I Am Beacon Is Offering A Summer Youth Art Program & It Has Been Added To ALBB's Summer Camp Guide - Only 8 Seats - Reserve A Spot Now

ALBB is constantly working to update the Summer Camp Guide to make sure we are getting you the information you need and getting it to you ASAP!

If you run a Summer Camp and want to add more details and photos, consider upgrading to a sponsored listing so that we can show those lovely photos and gush about the themed weeks you have planned! Learn more here >

But first, we wanted to share with you that I Am Beacon is offering a Summer Youth Program!

They will be offering the program on Saturday mornings from 11am - 12:30pm to explore digital art using iPad Pros and Procreate.

Sessions run on Saturday mornings from July 9 to August 13

Over 6 weeks, you will work on iPad illustration, create a digital poster design, create in augmented reality (AR), and then show it all off and display them at the back to school block party!

Spaces in the program will be limited with only 8 spots! However, if you own an iPad and Apple Pencil, you can be accommodated too.

There is no cost to participate in this course.

You can find more info in ALBB’s Summer Camp Guide or click here >

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.

Second Saturday Art Guide for Beacon's Gallery Openings in October 2019

Second Saturday is overflowing with openings, closings, and continuings! Clockwise from top right: Alberto Burstzyn’s Beacon Moose in Beacon 3D; Liao Yibai’s work in Eustatia at the brand-new Global Art Museum; Meghan Spiro’s wrenching, important Without Fear & Full of Love at Bau Gallery; Mariam Aziza Stephan and Julia Johnson’s Hatched in the Drift at No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works; and the closing weeks of John Sabraw’s Anthrotopographies at the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries.

Happy Second Saturday, Beacon! This is one of the most action-packed Second Saturdays in recent memory: More than a dozen new shows are opening, so don’t delay - head out there and see some art! We’ve got the whole roundup in our Second Saturday Art Gallery Guide.

Notable: The sculptures around town of Beacon 3D are set to come down soon, probably end of November, so make sure you spot them all! Also in its waning days: Anthrotopographies, John Sabraw’s look at the effects of human development on natural places. A brand-spankin-new gallery is open with the Global Art Museum. At No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works, artist Mariam Aziza Stephan and poet Julia Johnson will be at the gallery for a reception for their Hatched in the Drift. Longtime Beacon studio-gallery Maria Lago has new work up in her studio on the mountain side of Main Street. Hudson Valley photographer Randy Calderone has his first solo show, What I Saw, up at Oak Vino. And at Bau, photographer Meghan Spiro puts a face to the horror of domestic violence - and also recovery - in her Without Fear & Full of Love.

Full descriptions of all of these shows - and so very many more! Once you've figured out where to park, what's next? If you're in need of a bite to eat, check out the Restaurant Guide. Itching to show local shopkeepers some love? We've got a Shopping Guide at your fingertips. Thank you for supporting the businesses that help support A Little Beacon Blog! We couldn't do this without you — or them. Happy Second Saturday strolling!

Second Saturday! Beacon Gallery Openings for December 2018

Clockwise from top right, Second Saturday works by Jesse Bradford at Mother Gallery; Bakkun at Clutter Magazine Gallery; Hudson Beach Glass; Karl LaLonde at RiverWinds Gallery; and Lindsey Buckley at Bau (Beacon Artist Union).

Happy Second Saturday, Beacon! December’s #2Sat is one of the most vibrant days of the year around our little city, with hints of peppermint and straight-up magic in the air, pop-up shops, craft fairs, tree and menorah lighting, and Santa! But that’s not even all of the weekend’s cool happenings. For more details, check our Events Guide

Amid the festive hustle and bustle, don’t forget about the art galleries! There is so much new art to see! A gaggle of group shows this month offer a really efficient way to see new work. You’ll find a broad spectrum of artists at each of Mother, Catalyst, RiverWinds, Clutter, Hudson Beach Glass, Photo Book Works, bau, and The Lofts at Beacon galleries. (A tip: Many galleries are showcasing small, giftable items this month with price tags to match.) Curious about more galleries, or more specifics? We've got it all covered in Beacon's most comprehensive Art Gallery Guide. 

Big thanks to BeaconArts, the masterminds and promotional powerhouses behind Second Saturday and so many Beacon events! And thanks to the sponsors of A Little Beacon Blog, whose support allows us to produce the content we bring to you. Stop in to support them while you're out and about doing Second Saturday!

Shopping Guide Shuffle: 3 New Shops in Beacon! LaMere, Underground Beacon, and Artifact

Updates have been made to A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide! Some of these shops moved in several months ago, and some a few weeks ago. Take a look at these fresh collections and experiences waiting to delight you inside:

La Mere Clothing and Goods

436 Main Street, Beacon NY
This shop moved in when Matteawan Gallery moved out. We had a mourning period for the art gallery for a bit, and are embracing this new space! April has been quickly setting up and sharing on the shop’s Instagram page all of the styles catching her eye. Inside the shop, you’ll find fashion, from cheetah print to bobble sweaters (what is a bobble sweater? you’ll want one, check it out). LaMere Clothing and Goods has brought more fashion options to the ladies in Beacon. Located in the cute storefront with stairs in front in a small building on your way to the east end of town. Welcome!

Photo Credit: Screenshot of @lamereclothingandgoods

The Underground Beacon

462 Main Street, Beacon, NY
This destination for comics moved in when Lauren and Riley moved out of its original space, as the established Beacon boutique moved to the other (western) end of Main Street. The Underground Beacon is on fire with what they offer, which includes board games, a gameroom to play Magic and other real person-to-person games, a video game console on the wall, and most recently, skateboards. As you can see from this screenshot of their Instagram, they sell unusual games too, like this Golden Girls-themed Checkers and Bingo set. Obviously this is on your holiday gift list!

Photo Credit: Screenshot of @thebeaconunderground

Artifact Beacon

17 East Main Street, Beacon, NY
Not totally new to Beacon anymore, but still under a year old, is Artifact Beacon, the shop with uncommonly beautiful jewelry, art, home décor and more. They are in the space formerly occupied by Gwenno James’, who used to sell the silk scarves that she designed in the building. Artifact continues with the art by bringing you even more of it. If you get some familiar vibes while you’re shopping, it’s because you may have shopped Artifact’s selection before, when they first popped up in A Little Beacon’s Space in the Made and Given Pop-Up Shop! They had so much fun setting up and running a shop, that they put roots down on the far east end of town. Find Artifact Beacon on your way to Dogwood. If you’re staying at the Roundhouse, this is an easy shopping destination to pick up some amazing goods.
Pro tip: If you’ve been curious after seeing the Instagram page of Beacon Mercantile, who makes small-batch, natural, cruelty-free candles and apothecary goods including colored lip balms, then you will be happy to find this line carried in Artifact Beacon!

Photo Credit: Screenshot from @artifactbeacon

Photo Credit: Screenshot from @beaconmercantile

Second Saturday! Beacon Gallery Openings for October 2018

Happy Second Saturday, October edition!

Happy Second Saturday, folks! This mid-October weekend is jam-packed with gallery openings (and one closing 😥) as well as so many non-art events. The common theme? Community. Head out to the galleries. (Our Guide gives an overview of each exhibition or screening we track down.) Talk with your neighbors, visitors, or the artists. Buy their work if you're in a position to - get a jump on holiday gifting, maybe? Then head out again on Sunday, with the Car Show on Main Street and the Pumpkin Festival at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. Get the artsy-tartsy scoop here in our Art Gallery Guide, and read about all of the amazing non-artsy things in our Event Guide.

Some familiar Beacon faces highlight this #2Sat. At Scenic Hudson's River Center (the big red barn at Long Dock Park), Eleni Smolen of TheoGanz Studio has curated a selection of works by Hiro Ichikawa, a Hudson Valley painter, printmaker, and nature lover who passed away early last year.

At No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works, revisit Melissa McGill's starry Bannerman Castle installation and read writer Sam Anderson's reflections, in Reverse Punctuation Constellations.

