Second Saturday Art Gallery hop in Beacon

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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.

Our Second Saturday Art Gallery Guide is sponsored by No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works, at 469 Main Street, down toward the east end of Main Street near the Story Screen Beacon Theater. At the reading room, you’ll find not just rotating exhibits, but cool collections of handmade books that the public is encouraged to peruse.

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 who still 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.

• Melzingah Tap House 554 Main St.

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

Second Saturday, August 10: As summer starts to wind down, there is a temptation on Saturdays to take it reeeeal easy, move slowly, and soak in every lazy minute. Alas, there are art openings and you need to go see them. Go on, get out to Main Street - a lot of the galleries have air conditioning and there’s always cool treats to be found. You won’t regret it! In the meantime, check out our Event Guide to fill you in on the rest of the happenings - 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). Now, let's get to August’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. 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 residents of Beacon, Fishkill, Chelsea, and Glenham every Saturday and Sunday, year-round. (Thanks, Pete Seeger.)
Special for Second Saturday: This is your last Second Saturday opportunity to see Dia’s big installation of Charlotte Posenenske: Work in Progress before it moves on to a European tour in mid-September. She created and exhibited alongside Dia regulars Donald Judd and Sol LeWitt, then turned to work that was more accessible for the public. Don’t miss her geometric tubes and tunnels, all in continual reconfigurations.
Also: Saturday Studio! At 10:30 am, visitors can join practicing artists for a free workshop of family-friendly art-making and play in the Learning Lab. Saturday Studio begins at 10:30 am; sign-up begins in the admissions area at 10 am. Reservations are recommended but Dia keeps a few first-come, first-serve spots open! All families participating in Saturday Studio receive free admission to Dia:Beacon for the day. Once the Learning Lab wraps up, check out a guided tour of the museum at 12:30 or 2 pm. Reservations for the tour aren't necessary, but may be made at the admissions desk.
Dia Staff Art Show: In years past, this was held at a gallery in Beacon. (We miss you, Matteawan!) These days it’s over at the very cool (and Dia-esque?) Atlas Studios, 11 Spring St., Newburgh. Open noon to 6 pm on weekends and by appointment only on weekdays (email diastaffart@gmail.com to schedule a weekday appointment).
Hours: Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 6 pm (April-October hours)

Mother Gallery
1154 North Ave. (downstairs)
Beacon, NY
(845) 236-6039
Mother Gallery is a co-creative, artist-run, exhibition space located in Beacon, NY. Conceived and stewarded by Kirsten Deirup and Paola Oxoa to foster collaboration, community, and open dialogue amongst all people in the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Through Sunday, August 11: Soft Temple, with work from Ryan Browning, Brock Enright, Giovanni Forlino, Daniel Giordano, Chason Matthams, Steven Mayer, Jenny Morgan, Larysa Myers and Elisa Soliven.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6

Parts & Labor Beacon
1154 North Ave. (upstairs)
Beacon, NY
(917) 664-8861
Beacon’s newest gallery uniquely pairs works by one younger or emerging artist and one more-established artist. Writer Alison Rooney and the gallery’s co-founders, Nicelle Beauchene and Franklin Parrasch, explain the concept really nicely in this recent Highlands Current piece.
Special for Second Saturday: Parts & Labor’s second show features new bronze sculptures by San Francisco-based artist Davina Semo, paired with a selection of historical paintings by Deborah Remington dating from 1964-2003. Through Sunday, September 29, 2019.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 pm, or by appointment; Second Saturday opening reception, 5 to 7 pm

THE WEST END
(Close to the train station)

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: The closing party for Mark Darnobid and Keely Sheehan’s joint show. (It actually runs through Sunday, August 11, so you have another day to get in and check it out!) Preview the pieces you might see at Catalyst with this video walk-through, then head to the closing night party!
Coming up, August 15 to 21: Fabric artist MC Kirton and photographer Collette V. Fournier present Two From Brooklyn. Reception, Saturday, August 17, 4 to 8 pm
On the horizon, August 23 to 29: Kate Larocca, Intimate Artifacts: 3D Printed Jewelry and Objects
Hours: Open daily, noon to 6 pm (or contact an artist to schedule an appointment); Second Saturday closing reception for Mark and Keely, 6 to 9 pm

Bannerman Island Gallery
150 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 416-8342
This gallery is devoted to showcasing the beauty of Bannerman Island Castle, as well as 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: Unveiling the Mystery continues, featuring paintings from more than two dozen artists who took part in the Bannerman Island Plein-Air Paint-Out on June 1. The works depict scenes of and from the little island in the Hudson River. Skip the boat ride to the island (no Dramamine necessary) and head to the gallery on Main Street. People attending the exhibition can expect to see many different styles of painting represented in oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor. Come and meet the artists at the Second Saturday reception! Through Sunday, September 8.
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 pm or weekdays by appointment; Second Saturday opening reception, 4 to 7 pm

