Art happenings in Beacon, NY

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, January 13: Last month's Second Saturday saw the first significant snowfall of the winter, and temps were all downhill since then. Coming out of the thaw, even 30 degrees feels warm-ish. Some galleries have held over last month's shows, while others have new openings. So bundle up and get out there, and support the arts! If you're out and about 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). 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 January'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. Don't forget: Beacon residents get in free every weekend! 
Saturday, January 20, 2 pm: A DiaTalk features Lars Nittve and Jessica Morgan discussing the work of Walter De Maria.  
Saturday, January 27, 1 pm: Immersion Studio: A Collaboration with Beacon High School is a family-friendly interactive installation designed by BHS students where visitors are invited to create, play, and relax. A reception with refreshments will follow the two-hour program. 
On the horizon - separate location! Head to the mountain side of town for Dia's annual staff show, showcasing art made by the incredible people who keep the museum going, day to day. Several Beacon residents usually take part. The exhibition will be take place in the beautiful gallery space at 1 East Main, the former Electric Windows building just past the dummy light as you head for the hills. Opening reception on Friday, February 2, 6 to 9 pm. Closing reception on Monday, February 19, 6 to 9 pm. (They're sorting out weekday hours, and we'll let you know as soon as we know!) Come meet the artists behind the art!
Special for 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. Dia:Beacon offers complimentary admission with identification to all residents of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties the last Sunday of every month. Dia:Beacon is free for Beacon residents every Saturday and Sunday year round.
Hours: Friday to Monday, 11 am to 4 pm

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
15 South Ave.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-1369
Special for Second Saturday: 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.  
Hours: Call for event hours (usually around 4 pm)

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.
Through Saturday, February 3: About four dozen artists are joining forces in CELEBRATION, "a multi-disciplinary arts show celebrating womxn artists." Some familiar Beacon art names - including Jean Noack, Arabella Champaq, Helen Michelsen, Jan Dolan, Katrin Reifeiss, and Bekah Starr - are participating. See these old friends, and meet many more new ones, in this show. Don't miss the occasional performer, too: Thursday, January 18, Ciarra Fragale's "indie folk for your soul," 7 to 8 pm.
Hours: Call for gallery hours

Colorant
145 Main St.
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: NY Textile Lab hosts natural-fiber dying workshops at Colorant, who recently moved across the street into Miss Vickie's former music space. From 3 to 7 on Second Saturday, bring your own cotton, wool or silk pieces for indigo-dyeing workshops. (Sign up here.) 
Hours: 3 to 7 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.
Through Saturday, January 28: Continuing into 2018 is Dog Days, recent oil paintings, drawings, and giclées by Chantelle Norton. Works in the exhibition reflect on the companion relationships we have with our pets. Anyone who has shared a home with canines will recognize the vignettes of sprawled legs. Norton was born in Ireland, then split time between there and the United States as she grew up. These days she's settled in Kent, New York, with her partner, chickens, and a cat. On her mind: adding a dog, and maybe goats. If we're lucky, Norton will do chicken/cat/goat paintings, too. For now, don't miss the pups.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 pm, and by appointment

Bannerman Island Gallery
150 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-6346
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.
Through Saturday, January 28: Might you have lingering gift obligations? Might art be your solution? Continuing this month: More than 20 artists are bringing their wares to Bannerman Island Gallery for your viewing pleasure. Their Holiday Exhibition features paintings, photography, drawings, printmaking and mixed media works, as well as 3-D objects of glass, ceramics and sculpture. Subject matter is open, but there will definitely be works featuring Hudson Valley points of interest and Bannerman’s Island and Castle. Most of the artwork will be for sale.
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, 4 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.
Special for Second Saturday: 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: Continuing this month, the gallery's latest Directed Migrating Installation, The Human Nest, brings together the visual perspectives of dozens of artists to reflect on "the nature of human dwellings." Artists include Kathleen Erin Lee, Paul Tillinghast, Alexander Percy, Joe Zarra, Mary Giehl, Barbara AG Riddle, Steven Paul Riddle, Jens O Bille, Dave Dziemian, Rick Hutchinson, Steve Pomerantz, Ivan Suchman, Ed Benavente, Billy Lillyhan, Steven Kenny, Barney Hodes, Francis Hodes, and Brian Wohrman. 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.
Through Sunday, February 4: Donna Mikkelsen's Ambi Art opens, highlighting her symmetry drawings, inks, and acrylics as well as "Word Alchemy" paintings. She taught herself from a young age to use both hands simultaneously to create art. If her work inspires you to try your hands at this art, keep your eyes peeled for one of the workshops she runs!
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday, 11 am to 6 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. 
Through Saturday, February 3: Thirteen artists celebrate the genius of Ron English. Each participating artist riffed on English's "Heart Skull" sculptures, customizing to their hearts' content. Preview the works-in-progress at #iheartskullshow, then come down to Clutter to see the works (and the artists) for yourself!
On the horizon: (Second) Saturday, February 10 - (In)Action Figures 6 and Knights of the Slice; (Second) Saturday, March 10 - Kiss! Kiss! Kill (annual Sofubi, Sofvi & Kaiju show); Thursday, April 12 - RYCA
Hours: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm; Saturdays, noon to 5 pm; Second Saturday opening receptions, 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.
Through Sunday, February 4: Oh, how good does balmy Mediterranean sun sound, right about now? Warm yourself vicariously through Timeless Greece, photos by Mary Ann Glass and Christine Irvin. They toured Greece for three weeks last June, and on the island of Skopelos, they learned photopolymer printing, "translat[ing] photos into prints, the kind where you burn plates in the sun, ink those plates, and run them through a printing press. Very exciting," Glass writes. Don't miss this opening - there will be baklava and retsina!
Hours: Daily, noon to 9 pm (closed Tuesday); Second Saturday opening receptions, usually 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.
Reopening Tuesday, January 23: BeaconArts takes over the Beacon Institute Gallery for a retrospective of the group's work in town over the past 15 years, including Electric Windows, Electric Projected, film festivals, windows, open studios and music. 
On the horizon: (Second) Saturday, February 10 - Film screening with the Beacon Independent Film Festival ARTSGO Artists in Residence:
• 2015: “Material” – Dan Dowd. Director: Michael Arginsky
• 2016: “Cascade” – Margot Kingon. Director: Kate Phelan
• 2017: “Ambi Artist” – Donna Mikkelsen. Director: Rob Featherstone
Hours: Wednesday to Friday, 1 to 5 pm; Saturday 3 to 7 pm; Second Saturdays, 5 to 9 pm Sunday noon to 4 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
Through Saturday, February 17: Art is Elementary includes artwork in various media from students in Beacon City School District's four elementary schools: Sargent, J.V. Forrestal, Glenham, and South Avenue. Art teachers collaborated to choose seven colorful pieces, including drawings, paintings, collage and mixed media works, from students in grades K-5. On view in the library's Community Room.
Hours: The Community Room is open during regular library hours

