Russell Cusick Gallery Moves From Beacon's Main Street

Russell Cusick’s gallery was a Main Street staple on the far end of town near the mountain. By far end of town, we mean following Main Street all the way around the curve, beyond Tioronda and the Howland Cultural Center, to where Main Street runs parallel with the old train tracks and Fishkill Creek across from The Roundhouse.

Russell could often be seen working on his art outside, propping it up on sawhorses and chatting with passers-by. He was passionate about that end of town, often exclaiming that it was the most beautiful part of Main Street with the least amount of foot traffic. A mystery that business and gallery owners down there are still trying to solve.

Russell has closed his gallery doors on Main Street, but his art business continues. He is well-known in Beacon for his gritty personhole covers about Beacon, and lately, hats and swag. However, he is a photographer, painter, and classically trained operatic baritone (awarded a full scholarship to Juilliard School!).

Like most businesses on Main Street, especially the East End, foot traffic alone does not sustain the business. Says Russ: “I am currently doing a WHOLE LOT of wholesale-ing from my home studio/workshop. I wholesale my work locally, to Mohonk Mountain House... West Point Military Academy... Bannerman Island Trust... and also in NYC and the Gulf Coast of Florida!!!”

You can buy his hats and sweatshirts from the Beacon Falls Cafe, located up the block, and soon, on Russell’s website, www.reflectionsonthehudson.com.

The Russell Cusick Gallery has already been replaced by the custom jewelry design brand, King + Curated, who had been located across the street in the old factory building, 1 East Main.

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Dream Opportunity For You To Own A Jeffrey Terreson Piece - HUGE Moving Sale Happens This November Weekend (Sponsored)

Remember that time when the artist Jeffrey Terreson moved to Beacon? Into 475 Main Street, the building next to the Howland Cultural Center that is currently for sale? He brought to us sculpture-like paintings that Ralph Lauren, Joseph Abboud, major interior designers, architects, and others collected. After this weekend, he is completing his move to Katonah, but before he does, he’s having a major, MAJOR art sale to make that load easier for him.

Classified as a fine artist, Jeffrey wonders why people restrict themselves to a brush in the fine art world. He uses a knife to carve the textured material he sometimes includes in his work, like sand. Or a blow-torch to melt the wax he mixes in with paint. His paintings are layered with history of his vision as it gets covered up by new layers and vision and carved into to tell new secrets.

As Jeffrey closes out his Beacon chapter, he is not doing so quietly. He is having a MAJOR MOVING SALE. Yeah, we said it in all-caps. Because it’s huge. And let’s be honest, it is unusual for an artist to do. But again, let’s be honest. Jeffrey is an unusual artist.

Months ago, Jeffrey opened a new gallery in Katonah, called Forward Contemporary. He has been very busy securing his art in respected realms for a fine artist, and has written you a letter about it in this article below.

Sale For Two Days Only - Up To
80% Off Prints (Some Enhanced) and 50% Off Originals

Believe it. If you pined for Jeffrey’s art before, or worse - if you put it off because you thought you could buy it at any time, this is your time. It’s not the last time you can buy Jeffrey Terreson, of course. He is alive and well. And you can find his new gallery in Katonah. But this is the only time for this kind of sale.

There might even be bidding wars. The large white piece that some of you know so well - several have chirped up for it. So don’t wait. Text Jeffrey at (914) 772-6570. Secure the piece you want, however, with your credit card or cash. This is a first-come, first-get sale.

First-Come, First-Get.
Saturday and Sunday Only!

Here’s how this is going to work. You need to go into the gallery at 475 Main Street in Beacon, NY on Second Saturday and Sunday: November 9 and 10. Talk to Jeffrey. Get the price. Lock it in and walk away with an incredible piece of art, or make an offer and wait. The gallery is located next to the Howland Cultural Center, across from Echo.

This sale includes originals, prints, enhanced prints (meaning, Jeffrey painted on them), and other surprises you’ll find out about when you go.

Out Of Town? No Problem.
Shipping Works.

OK, fine - if you’re out of town, you can still be in on this sale. Secure a work with your credit card, and give your shipping address. It’s that simple.

