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 all the time around town, so keep your eyes glued to this space and refresh often to stay in the loop. 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 the 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 Guides open on your phone because they include addresses and phone numbers. Tap on a phone number to call anyone!

Second Saturday, November 11: The past year has been marked by thought-provoking challenges both natural and manmade. This month, we pause to reflect on gratitude. On this day, especially, gratitude for the artists who, through some kind of alchemy (and a lot of hard work), bring some of our biggest feelings into the visual realm. Let's celebrate them! Because it's a Saturday in the Hudson Valley, there are many many goings-on. Our Event Guide will fill you in on the rest of the happenings, then let us know which ones you opt for! Now, let's get to November'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! 
Special for Second Saturday: If you were scared off by the threat of crowds with last month's Community Free Day, now is the time to check out the museum's newer acquisitions, including the most recent, from painter, sculptor and installation artist François Morellet. Bookend a trip to Main Street with a guided tour at 1 pm of the museum's permanent collection, including works by Louise Bourgeois, Robert Smithson, Agnes Martin and many more. Reservations aren't necessary, but may be made at the admissions desk. 
Hours: 11 am to 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.
Special for Second Saturday: Beacon Art Market. Art, music and schmoozing, featuring work by local artists and makers, curated by Melissa Schlobohm and Emily Sylvester. There will be fine art (though, to be honest, we think it's all fine!), objects, prints, photography, and "gifts" - though to again share our opinion, all of these could be gifts. Get a head start on those December presents. One for you, one for them, repeat. Open every Friday through Sunday, through December 3.
Coming up: December 9 through January 7: Small Works Show! Entry deadline is Thursday, November 16, so hurry up and put your best art forward!
Hours: Noon to 6 pm; opening reception, 5 to 9 pm

Colorant
145 Main St.
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: Colorant has moved across the street! Head to the former home of Miss Vickie's Music, next door to Mountain Tops, to check out their new digs, and for natural-fiber dying workshops with NY Textile Lab. From 3 to 7 on Second Saturday, bring your own cotton, wool or silk pieces for indigo-dyeing workshops (sign up here). Once you're finished repurposing, celebrate your new skills with cocktails featuring Beacon's own Drink More Good products.
Hours: 3 to 9 pm; cocktail reception, 6 to 9 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.
Special for Second Saturday: Dog Days, recent oil paintings, drawings, and giclées by Chantelle Norton, 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. The practice continued as she studied in Chicago, Rhode Island School of Design, and Parsons as well as the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, but 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. Through January 28.
Hours: Noon to 8 pm; opening reception, 6 to 8 pm

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.
Special for Second Saturday: The gallery presents Gary Fifer, American Impressionist. Now based in Vermont, the New Jersey native lived in the Hudson Valley for years and is still inspired by the scenes of our region, especially the Hudson Highlands and Catskills. His representational landscape paintings have been shown internationally and throughout the United States - including in the United States Senate Building! Continues through December 3. For more information, call Exhibition Director Laurie Clark at (845) 416-8342.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 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. The Force of Fragility exhibition continues through December 3.
Hours: Call for hours

Marion Royael Gallery
159 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(727) 244-5535
Special for Second Saturday: 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, 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.
Special for Second Saturday: The group show Kite opens, featuring interpretations of winged flight creations, from land to sky. As kite authority, artist, and author Tal Streeter once noted, "The sky begins at your feet." How high can you fly?
Also at Hudson Beach Glass: Ornament-blowing is in full swing! Stop by to see the glassblowers in action, or sign up to make your own. 
Hours: 10 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. 
Hours: 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: RiverWinds' annual Holiday Gift Show returns! Hudson Valley artists and artisans get the spotlight at this yearly celebration. Gift ideas abound: Paintings, photography, ceramics, and jewelry join glass ornaments and other holiday décor like this glass table centerpiece (above). You will find a unique, handmade gift to please anyone on Santa's "nice" list this year (including yourself, obvs). 
Hours: Noon to 9 pm; opening 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: Extended through November! If you haven't checked it out yet, get going and visit "Shad in the Shadow of Skyscrapers," a photo essay from a 1947 National Geographic project by legendary photographer Luis Marden. How much has changed along the mighty Hudson River, and how many scenes are the same, 70 years later? Click here for more event details.
Hours: 3 to 7 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
Opening Saturday, November 18: Images of cornucopias are all over the place this month. See the harvest up close and personal at the Beacon Photography Group's sixth show, focusing on food and drink. Celebrate the variety of ways we enjoy comestibles, in photos from local residents. 
Hours: Opening reception, Saturday, November 18 (third Saturday!), 5 to 7 pm

