New Art Gallery Opens In Beacon "Super Secret Projects" Through The Hallway Of Hyperbole - Open 7 Days

A new art gallery called Super Secret Projects has opened down the hallway behind the boutique Hyperbole at 484 Main Street on the east end of Main Street near the mountain. Says Carolyn Baccaro, co-owner of the space: “We did a small renovation, and now you can walk right through the shop. We're also open 11am-6pm daily, so this is a full-time art gallery in Beacon, yay!!”

The creator of Super Secret Projects, Diana Vidal, likens the space to a speakeasy since one accesses it by walking through the boutique and down a hallway to get to the gallery, she told the Highlands Current. The co-owners of Hyperbole, Carolyn Baccaro and Andrea Podab are known for their collaboration with business and artistic projects, which have involved a pop-up shop at A Little Beacon Blog’s former space before they opened their own shops Artifact Beacon and Wares (which merged into Hyperbole), and a partnership with Beacon Mercantile who later opened a storefront on Main Street until she needed to move out to help a family member with their health.

About “Duality”

The 100% artist-run and curated space will host a public reception for their first group show, “Duality,” on Saturday, January 14th, from 7pm to 10pm at 484 Main Street. The exhibition, which runs through February 4th, will feature the work of local artists Alyssa Follansbee, Darya Golubina, Allegra Jordan, Yunmee Kyong, Elin Lundman, Evan Samuelson, and Diana Vidal.

According to the press release: “Conventionally, duality is defined as an instance of opposition or contrast between two aspects of something. Within this exhibition, we will endeavor to creatively explore the multitude of ways that the conceptual ideas of duality identify themselves within our existential outlook, history, and approach to the world. Like two sides of a coin, or interchangeable roles, a dichotomy of reality exists within us all. The work shown here is our reconciliation.”

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About Super Secret Projects

Super Secret Projects is an artist-run initiative created to foster community and facilitate opportunities for emerging and mid-career artists to collaborate, experiment, and share their work. Visitors can peruse fresh and exciting local art 7 days a week from 11am to 6pm with new exhibits every month.

Follow @HyperboleNY and @SuperSecretProjects on Instagram for more details.

To apply for membership, apply to the Open Call for artists, or sign up for a workshop course, visit www.SuperSecretProjects.com.

$1,000 Grants Open For Applications Until Nov. 28 - BeaconArts' Clara Lou Gould Grant Seeks Applicants

You could fret about cooking a turkey and finding a gravy recipe, or you could put that stress aside to instead apply in time for the possible $1,000 you could be granted from the Clara Lou Gould Fund For The Arts, managed by BeaconArts.

According the BeaconArts: “The Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts funds arts projects in Beacon including individual artist’s projects, unique exhibition, performance or public art projects, arts education programs, and community programs that promote area artists and arts activities, drawing attention to the valuable role of arts and culture in our community.”

Clara Lou Gould was Beacon’s Mayor for 18 years. “BeaconArts created this special Fund for the Arts named for Beacon’s former Mayor, Clara Lou Gould in honor of her 18 years of service as Beacon’s Mayor, and in recognition of her support of arts and culture in Beacon.”

Applications for grants are being accepted until November 28th, 2022, and the application doesn’t look too complicated. “While this fund is directly administered by the Community Foundation of Dutchess County, a committee of representatives from BeaconArts makes funding recommendations based on its knowledge of community need and offerings,” says their website.

“We believe in the fluidity of the Hudson Valley arts community and as such this fund is designed to support projects and activities in the Greater Beacon community, including those that may be initiated beyond city limits.”

Apply now, and/or email Suzanne Ball Suzanne@beaconarts.org with questions.

Bannerman Island's First Tours of 2021 Starts This Sunday, June 20

Bannerman Island's First Tours of 2021
Day: June 20, 2021
Time: 11 am - 5 pm
Location: Pollepel Island, Fishkill, NY
Here's your chance to visit Bannerman Island on the Hudson River! Cruises for the Island will be departing from the waterfronts in Beacon and Newburgh, New York, on the Estuary Steward. Tours will likely sell out in advance and follow all COVID protocols
Tour Highlights:

• A scenic cruise on the Hudson River to and from the Island.