Letter From Jeffrey Terreson:
“Dear Beaconites…“

In his own words, here is a parting letter from Jeffrey. You can see his take on the art industry at the moment, and his latest accomplishments. You can always visit his website at www.jeffreyterreson.com and Instagram at @jeffreyterreson_fineart.

Beacon has the best people, great friends. I love Beacon.

We are taking this wonderful experience and moving it closer to my home, in Bedford, NY. To our new space in Katonah. It is 5 miles from my home. I was up in Beacon 352 days last year. Gas alone ends up being half my rent in the new gallery. So economics played a big role in my decision to move out of the Beacon gallery.

This year has been great on several fronts. Recently, I have been working on major project with architects from San Francisco and West Palm Beach. Really exciting!

On the museum front, I have a piece juried in by the curator from Museum of Fine Art in Boston, as guest juror, into the Katonah Museum of Art, for “Sound.”

I also had a piece called “Weathered White” chosen by the curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver for their Gala show! It was an amazing gala. I am also in discussion with the Parrish Museum about a cool project. TBA. Sign up for my newsletter and you’ll get the info.

SIDE NOTE FOR ARTISTS:
One goal for all artists who take the more serious fine art path over the commercial path is to garner museum credentials. It is a complete risk. 100%. Plus the audience for sales is smaller. The work has has to be noticed.

But I know if I stop, I will never get there. So my role as an artist is to keep painting when no one is looking. When they do see, I will have the equity in my work to engage the opportunity. You just cannot wait for opportunity to show and not be prepared. We are what we manifest. It is a full-time commitment.

The future for me holds more China engagement, some art fairs and bringing new artists to the gallery in Katonah. The Katonah space is really special. Please come and visit. I invite all to stop by. Of course we are on Instagram, which is really becoming the “website “ for our industry. Visit us at @forwardcontemporary on Instagram.

But come see me on November’s Second Saturday in Beacon.

—Jeffrey Terreson

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Terreson

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Terreson

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Editorial Sponsor Note: Y’all. We at A Little Beacon Blog are going to miss Jeffrey very much. From before the day he stepped foot in Beacon, he became a financial supporter of A Little Beacon Blog by way of sponsoring his announcement article. Getting to know his story was so awesome, we even published a behind-the-scenes article on the building and gallery. He has now sponsored this Moving Sale article. We thank him so much for respecting the craft of writing and getting the word out. Honestly, it’s an art to do what we do. To build a relationship with you. Jeffrey recognizes that, and we appreciate it. Thank you for supporting him!

Inside The Creative Process Of Artist Meghan Spiro's Autobiographical "Without Fear And Full Of Love"

Photo Credits: Meghan Spiro. Names of photos identified throughout this article.

“A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

Meghan Spiro’s exhibit for October’s Second Saturday was pretty powerful.

The first I learned of it was in the grocery store checkout line, which is where most important information is traded and discussed. What stuck with me was not the subject matter, but the responses Meghan said she got from women she told about the project, which was an autobiographical visual and poetic exploration of the physical abuse she suffered during her marriage.

Therefore, we are lifting some of her photos from the show and publishing them here for more to see. At least one of them, “A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming” shown here, was featured in February 2019 at the local gallery Catalyst during their “Cycles” exhibit.

In order to help others who may harbor similar feelings Meghan experienced, this article not only displays select images of the art, but includes a deep dive into how she created the art.

About “Without Fear And Full Of Love”

“Without Fear And Full Of Love” is an autobiographical piece about surviving domestic violence and Meghan’s journey into healing, as told through photos, paintings and poetry. It debuted at BAU (Beacon Artist Union) in October 2019 and was curated by Russ Ritell, Meghan’s fellow artist and partner, who is a member at BAU Gallery.

“One in four women have been a victim of severe physical violence with an intimate partner in their lifetime, and I am one of them. For years, I spent my life in silence about the abuse, as it happened and in my attempts to recover. I found myself ill-equipped to handle my PTSD, my addictions, and my self-loathing. It wasn’t until I signed up to write this story and manifest these self-portraits that I actually began my deeper healing, transmuting my suffering into wisdom and my loathing into love. These poems and artwork are my truth that I bare to all who have suffered in silence over their abuse. It’s time to face our shadows in full honesty and rise above our pain in full embrace of our totality so that we may finally live without fear and full of love.”

