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 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.

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, March 9: Happy Second Saturday, Beacon! We know you’ll be kicking off festive spring with the annual Parade of Green, but after that - then what? Galleries, my friend. Gallery openings galore, at regular spots like Dia, Catalyst, the library (Nancy Drew art show - what?) and Photo Book Works, but also at once-in-a-while spots like the Beacon Historical Society and an art pop-up at the Beahive. Thirsty from all the Main Street walking? Pop in to Luxe Optique for some refreshing bubbles and a peek at their latest line of eye fashions. 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 March’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.)
Opening March 8: Charlotte Posenenske: Work in Progress opens. Whether Dia planned this opening to coincide with Women’s History Month or not, it’s neat to see the museum continue to highlight women artists. Posenenske’s modular sculptures take over the gallery recently occupied by Walter De Maria’s sprawling 360° I Ching/64 Sculptures. The show explores the spectrum of her career, from early “mark making” to aluminum wall reliefs, to the mass-produced, democratically minded Minimalism she developed before leaving art to study industrial working conditions as a sociologist.
Special for Second Saturday: 
DiaTalk, 2 pm: Rita McBride and Ulrich Lehmann discuss Charlotte Posenenske’s life and pioneering work, and the new exhibition of her work at Dia:Beacon.
Saturday Studio, 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 not required. 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 aren't necessary, but may be made at the admissions desk.
Hours: Friday to Monday, 11 am to 4 pm (January-March 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: In the Garden of Forking Paths, featuring Brigida Caramagna, Colin Hunt, and Karsten Krejcarek, borrows a name from and mirrors the surreal, nonlinear writings of, Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges. Paintings by Caramagna, a New Jersey native, reflect spirituality and light through meditative works. Brooklyn-based Hunt flips assumptions with his paintings that seem like photos of portals into other dimensions. In his sculptural works, Krejcarek explores personal traumas and the different avenues we can take to make sense of them - like a psychedelic “Choose Your Own Adventure” book, maybe. Through Sunday, March 24.
Hours: Friday to Sunday, noon to 5 pm

Beacon Historical Society
17 South Avenue
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-0514
Special for Second Saturday: The Beacon Historical Society and the Dutchess County Historical Society are presenting the traveling exhibit "Over Here: The Yet-to-be Told Stories of Dutchess County's Men, Women and Children During the World War 1917 to 1919.” For more information, contact dlapis@beaconhistorical.org. Through Saturday, March 23.
Save the Date! On Wednesday, March 27, join BHS for a presentation of “Over Here” with Bill Jeffway, executive director of the Dutchess County Historical Society. Refreshments to follow. For this event, the exhibit will travel to the VFW Memorial Building at 413 Main St., Beacon, NY. Wednesday, March 27, 7 pm
Hours: Thursdays, 10 am to noon, and Saturdays, 1 to 3 pm; Second Saturday reception, noon to 4 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.
Opening Wednesday, March 6: A new exhibition by JP Pacquing, on the 1s and 2s, features photographs of deejays spinning records and cool kids dancing. Through Wednesday, March 13.
Save the Date! Opening Friday, March 15: Desert Qween, original artwork from illustrator and designer Rebecca Pry. It is inspired by her 2018 trips to New Mexico and Morocco. Opening reception, Saturday, March 16, 5 to 9 pm; artist talk, Sunday, March 17, 2 pm; closing reception, Wednesday, March 20, 5 to 8 pm with live music!
Hours: Second Saturday opening reception for on the 1s and 2s, 6 to 9 pm; Desert Qween, Friday, March 15 to Wednesday, March 20, 10 am to 6 pm

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: Another all-women show lines up with Women’s History month! Bannerman’s new contemporary art exhibition features representational landscape paintings by artists Daniela Cooney, Tarryl Gabel, Laura Garramone, Judith Hraniotis and Susan Miiller. Through Sunday, May 26.
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 pm or weekdays by appointment; Second Saturday opening reception with the artists, 4 to 7 pm