• A guided walking tour of Bannerman Island where you'll learn about the Island, the work being done on it, and it's storied past; including areas previously not accessible to the public.

• Enjoy walking among the many gardens that are maintained around the Island.

• Entry into the recently-opened Bannerman family residence.

• Multiple photo opportunities in one of the most picturesque settings in the Hudson Valley.
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July's Second Saturday Art Openings (Yes, Really) - A Cautious Tiptoe Toward Normalcy

July 2020 brings the return, kind of, of Second Saturday. Seven venues have in person openings, whether on windows or in very strictly spaced indoors. Clockwise from top right: Mr. Kum Kum’s Silent Killer at Clutter Gallery, one of three shows there; Mother Altar by Chie Fueki at Mother Gallery, in the windows or by appointment; My Way, Gee’s Bend quilting and abstract works at Parts & Labor; an entry in Help Feed Beacon, a fundraiser and show at Bau Gallery; and Slippage as Form, works by Edwin Torres in the storefront windows of No.3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works.

It’s Second Saturday, when in the Before Times, Beacon would throw a big party with lots of art and wine and snacks. It was really fun. But it’s been a few months since in-person things mostly closed down (thanks, corona) and we’ve focused on online exhibitions, social justice/protest art, and taking care of the general health of those close to us.

So, to be honest, the seven in-person exhibitions this week caught us at A Little Beacon Blog a little off guard. Some shows are windows-based (Mother Gallery, No.3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works); others are indoors, with strict plans and rules on capacity (Parts & Labor, Clutter, Bau, Howland Cultural Center, RiverWinds Gallery). The shows do look pretty neat, but if you plan to keep staying home (the forecast isn’t great), local galleries are offering lots of digital alternatives to explore. We've got it all covered in Beacon’s most comprehensive Art Gallery Guide.

This month’s Second Saturday Art Gallery Guide is sponsored by No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works, at 469 Main Street, down toward the east end of Main Street, where you’ll find not just rotating exhibits, but cool collections of handmade books that the public is encouraged to peruse. Owner Paulette Myers-Rich has found new veins of creativity, coming up with ways to engage readers and consumers of art via her storefront windows.

While you're out and about doing Second Saturday, stop by our sponsors and support the businesses who support us! You too can become a sponsor at any time.

Takeout Is Trending As Beaconites Stay Home and Self-Quarantine

Published Date: Sunday, March 15, 2020

Photo Credit: Governor Cuomo’s Twitter

Take out before a hike outside.
Photo Credit: Lisa Marie Martinez

We love our small businesses here in Beacon. LOVE THEM. We love free enterprise, and the ability for businesses to make decisions without regulation strangling them. But we are in a pandemic here, and the numbers all around Beacon keep. going. up. All of us have had to work very hard to keep our blood pressure down, and make calm, smart choices.

Please remember that as you read this article. It is asking you to do take out. Have a picnic in your car of the lovely open faced croissant sandwich that Beacon Pantry made for you. Get that burger and fries from Barb’s and take a hike (in town, I don’t mean leave - just walk down the old train tracks or the Fishkill Creek or something and eat the burger there).

Beacon Businesses Are Doing Takeout

If you are from NYC and you have come to Beacon to get away from the pandemic that is filling ICU hospital beds needed for ventilators (Governor Cuomo’s words), please stay home. We do need your business, eventually. But all of us, probably in the whole country at this point, need to stay home and focus on our own health, eating well, taking breaks from coronavirus updates, and not standing near each other. In a bar. In a coffee shop. In a restaurant.

When A Little Beacon Blog asked Mayor Kyriacou about social distancing and the community, he sad:

“All the experts say that the most important thing that we can do is slow the transmission of COVID-19 ("flatten the curve"), so that our emergency services are not inundated. What that means in practice is canceling large crowd events, and practicing "social distancing." It does not mean shutting everything down.