— Meghan Spiro

About The Creative Process To Create The Art

“The Victim, The Vigilant, The Virtuous”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

The artwork included in the show was mixed-media, to say the least. It includes photography, painting, gold leaf, wings, snow, fire, so much. For the rest of this article, we’re going to let Meghan explain in her own words how she produced it:

The Origin Of “Without Fear And Full Of Love”

Meghan:

“This is a story about my first marriage that ended nearly 10 years ago. I felt so much shame after surviving domestic violence; I didn't tell many people. I quietly suffered with my PTSD and panic attack for years. Three years ago, I decided to confront my traumas head-first, so I did ayahuasca, a visionary hallucinogenic medicine that's said to be similar to 30 therapy sessions in one night. It was then that my heart cracked open, and I saw the roots of my panic attacks and PTSD, and so began my deeper healing.

“At the same time, I made a commitment to honor my healing and journey as a series of self portraits and poetry. Sometimes the images would come first, sometimes the poetry. Some images are unhinged from any writing. I'm making a book out of it, which is nearly done, but the show provides the highlights of the story.

“My fellow artist and partner Russ Ritell, who is a member at BAU Gallery, decided to curate my show for October, which coincides with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I feel deeply honored to have this opportunity, and I dedicate this show to him. He has been a healing presence since I met him nearly four years ago. He encouraged me to tell the story through art in the first place.”

About The Self-Portraiture - Taking And Conceiving Of Images

Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

Meghan:

“All of my artwork for this series are self portraits. The domestic violence artwork is about what actually happened. The piece that has a wound painted on my rib, for example, is actually about him breaking my rib. In the healing pieces, they are still realistic to my healing messages more symbolic.

"The Victim, The Vigilant, The Virtuous" is about the mindset shift I experienced in my ayahuasca journey. I aimed for each piece to be seen as a visual poem, reflective of my writing that often accompanies the artwork.

A behind-the-scenes photo taken with a drone in the making of “It’s gone. I’m gone.”
Photo Credit: Mark Westin

“Some of my self portraits were set on a timer with a tripod, while others had the assistance of friends. I would work out the concepts ahead of time, set the lighting, backdrops, wardrobe, make-up, and a tripod or a mark for the angle. Usually the friend who was helping me would be my test model. I would fully compose the shot with them, then we would switch so I would then be the model and they would simply click the shutter.

“As far as thinking up the concepts, they would just come to me when I was working out struggle of the lesson. Some images would come together in an afternoon, while others would take months. It depended on the setups, costumes, and compositing and digital work. There is a piece about microdosing on mushrooms that was a full collaboration with a good friend, Caren Charles. The background painting took months to manifest, and her body painting, the day of the shoot, took nearly four hours to complete. ‘A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming’ took only an afternoon, containing a simple self portrait and a still life that I did in my home.

“I digitally enhance my photos. Some of them are simply combining exposures, while others involve special effects. I'm a commercial photographer and great retoucher, so I put my commercial skills into my art for this series.”

The Use Of Gold Leaf In “Without Fear And Full Of Love”

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“Mend With Gold”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

Meghan:

“The gold leaf was used on a few of the photographs. The first one is called ‘Mend with Gold,’ an image about covering up the abuse. There's a Japanese method of mending pottery called Kintsugi. I always appreciated the sentiment of mending the broken to be beautiful again, and I felt like that was what I was doing to cover up the abuse. Before going out in public, I would spend an hour putting on makeup to hide all the marks. There was so much shame I felt about the abuse then. I was afraid to tell anyone. We carried on in public like it didn’t exist.

“There's a couple more pieces with gold leaf, photo transfers on marble. These two pieces call in animal medicine, the bull and the owl. The bull piece is called ‘Stubborn Resilience,’ and it's really about cutting through the victim mentality to see that resiliency is the touchstone to connecting with your third eye again. I adorned the third eye in the piece with gold leaf sacred geometry.