Matteawan Gallery will be closing after the current show, Eleanor White's Bittersweet, wraps up next weekend. (Read more here about Matteawan and what’s next.)

Brief descriptions in our Gallery Guide can't possibly do justice to all of the artists exhibiting around town, so you really should check them out yourself. If you're inclined, report back and let us know what you loved seeing. Comment here, on Facebook, on Instagram, or Twitter. We'd love to hear from you.

Found Some Red Dot Beacon Open Studios and Saw This

While out perusing the studios, we happened to find the original artwork used for the Beacon Open Studios brochure map this year! The artist, RoArt, was showing at Spire Studios, and we featured her last year as well! She works at a foundry, and after finishing some painting work on a sculpture, she laid the paintbrushes down in a circle. She was captivated by the fanned-out arrangement and colors, so she captured the brush scene, then painted them vibrantly.

The tools in the picture are from metalsmith Kit Burke-Smith. She brought her tools down from her upstairs studio to show and tell curious visitors what they do and how they were used to create different pieces of jewelry.

The next house was on Orchard, but we were too late to go inside. Lucky for us, plenty of work was on display in the window! Then we headed over to see Stanley Lindwasser’s house/studio, down Lafayette Avenue opposite Tompkins Terrace, but the sky grew so ominous that we vowed to return tomorrow.

Where did you hop? 

Beacon Open Studios Maps Are Here!

Our most favoritest artist holiday of the year! Beacon Open Studios is coming to artists' studios all over town, Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29! The kick-off party is the Friday night before, on April 27 at Oak Vino, from 6 to 9 pm, and you're invited! Get the event's brochure - with a map! - here at A Little Beacon Blog’s Office, at 291 Main Street, First Floor, First Door. A Little Beacon Blog is a proud sponsor of Beacon Open Studios!

We highly recommend participating in this weekend-only event. It only happens once a year. You get to see inside the home studios of artists you’ve never heard of, who produce incredible work. See our past articles on Beacon Open Studios, including views into a few of the studios. Some participating artists are professionals in other fields, who commute to other places during the week, and only show off their passionate works in their studios here in Beacon. You never know who you will discover as an artist, or why.  

Put this date in your calendar as a must-do. You can even check out the art while out walking, since the studios are all over Beacon. Planning studio visits is flexible and commitment-free! (Just make sure that you do in fact go.)

Experimental Fine Artist Painter Jeffrey Terreson Moves to Main Street (Sponsored)

Jeffrey Terreson is classified as a fine artist. One look at the deeply sourced lighting in his horse paintings in his Equus collection, and you know you are standing in the light of a master painter. Further inspection of the paint reveals layers and layers of textures of not just paint, but maybe sand, wax or other mediums that Terreson experiments with, which he then carves into to reveal tiers of visions applied earlier to the canvas to create the impressionistic effect.

This painting you need to experience in person. Jeffrey Terreson's Beacon gallery is at 475 Main St. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Terreson was a born artist, his talents being revealed in
kindergarten, and rewarded at the collegiate level with a four-year
Merit Scholarship to Columbus College of Art and Design. In his earlier years twenty years ago, national magazines such as Time and Newsweek published his fine art. Private collectors, including Ralph Lauren and Joseph
Abboud, purchased or commissioned his paintings, encouraging him to
challenge himself to stretch the ways he translates what he sees onto canvas.

Shadowy and beautiful. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

“You don’t need a brush to be a fine artist,” Terreson says. “Painting can be done in so many exciting ways of creating; why limit it to a brush?"
Terreson can be seen using a
blowtorch to further melt the painting, or carve into it with other
tools. Terreson uses oil paint as a base of much of his work, and like other artists we have covered, is known for mixing other textures into the oil foundation.



Terreson is new in Beacon, but established in the professional illustration world, in Westchester and entering the gallery world in New York and the Hamptons. In the past two years (2014 and 2015), seven of nine of Terreson's museum entries were accepted. Juried by Eva Respini, a curator of MoMA, Terreson’s "Driven" was included in the Katonah Museum of Art as part of their "Line to Cone" exhibition. In addition, six of his entries were accepted into the Hammond Museum curated by David McFadden, Chief Curator and Vice President for Programs and Collections at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. In December 2015, Jeffrey was asked to donate to the collection of the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain, Connecticut.



Like all artists who work for hire, it can take a while before the work of passion takes the lead. After years of experimentation, Terreson is devoting his career to showing his work, in addition to making commissioned work. One of Terreson's mottos leads the way of his work: "If you don’t take a chance, you
never move forward."

What would you make of these colors, and the details up close? Come in to the gallery to see for yourself. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Mixed media in Terreson's paintings. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Please welcome Jeffrey Terreson on Thursday, June 23rd, 2016 at his opening at 475 Main Street from 6 to 9pm. His new home in Beacon is the former Back Room Gallery, where he has been working for weeks to set up this show. Be sure to notice his new shingle, and newly painted storefront! If you are reading this after the party, his gallery is now open for walk-in viewing.



We caught him last night as power drills and ladders were scattered in various parts of the room, paintings still being hung and leveled on the walls. In the hours leading up to his opening night, Terreson is moving his studio from Westchester to Beacon, where he will be painting in the back of the gallery. His works average 8-10 feet tall, so watching him paint these oversize canvases is a sight in and of itself.

A video posted by A Little Beacon Blog (@alittlebeacon) on Jun 22, 2016 at 8:01pm PDT

Because I love behind-the-scenes shots, and because I love power drills, here are a few photos of the setup on the eve of the Thursday, June 23rd opening. Hope to see you tonight at the opening! And every day after that, peeking into the windows or walking in to take a look around.

The window paper is down... Come on in! Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

All level. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

This ladder has since come down, and the horse paintings from Terreson's "Equus" collection have gone up. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Another ladder that has since come down! Ready for you to enter the room behind it, where several paintings from Terreson's collections hang. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Also see our previous article that went deep into the back rooms of this gallery, showing you the bones of this building that you've not seen before.



Thank you for supporting businesses in A Little Beacon Blog's Community Partner Sponsors who help make this publication possible! Please contact us if interested in getting involved as a Community Partner Sponsor.

May's Second Saturday Guide for Beacon Art Showings

 Second Saturday Happenings on May 14, 2016!

The BeaconArts Official Logo for Second Saturday.

"Second Saturday" is a lively day into night in Beacon, and is a celebration of Beacon's galleries, restaurants and other businesses arts on the second Saturday of every month. According to Dan Rigney, current 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 is a great reason to "walk" Main Street and beyond and explore the events going on around town. It's always a pleasure eating and drinking your way through Beacon, so this guide will help you know 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 a 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. A new municipal lot opened near Fishkill Creek, near the mountain.
• Live-tweet your way through Second Saturday by using the hashtag created by BeaconArts: #2SAT, 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 Spots to Eat and Drink (After 9pm): 
After you walk the galleries, you'll be hungry and need (another) drink!
See our full list of restaurants who are open prior to 9pm in our Restaurant Guide. 

Bank Square 129 Main St.
Chill Wine Bar 173 Main St.
Poppy's Burger and Fries 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 Vault 446 Main St.
Joe's Irish Pub 455 Main St.
The Hop 554 Main St.
(reservations usually needed for food)
Roundhouse 2 East Main St.
Dogwood 47 East Main St.

There's so much going on - keep your eyes on our Things To Do In Beacon Guides for all dates!
Leave all Guides open on your phone because they include addresses and phone numbers. Tap on a phone number to call anyone.

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NEAR THE TRAIN, BEFORE MAIN STREET

Dia:Beacon

Dia:Beacon
3 Beekman St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-0100

Special for Second Saturday: Community Free Day! Every three months, Dia:Beacon flings open its beautiful doors for Hudson Valley residents, offering a day of programming for all ages, including tours, talks, workshops, and performances. 