”For example, the City of Beacon is shifting our board meetings to the much larger public space at the Tompkins Hose Firehouse across Route 9D from City Hall, spacing out our seating, monitoring for size of crowd, creating the option of teleconferencing, and giving board members the option of making individual personal decisions as to whether to attend in person or by teleconference.”

Beacon business in retail have been contemplating closing all weekend. Here are examples:

Temporary Beacon Business Closures:

In light of both the 50 percent occupancy reduction mandate by Governor Cuomo, many restaurants have taken measures to reduce tables. Fitness studios have limited number of guests. Whether this is being enforced is another question. Locally, on St. Patrick’s Day, bars were packed as Spain and France completely shut down their countries, and mandated that bars close, and that restaurants could do take-out. Grocery stores and petrol stations and other essential stores could stay open.

Obama’s Medicare boss issued a most dire warning.

The Bagel Shoppe in Fishkill. Patrons can eat inside, but curbside service is now a thing for them.
Photo Credit: Brianne McDowell

Echo Beacon will close to follow the school schedule and idea of social distancing. Business was busy this weekend as people got wind of the last chance to stock up. Maybe she will do pickup, however, and do something creative to shop for people while from inside.

Hudson Beach Glass was going to have their Second Saturday gallery opening, but postponed at the last minute, and temporarily closed its doors for two weeks to the public.

Binnacle Books: Has temporarily closed their Main Street doors to the public, but are still taking special orders (we order all of our books through them, no matter who the author). Their online order form is so. easy. You can also get a yearly membership for 10 percent off every purchase.

King + Curated, the custom jewelry shop that allows customers in to handle and buy jewelry, closed for two weeks and is taking custom orders via FaceTime for client meetings. Online ordering remains possible, and they plan to run sales!

Beetle and Fred canceled most of their classes, and may make other adjustments. Curbside delivery is now available for people to pick up their fabric if they want to - if they don’t want to come in.

Beacon Pantry: Same thing. To-go items are being prepped, and the pantry side of the store may start making deliveries. The eatery remains open. They do have a back parking lot to make quick, easy pickup of to-go orders.

Yankee Clipper Diner is making curbside pickup available, in addition to being open.

Beacon Bread and Tito Santana Taqueria have limited their total number of people to 20 at once, and have outside tables.

River Therapeutic Massage closed for now and canceled all massage appointments.

Barb’s Butchery is open for walk-in meat orders, but is doing take-out only for the meals. You can always call ahead.

Some restaurants are wishing that Hudson Valley Restaurant Week had been postponed, since participating in the event is a financial investment that they made.

The galleries were the first to close, with almost all of them postponing shows. The Howland Cultural Center has had almost every event cancel.

Even New York Times writer Charlie Warzel told his New Yorkers to not go to brunch right now. He got slammed in his Twitter and with emails from angry bar owners. But please. Governor Cuomo is pleading for hospital beds and for retired medical professionals to come out of retirement as he prepares for an unprecedented impact on the hospital system that the number of people needing care at the same time will have.

A Little Beacon Blog is going to be doing a big edit to our Shopping and Restaurant Guides to make it easy for you to see how to alternatively shop and eat.

Please. New Yorkers: Stay in NYC. Just stay inside of your apartments. Open the windows. Get fresh air.

Beaconites: Order takeout. Buy gift cards. Ask a store owner to bring you that package of pens that you need (I need some new pens from Zakka Joy! She is open). Beacon Barkery will deliver cat food to your porch. He did it to mine today.

PHOTOcentric 2017 - Garrison Arts Center Call for Entries Sept. 5, 2017

The Garrison Art Center's deadline for PHOTOcentric, this year's International Juried Photography Exhibition, is fast approaching on Tuesday, September 5, 2017. This is open to amateur and professional photographers in all mediums. There is a $50 entry fee for five images, and $10 for each additional image. This year, the exhibit will be juried by Francis M. Naumann, an independent scholar, curator, and gallery owner of Francis M. Naumann Fine Art in New York. Naumann specializes in the art of the Dada and Surrealist periods, including the noted photographers Man Ray and Naomi Savage. He has recently organized museum shows for the Whitney Museum of American Art and the American Craft Museum of New York.  