“Stubborn Resilience”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

“Letting Go Is Not A Slow Slide Down; It’s A Free-Fall Until You Fly.” Photo transfer on marble with gold leaf, 16x20
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

“The owl piece is called ‘Letting Go is Not a Slow Slide Down; It's a Freefall Until You Fly,’ named for the poem that it connects to. Last spring, I accidentally killed an owl while driving, and I honored her by photographing and burying her, but before I did, I clipped and cured her wings. Her medicine was to truly teach me that lesson, whether it was circumstances, perceptions, or people who no longer served me. The image has wings behind my head where I close my eyes in surrender, while a small figure falls to my third eye.

“Mastery of Presence”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

“The final piece that has gold leaf is ‘Mastery of Presence,’ where I'm meditating in front of a ring of fire and I'm covered in gold leaf. For the photo shoot, I covered myself in coconut oil and attached gold leaf to my face, chest, and arms then sat in front of a floral ring lit on fire in the snow. The gold here is all about celebrating my inner journey outward. I was called to these lyrics from Martin Gore that really embody the realization (more so than the poem that accompanies this piece). "Wisdom of ages, rush over me. Heighten my senses, enlighten me. Lead me on, eternally. The spirit of love is rising within me, talking to you now, telling you clearly, the fire still burns. "

“There are other threads throughout the work beyond the gold. Fire, water, and blood come up multiple times.”

Background On “A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming”

Let’s bring the focus back to the piece shown at the beginning of this article, “A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming.” A poem accompanies it that we wanted to connect you with, during this time of second looks at accepting women’s cycles as normal and celebrated, rather than hidden.

“A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

“My Moon”

A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming

December 2018, I did a womb meditation guided by my close friend Melissa Robin, then I journaled, wrote a poem, then created this artwork. One of the key visions I received from the womb meditation was the rooting that occurs on a woman’s moon, and that we all hold our trauma and ancestral trauma in the womb. Menstruation gives us the opportunity to release the energies of lovers, the traumas from miscarriages, pregnancies and abuse; it taps us into the current to our emotional and spiritual realm, as we women are channelers between the spiritual and physical realms through our wombs, and our ability to channel life.

This poem and artwork was featured in the show “Cycles” presented by CelebrateWomxn845 at Catalyst Gallery in Beacon, NY in February of 2019. Read the poem in full here.

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Where To Find “Without Fear And Full Of Love” And Meghan Next

Meghan is finishing a book for “Without Fear And Full Of Love.” You can experience the gallery show inside of its pages. She is head-down focusing on it now. When it publishes, we’ll feature it in our Writerly Happenings series. Follow the show’s Instagram, @withoutfearandfulloflove for updates, artwork and poetry, as well as her personal Instagram, @meghanspiro.

Also follow Meghan through her Philasophia. For instance, Philasophia Cinema Series is presenting FRIDA at Story Screen on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at 7 pm.

Spirit Of Beacon Photo Exhibit At Howland Public Library

Over 30 people submitted the best of their Beacon photos to the second annual Spirit of Beacon Photo Exhibit, produced by the The Howland Public Library (HPL) and the Spirit of Beacon Day Committee. The artistic challenge was to find the best photo that captures the essence of the "Spirit of Beacon." Is it the people, the connection to the river, the historical buildings, the beautiful mountains, all of the above, or something else?

The photos have been chosen and will be on display starting opening night, (Second) Saturday, September 14, from 5 to 7 pm. The exhibit, curated by Michelle Rivas and Jennifer Blakeslee, will be on display through Sunday, October 6.

Stop by the library on opening night to see the annual community “portrait” of the City of Beacon. 

The Howland Public Library is centrally located at 313 Main Street in Beacon, NY. For more information, go to beaconlibrary.org.

Photo by Cindy Gould

Photo by Jennifer Blakeslee

Photo by Dylan Wood

Photo by Kevin Bertholf

Photo by Bill Winter

Photo by Rick Rogers

Photo by Carolyn Glauda

Photo by Kelly Ellenwood

Photo by Cynthia Careccia

Photo Uncredited

Photo by Philomena Kiernan

Photo by Ross Corsair

Wee Play's Community Mural Project Needs Kids To Help Paint!