Beacon Fine Art Gallery at The Inn & Spa at Beacon
151 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 205-2900
Special for Second Saturday: The lobby of The Inn & Spa at Beacon has been rededicated as the Beacon Fine Art Gallery! Stop by to see the representational landscape and still-life paintings of Keith Gunderson. Glass works from Barbara Galazzo also will be on view, as well as paintings by Anamario Hernandez and the photography of Smiljana Peros.
Hours: Daily, 11 am to 5 pm

Darryl’s
155 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-2808
Special for Second Saturday: The clothing we normally spy here could be described as wearable art, but the shop owners have decided to celebrate Beacon tradition and put up some fine art. Kicking off Darryl’s official Second Saturday participation is art from Catherine Welshman. She has participated in group and solo shows around Beacon for a long time, and now she adds another venue to her list.
Hours: Daily, 11 am to 6 pm

Marion Royael Gallery
159 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(727) 244-5535
Special for Second Saturday: How sweet it is! A new batch of treats is ready to be revealed behind the gallery, in MR Yard. This cozy space packs in a lot of art. (We wrote about the gallery and yard a couple years ago, here.) Take a peek, take your time, look around.
Ongoing: Inside the gallery, see 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. 
In the MR Yard outside, don't miss The Bird's Nest, a site-specific installation.
Hours: Noon to 7 pm (sometimes later)

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: Deborah Davidovits and Andrea Moreau present Lost & Found. The drawings and paintings by these Beacon artists start with found materials, like book pages or stamps, then the artists build layers of meaning, including “invention of context.” Through Sunday, September 8.
Also opening: Downstairs in the main part of the Hudson Beach Glass store, you’ll see 1000 Cranes suspended from the ceiling, flying through the air. The origami art installation is a project of Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), and shows work made by RTA prisoner-members at Fishkill Correctional Facility. It might seem an odd pairing, but RTA participants have a recidivism (return to prison) rate of less than 7 percent, way better than the national average of more than 50 percent. Outcomes like that are good for everyone. Reception, Saturday, August 17, 5 to 7 pm. Through Sunday, September 29.
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: Two shows open this month at Clutter Gallery. First up, Mexico City-based graphic designer and sculptor Mr. Mitote brings Chamuco to New York! Mr. Mitote’s devilish designs often use exaggerated horns, teeth, and eyes. His expressive, colorful style brings his designs to life! Also opening, a quartet of sofubi artists readies for battle! New York resin designer Jon Malmstedt, aka Rampage Toys, joins Devilrobots, ukyDaydreamer and ART JUNKIE to showcase soft vinyl figures, including original characters, classic monsters, and one-offs. Participating artists will be in attendance this Second Saturday, so come meet them! Come for the art, stay for the refreshments: Second Saturdays at Clutter have snacks from North Brooklyn Eats and libations from Lagunitas Beer!
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: Romantic Hudson Valley, new work from Steve Duffy. He studied industrial design at Pratt Institute, and has created retail interiors, museum concepts and exhibits, working from his own firm based in New York and Nashville. But another passion is on display this month at RiverWinds Gallery: Steve has painted throughout his career, and for the past four years he’s devoted himself to landscapes of the Hudson Valley. Come check out the fruits of his labor, at RiverWinds Gallery. Through Sunday, September 8.
Hours: Monday, noon to 4 pm; Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, noon to 5 pm; Saturday, noon to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening reception with the artist, 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: Local luminary Pete Seeger would have turned 100 years old recently. He fought tooth and nail for the health of the Hudson River, so in reflecting on his legacy, consider doing a little homework on local ecology. John Sabraw’s Anthrotopographies invites viewers through landscapes equally sublime and terrifying, unearthing the beauty and brutality of topographies (the surface of the landscape) affected by extraction of natural resources. Discover how Sabraw translates raw materials and pollutants like toxic acid mine drainage (AMD) into pigments, and uses advanced tools to burn and excavate his pieces, echoing extractive practices in his work. Through October 2019.
Hours: Friday, 1 to 5 pm; Saturday, 3 to 7 pm; Sunday, 1 to 5 pm

THE MIDDLE & MARKET SQUARE

Howland Public Library
313 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-1134
Special for Second Saturday: The “Thursday Painters” have been making art for years, week by week, at the Beacon Recreation Center under the guiding eye of local artist Jan Dolan. They return to the Howland Public Library to present the best of their work from the past year. The theme of this year’s exhibition is Art With Flavor, and some of the portrayed favorites will be available! Through Friday, September 6. Read more about the show in the article A Little Beacon Blog wrote here.
Hours: The Community Room is open during regular library hours; Second Saturday opening reception, 5 to 7 pm

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.
Special for Second Saturday: Scott Lerman’s Tree Rings show us flora in a new light, transforming a simple piece of wood into a surreal work of art. He writes: “We move past trees without much thought. But when a wedge of bark is photographed, repeated, and turned, it becomes a compelling portrait of color, texture, and pattern. Spun into a circle, what once seemed commonplace reveals a unique record of growth, weather, and scars—an unexpectedly beautiful form of tree ring.” Don’t miss his 11 oversize photos. At 40 inches wide, they may not be the General Sherman, but the prints are plenty large enough to give us some perspective on our place in the world. Through Saturday, August 31.
Hours: 3 to 11 pm