The opening reception will take place on December 9, 2017, and the exhibit will last through January 7, 2018, at The Riverside Galleries at Garrison Art Center in Garrison, NY (right next to the train station). "Best in Show" will be awarded $1,000, be featured on the cover of the exhibition book, with the image, artist's biography and website or email address in book, and link on Garrison Art Center website. Awards will also be given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category with a cash prize. 

All work must be submitted online using this link. The format for your images should be 72 ppi resolution and JPEG format. 1280 pixels on the longest side and RGB color space (standard) with layers flattened, 8-bit mode. To view the full prospectus for this exhibit, click here to download. 

Magazzino Italian Art Space Comes to the Hudson Valley

The vibrant Hudson Valley art scene, home to Storm King Art Center, and Dia:Beacon, just got a brilliant new addition. Be prepared to be amazed by post-war Italian art. And you need not go far: Magazzino Italian Art (“Warehouse for Italian Art”) has opened its doors in Cold Spring. 

Off a verdant stretch of Route 9, Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu have created Magazzino Italian Art, a bold exhibition space that houses a remarkable collection of post-war and contemporary Italian art. It is breathtaking to note that Magazzino’s Arte Povera collection is likely the largest outside of Italy.

Both Olnick and Spanu have been long-term collectors of Arte Povera – an avant-garde conceptual art movement that took root in 1960s Turin, Italy. A defiant response to commercialization and industrialization - strong, provocative artworks created from “throw-away,” industrial materials and typically large in scale - defines the movement. 

The inaugural exhibition at Magazzino puts a tantalizing spotlight on Arte Povera, showing 70 works that span four decades. Olnick and Spanu are activating the dream of Italian art visionary and Arte Povera collector Margherita “Christian” Stein. In their words, “Magazzino salutes Margherita 'Christian' Stein for her steadfast vision and commitment to her artists and for her courage to embark on an adventure that would last a lifetime. Her dream was to create a home for her artists in the United States. We hope Magazzino will fulfill her dream.”

The work of numerous artists Stein passionately encouraged and exhibited at the legendary Galleria Christian Stein in Turin are displayed here in Cold Spring. 

At Magazzino, you will view the works of Giovanni Anselmo, Alighiero Boetti, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Luciano Fabro, Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz, Marisa Merz, Giulio Paolini, Pino Pascali, Giuseppe Penone, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Gilberto Zorio, Marco Bagnoli, Domenico Bianchi, and Remo Salvadori. For a number of the artists, you can see works that span several decades.

The sleek warehouse space designed by Spanish artist and architect Miguel Quismondo, offers a light-filled backdrop for these towering and dramatic works. The white concrete warehouse space is an exciting example of adaptive reuse. (Before this reinvention, the buildings housed the Cyberchron computer factory. And before that, the land on which the building sits was a dairy farm.)

Quismondo choose to work with the existing structures rather than tear down. With a new configuration, the two dramatic buildings, sharing an expansive courtyard, stretch over 20,000 square feet. The sparse, elegant space, created in the “rationalist style” is modern and meditative at the same time. The outside setting is lush and retains an ancient orchard.

Admission is free, but an appointment has to be made prior to visiting. Magazzino will mirror the schedule at Dia:Beacon – open Thursday to Monday from April to December, and Friday to Monday from January to March. 

Be prepared to spend an afternoon at Magazzino. The compelling works exhibited have detailed descriptions in a very informative booklet that provides a roadmap as you travel through the exhibit space.

You will see the fantastical igloo created by Mario Merz - built from sheets of slate - and Giulio Paolini’s “Mimesi” - a towering sculpture of a double “classical” Hermes that represents one of Paolini's most iconic pieces. The mirrored plate of Luciano Fabro will mesmerize you. Each glorious piece evokes response and awe from the viewer.    