Wee Play Project is excited to collaborate with local artist and educator Joe Pimentel on a community mural at Memorial Park this Summer! For two weeks in August (Monday to Friday, August 12-16 and August 19-23), they will be painting all four sides of the bathroom building located right near the parking lot to the main city park and playground.

Joe has worked with kids on numerous collaborative murals across the Hudson Valley, including recent murals at Glenham Elementary, Sargent Elementary, Rombout Middle, and Beacon High School. Wee Play is thrilled to have the chance to work with Joe and sure hope you can come get creative with them! To learn more about this project and sign up, click here!

Accepting Applications: Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts, Up To $1,000

To honor Clara Lou Gould after 18 years of service as Beacon’s Mayor (she left office in 2007), and in recognition of her support of arts and culture in Beacon, BeaconArts created a special Fund for the Arts named for Beacon’s former Mayor.

The 2019 round of applications for the Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts is now open. Projects to be supported include projects or programs not generally supported by other area arts organizations, including individual artists' projects, unique exhibition, performance or public art projects, arts education programs, and community projects that promote area artists and arts activities and that draw attention to the valuable role of arts and culture in our community.

Applicants themselves may be located outside of Beacon, but must provide programming or art in Beacon or support activities that benefit Beacon's arts and cultural community.

Awards will be considered up to $1,000, and the Fund Committee reserves the right to grant multiple awards of smaller amounts.

Deadline For Submission

September 6, 2019

Date Of Projects To Go Live

The 2019 Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts grant award(s) fund projects taking place between October 1, 2019-September 30, 2020.

Note About Nonprofit Status

Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or be fiscally sponsored by one. For information about fiscal sponsorship through BeaconArts, contact the office via beaconarts.org/contact/.

If you have questions about the application form or uploading your work samples and supporting financial documents, please contact Christina Jensen at christina@jensenartists.com.

Art With Flavor - Artists' Reception at Howland Public Library on Saturday, August 10

The Howland Public Library is pleased to present Art With Flavor, an exhibition of paintings by the Beacon Thursday Painters. An artists’ reception will be held on Second Saturday, August 10, from 5 to 7 pm. The Beacon Thursday Painters exhibit will be on display in the Community Room Exhibit Space through Friday, September 6. 

The Beacon Thursday Painters are taking over the Howland Library’s Community Room Exhibit Space for the month of August. "Thursday Painters," a group of seniors that includes some experienced painters as well as some new to painting, have been painting each week at the Beacon Recreation Center for nearly five years, guided by local artist Jan Dolan. The theme for the show this year is favorite dishes. The artists have painted their favorite foods, and they’re including the recipe with the artwork. Some of the dishes will even be available to try at the reception. This opening will truly be a feast for all of the senses!

The Howland Public Library is located at 313 Main St., Beacon. The Community Room Exhibit Space is open during regular library hours. Please note: The gallery may not be accessible during some library programs. Please consult the library calendar at beaconlibrary.org.

"Perfectly Puzzled" Exhibition Of Work By Adult Artists In Anderson Center For Autism Expressive Outcomes Program

Photo Credit: An artist with Anderson Center for Autism

From a Press Release from the Howland Public Library:

The Howland Public Library in Beacon is pleased to host Perfectly Puzzled, an exhibition of work created by adult artists in Anderson Center for Autism Expressive Outcomes program. Perfectly Puzzled will be on display at the Howland Public Library from Second Saturday, July 13, through Saturday, August 3. A Second Saturday artists’ reception will be held on July 13 from 5 to 7 pm. 

About Anderson Center for Autism Expressive Outcomes Program

In 2004, Anderson Center for Autism established Expressive Outcomes, a program to engage Anderson adult clients in the arts. The program provides adult artists with opportunities to experiment in visual, spoken, and performing arts. Visual art exhibits take place throughout the year. At these exhibits, artists discuss their inspiration, techniques, and ideas surrounding their art. Artists are encouraged to explore new creative realms based on their interests and goals, and are assisted in displaying their work in community galleries and other venues.