Beacon Fine Art Gallery at The Inn & Spa at Beacon
151 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 205-2900
Ongoing: 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, through Sunday, May 15, 2019. Glass works from Barbara Galazzo also will be on view, as well as paintings by Anamario Hernandez.
Hours: Daily, 11 am to 5 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: One of the first Beacon gallery pioneers returns to town: Reality Sandwich, presented by Van Brunt Projects, includes work from eight artists curated by Carl Van Brunt, Gallery Director of the Woodstock Artists Association & Museum (WAAM). Artists include: Colin Barclay, Donald Bruschi, Richard Butler, Beth Humphrey, Stephen Niccolls, Thomas Sarrantonio, Robert Toyokazu Troxell, and j.d. weiss. Paintings, mixed media works, photographs, and sculpture will be exhibited. The title of the show references the curator’s choices of works by mature, accomplished artists who work in a range of styles and media. Through Sunday, April 7.
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 is really trying to one-up themselves this month, with not one, not two, but three super-cool shows. First up: The Glow Show! Participating artists produced work that MUST glow-in-the-dark, so it’ll be amazing to see how the gallery transforms when the lights are turned off. Clutter also welcomes two incredible solo shows, from New Jersey's Cat Atomic, and Barcelona's Fluke, who have both created amazing bodies of work! Don’t forget: Clutter’s openings frequently have refreshments, and (even better) usually have artists, too! Come on out and meet ‘em. Through Friday, April 5.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm; Saturdays, noon to 5 pm Second Saturday opening reception, party starts at 6 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: Karl LaLonde, a co-owner of RiverWinds Gallery, turns the spotlight on his own work with the new paintings in Hue Tint Shade. You almost can’t help but feel warm and cozy when you look at the vibrant colors of these paintings. Through Sunday, April 7.
Hours: Monday and Wednesday, noon to 4 pm; Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, noon to 5 pm; Saturday, noon to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening reception with the artist, 5 to 8 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.
Ongoing: 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. 
Special for Second Saturday: Find your tiny inspiration in Berrilyn Art, a pop-up gallery featuring the miniature paintings and drawings of Beacon native Sheryl Jackson Bennett, in her first solo art show. Her works are inspired by Hudson Valley landscapes and picturesque scenes from Beacon. How many spots can you identify? Her work uses a mixed medium of acrylic and water paint on canvas, and offers stunning details that bring her subject matter to life.
Hours: Second Saturday opening reception with the artist, 2 to 5 pm

Howland Public Library
313 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-1134
Special for Second Saturday: Celebrate Women’s History Month with our favorite girl sleuth, Nancy Drew! The Beacon-based arts collective CoMFY presents its fifth annual group show, celebrating the problem-solving skills of crafty women. Get the story behind the book series, read more about the group show, and take a sneak peek at works from the exhibition, in A Little Beacon Blog’s article on the Nancy Drew art show.
Hours: The Community Room is open during regular library hours; Second Saturday opening reception, 5 to 7 pm

Big Mouth Coffee Roasters
387 Main St.
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: This relatively recent arrival to Main Street has quietly been supporting loads of artists, and hosting a ton of art shows. Visuals, a photography exhibition hosted by Kerry Soeller and curated by Claire Deane, features prints from Soeller, Anthony Sarcone, Stamper, Bryan Caprari, Emad Jamal, Steph Woman, and John De Marco. Through March 2019.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 8 am to 7 pm; Sunday, 8 am to 5 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.”

