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.

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, December 8: Happy Second Saturday, Beacon! Fun fact: the 8th is the earliest a Second Saturday can be. It’s good that #2Sat is early this month - there’s a lot to pack in! Oh, there are so many fantastic happenings this weekend: pop-up shops (over at Wickham, and in our own Little Beacon Space!), the tree and menorah lighting, and breakfast with SANTA! What else is going on around town? 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 December’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 residents of Beacon, Fishkill, Chelsea, and Glenham every Saturday and Sunday, year-round. (Thanks, Pete Seeger.)
Dia's Second Saturdays: Join practicing artists for a free monthly workshop of art-making and play in the Learning Lab at Dia:Beacon. Designed for all ages, Saturday Studio is a family-friendly program that is most suitable for children ages 5 and up. Saturday Studio begins promptly at 10:30 am on the second Saturday of every month. The sign-up process begins in the admissions area at 10 am. Reservations are not required. All families participating in the Saturday Studio program 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 aren't necessary, but may be made at the admissions desk.
Hours: Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 4 pm (winter hours)

Mother Gallery
18 West Main St. #7
Beacon, NY
(near the train station in the complex with Brett’s Hardware, Two-Way Brewing and Beacon Pilates)
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.
Special for Second Saturday: Wind-Scoured Scribes, curated by Kari Adelaide, include work from nine artists, relating to a vignette bearing this piercing line: “The hag imagined the white-dreaming weight of ice before she hit the frozen ground with her staff.” How evocative - what does that call to mind for you? For me, it’s a glittering, barren, winterscape punctuated only by this fierce figure. How might others relate? Find out for yourself when you come see this show. Participating artists include Afruz Amighi, Hannah Barrett, Jesse Bransford, Francesca DiMattio, Rico Gatson, Dan Herschlein, Max Razdow, Amber Renaye, and Laurel Sparks. Through Saturday, February 2.
Hours: Thursday to Saturday, noon to 5 pm

Beacon Popmart
45 Beekman St.
Beacon, NY
Weekends through December: Ron English is kind of a big deal, and he's cool enough to base himself in Beacon. Once in a while, we get a glimpse of the greatness among us. Witness: Beacon Popmart. Colorful creatures and whimsical ideas surround you, in a cheer-inducing, maybe challenging way. Mermaid milk, anyone? Find it at the Popmart. 
Hours: Friday to Sunday, noon to 6 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. 
Hours: Call for details

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 sixth annual juried Catalyst Small Works Show includes more than 130 pieces from 60 artists. This is always a neat event, and is a great spot to find thoughtful gifts for friends and family, including painting, drawings, sculpture, jewelry, photography, prints and mixed media works. One super neat thing about this show - tucked among pieces by artists whose names grace this Guide every month, you might find work from your neighbor who works a 9 to 5 corporate job, but secretly makes really great art in their off time. Amazing town. Through Sunday, January 6.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 2 to 6 pm; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 pm or by appointment; Second Saturday reception, 6 to 9 pm

TheoGanz Studio
149 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(917) 318-2239
As of May 2018, TheoGanz Studio has left this location. According to Eleni Smolen, the gallery - in a different, yet-to-be-determined form, will still be a local source to represent original sculpture and graphics of Inuit artists from Cape Dorset, Nunavut, Canada.

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: American Impressionist Plein Air artists Gary E. Fifer, and Deborah Cotrone share scenic landscape oil paintings that reference the pastoral vistas, mountains and rivers, of the Hudson Valley and New England. Extended through Sunday, December 30.
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 pm or weekdays by appointment; Second Saturday reception, 4 to 6 pm