About The Art Projects And Expressive Opportunities

Projects are expressive and playful in nature, demonstrating the artists’ enjoyment working in different media, textures, and with each other on collaborative projects. Over time, artists have developed more sophisticated pieces while continuing to collaborate. Distinct artists have emerged, independently creating unique artwork. Some of the artists have been motivated by their success to enter their works in outside exhibits.

Expressive Outcomes offers new opportunities for artists to express themselves and develop new skills, including music, movement, and theater. This program connects the artists with other artists, arts organizations, and the broader community, widening our individuals’ network and bringing new opportunities to our adults. For more information go to AndersonCenterforAutism.org or follow the artists on Facebook, at www.Facebook.com/ExpressiveOutcomes. 

The Howland Public Library is located at 313 Main St., Beacon, NY 12508. The Community Room Exhibit Space is open during regular library hours. Please note, the gallery may not be accessible during some library programs. Please consult the library calendar at beaconlibrary.org.

MOCA Hosts Open Call For Visual Artists - Deadline June 30, 2019

The Hudson Valley MOCA Juried Member Exhibition is an opportunity to showcase a variety of perspectives and practices within the contemporary visual arts. Juried by Legacy Russell, Associate Curator of Exhibitions at The Studio Museum, this exhibition seeks to unite a multitude of voices both local and national to explore our contemporary moment, and the unique work created within it. The exhibition will be on view at Hudson Valley MOCA in Peekskill from Saturday, August 10, to Sunday, September 8, 2019.

Important Dates & Submission Details

Deadline to submit your work is Sunday, June 30, 2019. You can submit your work via CaFÉ (postal entries will NOT be accepted). Notification to artists will be sent out by email on Friday, July 12, 2019. The opening reception for this show will be on Saturday, August 10.

There is a $10 non-refundable entrance fee for each artwork submitted. Artists can submit up to two entries but only one entry per artist will be included in the exhibition. Each entry must be paid in full and you can pay by check, Visa, Discover, MasterCard, or American Express through the CaFÉ website.

You must have a current Hudson Valley MOCA membership to be eligible to submit your work. Membership at any level makes you eligible to participate Hudson Valley MOCA’s Annual Juried Exhibition. Plus you'll receive free admission to seven regional museums and free or discounted admission to events.

If you are not a member, Hudson Valley MOCA reserves the right to remove your work from the jurying process with the loss of entry fee as a result. For membership information, please contact Adrienne D’Elia at adrienne.delia@hudsonvalleymoca.org or (914) 788-0100.

Click here to read a full list of the submission guidelines.

About The Juror: Legacy Russell

Legacy Russell is a writer and curator. Born and raised in New York City, she is the Associate Curator of Exhibitions at The Studio Museum in Harlem.

Curated exhibitions and projects include Radical Reading Room for The Studio Museum in Harlem (2019); a series of multimedia events exploring digital feminism and celebrating queer nightlife at ICA London (2017); and the critically acclaimed Wandering/WILDING: Blackness on the Internet in collaboration with IMT Gallery and ICA London (2016). She also hosted the 2017 Serpentine Marathon GUEST, GHOST, HOST: MACHINE!.

Russell's academic, curatorial, and creative work focuses on gender, performance, digital selfdom, internet idolatry, and new media ritual. She holds an MRes in Art History with Distinction from Goldsmiths, University of London, with a focus in Visual Culture.

Russell’s written work, interviews, and essays have been published internationally. Her first book, #GLITCHFEMINISM, is forthcoming from Verso Books.

Real Estate Feature: An Artist Or Designer Live/Work Life In The Telephone Building

Have you ever dreamed of owning your own building? Modifying as you wish? Designing your own rooftop garden to enjoy the view of Mount Beacon? Showing your work in the gallery downstairs while living upstairs?

Perhaps painting or designing down in the refinished basement studio? Then one of Beacon’s most historic - and most pristinely maintained, after its recent renovation - buildings is for you as a Live/Work building. See details and pictures in A Little Beacon Blog’s Real Estate Listing Guide, or at the Telephone Building’s own website: www.telephonebuildingbeacon.com

Thank you, Telephone Building, for being a supporting sponsor of our publication by way of the Real Estate Guide! The Telephone Building is represented by building owner Deborah Bigelow.