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. 
Special for Second Saturday: A group show opens at Oak Vino. Among the artists are Stanley Lindwasser and Jonathan Howard. Stanley has four pieces in the show, with subtle brushstrokes and soothing colors. Don't miss our article on Stanley and another show he has going on! Graphic designer Jonathan Howard grew up in Wappingers Falls, then followed ambitions to Boston, then Washington, D.C. Howard takes photos wherever he goes; you'll recognize scenes from the Hudson Valley in his show at Oak Vino Wine Bar. Enjoy a slice of birthday cake, and give him your best wishes if you see him Saturday evening (his birthday is Friday)!
Hours: 3 to 11 pm, opening reception, 6 to 9 pm

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. 
Special for Second Saturday: New York City-based artist Janet M. Coleman's digital collages examine the state of ... things ... and reflect on women's persistence historically in Nevertheless, She Persisted. 
Hours: 11 am to 6 pm; opening reception, 6 to 9 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: Thomas Huber returns for his second solo show at Matteawan Gallery; his work also was the focus of an exhibition at Theo Ganz Studio in 2014. In the newest show, After Some Time, Huber's paintings and mixed-media works showcase the way he builds up layers and texture, combining lists, doodles, and diagrams to challenge perspective. Also on display will be The Gift, a dynamic, sort-of jam session of a piece, which Huber created with fiber artist Orly Cogan. Through December 17. 
Hours: Noon to 5; opening reception, 6 to 9 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.
Special for Second Saturday: Month No.2, opening No.2 for the new gallery business. Work Sites/Work Cites features the book Bargehand's Dance, with poetry by T. Kevin O'Rourke and photographs by P. Myers-Rich. Also on display are Traffic Street Press limited edition letterpress books Striped Ink, by Greg Delanty, and Hoyt Lakes/Shut Down, by Mark Nowak, along with various small and independent press books of poetry, essays and photography by voices on industrial work in post-industrial times. In a post-industrial city like Beacon, it just might resonate. A bit.
Hours: Friday, 4 to 8 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 8 pm; Monday, 4 to 8 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. If you missed the big fête, visit and see 15 new pieces. He is gearing up for a big upcoming show in Bedford, so catch a sneak peek of those works, too! 
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.
Special for Second Saturday: In ROOTS: From Berlin to Beacon, glimpse never-before-seen works of art by photopgrapher Bibiana Huang Matheis, Helga Schuhr, Ilse Schreiber-Noll and Silke Konschak. Schreiber-Noll describes her contributions: "These works address past and present experiences interwoven with world events and refer to my life in Germany and in the USA. They are manifestations of my dreams, hopes and of my concerns for the conflicts and problems of our time." Through December 4.
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.
Special for Second Saturday: Melissa Schlobohm has been putting quite a stamp on Beacon, showing her natural-world-inspired linocut prints at bau earlier this year, making a gazillion of those prints then hand-coloring them for a display commissioned by Drink More Good, and curating an art market at Catalyst Gallery to run the next few weekends. I'm exhausted just listing those. But Schlobohm has another facet to share with fans: Past Imperfect, a collaboration with photographer Julie Jacobs opening in bau's Main Gallery. The intersection of their professional talents happens to be the same place where dreams, nightmares, and nostalgia meet up and beckon the viewer, evoking some olden black-and-white reel films where you constantly question, Did I really just see what I think I saw? Julie describes the project: "We confronted profound losses and the shared experience of childhood and nostalgia with the use of waking nightmares, objects of obsession and unsettling beauty. Our goal was to create images that confronted the past in the present; subjective visions which is what all memories come down to." Head to the show; see what memories surface for you. 
In bau's Beacon Room: Photography by Rob Penner - see what he's been up to since Boys of Beacon.
Hours: 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.
Special for Second Saturday: Neighbors features Robert Paschal's paintings and sculpture by Peter Schlemowitz. Continues through Sunday, November 12. 
Hours: Call for hours.

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

• 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