Second Saturday Art Gallery hop in Beacon

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For years, Beacon has had hoppin' Second Saturdays with gallery openings and art happenings. But art refuses to be confined to a hashtagged event schedule. That's why we've expanded this Guide to showcase as many art openings as we can within Beacon's city limits. Artistic endeavors are going up on walls (and sidewalks, and lawns) all the time around town, so keep your eyes glued to this space and refresh often to stay in the loop. We try to update the bulk of this Guide on the Monday before Second Saturday, or as venues list their happenings. But we're constantly updating the Guide as we hear about new events and openings.

Are you planning for the fourth Thursday of the month? Or maybe you're already a seasoned #2Sat pro? Skip the Second Saturday 101 below if you'd like, and head straight for the listings, starting with Dia: Beacon.

Our 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 near the Story Screen Beacon Theater. At the reading room, you’ll find not just rotating exhibits, but cool collections of handmade books that the public is encouraged to peruse.

Do you have an art opening coming up? Tell us about it: Drop a line to editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com with the who/what/when/where, and include a representative photo, to be considered for inclusion in this Guide. 

Second Saturday 101

Second Saturday is a lively day into night in Beacon, and is a celebration of Beacon's galleries, restaurants and other businesses on the second Saturday of every month. Dan Rigney, former president of BeaconArts (the organization who encouraged this movement to happen over a decade ago, and who still heavily promotes the events) says: "Back then, Beacon was one of the last places people outside of town thought to go on a Saturday night. Now Second Saturday has become a part of the fabric of Beacon. It's such a part of it, many galleries have their opening events on other Saturdays, so that they get two big crowds each month." Second Saturday provides a great reason to walk Main Street and beyond, and explore the events going on around town. It's always a pleasure to dine your way through Beacon, so turn to our Restaurant Guide to help you puzzle out where to eat and drink as you explore special exhibits and happenings.

What to Know About This Guide:

• This Guide includes gallery and art showings that may be hosted in the gallery or in a shop or restaurant.

• Many of these shows run through the current month, so check back often if you are on an art hunt.

• Closing times posted here are for Second Saturdays only, and may not reflect regular Saturdays. Always call an establishment directly for current hours, offerings, or any other questions.

• Parking can be found on side streets, on Main Street, and in municipal lots. Click here for A Little Beacon Blog's Free Public Parking Guide, with pictures and cross streets!

• Share your way through Second Saturday by using #2SAT, the hashtag created by BeaconArts, and tack on #beaconny or #SecondSaturday if you have room in your tweets or Instagram postings.

• If you are a gallery and have something special to add, please email editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com.

Late-Night (After 9pm) Spots to Eat and Drink: 

After you walk the galleries, you'll be hungry and need (another) drink! See our full list of restaurants who are open prior to 9 pm in our Restaurant Guide. 

• Bank Square 129 Main St.

• Chill Wine Bar 173 Main St.

• Meyer's Olde Dutch 184 Main St.

• Max's On Main 246 Main St.

• Baja 328 328 Main St.

• Quinn's 330 Main St.

• The Towne Crier (bar only) 379 Main St.

• Oak Vino Wine Bar 389 Main St. (call first to see if cheese plates and dessert are still being served!)

• Draught Industries 394 Main St.

• The Beacon Hotel Restaurant 424 Main St.

• The Vault 446 Main St.

• Joe's Irish Pub 455 Main St.

• Roundhouse 2 East Main St.

• Dogwood 47 East Main St.

• Melzingah Tap House 554 Main St.

Leave all of our Guides open on your phone, because they include addresses and phone numbers. Tap on a phone number to call anyone!

Second Saturday, September 14: Stay tuned! We’re updating frequently! In the meantime, check out our Event Guide to fill you in on the rest of the happenings - if you're out and about in Beacon and see something that you think we shouldn't miss, tag us on Twitter or in your photos on Instagram (we're @alittlebeacon on both). Now, let's get to September’s art openings and events. 

NEAR THE TRAIN, BEFORE MAIN STREET

Dia:Beacon
3 Beekman St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-0100
One of the preeminent modern art museums in the world, Dia:Beacon opened in 2003 in a former Nabisco box-printing factory on the shore of the Hudson River. Take a closer look at Dia:Beacon's giant shapes, piles of glass, grayscale geometry, neon tubes and so. much. more. Dia:Beacon offers complimentary admission with identification to all residents of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties on the last Sunday of every month. Dia:Beacon is free for residents of Beacon, Fishkill, Chelsea, and Glenham every Saturday and Sunday, year-round. (Thanks, Pete Seeger.)
Special for Second Saturday: Come see one of Dia’s most recent additions, the early work of Sam Gilliam, from the 1960s and 1970s. His draping pieces bring to mind Monet paintings that have come alive off the wall, as though they spent hours dancing, then ran out of steam mid-twirl.
Also: Saturday Studio! At 10:30 am, visitors can join practicing artists for a free workshop of family-friendly art-making and play in the Learning Lab. Saturday Studio begins at 10:30 am; sign-up begins in the admissions area at 10 am. Reservations are recommended but Dia keeps a few first-come, first-serve spots open! All families participating in Saturday Studio receive free admission to Dia:Beacon for the day. Once the Learning Lab wraps up, check out a guided tour of the museum at 12:30 or 2 pm. Reservations for the tour aren't necessary, but may be made at the admissions desk.
Hours: Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 6 pm (April-October hours)