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: Call for hours and Second Saturday happenings.

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.
Through Saturday, January 28: When talking with Ori Alon, you might never be sure whether he's speaking in jest or seriousness - and that's OK. He pushes buttons you didn't know you had, and something is always learned in the exchange. Matteawan Gallery welcomes Ori Alon for the Winter Artist Residency. Alon is the founder of the Center for Supportive Bureaucracy (Empowering Clerks Network). The ECN produces licenses, permits, and certificates including a Forgiver’s License, Joy Permit, Open Carry permits for musical instruments, a Racism Release Form, OK Parent Award, and more. Stop by the gallery to receive a free permit and talk to Ori about his new project, the White Men Registry.
Closing reception and artist talk: Sunday, January 28, 3 pm
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 pm

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
Please welcome Beacon's newest arts-inclined business, 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. Please contact Paulette Myers-Rich at photobookworks@gmail.com for additional information.
Through Saturday, January 28: Winter River, Black Ice, continues at No.3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works. Proprietor Paulette Myers-Rich captures swirling patterns on ice created by the confluence of frigid and steamy energies in the Upper Mississippi River. Drawing from her deep background and personal history with the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Myers-Rich will share back editions of the center's handmade Winter Book annuals with visitors to the Reading Room. "Visitors are welcome to browse, read the books on view and enjoy the Reading Room on a December day while we wait for our first snow," Myers-Rich said before last month's Second Saturday festivities. Lo and behold, that was indeed the first significantly snowy day, leading to a sleepy December Second Saturday on Main Street. Make up for it now: Bundle up, head outside, and do stop in and see the books, and hold art in your hands!
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. 
Special for Second Saturday: Jeffrey Terreson recently marked the one-year anniversary of his gallery's opening in Beacon. Coming on the heels of a big show in Bedford, Terreson has a whole slew of new work, including Unveiled (above), oils on a canvas of gauze mounted on wood.  
Hours: Call for hours

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 that was born specifically to serve the community as a cultural resource.
Through Friday, January 27: Four kindred spirits investigate the interplay between Cloth & Memory. These artists include Croton artist and exhibit curator Mary McFerran, Red Hook artist Mimi Czajka Graminski, Stanfordville artist Riva Weinstein, and Dobbs Ferry artist Harriet Cherry Cheney. “Family heirlooms are a central element in my cloth assemblages,” says McFerran. She prints old photos and census reports onto fabric to create family narratives. Cheney “channels” her grandmother’s tales of her Ukrainian shtetl. Weinstein works with everyday materials to celebrate and contemplate life. Graminski embeds old dolls’ clothes into crocheted patterns. Each work challenges our perceptions of what it means to endure.
Panel discussion: Saturday, January 20, 2 pm
Coming up: The Howland Cultural Center celebrates Black History Month with its 24th annual exhibition to specifically focus on African-American artists in the Hudson Valley. Curated by Josephine Green and Richard Outlaw. The show opens on Saturday, February 3, with a reception from 2:30 to 4:30 pm, and is set to close on Sunday, February 25. The Howland Cultural Center's Art Gallery is open Friday through Monday, 1 to 5 pm, except for Sunday, February 11, due to a piano concert.
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 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.
Through Sunday, February 4: Beacon Artist Union kicks off its THIRTEENTH year, on January 13th. Sounds pretty lucky! In this group show, almost a dozen bau artists - Carla Goldberg, Melissa Schlobohm, Pamela Zaremba, Russell Ritell, Gary Jacketti, Erica Caginalp, Julie Jacobs, Herman Roggeman, Joan Phares, Grey Zeien, and Kirsten Lyon - share their riffs on "Lucky 13."
In bau's Beacon Room: Ainé Gunn's Animalia opens. The 15-year-old Beacon High sophomore brings her felted-wool creatures out to play! Each animal is modeled from raw wool using a single needle and can take several days to finish. For this show she has created an ode to her hometown, featuring tableaus of some of her favorite places and memories. 
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening receptions usually 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

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: Call for hours and Second Saturday happenings.

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

• 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