In September, Magazzino will open a research library comprising over 5,000 volumes. It will be accessible to scholars and those interested in delving more deeply into the world of Arte Povera and Italian contemporary art.

Under the directorship of Vittorio Calabrese (a brand-new Beacon resident), Magazzino will also look to foster collaborations with neighboring institutions and the surrounding communities.

For further information on visiting, go to magazzino.art or call (845) 666-7202.  Magazzino is located at 2700 Route 9 in Cold Spring, New York. 

Beacon Open Studios 2017: Pirates, Paintings, Treasure

Beacon Open Studios (BOS) is a signature, citywide event in Beacon. For some, including myself and this year's new director, Samantha Palmeri, the discovery of this citywide art show happened quite by accident while meandering outside. Every year, dozens of Beacon artists clean up their studios, organize their brushes, and put out their best tools and works of art. Through this project, the public is invited in to directly access artists and their productions. Beacon Open Studios is going on now, on May 13 and 14 from noon to 6 pm. The kickoff party was Friday evening at Oak Vino.

How to Experience Beacon Open Studios

Open studios are identified by a large red dot in the yard of the artist's home studio, or on the studio door of an artist's space in a building. There is an official map that you should pick up or visit on the BOS website, but there is something quite special about stumbling upon a red dot and following your curiosity inside. This wonderment continues to be my favorite way to experience Open Studios.

However, the more one learns about each artist, the longer the list of which artists to visit. Some participants are longtime artists who dropped "practicing artist" for a few years and are returning anew, while others are artists who make commissions for private clients or advertising agencies, while others still are artists who produce fantastic work yet only display during times like these.

Who Is Participating In Beacon Open Studios This Year?

Over 50 artists are taking part this year. Several of them are emerging artists and some are simply to to the event. The physical map, which you can pick up at Hudson Beach Glass or at many restaurants or shops, is organized by artist, but also groups artists by location. For instance, if there are six artists showing in one location, you can search by geography as well, if you wanted to see a bunch at once. 

Let's take a peek!

Artist: Chris Sanders, "Treasures of the Hudson Highlands"
Photo Credit: Treasures of the Hudson Highlands

"Treasures of the Hudson Highlands"

Chris Sanders is a storyboard artist for the film and television industry. Pirate lore of the Hudson River and Valley captivated her, and she began creating graphic novels inspired by pirates who did travel up and down the Hudson River years ago, in search of treasure, or hiding their own. Her first book, a historical fantasy, was published in November. You can meet the artist and see the original pages during Beacon Open Studios. The best part? She's full of Hudson Highlands pirate knowledge, so best ye get thee there.

Location: 45 Beekman Street, one of the artists in Spire Studios

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Artist: Stan Lindwasser
Photo Credit: Stan Lindwasser

Stan Lindwasser

Stan Lindwasser is new to Beacon, but not to the art scene. Stan has been a professional painter for decades, and has designed installations that were shown at the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Public Library in Brooklyn, NY, and the Bertha Urdang Gallery in New York City. An excerpt from his artist statement includes: "I question the place and role of color: on lines, as lines, or replacing lines. The works I have been doing reflect my careerlong interest in the details of line and color, the creation of shapes and the placement of these on paper, or in space. These paintings reflect my thinking about direction and how changes in density of paint or use of water define and subtly change the composition."

Full disclosure, the design services extension of A Little Beacon Blog works with Stan on his website, so we are familiar with several years of his work, and appreciate his fascination with color.

Location: 35 Monell Place

Rosemary Braghieri Rednour

Photo Credits for above photos: Rosemary Braghieri Rednour

Rosemary makes "jewelry and sculpture from a different perspective," as she puts it. She's opened up her studio for visitors to see how she does it all.