To kick off Dia day, there's a family-friendly program on sound, color, and environment led by an educator. The first of several half-hour "Dialogue Duets" pairs the work of artists Dan Flavin and Blinky Palermo. At 1pm, reconsider movement in and around art installations as you are guided through four artists' work. Pieces from visual artists Gerhard Richter and Fred Sandback are teamed up for the second duet. (If you were into last summer's yarnstravaganza, Sandback's work might tickle your fancy!) In the monthly Gallery Talk, learn about German Fluxus Joseph Beuys as explained by Rattanamol Johal, a curator/archivist/doctoral student. The final duet showcases perennial Dia faves Sol LeWitt and Robert Irwin. All this art thinking and walking can be taxing, so wind down with a tasting of 2-Way Brewing Co.'s brews. 

More details at Dia:Beacon.

Hours: 11 am to 6 pm

Art in the Sanctuary at St. Andrew's

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
15 South Ave.
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: This month's Art in the Sanctuary event features "Beauty in Everything and Everyone," paintings by Maria Amor. She is the artist and director of Atelier Room 205 in the old Beacon High School, where the Atelier hosts classes, workshops, and openings.
Hours: 5 pm to 7 pm

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THE WEST END

(Close to the train station)

Catalyst Gallery

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: Photographs by Susan Keiser and Scott Lerman. Keiser, who has been called "a storyteller, psychic, and poet," brings her "Flooded" series to Catalyst, exploring what water can reveal over time. Water is a frequent subject for Lerman as well; his photographs in this exhibit evoke droplet-based Spirograph works or even mandalas.
Hours: 1 pm to 6 pm; reception, 6 pm to 9 pm

Theo Ganz Studio

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.
Second Saturday: "Still Life in the Spinning World - The Force Field of Morandi" opens, with work from four artists using ceramics, wood, photography, and mixed media to challenge a 20th-century artist's expression of "still life."
Hours: Opening reception, 6 pm to 8 pm

Marion Royael Gallery

Marion Royael Gallery
159 Main St.
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: Continuing this month is "VICTORYdotCONbackslashFUSE," described at the gallery's site as "finely executed visual perspectives..., woven together into a singularly connected Directed Migrating Installation." Painting, photography, sculpture, mixed-media, and jewelry are all represented in this show, which is set to run through July. Artists include Kathleen Erin Lee, Rick Hutchinson, Hy Suchman, Brian Edwards, Jens O Bille, Joe Zarra, Dave Dziemian, Mary Giehl, Barbara AG Riddle, Alexander Percy, Steven Paul Riddle, Ivan Suchman, and more.
Hours: Noon to 7 pm

Hudson Beach Glass

Hudson Beach Glass

162 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-0068
A glass studio 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: Hudson Beach Gallery presents Caren Benzer's "Small Wonders." Subtle texture and vibrant colors are hallmarks of her style, developed while studying graphic design and textile design in Boston and Manhattan. Benzer works in oil, acrylic, and gouache. Head to Hudson Beach Glass and check out this show, and relish every time you get to say "gouache."
Hours: Opening reception, 6 pm to 9 pm
 

"Bear in Mind" at Clutter

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. Works are a variety of sizes.
Second Saturday: The creative geniuses at Clutter have not one, but TWO shows opening this weekend! First up: "Bear in Mind" showcases nearly three dozen artists' reinterpretations of Luke Chueh's bear head. Chueh himself is set to attend, too! Take a gander at Instagram to see what the #bearinmindshow artists have been up to.
The second show opening tonight is a solo exhibition from Venezuelan Carlos Enriquez Gonzalez, "Shrunken Heads." The Venezuelan artist's work is described as surreal, yet we're pretty sure no actual shrunken heads were involved in the process. Since Gonzalez is scheduled to attend the opening, you could go and ask him yourself!
Hours: Opening reception 6 pm to 9 pm
 

RiverWinds Gallery

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: "Spirit Dancing - The Art of Annette Jaret" incorporates photography, painting, and collage, channeling inspiration from trees as they pass through the seasons. Jaret, who designed jewelry for years, takes her work in a different direction with these meditations on trees and paper. 

Hours: Opening reception, 5 pm to 8 pm

Porkchop at Dream in Plastic

Dream in Plastic
177 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 632-3383
Special for Second Saturday: "Rise of the Mudmen," by artist Porkchop! "Butcher by day and illustrator by night, you will find him surrounded by piles of pens, sheets of paper, and inks made from juiced primordial creatures," the Facebook event description touts. There's only one way to find out more - go see for yourself what has risen from the ooze! (Don't quote us on this, but - in the past, DiP has been known to offer cupcakes and coffee at openings!)
Hours: 11 am to 7 pm; opening reception 6 pm to 9 pm

Signing at Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway 

179 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(646) 283-1604
Special for Second Saturday: Real estate office by day, fashion showroom by weekend! Look past the latest listings for this book signing and dress exhibit with Gretchen Hirsch, aka Gertie, creative genius and author of "Gertie's Ultimate Dress Book."
Hours: 6 pm to 9 pm
 


Beacon Institute for Rivers & Estuaries 

Beacon Institute

199 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-1600
This historic brick storefront houses the Institute’s gallery, Hudson River bookstore and gift shop, and its administrative headquarters. The gallery showcases river and environmentally themed art and educational exhibits. Events feature talks by artists and regional Hudson Valley authors.
Special for Second Saturday: The historic Mount Beacon Incline Railway gets a spotlight in this exhibit, which features large-format photography, digital renderings, animations, and infographics, all exploring the Incline Railway’s early origins in shaping Beacon. The exhibition explores the initiative to bring back the Incline Railway, through the lenses of a historic narrative and an eye toward the future.
Click here for more event details.
Hours: 11 am to 3 pm

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THE MIDDLE & "MARKET SQUARE"

The start of The Middle, aka "Market Square"

Art With Miss Vickie
Rite Aid
320 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-5699

Special for Second Saturday: Rite Aid hosts "Make Art Out of..." with Miss Vickie! Come see Miss Vickie, who you might know from music lessons, Beacon's holiday festivities (her secret elf name is Tinsel), or maybe you've seen her around Main Street making sure it stays beautiful. See what creative treats she has in store for the kids at Rite Aid!

Hours: 3 pm to 4 pm

Beacon Soundworks

Beacon Soundworks
395 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-9000
Special for Second Saturday: A new venue for Second Saturday! Visit the recently opened Beacon Soundworks, near Teller Ave., the diner, and Beacon Pantry, to see the work of Scott Prater. Also known as ThroughGlassEyes, he explores landscapes both outdoors and in, often around the Hudson Valley and the broader reaches of the Northeast. His moody work is also up at The Vault, Newburgh Brewery, and Beacon Bagel.
Hours: Call for details!

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THE EAST END & BEYOND

(Close to the mountain)

The start of the East End of Main Street and beyond.

At Matteawan Gallery

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: "Six Hits of Sunshine" is a solo exhibition of paintings and drawings by Gabe Brown. In these works, Brown explores facets of the natural world - leaf development, cell structure, birds, regeneration, water - and relationships with its residents, while always keeping in the foreground the wonder she experiences at this "parallel universe."