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

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: Working OverTime, works on paper by Clarence Morgan and David Rich, opens. Imagine being able to revisit your work over decades, tweaking a bit here and there, searching for the pinnacle of “just right.” I imagine it might feel a bit like checking in with an old friend. Photo Book Works founder Paulette Myers-Rich describes further: “What does it mean to make a painting over time? What does devotion to one’s practice extended over a lifetime entail? To painters Clarence Morgan and David Rich, each in their sixth decade, time has become compressed, with a degree of urgency about its limitations and passage. Yet both are known to, without reluctance or hesitation, revisit work done decades ago, to pick up their tools and search within both dimensions of painting and of time, of then and of now. Nothing is fixed, everything is up for grabs. Time collapses and the dialogue continues.”
Save the Date! Reception, Saturday, March 23, 5 to 8 pm; artists talk, Sunday, March 25, 2 pm. Space is limited, so please reserve your seat with an RSVP to Photo Book Works.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 pm (closing at 5 pm on Sunday, March 10); 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: 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.
Opening March 2: Eleni Smolen from the fantastic TheoGanz Studio has curated Still Still Moving, a mass exhibition for Women’s History Month. On display are more than 80 drawings, prints, photographs and paintings, from more than 30 artists: Lori Adams, Elizabeth Arnold, Tina Bernstein, Gabe Brown, Laura Currier, Barbara Smith Gioia, Theresa Gooby, Mimi Czajka Graminisk, Beth Haber, Laura Kaufman, Insun Kim, Carole Kunstadt, Flynn Larsen, Claire Lofrese, Bibiana Huang Matheis, Lori Merhige, Andrea Moreau, Chantelle Norton, Samantha Palmeri, Susanna Ronner, Chris Sanders, Jackie Skrzynski, Kazumi Tanaka, Judy Thomas, Susan Walsh, Catherine Welshman, Anna West, Jayoung Yoon, and more. Organizers of this important show remind us: “And so, women’s history in this country is a history of a painfully slow and uneven slog by many dedicated individuals - women and men. We’re still not there…even as we approach the Centennial of the 19th Amendment, we have yet to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) that would widely ‘prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex.’ So although white women won the right to vote in 1920, it has been a harder battle for women of color across the nation. The aftershocks of those cultural earthquakes rattle on today. Through Sunday, March 31.
Hours: Friday to Monday, 1 to 5 pm; opening reception, Saturday, March 2, 2:30 to 4:30 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: Eileen Sackman, Joan Phares, and Pamela Zaremba present, respectively, Veracity, Grace, and Seduction. Eileen Sackman's ceramics, artist book, and drawings call attention to the species who’ve gone extinct at the hands of humanity. Be challenged to look at these animals in a new way. In Grace, Joan Phares’ collection of two- and three-dimensional pieces, created with an assortment of materials and objects, are juxtaposed to provoke a reminder of delicate, powerful Grace. Pamela Zaremba showcases the power and vulnerability of social media in Seduction. By juxtaposing her photos with her subject’s own social media photos, Zaremba enables the viewer to contemplate the attracting effect that social media has on the viewer, and how a subject executes their intent.
In the Beacon Room: In Fractured, Carol Flaitz takes on macro and micro scenes from the natural world. She uses a variety of textured media to develop abstract paintings inspired by geological landscapes. 
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!
Ongoing: There is more than meets the eye to Isaac Aden’s No Regrets: Bars and Irish Chains at KuBe. Glance at this blurb’s accompanying photo, the red and blue pieces on a white background. Those aren’t paintings! Aden uses industrial canvas, sewn in patterns inspired by Amish quilting traditions. Through Saturday, March 30.
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.
Through Sunday, March 10: La Luz - Reflejos de Semana Santa en Suchitoto, photographs by Michael Sibilia. Amid a working trip to El Salvador, after days on a perfectly lit film set, Sibilia set out at night to shoot photos from the town. He relied on environmental light - la luz - to illuminate the scenes he captured. From shadowy doorways to candlelit gatherings, Sibilia shares his reflections from Holy Week in Suchitoto. Through Sunday, March 10.
Hours: Monday and Thursday, 9 am to 7 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 9 am to 5 pm; Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm; Sunday, 11 am to 3 pm