THE EAST END & BEYOND
(Closer to the mountain)

Howling at the Edge of Chaos
428 Main St.
Beacon, NY
As of December 2018, Howling at the Edge of Chaos has closed after owner Valerie J. Mitchell was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Read more in our article about the store closing. Then keep in mind, as Valerie posted on Instagram, “What is important to you? Stop saying you don’t have time and start saying I made time for this ____. See where that takes you.” Sadly, Valerie passed away in May.

Morphicism
444 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-3092
Moveable art in frames - art you must see and experience. Jay Palefsky taught art in New York high schools for more than two decades, then packed his bags to pursue life as an artrepreneur, with a steadfast commitment to doing things differently. 
Hours: Call for hours and events

No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works
469 Main St. 
Beacon, NY
Two doors west of the Howland Center, No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works is an artist-run venue, featuring select artists’ 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. 
Summer vacation: Paulette Myers-Rich is taking a well-deserved summer break! Beginning Monday, July 1, Reading Room access is by appointment on the weekends only. The venue will reopen for regular hours in September. To set up a visit, email: photobookworks@gmail.com.
Ongoing at the Reading Room: Peruse recent publications in poetry and photography by small and independent presses. Also on display and available for purchase are books by Hudson Valley artists and poets.
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, by appointment (regular hours resume in September)

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: By appointment; Second Saturday, usually 10 am to 10 pm

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: Timeless Art | The American Quilt features the work of 15 quilters from the First Dutchess Quilters Guild and the Northern Star Quilters Guild. More than just a cozy throw to keep us warm, quilts can show intricate needlework, clever pattern and fabric interplay, and even reveal history. This show includes traditional pieced styles and more straightforward art pieces. Through Sunday, August 25. (Closed August 10-11 during a play and August 17 for a party). Meet some of the artists and watch quilting demonstrations on Sunday, August 18, and Saturday, August 24.
Hours: Thursday to Monday, noon to 5 pm

Maria Lago Studio 502
502 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 765-8421
Maria Lago's super-textural paintings come to life with her larger-than-life sculptures. Her gallery is filled with the looming, evocative figures. Come meet Women Warriors, Maria Lago's latest painted additions to her family of haunting, elongated beings.
Hours: Call for hours

Bau Gallery
506 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-8089
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: Bau member Faith Adams returns to the big room with Swarm. Her ceramics - wheel-thrown, hand-detailed and screen-printed plates and tea sets - feature illustrations of insects, beloved and less-so, all of which are imperiled by human interventions.
In Gallery 2: Works from all of Bau’s represented artists: Carla Goldberg, Russell Ritell, Joan Phares, Pamela Zaremba, Melissa Schlobohm, Eileen Sackman, Jebah Baum, Elizabeth Arnold, Ilse Schreiber-Noll, Andrew Rust Barger, Samantha Beste and Faith Adams.
In the Beacon Room: Cali Gorevic’s Arborealis is a walk through a black-and-white wonderland - so refreshing in these still-sometimes-steamy waning days of summer. The BeaconArts’ site says Cali’s exhibit is in her words a reminder, “that trees clean our air, provide oxygen, provide housing materials, provide food, provide medicines, increase property values, cut air conditioning costs, provide shade and shelter, and heal (yes!), – these being just a few of their many attributes.”
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, 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.

BEACON near Route 52

Ethan Cohen Kunsthalle Beacon (KuBe)
192 Verplanck Ave.
(The old Beacon High School)
Beacon, NY
(845) 765-8270
Kunsthalle Beacon is the official name for what many people refer to as "the artist studios in the old high school." Since 2010, the corridors and classrooms have housed dozens of studios and gallery spaces. Maybe you've visited before, maybe for a Beacon Open Studios jaunt. If you haven't yet checked it out, now's the time!
Continuing: Curated by Raúl Zamudio and Ethan Cohen, Orphans of Painting is a continuation of the 2017 exhibition at Ethan Cohen Gallery. More than 40 artists will use the imagery of painting as a jumping off for their own more personal works … which may or may not be in paint. Through Saturday, August 31.
Hours: Thursday to Sunday, noon to 7 pm

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.
Opening Monday, August 12: Community members have made environmental awareness posters, sharing ideas for taking care of the environment. The 50th anniversary of Earth Day will be next year. It was first celebrated in 1970 to promote ecology and the respect for life on the planet as well as to encourage awareness of the growing problems of air, water and soil pollution. The objective of this small exhibit is to increase community, which can lead to more people collaborating and working together for natural environmental solutions. Reception and discussion with community artists on Thursday, August 22. Through Monday, September 16.
Hours: Call ahead of time