Hours: Opening reception, 6 pm to 9 pm

Morphicism Gallery

Morphicism
444 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-3092
Moveable art in frames - art you must see and experience.
Hours: Call first

  

At Blackbird Attic

Blackbird Attic Boutique
442 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-6782
Special for Second Saturday: The earth is warming up around us and days have been stretching longer and longer... Come celebrate this exciting time of year with Jessica Nash, a Beacon resident, traveler, teacher, and mixed media artist, with her "Under the Glow: Light & Landscapes" at Blackbird Attic. Recent trips to Iceland and Germany, when sometimes just finding a bright spot of light was cause to rejoice, inspired these meditations on light and land. Nash works with oil and watercolors, but thin glazes atop the pigments lend an intriguing luminosity.
Hours: 11 am to 6 pm

Back Room Gallery

Back Room Gallery
475 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-1838
Find 30 artists showing here, from large paintings to small collectibles. Also find art supplies such as sketch pads and charcoal pencils. And if you're with a man who wants to skip the art but loves anything to do with the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, send him to the actual "back room" of this gallery for a viewing of a very valuable collection of War art on crepe fabric.
Special for Second Saturday: Stop in and find out!
Hours: LATE

Howland Center

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: The Howland Cultural Center marks Asian-American History month with this group show featuring more than a dozen Asian-American artists from around the Hudson Valley. Media represented include ceramics, painting, photography, and more. Pieces from artists working in China and Korea will be displayed as well.
Hours: 1 pm to 5 pm

At BAU Gallery

BAU Gallery
506 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-7584
bau (Beacon Artist Union) is a platform for members/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 the activities at bau and the community.
Special for Second Saturday: Bau 137! In the Main Gallery, Erica Leigh Caginalp, working in ceramics, and Carla Goldberg, with resins and mixed media, team up once again to present "Eventide," plumbing the depths of their work to present a complementary ocean-inspired show.
In the Beacon Room, Melissa Schlobohm's painstakingly produced woodblock prints feature larger-than-life scenes from the natural world. See birds and bones like you never have before, noticing new details by immersing yourself in the patterns.
Hours: Noon to 6 pm; reception from 6 pm to 9 pm

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BEACON near RT. 52

(Beacon's part of Rt. 52 that heads into or out of town.)

Atelier Room 205 
Studios at the Old Beacon High School
211 Fishkill Ave.
Beacon, NY
Second Saturday: Jump into the fray with "An Art War - Realist or Modernist?" when author and artist Michael Guilmet shares his thoughts on Modernism in the rear-view mirror. What more-recent names pop up that have parallels with artists working centuries ago? Guilmet will share the connections he has researched over the past five years.
Hours: 1 pm to 3:30 pm

Don't forget to check out these two other Guides as well, as you mix and match dates and events for your weekend entertainment!

Second Saturday Specials! 

• Style Storehouse:  6 Month Anniversary Sale - 20% off all denim, with more stock added to the 40% off Jewelry sale and the 50-75% off Sale racks.
• The Blushery: 1 Year Anniversary Sale with Brow Bar specials, giveaways and more!
• BAJA 328: Enjoy an $8 margarita honoring Second Saturday that features different fruits each month.
• The Vault: They mixed a special cocktail for Second Saturday called the Rosé Cocktail. Served over ice, it’s a French rose wine with pamplemousse. Yes, please.

Starting in May: Beacon Open Studios and Constellation Boat and Walking Tours to Bannerman Castle 2016

Behind most great artistic projects in Beacon, you'll find BeaconArts. Founded over a decade ago to serve as a promotion engine for galleries, and later businesses of varying kinds, BeaconArts is connected to just about everything happening in Beacon, specifically two big events opening this month: Beacon Open Studios (BeaconArts is a Fiscal Sponsor) and Constellation (BeaconArts is a Community Partner).

As BeaconArts is one of our Sponsor Spotlight partners here at A Little Beacon Blog, we take pleasure in highlighting two great happenings a month for them, and this month, the focus is on two major Things To Do that you can start planning for now: the city-wide Beacon Open Studios, and Constellation's boat and walking tours launching to Pollepel Island to see the stars making up a constellation installed on Bannerman Castle.

Starting May 7, Running Through October 2016!

Melissa McGill’s land art project CONSTELLATION continues to light up every night at sunset and launches its second season of sunset boat tours. See the installation up close, tour the Bannerman Castle ruins on Pollepel Island, and watch the project come alive while on the Hudson River aboard the Estuary Steward. Tours begin May 7 and run through October 2016, departing from Beacon, NY, steps away from Dia:Beacon. Need some food? Stop into Homespun's location at Dia. Individual and group reservations are now available online. More information about the project, schedules and tickets, including artist-led tours and programs, can be found here.

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Beacon Open Studios Happens May 21-22, 2016!

Beacon Open Studios is a weekend-long event where the artists of Beacon, NY, open their studios to the public. Studios will be open all over Beacon to visit and a free catalog with map will be available to guide you around town.  Looking for free parking lots? We have a Guide for that that includes all pictures of locations of free public parking! For some artists, this is one of the only times you can not only see their works IRL (in real life), but visitors can go inside of their studios! Not all artists show from their workspaces, however; some partner with local restaurants and shops.

Here is a random sampling of artists you can find, of which there are over 50! Catalogs will be available throughout town for you to pick up and plot your artist hop! You will definitely want to have A Little Beacon Blog's Restaurant Guide open on your phone for ideas on where to fuel up.

Kat Stoutenborough 50 Liberty Street

Caiming Cheung 5 Beekman Street

The Ground Radio Project Kube-211 Fishkill Ave. Room 202 C (the old Beacon high school)

Margaux Lange 19 Lincoln Avenue

Glen Sneyd 50 Liberty Street

BeaconArts is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and this article was created for them as part of our Sponsor Spotlight program. It is with the support of businesses like this, that A Little Beacon Blog can bring you coverage of local happenings and events. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us! If you would like to become a Community Partner, please click here for more information.

April's Second Saturday Guide for Beacon Art Showings

 Second Saturday Happenings on April 9, 2016!

The BeaconArts Official Logo for Second Saturday.

"Second Saturday" is a lively day into night in Beacon, and is a celebration of Beacon's galleries, restaurants and other businesses arts on the second Saturday of every month. According to Dan Rigney, current 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 is a great reason to "walk" Main Street and beyond and explore the events going on around town. It's always a pleasure eating and drinking your way through Beacon, so this guide will help you know 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 a 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. A new municipal lot opened near Fishkill Creek, near the mountain.
• Live-tweet your way through Second Saturday by using the hashtag created by BeaconArts: #2SAT, 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 Spots to Eat and Drink (After 9pm): 
After you walk the galleries, you'll be hungry and need (another) drink!
See our full list of restaurants who are open prior to 9pm in our Restaurant Guide. 

Bank Square 129 Main St.
Chill Wine Bar 173 Main St.
Poppy's Burger and Fries 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 Vault 446 Main St.
Joe's Irish Pub 455 Main St.
The Hop 554 Main St.
(reservations usually needed for food)
Roundhouse 2 East Main St.
Dogwood 47 East Main St.

There's so much going on - keep your eyes on our Things To Do In Beacon Guides for all dates!
Leave all Guides open on your phone because they include addresses and phone numbers. Tap on a phone number to call anyone.

****************************************

NEAR THE TRAIN, BEFORE MAIN STREET

Dia:Beacon

Dia:Beacon
3 Beekman St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-0100

Special for Second Saturday: The Robert Irwin symposium is centered around a new installation of "Excursus: Homage to the Square^3." Professors, curators, artists, and historians gather to reflect on Irwin's work, which includes paintings, light installations, steel, aluminum, and scrims. Tickets to the symposium (11:30 am to 5 pm) are sold out, but Dia visitors might be able to listen in... 

Because of the symposium, the monthly Gallery Talk is pushed forward a week. Learn more about Dia:Beacon's famed "pile of glass": Robert Hobbs on Robert Smithson. Smithson is noted for large-scale land art as well as sculpture works in what he called "nonsites." Hobbs is a historian and curator who organized the first retrospective of Smithson's sculpture. Gallery Talks at Dia:Beacon usually take place the second Saturday of every month at 2 pm. Focusing on the work of a single artist on view at Dia:Beacon, these one-hour walk-throughs are led by curators, art historians, and writers.  Free with admission to the museum. (Don't forget: Beacon residents get in free on weekends!)