Location: 17 East Main Street

Here's a sampling in video of what the Open Studios experience is like:

The New Director at Beacon Open Studios

This year marked the event's transition to a new director, Samantha Palmeri. She too discovered Beacon Open Studios while meandering around town, and for her, it made a life-altering impact! We interviewed her for this article:

What is your background?

I'm from Staten Island originally. I've lived in Beacon 2 1/2 years now. This will be my third year as a participating artist in BOS. I graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a major in painting, and since graduating I've held practically every job in the art world, including teaching, directing, curating, art handling etc. I've owned and directed two separate art galleries, one in Staten Island and one in New Jersey. And I've been a practicing artist for the last 20 years.

Why did the directorship appeal to you?

Open Studios' Director Samantha Palmeri's artwork, on display at 11 Creek Road.
Photo Credit: Samantha Palmeri

When I moved to Beacon I was very content to just be in my studio working. We moved here because we liked that there was already an art community happening. I wanted to join something that was already established and not have to start from scratch. When I heard that BOS was in need of a director and it might not happen this year, I didn't even hesitate to find out how I could volunteer.

First of all, it's one of my favorite events of the year in Beacon, plus it was good timing for me, and again, it was already an established community event that had its own footprint and identity. I felt especially as a participant myself I had enough ideas and experience to be able to add to what was already a great event.

What was your favorite thing about Beacon Open Studios the first time you experienced it?

There are a lot of artists in Beacon! There's a lot to see and experience. The overall quality and diversity of the artwork is great, and it's special to this town because a lot of events like this [in other locales] tend to all look the same with the majority of artists all making similar looking things.

The first BOS I went to was before I lived here. We had sold our house and were coming up here expecting to get confirmation on a place to rent. That place fell through and we were wandering around BOS a little depressed because we didn't know if we could find a place to live. We happened to start up a conversation with one of the participating artists and she said, "Oh, I know another artist in town who has a place for rent." We ended up calling her that day and finding the house we rented for the next 2 years. So, I suppose BOS will always be extra-special to me and my family because of that! It just was a perfect example of how welcoming and awesome this art community really is!

What can we expect this year from Beacon Open Studios?

Because it's my first year directing, I really didn't want to make too many drastic changes. We ended up picking the second weekend of May for the date. That's the first thing, the fact that it will fall on Second Saturday this year. I thought it would only bring more visitors so it's a win-win. It happens to also fall on Mother's Day but again, I think the town will be hopping that whole weekend! We're also revising the color catalog. The more sponsors and registered artists we get, the bigger the budget we'll have to work with. We'd like to make a fold-out map this year so it's easier for visitors to find artist studios and figure out how to spend their day in Beacon. There will be musicians playing at certain venues and there are a few new locations to visit this year, including the Shambhala Yoga Center and the Creekside Lofts behind the Howland Cultural Center.

Does this kind of event run in other cities? If so, where? Is it all connected? Or a general concept that gets picked up?

There are open studio events all over the place. They're not connected in any way. It's a boost to any community to be considered a cultural destination. Not every town or city has a substantial community of artists like Beacon does. And even places that do, don't necessarily have open studio events. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work. BeaconArts and BOS is run completely by volunteers, and believe, me these people work hard!!

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Beacon Open Studios is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a re-grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by Arts Mid-Hudson.

Beacon Open Studios is a sponsored project of BeaconArts, a 501(c)(3) organization supported through grants and donations and run entirely by volunteers.

Chime in here with where you were able to visit, and tell us your favorite parts!

New Art Gallery From The Raft Pops Up on Beacon's East End

jack fuller's paintings are part of the raft's pop-up gallery at 1 east main.
photo credit: toni tan

One of Beacon's best qualities is the way its residents rush to shine a spotlight on one another. In this case, Toni Tan of TanDao Studio sent up a flare to A Little Beacon Blog, to make sure we knew about The Raft’s pop-up gallery. “I reached out to you on their behalf because they are fabulous,” Toni said in an email. 