Applications Open For Dia Teens Art Program - Free For All Participants

High school students are able to enroll in this summer’s Dia Teens Art Program (online application is here), a free program for all participants that includes lunches, snacks, materials, and in-program transportation. Dia Teens is a program that offers young people the space, freedom, and support to make their ideas real. The deadline for applying is Sunday, May 26, 2019.

Teens collaborate with others, including an appointed artist-in-residence “artist ally,” to work on original, self-directed projects. In addition to art-making, teens learn and practice skills related to critical thinking and self-expression. They will identify, question and challenge ideas related to contemporary art.

“Some make art, some channel their creativity in other ways,” according to the online application at Dia Beacon. Fifteen high school students from across the Hudson Valley will be selected. Visiting artists facilitate workshops, participate in discussions, host teens in their studio and gallery spaces, lead critiques, and invite teens to participate in their own projects. Past guest artists include Joëlle Tuerlinckx, Mary Mattingly, and Sal Randolph, as well as teens from the Studio Museum in Harlem, New Museum, and Park Avenue Armory.

The Dia Teens art program lasts all year, with a Summer Intensive from July 8 to August 8, 2019, and picks up again in October 2019 for the entire school year.

Dia Teens is at based at Dia:Beacon, 3 Beekman St., Beacon, New York, 12508. The museum and parking lot overlook the Hudson River. If you haven’t been down there yet, do go. The scenery is incredible.

To apply to Dia Teens: Visit this link. Students must be enrolled in high school.

Deadline: Sunday, May 26, 2019.

Last Day Of Beacon Open Studios - Check Out These Artists!

Beacon Open Studios
Days: Saturday, May 18 & Sunday, May 19, 2019
Time: Noon to 6 pm
Location: Citywide in Beacon, NY!
Get the map online or find their brochure in stores!

Sunday is your last day to visit the studios of artists participating in Beacon Open Studios 2019. For some artists, this might be the only chance you have to see their art up close and in person. There are so many artists involved - check them out here! And find them by address here.

Some of the artists you’ve been following on Instagram, others you have seen in galleries or spotted in magazines. Take this Sunday to get out there on foot, bike or car to explore the creatives around you.

When you see the red Beacon Open Studios dot outside of a home or building, pull over! A few artists we have spotted in Instagram:

Photo Credit: Matthew William Robinson

Photo Credit: Third Muse Metal Arts

Photo Credit: Dichotomy Home

Photo Credit: Agouti Studios

Photo Credit: Rexhill Studio

Photo Credit: @Kennifs

Sneak Peek Into Beacon Open Studios 2019 - Kickoff Is This Weekend!

Kick Off Party - Friday
Day: May 17, 2019
Time: 6 to 9 pm
Oak Vino Wine Bar 
389 Main St., Beacon, NY
​
Beacon Open Studios
Days: Saturday, May 18, & Sunday, May 19, 2019
Time: Noon to 6 pm
Location: Citywide in Beacon, NY!
Get the map online, or find their brochure in stores!

While Beacon celebrates its local artists all year long, the Beacon Open Studios weekend is special because once a year, the artists of Beacon open their art studios to the public. This free, citywide, weekend-long event has become one of the largest of its kind in the Hudson Valley. A Little Beacon Blog is happy to once again be a sponsor for Beacon Open Studios, the weekend of May 17-19, 2019.

Sneak Peek Into Performances and Art

The artists have been promoting their studios and exhibits in anticipation of this weekend. A few interesting pieces crossed our inbox, so we’re spotlighting them here on the blog.

Visit the Beacon Open Studios website for a directory and map of participating artists, and you can plan out your visits. The organizers even offer four different tour suggestions to help you navigate through the area. You can also pick up a brochure and map at various businesses along Main Street. You can also wing it on your own, and just follow the red dots that will be all over the city.

A-Y/Dancers Perform at KuBe (aka the Old Beacon High School)

Included with the open studios will be a live performance from the A-Y/Dancers at the KuBe Theater in the old Beacon High School on Saturday, May 18, at 5 pm and 7 pm. They will also perform at the Ethan Cohen Gallery beforehand in the hallway.