More details at Dia:Beacon.
Hours: 11 am to 6 pm

Music in the Sanctuary at St. Andrew's

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
15 South Ave.
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: This month's Music in the Sanctuary event, co-sponsored by the Central Hudson Valley Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, will feature an organ recital by brothers Bruce and Reilly Xu. The 13-year-olds, students of Jimrae Lenser and Craig Williams (organmaster at West Point's Cadet Chapel), will perform "The Organ Book," a program featuring the works of Bach, Nevin, Sousa, and more on a two-manual Johannus Opus 20 electronic organ. A reception in St. Andrew's carriage house will follow the performance.   
Hours: 4 pm to 6 pm

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THE WEST END

(Close to the train station)

Catalyst Gallery

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: Carin Jean White, a visual and theater artist who also teaches at Columbia University's University Writing Program, whose past work evokes the sea and other natural landscapes. White brings her new paintings to Catalyst Gallery through April 24.
Hours: Opening reception, 6 pm

Marion Royael Gallery

Marion Royael Gallery
159 Main St.
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: Opening this month is "VICTORYdotCONbackslashFUSE," described at the gallery's site as "finely executed visual perspectives..., woven together into a singularly connected Directed Migrating Installation." Painting, photography, sculpture, mixed-media, and jewelry are all represented in this show, which is set to run through July. Artists include Kathleen Erin Lee, Rick Hutchinson, Hy Suchman, Brian Edwards, Jens O Bille, Joe Zarra, Dave Dziemian, Mary Giehl, Barbara AG Riddle, Alexander Percy, Steven Paul Riddle, Ivan Suchman, and more.
Hours: Opening reception, 6 pm

Lynn-Marie Veverka at Hudson Beach Gallery

Hudson Beach Glass

162 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-0068
A glass studio 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: Hudson Beach Gallery presents an artist whose vision and execution belie her youth: Lynn-Marie Veverka's show of new watercolors, "Neither Here Nor There," opens in the upstairs gallery. Veverka works in paint - both watercolors and oil - as well as glass. She's studying for an art degree (and a marketing minor; it never hurts to have the fallback) at Alfred University School of Art and Design when not making art with the school's Painting Club.
Hours: Opening reception, 6 pm to 9 pm
 

"Toys & Towers" at Clutter

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. Works are a variety of sizes.
Second Saturday: The creative geniuses at Clutter have not one, but TWO shows opening this weekend! First up is "Hit Squad," a group show through May 6th featuring Big C, EOS, Frank Montano, iRoc, JFURY, Malo April, MaloWRX, and Playful Gorilla. The artists have different styles that all fit together, in custom resin toys as well as illustrated pieces, the gallery says. In Clutter Gallery 2, check out "Toys & Towers," in which artists deliver their takes on Boundless Brooklyn's Water Tower model kits. If you saw the Dunny show at Clutter a while back, it's sort of the same idea: Artists use a common base (or style of base; sometimes the size changes) and put their own unique, whimsical, often beautiful spin on the pieces. Water Tower artists include Ian Ziobrowski, JeAA, Jenn & Tony Bot, Kevin Gosselin, Lou Pimentel, Mike Strick, Peter Kato, Scarecrowoven, Small Angry Monster, UME Toys, and Wetworks.
Hours: Opening reception 6 pm to 9 pm
 

RiverWinds Gallery

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: "Texture + Tactile" opens, with fiber arts works by Karen Madden and sculpture by Bob Madden. Karen often uses wool, enjoying its earthy nature, while working to transcend some common ideas of fiber arts. Bob, on the other hand, surprises viewers by getting stone scupture to feel soft and complex instead of hard and cold.
Hours: Opening reception with Bob Madden, 5 pm to 8 pm (artist talk with Karen Madden, May 7 at 4 pm)

Dream in Plastic

Dream in Plastic
177 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 632-3383
Special for Second Saturday: Once in a while, Dream in Plastic adorns the walls of their sweet retail shop with amazing artwork from their friends. Lucky us - today is one of those days! "Fleet" will include new paintings from ezerd, a robot-loving, illustrating friend of the whimsical geniuses at DiP. (Don't quote us on this, but - in the past, DiP has been known to offer cupcakes and coffee at openings!)
Hours: 11 am to 7 pm; opening reception 6 pm to 9 pm



Beacon Institute for Rivers & Estuaries 

Beacon Institute

199 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-1600
This historic brick storefront houses the Institute’s gallery, Hudson River bookstore and gift shop, and its administrative headquarters. The gallery showcases river and environmentally themed art and educational exhibits. Events feature talks by artists and regional Hudson Valley authors.
Special for Second Saturday: The historic Mount Beacon Incline Railway gets a spotlight in this exhibit, which features large-format photography, digital renderings, animations, and infographics, all exploring the Incline Railway’s early origins in shaping Beacon. The exhibition explores the initiative to bring back the Incline Railway, through the lenses of a historic narrative and an eye toward the future.
Click here for more event details.
Hours: 11 am to 3 pm

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THE MIDDLE & "MARKET SQUARE"

The start of The Middle, aka "Market Square"

Howland Public Library

Howland Public Library
313 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-1134

Each month, the library features the work of Hudson Valley photographers and artists. (Please note, the gallery may not be accessible during some library programs.)

Special for Second Saturday: Come celebrate April as National Poetry Month! The Howland Public Library hosts the book launch for the Calling All Poets (CAPS) anthology. CAPS is in its 17th year of promoting poetry in the tri-state area, and is the longest-running poetry series between New York City and Albany. Join founder/president Jim Eve and vice president Mike Jurkovic in listening to poets read selections from the anthology. 

Hours: 2 to 3 pm

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THE EAST END & BEYOND

(Close to the mountain)

The start of the East End of Main Street and beyond.

At Matteawan Gallery

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: August Ventimiglia returns to Matteawan Gallery. Work shown this time includes recent drawings from his collections Islands and Breath Rivers. In Islands, Ventimiglia uses string, construction chalk, the circumference of his own embrace, and gravity to show us that really, no man is an island. In the Breath Rivers series, Ventimiglia blows ink across paper, varying intensity and angle to create diverse scapes within consistent parameters.  

Hours: Opening reception, 6 pm to 9 pm

Morphicism Gallery

Morphicism
444 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-3092
Moveable art in frames - art you must see and experience.
Hours: Call first

  

"East End of Main" at 3B Gallery

3B Gallery

458 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-6782
Special for Second Saturday: Step back in time as the Beacon Historical Society presents "East End of Main - A Journey Into the Past." Continuing through the end of April, the exhibition includes vintage photographs and ephemera from the side of Beacon that, until 1913, made up the village of Matteawan. The display highlights old-fashioned storefronts and factories, the Matteawan Railroad Station and tracks, the original Howland Library, our beloved dummy light and more.
Hours: 11 am to 6 pm

Back Room Gallery

Back Room Gallery
475 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-1838
Find 30 artists showing here, from large paintings to small collectibles. Also find art supplies such as sketch pads and charcoal pencils. And if you're with a man who wants to skip the art but loves anything to do with the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, send him to the actual "back room" of this gallery for a viewing of a very valuable collection of War art on crepe fabric.
Special for Second Saturday: Stop in and find out!
Hours: LATE

Howland Cultural Center

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: The annual exhibition of the artist-members of the Howland Cultural Center will include paintings and photos from Alexis Lynch, Susanne Moss, Patricia Collins Brown, Janet Ruhe-Schoen, Rose Bambrace, and more.

Hours: Opening reception, 3 pm to 5 pm

Book launch at Pfotoshop

The PfotoShop
493 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 765-8130
Special for Second Saturday: "The Naked and The Lens" book signing and launch party with photographer (or, should we say, pfotographer?) and author Lou Benjamin. Nude fine-art photography can be uncomfortable at times for the folks on both sides of the lens. In the second edition of his book, Benjamin breaks down technology and psychology, from creative concept to publication, with the goal of keeping both sides satisfied with the artistic process. In case you need to see success to believe it (or even if you're simply interested in portrait photography), a showcase of Benjamin's work will be opening in the PfotoShop's Studio Room.
Hours: 11 am to 7 pm; opening reception 6 pm to 9 pm

At Bau Gallery

BAU Gallery
506 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-7584
bau (Beacon Artist Union) is a platform for members/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 the activities at bau and the community.
Special for Second Saturday: Bau 136! In the Main Gallery, you'll find the paintings of Eva Drizhal. She attended art and design school in her native Czech Republic before coming to the United States in 1979. She uses paper, clay, and acrylic paint over plywood to emphasize the 3D nature of her botanically inspired work in "BETWEEN." (You might mistake the piece at right for a leafy portrait, as I did on first glimpse!)
In the Beacon Room, AM DeBrincat explores humanity's interconnectedness via handmade wallpaper in "Power Moves." A single expression in 25 languages, conveying "the word for the sound it makes when someone punches someone, a sound of people simultaneously physically coming together and propelling each other apart," covers the gallery walls. Don't see the word in your language? Add it in the guestbook.
Hours: Noon to 6 pm; reception from 6 pm to 9 pm

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BEACON near RT. 52

(Beacon's part of Rt. 52 that heads into or out of town.)