The Raft is a three-person art collective whose members' day jobs include architecture and fashion design. “Two of the artists are Beacon homeowners,” Toni says, and “all three are friends.” The group's members have been afloat in Beacon for a while: Beatrice and Jack met four years ago as neighbors in the Roundhouse's artist lofts. Jack brought Ben into the fold, and The Raft was launched.

the raft's pop-up gallery opened last weekend and continues this saturday and sunday. the show includes paintings, photography, and other media from three artists.
photo credit: toni tan

The former electric blanket factory at 1 East Main Street has been heating up once again in recent months: Visitors will find The Raft’s pop-up space next door to a swanky new bridal boutique from Lambs Hill. The gallery initially popped up last weekend, and continues this Saturday and Sunday (open from 1 pm to 7 pm) on the city’s East End, heading toward the mountain.

This weekend’s pop-up gallery will showcase photography, projections, and paper sculptures by Ben Boltin, and paintings from Jack Fuller and Beatrice Vann. The spark behind starting the collective will ring true to many artists, especially those who work hard to balance the day-to-day of “day jobs” with the impulses of creativity beyond the office. Beatrice explains: “It’s about finding the support you need to nurture and sustain a life in the arts - support from fellow artists whose work you admire and respect - and even envy a little.”

The group only plans to exhibit work this weekend - for now. Second Saturday and other ongoing events may be in the works, though. Keep your eyes on this space! We'll let you know as soon as we know.

What: The Raft Pop-Up Gallery
Where: 1 East Main Street, Beacon, NY
When: Saturday and Sunday, March 25 and 26, 1 pm to 7 pm

Visiting and Local Artists Have a New Teaching Studio To Host Workshops In (Sponsor Post)

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Owner and artist Maria Amor in The Atelier Room 205. Call or email her to book: (646) 705-3833 AtelierRoom205@gmail.com

Spring planning has begun. The arts scene in Beacon is flourishing, attracting artists from all over to spend the day or a week here. With the Atelier Room 205, visiting and local artists have a wonderful and inspiring studio to host a workshop in. The Atelier, one of Beacon's newest teaching studios, is located in the old Beacon High School, a building brimming over with creativity. It is a school building converted into artist studios. Your students will feel the creative impulses for sure during your workshop!

Book now for Spring and Summer dates by calling owner Maria Amor at (646) 705-3833 or email AtelierRoom205@gmail.com.

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For more pictures, please see here: http://www.alittlebeaconblog.com/atelier-room/

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This message has been a sponsored post from our Sponsor Spotlight partner, Maria Amor, founder of the Atelier Room 205. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us!

Matteawan Gallery Brings In Artists For Interactive Installation Residency Programs

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Every January for the past four years, Matteawan Gallery owner Karlyn Benson has turned her gallery space over to an artist for a guest Winter Residency Program. According to Karlyn, "The goal of the Winter Residency is to give artists the space to create a new body of work or to continue working on an ongoing project in a new environment. The Residency focuses on work that has a social, performative, or participatory component."

To kick off 2017, Beacon-based Zachary Skinner presents his Geo-Co-Lab, a collaborative installation that explores whether art can spark effective social and ecological change. And he's not alone. As with past Residency projects at Matteawan Gallery, the public is invited to come in off the street, to collaborate and participate in making the art.

Photo Credit: Matteawan Gallery

Handmade chalkboards hang on the gallery walls, where people are invited to come in and write on them about a theme that explores the concept of whether art can spark effective social and ecological change. The result, as Skinner sees it, is a constantly multiplying collection of thoughts in a collective mind.

A tent structure (Wisdom Tent) is designed to be a contemplative and reflective space as well as a nomadic shelter.
Photo Credit: Matteawan Gallery

In addition to an artist talk at the end of the Residency, two free art workshops covering Acrylic Transfer and Handmade Egg Tempura Painting were built into the project. The trade for students was to give their finished work to Skinner, to be included in his exhibit.  