Marion Royael Gallery
159 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(727) 244-5535
Ongoing: 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: Hit the road, Jack! A dozen artists share their exquisite glass creations, all inspired by travel. Through Sunday, January 6.
Also happening: Blow Your Own Ornament has begun! Make your appointment in advance, and get in ahead of the holiday rush to make your very own piece of Beacon art. (It’ll last longer than any candy canes!)
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: Clutter’s annual Gift-Wrapped show is always popular, and always fun. Art-toy pieces from more than 100 artists will be on display (2D, 3D, standing pieces, and wall hangings), so don’t miss this opportunity to see a gigantically broad swath of toy-art! Works will be priced for gift-giving, too, so if you fall in love with scary-cuddly-cute vinyl monsters, you can even bring them home. Uh, as a gift for someone - of course. Sneak-peek some of the participating work here. (I mean, really, how cute is that snowy owl?) Second Saturday openings at Clutter include drinks and treats! Through Friday, January 4.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm; Saturdays, noon to 5 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: Winter is coming! RiverWinds’ annual holiday show returns, featuring art pieces - paintings, photography, ceramics, jewelry, fiber arts, and so much more! - from artists around the Hudson Valley. Things so often get to feeling toooo busy this time of year. Get a jump on things: Come in, look around, and get some early gift inspiration! (One for them, one for you… and repeat.) Through Monday, December 31.
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 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: See Hudson: Future Memories of a Magnificent River, featuring art and objects inspired by and used in two canoe expeditions this year along the Hudson River. The trips were sponsored by the Netherlands-based nonprofit Ninth Wave Global, who works around the world to “encourage quiet, humble and slow exploration of places and people,” with an eye toward promoting growth, programs, and solutions led by local people and local values. Open weekends, through March 2019.
Hours: Sunday, 10 am to 2 pm; Monday, 1 to 5 pm; Saturday, 3 to 7 pm; Second Saturday, 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: Varies by event; call for details

Howland Public Library
313 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-1134
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: Beacon’s Stanley Lindwasser brings a selection of his most recent paintings, in acrylic on canvas, to the wine bar. What do his lines evoke for you - festive ribbons, a bamboo forest, maybe another force of nature? See more from this prolific artist (he makes steel sculptures, too) and teacher at Oak Vino. Come out this Saturday for wine and cheese and conversation, as you meet Stanley and hear about his work first-hand! Through Monday, December 31.
Hours: 3 to 11 pm; Second Saturday reception, 6 to 8 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)

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: Thursday to Saturday, noon to 6 pm; Sunday, 12:30 to 5 pm

Matteawan Gallery
436 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-7901
As of October 2018, Matteawan Gallery has closed. But keep a look out for owner Karlyn Benson's name and keen eye: "I plan to curate exhibitions under the name Matteawan Projects and to write about art in the Hudson Valley," she says. Follow along with her projects via Instagram, at @matteawanprojects and @kb_creativeconsulting.
New in this 436 Main St. space - La Mère Clothing + Goods! Get the scoop on this burgeoning boutique - and every other storefront! - in A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide.

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

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
Two doors west of the Howland Center, 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: Every month, Paulette Myers-Rich curates a group of works with such care and thought, then writes up a blurb about how the pieces - poetry, photos, handmade books, other thought-provoking but unclassifiable works - fit together in relation to a theme. Those writeups are a joy to read, and the exhibitions are impossible to do justice to here, in such a small space. (And yet - we try.) Opening for December’s Second Saturday is Light in the Darkness: New Poetry and Photobooks for Winter Days. With this show, Paulette exhorts us to leave the warm and cozy (but sometimes isolating) cocoon of our homes, and venture into the frosty streets en route to her Reading Room. She invites us in to peruse the poetry, photography, prose, and paintings, asking “What is a photobook but illuminations of places you’ve never been and the faces of total strangers that become increasingly more intimate and familiar with each reading?” So get to reading. Through Monday, January 6.
Hours: Wednesday, 7 to 9 pm (and by appointment); Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 pm (and by appointment); Second Saturday opening, noon to 8 pm

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: The annual Fine Arts and Crafts Small Gifts Show includes food, ceramics, jewelry, glass, photography, cards, and more., Super-talented Hudson Valley makers (usually about two dozen) convene in this historic venue to showcase their artful wares.
Hours: Friday to Monday, 1 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) 440-7584
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: Eight Hudson Valley creators join forces in Natural Selection, reflecting on the natural world. Don’t miss the evolved works from Russell Ritell, Herman Roggeman, Meghan Spiro, Laianna Ferruggia, Jerika Broussard, Melissa Robin, Jack Rusinek and Lindsey Buckley.
In the Beacon Room: Interdisciplinary artist Jean Brennan’s new video, Performing Vowels in the Note of Blue, an exploration of non-discursive communication featuring Felicia Ballos, Elizabeth Castagna, Alexa Beckham, and Amanda Punsoda.
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!
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.
Special for Second Saturday: Beacon Lofts Holiday Artisan Market will feature a selection of gift items created by artisans, designers and fine artists - from textiles and painting to jewelry and photography. A selection of vintage collectibles will be available, as well! Through Monday, December 31.
Hours: Monday and Thursday, 9 am to 7 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 9 am to 5 pm; Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm; Sunday, 11 am to 3 pm; Monday, 12/24, 9 am to 1 pm; closed on Tuesday, Christmas Day, 12/25