Atelier Room 205

Atelier Room 205 
Studios at the Old Beacon High School
211 Fishkill Ave.
Beacon, NY
Second Saturday: This Painters' Salon event takes a look at what's happening in the Cuban art scene. Cuban-American painter Enrique Flores Galbis will be showing his work and discussing what it’s like to be an artist in Cuba, and how to travel there. There is no fee, no RSVP necessary.
Hours: 1 pm to 3 pm

SPECIAL HAPPENINGS FROM FEATURED BUSINESSES:

Businesses in our “Stand Out” program of the Things To Do In Beacon Guide can list their special events for Second Saturday here. Interesting in starting a “Stand Out” package? Click here. 

From The Shopping Guide:

Style Storehouse, at 484 Main St., is offering a Second Saturday special that will be sure to give you the blues - in a good way! Get the deets in The Shopping Guide.

Don't forget to check out these two other Guides as well, as you mix and match dates and events for your weekend entertainment!

March's Second Saturday Guide for Beacon Art Showings

 Second Saturday Happenings on March 12, 2016!

The BeaconArts Official Logo for Second Saturday.

"Second Saturday" is a lively day into night in Beacon, and is a celebration of Beacon's galleries, restaurants and other businesses arts on the second Saturday of every month. According to Dan Rigney, current 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 is a great reason to "walk" Main Street and beyond and explore the events going on around town. It's always a pleasure eating and drinking your way through Beacon, so this guide will help you know 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 a 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. A new municipal lot opened near Fishkill Creek, near the mountain.
• Live-tweet your way through Second Saturday by using the hashtag created by BeaconArts: #2SAT, 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 9pm in our Restaurant Guide. 
Bank Square 129 Main St.
Chill Wine Bar 173 Main St.
Poppy's Burger and Fries 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 Vault 446 Main St.
Joe's Irish Pub 455 Main St.
The Hop 554 Main St.
(reservations usually needed for food)
Roundhouse 2 East Main St.
Dogwood 47 East Main St.

There's so much going on - keep your eyes on our Things To Do In Beacon Guides for all dates!
Leave all Guides open on your phone because they include addresses and phone numbers. Tap on a phone number to call anyone!

****************************************

NEAR THE TRAIN, BEFORE MAIN STREET

Dia:Beacon

Dia:Beacon
3 Beekman St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-0100

Special for Second Saturday: Have you ever wondered what "radical materiality" is? Well, wonder no more. Come visit Dia:Beacon for a symposium (the first of two) on painter Robert Ryman, known particularly for his white-on-white abstract paintings.  
For the monthly Gallery Talk: Claire Gilman on Sol LeWitt. Gilman, senior curator at The Drawing Center in New York City, will discuss the works of Connecticut-born Sol LeWitt, who worked as a graphic artist during his Korean War service before finding his way to architectural drafting and, ultimately, art. Gallery Talks at Dia:Beacon take place the second Saturday of every month at 2 pm. Focusing on the work of a single artist on view at Dia:Beacon, these one-hour walk-throughs are led by curators, art historians, and writers. Free with admission to the museum. (Don't forget: Beacon residents get in free on weekends!)

More details at Dia:Beacon.
Hours: 11:30 am to 4 pm

Art in the Sanctuary at St. Andrew's

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
15 South Ave.
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: Photos in the new "Freedom!" exhibit trace one parishioner's pilgrimage through South Africa a year ago, from a monastery and school, to safari, to Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 imprisoned years). The exhibit's pieces explore the different facets of freedom in a society where so many were restrained for so long. Framed prints will be for sale; proceeds will benefit the Holy Cross School in Grahamstown. 
Hours: 4 pm to 6 pm

****************************************

THE WEST END

(Close to the train station)

Scribbleheads at Catalyst Gallery

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: Tom Moore's Scribbleheads take over Catalyst for the month, celebrating the gallery's third anniversary! The pop-up shop will have live drawing events, artwork, installations, merchandise, NEON!, and more. Keep your eyes peeled for additional hours through March 29. 
Hours: Opening reception, 6 pm to 9 pm

"Regeneration" at Theo Ganz

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.
Second Saturday: "Regeneration," recent paintings by Samantha Beste, takes on New York cityscapes. Chile-born Beste splits her time between Beacon and Manhattan, and always has a camera with her to capture inspiration. The resulting paintings simultaneously celebrate and eulogize the city's constantly changing scenery.
Hours: Opening reception, 6 pm to 8 pm

Kaiju Battlers at Clutter

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. Works are a variety of sizes.
Second Saturday: The "Kaiju Battlers" exhibition showcases artists' takes on "the classic two-figure battle pack — a set of two creatures or monstrous humanoids ready to spring into combat with one another," according to the gallery. Artists work in pairs, battling each other's designs. Artists include Awesome Toy, Bwana Spoons, Cop a Squat Toys, Galaxy People, GEEK!, Kenth Toy Works, Mark Nagata, Max Nagata, Mechavirus, Mr. Krotpong, Mutant Vinyl Hardcore, Plaseebo, Psycho Scimitar, Rampage Toys, Secret Demon Services, Skullmark Toys, SLAVExONE, Splurrt, TAN, and Violence Toy.
Hours: Opening reception 6 pm to 9 pm
 

RiverWinds Gallery

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: The second annual Artist Book Show features paintings, photography, poetry, recipes, and other creative expressions, all linked by the bound format. Artists include Mariella Bisson, Virginia Donovan, Shelley Lowell, Diane-Ellen McCarron, Linda T. Hubbard, Lisa Levart, Eric Lindbloom, Rafael Quirindongo, Cali Gorevic, Annette Josephine Brocks, Lisa Caron Hickey, Galina Krasskove, Grace Palmer, and Kat Stoutenborough.
Hours: Opening reception, 5 pm to 8 pm
 

Artisan Wine Shop
180 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-6923
Special for Second Saturday: Try some new bottlings from around the world, just for fun or with an eye toward meal pairings. Several wines will be poured for tasting - and there might just be a snack, too!
Hours: 10 am to 7 pm; tasting, 3 pm to 6 pm
   

Flora

Flora Garden and Home
197 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 764-1886
Special for Second Saturday: Just in time to usher in the spring gardening season, Flora is displaying the photos of Beacon gardener extraordinaire Philomena Kiernan. Get inspired to grow your own beauty, find locally made garden gear, and maybe even take home some greenery. Who knows? It could be photos of your garden adorning walls, someday.
Hours: 11 am to 8 pm



Beacon Institute for Rivers & Estuaries 

Beacon Institute

199 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-1600
This historic brick storefront houses the Institute’s gallery, Hudson River bookstore and gift shop, and its administrative headquarters. The gallery showcases river and environmentally themed art and educational exhibits. Events feature talks by artists and regional Hudson Valley authors.
Special for Second Saturday: The historic Mount Beacon Incline Railway gets a spotlight in this exhibit, which features large-format photography, digital renderings, animations, and infographics, all exploring the Incline Railway’s early origins in shaping Beacon. The exhibition explores the initiative to bring back the Incline Railway, through the lenses of a historic narrative and an eye toward the future.
Click here for more event details.
Hours: 11 am to 3 pm

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THE MIDDLE & "MARKET SQUARE"

The start of The Middle, aka "Market Square"

CoMFY 16 at Howland Public Library

Howland Public Library
313 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-1134

Each month, the library features the work of Hudson Valley photographers and artists. (Please note, the gallery may not be accessible during some library programs.)