As part of their inaugural season, A-Y/Dancers licensed a unique “MinEvent” from the Merce Cunningham Trust. The performance, titled “Embodied Time: A Collaborative Performance,” is an arrangement of excerpts from works that Cunningham choreographed across three decades, from the ‘60s to the ‘90s, strung together by Jean Freebury, a former member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. A unique score composed and performed by sound artist Mark Trecka will consist of audio recordings of the dancers’ bodies during rehearsals, transferred to cassette, but into loops, and amplified back into the room in real time. In a synchronistic approach, artist Joseph Ayers created a unique animation that samples the dancers’ movements recorded during rehearsals, and then projects the resulting abstraction as a backdrop to the live performance.

Having a hard time imagining all of that? Below is a teaser video of what you will see live on Saturday!

3 Artists at Caiming Cheung’s Studio

The jeweler Caiming Cheung has opened up her studio to the potter Virginia Piazza and the painter Chris Sanders. Caiming’s studio is at 70 Eliza Street, Beacon.

Photo Credit: Virginia Piazza

Photo Credit: Caiming Cheung

Photo Credit: Chris Saunders

For The Photography Lovers

Some photography work featured this weekend.

Photo Credit: Randy Calderone

Photo Credit: Michael Bogdanffy-Kriegh

Photo Credit: Dale Leifeste

Furniture Making

Photo Credit: Chris Ungaro

Photo Credit: Justin King

Mixed Media

Photo Credit: Kat Stoutenborough

Photo Credit: Johana Skalsky Presence

Photo Credit: Patricia Di Bella-Kreger

The Reel Life Film Club Screening Of Documentary "Artisans Of Beacon" June 7th!

The Reel Life Film Club for tweens and teens returns to Beacon. On Friday, June 7, at 6 pm, the Howland Public Library will present a special test screening of the film Artisans of Beacon, a documentary directed by Michael Gersh.

Artisans of Beacon is a portrait of six artisans based in Beacon, NY. Jon Joseph is a welder, Jessica Wickham is a woodworker, Deb Davidovits is a beekeeper, Lisa Tompkins is a donut maker and owner of Glazed Over Donuts, Eva Gronowitz is a puppet maker, and John Vergara is a luthier. Each artisan describes their art, how they got involved in their field, and why they love doing what they do. They all share a powerful passion for their crafts.

After the film, teens will have an opportunity to meet the filmmaker as well as some of the artisans. The filmmaker, Michael Gersh, is also a technology teacher at Beacon High School, so this is a wonderful opportunity for students interested in filmmaking to ask questions of a local filmmaker and teacher. Terry Nelson, former director of Beacon Independent Film Festival, will moderate the discussion. 

Reel Life Film Club is an opportunity for middle-school students to view documentary films and talk about them with inspiring people. Now in its third year, the film series is a collaboration between the Beacon, Cold Spring and Garrison libraries. A new film is shown each month, rotating between the three locations. 

All students in grades 6 and up are invited to the screening. Pizza will be served at the event and registration is encouraged to ensure there is enough pizza for everyone. To register to attend the Friday, June 7, screening of Artisans of Beacon, email community@beaconlibrary.org.

Take Part in BeaconArts' Upcoming Member Show! Submissions Now Open!

All BeaconArts members are invited to submit artwork for our first annual Member Show at Hudson Beach Gallery (above Hudson Beach Glass) at 162 Main St., Beacon, NY. The exhibition runs Saturday, July 13 to Sunday, August 4, and is curated by Theresa Gooby and Karlyn Benson.

Space is limited, so send your submissions to membershow@beaconarts.org before Friday, May 24 to guarantee your spot. All mediums are welcome. For complete details and submission guidelines please visit the event’s website.

If you would like to participate, but are not a BeaconArts member or need to renew, please click here to join today.

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BeaconArts is a Community Partner of A Little Beacon Blog and is part of our Sponsor Spotlight program. This article was part of their monthly messaging partnership. Thank you for supporting organizations who support us!