Beacon resident Greg Slick contributes to the installation.
Photo Credit: Matteawan Gallery

Children participating in past installations.
Photo Credit: Zachary Skinner

Skinner works in the gallery most days of the week, with regular hours on Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 5 pm. There will be a closing reception on Sunday, January 22, with a talk by the artist at 3 pm. Past artist residencies in this program include Jean-Marc Superville Sovak’s I Draw & You Talk in 2016, Mollie McKinley’s Cabin Fever in 2015, and Angelika Rhinnhofer’s a priori in 2014.

About Matteawan Gallery

Matteawan Gallery opened in March 2013 at 464 Main Street in Beacon, NY, and moved to a larger space at 436 Main Street in September 2015. The gallery specializes in contemporary art by mid-career and emerging artists, often with a focus on process and materials.

Gallery Director Karlyn Benson has over 20 years of experience working in museums and galleries. For six years she worked in the Registrar Department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Previously, she was the gallery manager at Candace Perich Gallery, a contemporary photography gallery in Katonah, NY. Karlyn received an MA in Art History from the University of Texas, Austin and a BA in Art History from SUNY Purchase. She recently curated the exhibition Chemistry at Garrison Art Center, Garrison, NY. 

Mystery Photo Revealed: Marion Royael Gallery Doors Exhibit, The Knock Knock Underground Emoji

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Beacon residents might know the faces of the artists, Barbara A.G. Riddle and Steven Paul Riddle, who created and curate Marion Royael Gallery. Over the years, the gallery has been located on both ends of Main Street, and is currently based at 159 Main St., next door to Kitchen Sink. Onlookers who have walked past the directed migrating installations that appear each month in the gallery, may not yet have walked in, or walked all the way in, and stepped into the back patio known as Mr. Yard, which was the location of our Mystery Photo.

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The installation that occupies Mr. Yard this year, Marion Royael's garden plot beside Kitchen Sink's back patio, was the location of our last Mystery Photo Contest that stumped everyone for days. That contest required four hints before somebody finally won! So now is the time for the big reveal and the virtual walk-through of this exhibit that is kid- and dog-friendly, and beckons for you to explore.

Reminder of the Mystery Photo

This was the mystery photo. Where was this taken?

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About Marion Royael Gallery

Marion Royael Gallery highlights the work of emerging and mid-career artists through a scheduled series of exhibitions. The gallery acts as a forum for exploring fundamental ideas and concepts in contemporary art as they relate to prevailing topical events. Steven and Barbara seek to create a vibrant cross-generational dialogue about art and culture among the general public, collectors, curators, artists and critics. Marion Royael Gallery creates what they call "Directed Migrating Installations," which are rooted in themes that the gallery sends out to regular artists, who send art in response to be displayed. The gallery represents artists and sells contemporary fine art originals, editions and objects.

So Where Is This Dinosaur?

This purple dinosaur lives inside of the outdoor installation, "Mr. Yard Presents Knock Knock Underground Emoji," and behind at least two sets of doors. There is a total of 76 doors in the installation, 45 of which open and close, and some of which are painted. Appearing across all of the doors are 300 emojis representing different emotions. Why emojis and doors?

The installation is an exploration of what people do with their emotions, says Steven Paul Riddle. "It's about emotions. Whatever you do with your emotions. Some people show them very clearly, and you can see right through them. Other people hide them." The doors represent what the emotions are hidden behind. Closed doors, open doors, crooked doors, sideways doors.

Walking through is a lot like walking through a chapter in Alice in Wonderland. Explore at night or during the day, and the experience will still be steeped in curiosity as different corners reveal themselves to you in different lights, or through your own mood at the moment.

Continue to virtually walk through this installation via the pictures in this article, and then head down to Marion Royael Gallery to experience it yourself in person. Bring the kids! The doors are for sale as a piece of art, should something move you, but Barbara and Steven giggle at the thought of pricing it out, as they are so deeply rooted in the creation process.

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The artists, Steven Paul Riddle and Barbara A.G. Riddle.

Photo Credits: All photos were taken by Katie Hellmuth Martin