Special for Second Saturday: CoMFY 16 is a group show featuring the work of more than 20 visual artists living in and around Beacon. CoMFY the group began almost five years ago when Beacon-area women rallied around an art/work/life balance conversation (as though the realms could be divided), eventually meeting weekly and organizing group shows. This exhibition includes photography, pottery, paintings, and mixed media works.

Hours: 10 am to 4 pm (library hours); reception 5 pm to 7 pm

Binnacle Books
321 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-6191
Special for Second Saturday: Beacon's newest used-new bookstore will screen short films. Sam Green, based in San Francisco and New York, is a documentary filmmaker whose work has been nominated for an Academy Award. Check it out - you might see one of his shorts this weekend, and when it wins big, you can say you knew about it from Beacon...
Hours: Noon to 7 pm

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THE EAST END & BEYOND

(Close to the mountain)

The start of the East End of Main Street and beyond.

"Rational Curves" at Matteawan Gallery

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: "Rational Curves" features the abstract work of three artists, curated by Robert Otto Epstein (who himself had a solo show at Matteawan in July 2014). Matt Phillips' paintings (right) incorporate silica mixed with pigment to lend unusual texture to the surface. Ryan DaWalt is transcending "typical" paint as well, using steel, magnets, Masonite, and linen. Sculptor Joy Curtis creates both wall-mounted works and freestanding pieces, transforming cotton, plaster, paper, mirrors, and other materials in works that evoke the corporal.

Hours: Opening reception, 6 pm to 9 pm

Morphicism Gallery

Morphicism
444 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-3092
Moveable art in frames - art you must see and experience.
Hours: Call first

  

"East End of Main" at 3B Gallery

3B Gallery

458 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-6782
Special for Second Saturday: Step back in time as the Beacon Historical Society presents "East End of Main - A Journey Into the Past." The exhibition includes vintage photographs and ephemera from the side of Beacon that, until 1913, made up the village of Matteawan. The display highlights old-fashioned storefronts and factories, the Matteawan Railroad Station and tracks, the original Howland Library, our beloved dummy light and more.
Hours: 11 am to 6 pm; reception, 6 pm to 9 pm

Back Room Gallery

Back Room Gallery
475 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-1838
Find 30 artists showing here, from large paintings to small collectibles. Also find art supplies such as sketch pads and charcoal pencils. And if you're with a man who wants to skip the art but loves anything to do with the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, send him to the actual "back room" of this gallery for a viewing of a very valuable collection of War art on crepe fabric.
Special for Second Saturday: Stop in and find out!
Hours: LATE

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: To commemorate and celebrate Women's History Month, the Howland Cultural Center presents more than 40 female artists from around the Hudson Valley. The mixed-media exhibition includes painting, sculpture, fabric arts, ceramics, and photography. Many of these artists live right here in Beacon; come say hi and show some neighborly love!

Hours: Opening reception, 3 pm to 5 pm

BAU Gallery

BAU Gallery
506 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-7584
bau (Beacon Artist Union) is a platform for members/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 the activities at bau and the community.
Special for Second Saturday: Bau 135! In the Main Gallery, you'll find 12 Members and a Marble Machine. That's right, Beacon's very own marble-driven art-making machine, yielding a Japanese sumi-e style print. Come and make your own print!
In the Beacon Room, Catherine Latson's "Tapioca Bride" explores the language of clothing, using only repurposed organic (that is, straight out of nature) materials, including roots, leaves, petals, and shells, to craft "whimsical and improbable reinventions of the packages we put ourselves in."
Hours: Noon to 6 pm; reception from 6 pm to 9 pm

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BEACON near RT. 52

(Beacon's part of Rt. 52 that heads into or out of town.)

Atelier Room 205

Studios at the Old Beacon High School
211 Fishkill Ave.
Beacon, NY
Second Saturday: Atelier Room 205
This Painters' Salon event takes a look at what's happening in the Cuban art scene. Cuban-American painter Enrique Flores Galbis will be showing his work and discussing what it’s like to be an artist in Cuba, and how to travel there. There is no fee, no RSVP necessary.
Hours: 1 pm to 3 pm

Don't forget to check out these two other Guides as well, as you mix and match dates and events for your weekend entertainment!

January's Second Saturday Guide for Beacon Art Showings

 Second Saturday Happenings on January 9, 2016!

The BeaconArts Logo for Second Saturday.

"Second Saturday" is a lively day into night in Beacon, and is a celebration of Beacon's galleries, restaurants and other businesses arts on the second Saturday of every month. According to Dan Rigney, current 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 is a great reason to "walk" Main Street and beyond and explore the events going on around town. It's always a pleasure eating and drinking your way through Beacon, so this guide will help you know 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 a 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. A new municipal lot opened near Fishkill Creek, near the mountain.
• Live-tweet your way through Second Saturday by using the hashtag created by BeaconArts: #2SAT, 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 9pm in our Restaurant Guide. 
Bank Square 129 Main St.
Chill Wine Bar 173 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 Vault 446 Main St.
Joe's Irish Pub 455 Main St.
The Hop 554 Main St.
(reservations usually needed for food)
Roundhouse 2 East Main St.
Dogwood 47 East Main St.

There's so much going on - keep your eyes on our Things To Do In Beacon Guides for all dates!
Leave all Guides open on your phone because they include addresses and phone numbers. Tap on a phone number to call anyone!

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NEAR THE TRAIN, BEFORE MAIN STREET

Dia:Beacon

Dia:Beacon
3 Beekman St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-0100

Special for Second Saturday:  Community Free Day! Residents of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties receive free admission to the museum (with proof of residence). Activities take place all day: "Experiments in Looking" (11:30 am) is a family-friendly trip through the works of Dan Flavin, Blinky Palermo (an instant kid favorite based on name alone!), and Robert Irwin, led by artist educator Alisa Besher; "Experience and Perception in Painting" (1 pm) examines the medium's possibilities via works by three artists, guided by Dia's Ellen Siebers; "Dia Teens: Open Lab" (1 pm) encourages adolescents to discuss and debate the work of an artist (Robert Ryman); John Chamberlain's metal sculpture is the focus of curator Alex Klein's walk-through Gallery Talk (2 pm); Beer Tasting (3 pm) with Beacon's own 2 Way Brewing Company.
Don't forget: Beacon residents get in free on weekends!

More details at Dia:Beacon.
Hours: 11 am to 4 pm

Music in the Sanctuary at St. Andrew's

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
15 South Ave.
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: It might be chilly outside, but St. Andrew's Music in the Sanctuary is sure to warm your soul. "Jazz to Chase the Blues Away" is a program of classics from the American songbook and beyond, performed by Dead End Beverly (aka Angela Devine and Daniel Rayner).
Hours: 4 pm to 6 pm

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THE WEST END

(Close to the train station)

Small Works Show at Catalyst Gallery

Catalyst Gallery 
137 Main St.
Beacon, NY

(845) 204-3844

An artist-run rental space in Beacon. 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: Last chance! The Small Works Show has been extended through this weekend. It showcases 150 works - paintings, drawings, photography, prints, mixed media and sculpture - by more than 70 artists, and everything is for sale.
Hours: Noon to 8 pm; closing reception 5 to 8 pm

Theo Ganz Studio

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.
Second Saturday: "Small Things, Tall Things, Red Things, Dead Things," botanical photographs by Lori Adams. Her family's long history with photography impelled Adams (based in East Fishkill) to turn her passion for plants into prints. The details she captures can be seen with the naked eye, but Adams' use of macro photography really brings the precise nature of her specimens to the fore.
Hours: Noon to 5 pm

"Political Theatre" at Hudson Beach Glass/Fovea

Hudson Beach Glass / Fovea
162 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-0068
A glass studio 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: Upstairs in the gallery space, witness the return of Fovea Exhibitions' photojournalism showcase. "Political Theatre, photographs by Mark Peterson," examines those vying for office in this year's presidential election.
Hours: 10 am to 9 pm; opening reception 5 to 9, with a talk from the photographer at 6:30
 

