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, June 9: The sun is shining, the weather is sweet! Get out there, Beacon, and move your feet! Down at Hudson Valley Brewery, there's a fundraiser ramp jam for a skate park, and a ways down Main Street, join the Beacon group hug at Binnacle Books combining live music and a reading from Last Night at Quinn's. What else is going on? 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 June 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: 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. Recent additions include exhibitions of works by Dorothea Rockburne - working at the intersection of painting, dance, mathematics theory, and "non-art materials" in the late 1960s and early '70s - and Mary Corse, one of few women associated with the Southern California, 1960s, Light and Space art movement. Reservations aren't necessary, but may be made at the admissions desk.
Special for Second Saturday: Artist Talk: Brett Littman, director of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, will lead visitors through the work of sculptor Walter De Maria. Talk begins at 2 pm; no reservations necessary.
Dia hours: Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 6 pm

Mother Gallery
18 West Main St. #7
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: Welcome to 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. Through Saturday, June 30.
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5 pm

The Shed at Spire Studios
45 Beekman St.
Beacon, NY
On the horizon: Opening Saturday, June 16: Traces, a trans-media solo installation by Carolina Aranibar-Fernandez. 

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: We know how much Beacon loves yarn - check out Worldwide Knit In Public Day! The third annual event, a local gathering for a worldwide movement, will focus on charity knitting and knitting in literature. Attendees will have the chance to make a small project, and instructions will be available. Bring your own knitting needles, yarn, and works-in-progress. Seating and some light refreshments will be provided, but bring outdoor chairs, food, and beverages if you'd like.
Hours: 2 to 6 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.
Special for Second Saturday: Coulter D. Young III earned a degree in industrial electronics and spent a career in medical applications in that field. In retirement, he's not exactly twiddling his thumbs, watching the world go by: His training and passions collide in SK-8 Art. Through Saturday, June 23.
Hours: Sunday to Thursday, noon to 6 pm; Friday and Saturday, 1 to 9 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, 5 to 10 pm

TheoGanz Studio
149 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(917) 318-2239
As of May 2018, TheoGanz Studio is leaving 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. TheoGanz 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.
Hours: Call for 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: Bannerman Castle Trust recently hosted dozens of artists for a "Paint Out" on the scenic island in the Hudson River. The watercolor and oil results are in, and they can be yours! A silent auction will be held at the Main Street gallery, while a live auction, with auctioneer Robert Doyle, will be outside on the neighboring green! See beautiful artwork and help a good cause at the same time. 
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 pm or by appointment; Second Saturday art auction, 5 to 8 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.
Anamario Hernández's paintings blend contemporary and classical techniques and subject matter. Read more about Anamario in our article about the painter.
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 Tuesday, 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)

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: Three women come together to present Earthbound, their works exploring the natural world and our relationship to/with it. You might be familiar with Samantha Palmeri as the director of Beacon Open Studios - get to know her art, too, inspired by scenes from inside the home and out. Jackie Skrzynski's fluid, undulating charcoal drawings blur boundaries between anatomical and botanical forms (dendrites, anyone?). Tanya Chaly renders creatures in stunning graphite and charcoal detail, which would be reason enough to see her work, but there's a twist, too - she imbues the pieces as well with clues about threats to each creature's existence, often using pinholes to convey the toxic threats. Through Sunday, July 8.
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 has two openings this month. First up, Creative Solitude, a solo exhibition of pieces by Czee13, including little cookies! The artist will be in attendance, so please give him a warm Beacon welcome. The group show, Cluttered, curated by street artist Chris RWK, features more than four dozen artists. Stop by the show to slake your thirst with beer from Lagunitas or hard lemonade from Mike's, and re-fuel with gluten-free bites from North Brooklyn Eats. 
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.
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

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 the vibrancy of seasons changing along the Hudson River and in the valley around it. 
Hours: Monday, 1 to 5 pm; Second Saturday, 3 to 9 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 2 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: Photo Requests From Solitary opens. Almost 10 years ago, volunteers reached out to prisoners who were being held long-term in solitary confinement in Illinois. Those prisoners were asked what things they would want photos of, real or imaginary, and artists created them. The program has since expanded to prisons in California and New York (the Illinois facility closed); the images included here, sponsored by Beacon Prison Action, are from New York prisoners. Through Saturday, July 7.
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. 
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)

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: Beacon resident Kazumi Tanaka's second solo show at Matteawan is another that is hard to describe, as words can't do justice to the creativity and precision that go into each piece. (Do yourself a favor and revisit this performance from her first show there, Wind and Rain.) In No Home Go Home / Go Home No Home, each of Kazumi's twelve drawings depicts a memory from her childhood in Osaka, Japan. Each is created using different types of tea; you'll do a double-take at the lines and shading. Taken together, the works feel universal and elegiac. Through Sunday, July 8.
Hours: Friday to 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. 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
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: What do the stones have to say? Listen and learn with Bernice Ficek-Swenson’s Here Now There Then photogravure series, and the corresponding artist book, Stone Voices. As a young map-maker working with geologists, then continuing throughout her career, Bernice borrowed stones that resonated from sites with stories - Varanasi, Newfoundland, Pompeii, the headwaters of the Mississippi River. This work combines experience in the physical world with information about the stones, yielding artistic interpretations of the stones and reflection on the creative process, then an entirely next-level set of accordion-style artist books - art themselves! - in an edition of 12. Come, see the stones, go through the books, and experience art in stratified layers that you might not be used to. Through Sunday, July 8.
On the horizon - Sunday, June 10, 6 pm: Artist talk with Bernice Ficek-Swenson; email photobookworks@gmail.com to reserve a spot at this free event.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, 5 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: 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: Circus: The Art of Balance! is an extravaganza of multimedia art - paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints, jewelry, wood carving, photos, ceramics, and puppets. Puppets! The family-friendly event features 10 artists, including Leslie Bender, Norman Darvie, Josiah Dearborn, Karen E. Gersch, David Millen, Eddison Romeo, Judy Sigunick, Peter Angelo Simon, Bob Yorburg, and Martha Zola, as well as art made by students in the Beacon School District.
On the horizon: Saturday, June 16, 2 to 4 pm: Meet the visual artists at this artist talk, fun for the whole family! 

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.
Special for Second Saturday: Her Wanderers have moved on to nearby pastures, making way for new visitors to Studio 502. Come meet Women Warriors, Maria Lago's latest painted additions to her family of haunting, elongated beings.
Hours: Call for hours; Second Saturday opening reception, 5 to 9 pm

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: Welcome bau's newest artist-member, Suzy Sureck, to our little city by heading out for her inaugural show here! In Gallery 1, Suzy's AfterGLOW showcases light and ink, glass and video, vellum and stainless steel to illuminate and amplify biodiversity and interdependence. (Maybe the second dendrites encounter of the day?) In Gallery 2, Rosary Solimanto explores oppression, stigma, and empowerment through the lens of multiple sclerosis. Through Thursday, July 5.
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

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 events.

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

• May 2018
• April 2018
• 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