-2400
Not just a place to kick back with a glass and unwind, Oak Vino is also a great spot to see art. Owner Rinny Patel often has work from local painters on the walls, and occasionally hosts Second Saturday shindigs. 
Hours: 3 to 11 pm

Compass Arts
395 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(917) 648-4454
Compass Arts Enrichment Center, in the heart of Beacon right by the Yankee Clipper diner, is a home for creative pursuits for young and old alike. Classes are taught by professionals in a variety of arts fields.
Hours: Call for hours and Second Saturday happenings.

THE EAST END & BEYOND
(Closer to the mountain)

The Beacon Hotel Gallery
424 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 765-2208
Hours: Call for hours and Second Saturday happenings.

Howling at the Edge of Chaos
428 Main St.
Beacon, NY
Tucked into a sliver of a Main Street storefront is this new shop, run by an artist who shines a spotlight on other artists. Mixed-media artist Valerie J. Mitchell showcases art and goods made by women around the world. 
Hours: Wednesday, 12:30 to 5 pm; Thursday to Saturday, 11 am to 6 pm; Sunday, 12:30 to 5 pm

Matteawan Gallery
436 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-7901
Matteawan Gallery specializes in contemporary art with an emphasis on works on paper by emerging and mid-career artists.
Special for Second Saturday: Don't miss your last chance to see What The Thunder Said, Beacon resident Paola Ochoa's works in ink, gouache, graphite, and Mylar. She has created several series over the past decade; each of these groupings has a specific mantra attached to it that connects more deeply with the work. The way she describes her process sounds a lot like some kinds of meditation: "In the absence of thought, I am able to consciously merge into a flow with an energy that seems infinite." Through Sunday, April 15.
On the horizon: Opening (third) Saturday, April 21, Steve Rossi's Differential Ratio, collages that address current political issues in the United States. The show will also include drawings and bronze sculptures.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 pm, and by appointment

Morphicism
444 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-3092
Moveable art in frames - art you must see and experience.
Hours: Call first

3B Gallery
458 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-6782
This gallery tucked into Beacon Bath & Bubble often showcases talent from within Beacon, including student art.
Hours: Call for hours and Second Saturday happenings.

Center for Creative Education
464 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 338-7664
According to their website, the mission of the Center for Creative Education (CCE) is to enrich the social and cultural awareness of our youth and community through arts, wellness and education.
Special for Second Saturday: CCE frequently holds art workshops in addition to dance, music, theater, and fitness events.
Hours: Call for event information and hours.

No.3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works
469 Main St. 
Beacon, NY
Right next to the Beacon Theatre, No.3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works is an artist-run venue, featuring select artist’s books, artist photobookworks, photography books, work on paper and poetry from small and independent presses. Contact Paulette Myers-Rich at photobookworks@gmail.com for additional information.
Special for Second Saturday: Celebrate National Poetry Month with the new show up at Photo Book Works: Poets as Publishers & Publishing as Artistic Practice, an ongoing series featuring independent presses and artist books. The poetry chapbooks are published by small and independent presses Coracle, Rain Taxi, Coffee House, Doublecross, Burning Deck, Peppercanister, Nobrow, Emergency Press and Ampersand Editions, with Amos Paul Kennedy prints and artist books by James Prez, Buzz Spector, Kate Orne, Juanan Requena and Julia Borissiva. Through Sunday, May 6.
Hours: Friday to Sunday, 1 to 7 pm, and by appointment

TERRESON:BEACON
475 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(914) 772-6570
Jeffrey Terreson's paintings are in the collections of various Fortune 500 companies, as well as the United Nations. His work is inspired by 20th-century post-war masters such as Julian Schnabel, Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko and Joan Snyder. 
Hours: Call for hours and Second Saturday happenings.

Howland Cultural Center
477 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-4988
Beacon's Howland Cultural Center is not just another arts organization. Its beautiful home is a Victorian building, a library for a long time, that was born specifically to serve the community as a cultural resource.
Special for Second Saturday: Come out to see the work of two dozen local artists working in various media in the annual exhibition of Artist Members of the Howland Cultural Center. Catch a glimpse of the ceramics, photos, paintings, and artists in this photo gallery from the opening. 
Hours: Friday to Monday, 1 to 5 pm

Denise Gianna Designs
494 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 216-4196
Special for Second Saturday:   
Hours: Second Saturday opening reception, 6 to 9 pm

Maria Lago Studio 502
502 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 765-8421
Maria Lago's super-textural paintings come to life with her haunting, larger-than-life sculptures. Her gallery is filled with the looming, evocative figures.
Hours: Call for hours and Second Saturday happenings.

bau Gallery
506 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-7584
bau (Beacon Artist Union) is a platform for members and artists to grow, present and market their work and collaborative curatorial projects, while hosting events of related disciplines: performances, talks, film and music. bau builds a vital link between artists' activities and rest of the community.
Special for Second Saturday: Have you ever seen the "Black Art" of the photography world? Here's your chance. Francesco Mastalia uses the alchemical wet collodion process, mixing subjects and stillness and sun and solutions, to craft portraits like you've never seen before. His ORGANIC, which came out a few years ago, featured faces of many Hudson Valley farmers. This exhibition highlights yoga, including teachers and gurus you might recognize from the tri-state area. Through Sunday, May 6.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening reception and book signing, 6 to 9 pm

Russell Cusick Gallery
530 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 202-7787
Way down to the East End, right across from the Roundhouse, you'll find Russell Cusick's gallery. He has transmuted photography and painted Hudson Valley vistas, rendering the familiar scenes into hypervivid dreamscapes. But he's also known for turning manhole covers into art. (Yes, really. See for yourself!)
Hours: Call for hours and Second Saturday happenings.

Artifact Beacon
17 East Main St.
Beacon, NY
(860) 490-2921
Set to open full-time this spring, Artifact Beacon is an art gallery, storefront, and workshop from Carolyn Baccaro (Rock Dove jewelry), Janet Chung (Halmi Co. jewelry), and artist Johnny Defeo. Stop by Beacon's newest art space. Coming from Main Street? Keep going toward the mountain, around the bend, and hang a right at the dummy light (maybe stop to scope out the stunning goods in the 1 East Main shops), then cross over the rushing creek, and head for the hills. You'll find the latest gallery on your right in Gwenno James' former space. 
Hours: Call for hours

BEACON near Route 52

The Lofts at Beacon Gallery
18 Front St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 202-7211
The Lofts at Beacon brought back to life a 19th-century brick mill that once made textiles in the Hudson Valley, located by the Fishkill Creek and situated near the Hudson River in the artists' haven town of Beacon. The Lofts have been completely remodeled into beautiful spaces, providing excellent loft rental units for the working artist.
Hours: Second Saturday opening reception, 2 to 4 pm

Do check out A Little Beacon Blog's constantly updated Pop-Up Shop Guide and the Shopping Guide to help you shop and take advantage of special opportunities and events offered by shops during this exciting day.

Past Second Saturday Guides

• March 2018
• February 2018
• January 2018
• December 2017
• November 2017
• October 2017
• September 2017
• August 2017
• July 2017
• June 2017
• May 2017
• April 2017
• March 2017
• February 2017
• January 2017
• December 2016
• September 2016
• August 2016
• July 2016