Dunny customized by Artmymind at Clutter

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. Works are a variety of sizes.
Second Saturday: After the smashing success of last year's Dunny show, Clutter (joining forces with KidRobot) welcomes back artists for more custom fun! The list of participating artists includes: Abell Octovan, Andrea Kang, Artmymind, Brent Nolasco, Charles Rodriguez, Chris Ryniak, Dolly Oblong, fplus, Amanda Louise Spayd, Gary Ham, Gianluca Traina, Ian Ziobrowski/Nugglife, Jenn & Tony Bot, kaNO, Mab Graves, Quiccs, RxSeven, Seymour, Sket One & Jamie Lee Cortez, and Yu Maeda. Artists will be using the hashtag #DTADunnyShow as they post images of their works-in-progress leading up the show, so keep your eyes peeled for the latest - then come see the figures in person!
Hours: 10 am to 6 pm; opening reception 6 to 9
 

iEurope at RiverWinds

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: "iEurope: Strange Beauties" is a collection of photos from Galina Krasskova and Mary Ann Glass, who toured Baroque churches in Poland, Czech Republic, and Cologne, Germany, after their residency in Poland last summer. 
Hours: Noon to 9 pm; artists' reception 5 to 8
 

Artisan Wine Shop
180 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-6923
Special for Second Saturday: Try some new bottlings from around the world, just for fun or with an eye toward meal pairings. Several wines will be poured for tasting - and there might just be a snack, too!
Hours: 10 am to 7 pm; tasting 3 pm to 6 pm
   


Beacon Institute for Rivers & Estuaries 

Beacon Institute

199 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-1600
This historic brick storefront houses the Institute’s gallery, Hudson River bookstore and gift shop, and its administrative headquarters. The gallery showcases river and environmentally themed art and educational exhibits. Events feature talks by artists and regional Hudson Valley authors.
Special for Second Saturday: The historic Mount Beacon Incline Railway gets a spotlight in this exhibit, which features large-format photography, digital renderings, animations, and infographics, all exploring the Incline Railway’s early origins in shaping Beacon. The exhibition explores the initiative to bring back the Incline Railway, through the lenses of a historic narrative and an eye toward the future.
Click here for more event details.
Hours: 11 am to 3 pm

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THE MIDDLE & "MARKET SQUARE"

The start of The Middle, aka "Market Square"

Quinn's
330 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-1134
Special for Second Saturday: Beacon's favorite diner-turned-jazz/ramen/cocktail lounge plays host to MOVE IT baby MOVE IT! This special daytime family dance party will have food and drink specials as well as DJs, dancing, and face-painting! All proceeds will go toward hiring art, movement, and music teachers at Castle Point Early Childhood Learning Center (aka CPECLC). More information on the Facebook event page. 

Hours: 2 pm to 5 pm

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THE EAST END & BEYOND

(Close to the mountain)

The start of the East End of Main Street and beyond.

At Matteawan Gallery

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: Traditionally, the "Gallery" part of Matteawan Gallery closes for most of January, and one artist takes over on an installation basis for the month. This year, Beacon resident Jean-Marc Superville Sovak presents "I Draw & You Talk," an oral history project that combines portrait drawing with discussions of local issues and current events. He is particularly interested in working with people who don't think of themselves as the "type" to visit an art gallery. In addition to the drawing/talking, Superville Sovak will post a poll outside Matteawan, inviting passersby to weigh in, whether they decide to set foot in the gallery or not.
Hours: Noon to 5 pm

Morphicism Gallery

Morphicism
444 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-3092
Moveable art in frames. An art you must see and experience.
Hours: Call first

  

Back Room Gallery

Back Room Gallery
475 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-1838
Find 30 artists showing here, from large paintings to small collectibles. Also find art supplies such as sketch pads and charcoal pencils. And if you're with a man who wants to skip the art but loves anything to do with the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, send him to the actual "back room" of this gallery for a viewing of a very valuable collection of War art on crepe fabric.
Special for Second Saturday: Stop in and find out!
Hours: LATE

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: "Some Favorites," a group exhibition featuring the work of 14 photographers, including Mark Baylash, Alissa Corrado, Russell Cusick, Joan D'Emic, Christine Jacques, Dale Leifeste, Raphael Lopez, Susanne Moss, Jean Noack, Melissa Robin, Linda Schiller, Donald Whitely, Michael Wilmot, and John Wynn.
Hours: 1 pm to 5 pm

At BAU Gallery

BAU Gallery
506 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-7584
bau (Beacon Artist Union) is a platform for members/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 the activities at bau and the community.
Special for Second Saturday: In the Main Gallery, 12 members of BAU present colorful works. Artists include: Gary Jacketti, Joan Phares, Carla Goldberg, Russell Ritell, Herman Roggeman, Julie Jacobs, Tom Holmes, David Link, Grey Zeien, Melissa Robin, Eva Drizhal, Erica Caginalp, and Kirsten Lyons. In the Beacon Room, Dan McCormack presents "The Nude at Home," an extension of pinhole photography-based work he began in 1998.

Hours: Noon to 6 pm; reception from 6 pm to 9 pm

Don't forget to check out these two other Guides as well, as you mix and match dates and events for your weekend entertainment!

The "Welcome to Beacon" Sign - Who Are The Artists Behind The Letter Blocks?

The letter blocks at the top of the train station are the first hint that major creativity and involvement await visitors and prospective new residents when they exit the train to head up to the town of Beacon. Where did these letter blocks come from? Who designed and built them? Was it a city commissioned project? Those have often been my questions since I moved to Beacon in 2010, and it’s time we found out. Art awareness is especially high during the spring and summer months with projects like Beacon Open Studios, Windows on Main, and Beacon3D, so we wanted to explore the origins during this high-art season.

Like most notable projects that just appear around Beacon, the “Welcome to Beacon” sign was not a city-funded art installation. However, it has roots in city leader George Mansfield and others. To find out the origins of the “Welcome to Beacon” sign, we first went to BeaconArts for a clue. Kelly Ellenwood, Vice President of the BeaconArts Community Association, referred us to Kalene Rivers, co-founder of Open Space, an exhibition space created to explore passions for art, culture and design. Kalene and her partner Daniel Weise had a history of organizing and curating public art in Beacon like Electric Windows.

Open Space was approached years a go by city councilman George Mansfield when he was running for his first term, after he had placed a large campaign sign in the very spot that the letter blocks are currently installed today. The owner of the property gave George permission to place his sign there. According to Kalene, “After the election, George had the idea to continue to utilize the space for art. Partly inspired by a ‘You Are Beautiful’ project, we decided that an eclectic ‘Welcome to Beacon’ sign would be wonderful in this location. George and I invited fifteen artists to create the first round of letters back in 2010.”

If you have been familiar with Beacon since then, you will know that in 2014, the “Welcome to Beacon” sign got a total refresh with new designs for each letter. Personally, the blocks inspired the first design for A Little Beacon Blog’s original logo (has since had its own redesign), so I was especially interested in the new design and who the creators were behind each look.

Kalene, with the ongoing permission of the property owner, again asked fifteen new artists to participate. Says Kalene, “Heidi Harrison and Chris Janks graciously volunteered to assist in the production, and the second round of letters were completed in November of 2014. George Mansfield and Patrick Freeman come down to the site on a cold morning and carefully installed the new sign. We had an unveiling on November 15th and it has proudly welcomed people to Beacon ever since.“

We have the names of each artist behind a letter in a spread below. If you follow the #BeaconNY community on Instagram, you may have gotten to know the styles of a few artists, and you have probably guessed which artist did what letter. Before you read the names, see if you can guess which artist did which block! Otherwise, satisfy your curiosity right here!

Jessica Wickham

Emily Sylvester

Kalene Rivers

Andrea Moreau

Ed Benavente

Dharman Abdu

Rick Rogers

Theresa Gooby

Carla Goldberg

Dylan Assael

Fabhaus

Katrina Zezza

Jon Reichert

Joe Pimentel

Chris Janks