Mother Gallery
1154 North Ave. (downstairs)
Beacon, NY
(845) 236-6039
Mother Gallery is a co-creative, artist-run, exhibition space located in Beacon, NY. Conceived and stewarded by Kirsten Deirup and Paola Oxoa to foster collaboration, community, and open dialogue amongst all people in the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Special for Second Saturday: Neither Devils Nor Divines opens, ushering in the first spooky scenes of fall with work from Mark Thomas Gibson and Rebecca Morgan. Through Sunday, October 13.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6; Second Saturday opening reception 5 to 8 pm

Parts & Labor Beacon
1154 North Ave. (upstairs)
Beacon, NY
(917) 664-8861
Beacon’s newest gallery uniquely pairs works by one younger or emerging artist and one more-established artist. Writer Alison Rooney and the gallery’s co-founders, Nicelle Beauchene and Franklin Parrasch, explain the concept really nicely in this recent Highlands Current piece.
Special for Second Saturday: Parts & Labor’s second show features new bronze sculptures by San Francisco-based artist Davina Semo, paired with a selection of historical paintings by Deborah Remington dating from 1964-2003. Through Sunday, September 29, 2019.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 pm, or by appointment

THE WEST END
(Close to the train station)

Beacon Visitors Center
1146 Wolcott Ave.
Beacon, NY
(At Polhill Park, on the triangle of land framed by Main Street, Wolcott Avenue, and South Avenue, next to Bank Square Coffee)
Beacon, NY
Special for Second Saturday: What’s more Beacon than blending cutting-edge art with an open-air performance? Catch the fourth installment of the “semi-bi-annual” event “Space Out, Outside,” featuring the electronic musical skills of John Lutz, Mark Trecks, Nathan Yeager, Craig Chin, and Thom Uliasz. Tune in here for a bit of the third performance.
Hours: Saturday (September 14), 4 to 6 pm, weather-permitting (we’ll keep you posted if we hear of a possible rain date)

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: Samantha Palmeri brings new paintings and works on paper to Catalyst in The Things Between Us. To learn more about Samantha, check out this interview we did a couple of years ago as she took the reins to run Beacon Open Studios (scroll down a bit to “The New Director”). Through Monday, September 30.
Hours: Open weekends, noon to 6 pm (or contact an artist to schedule an appointment); Second Saturday, open until 9 pm

Bannerman Island Gallery
150 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 416-8342
This gallery is devoted to showcasing the beauty of Bannerman Island Castle, as well as the Hudson Highlands that surround the former arsenal. Works in the gallery are available for purchase, benefiting the Bannerman Castle Trust's preservation efforts.
Special for Second Saturday: Beacon artist Andre Junget brings drawings, renderings, scratch board and hand-pulled lithograph prints to Bannerman Island Gallery. Through Sunday, October 6.
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 pm, weekdays by appointment; Second Saturday opening reception, 6 to 8 pm

Beacon Fine Art Gallery at The Inn & Spa at Beacon
151 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 205-2900
Special for Second Saturday: The lobby of The Inn & Spa at Beacon has been rededicated as the Beacon Fine Art Gallery! Stop by to see the representational landscape and still-life paintings of Keith Gunderson. Glass works from Barbara Galazzo also will be on view, as well as paintings by Anamario Hernandez and the photography of Smiljana Peros.
Hours: Daily, 11 am to 5 pm

Darryl’s
155 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-2808
Special for Second Saturday: The clothing we normally spy here could be described as wearable art, but the shop owners have decided to celebrate Beacon tradition and put up some fine art. Continuing Darryl’s Second Saturday participation is art from Catherine Welshman. She has participated in group and solo shows around Beacon for a long time, and with this exhibition of oil paintings, she adds another venue to her list.
Hours: Daily, 11 am to 6 pm

Marion Royael Gallery
159 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(727) 244-5535
Special for Second Saturday: How sweet it is! A new batch of treats is ready to be revealed behind the gallery, in MR Yard. This cozy space packs in a lot of art. (We wrote about the gallery and yard a couple years ago, here.) Take a peek, take your time, look around.
Ongoing: Inside the gallery, see Candelabra: Things That Carry the Light of the World, featuring "finely executed visual perspectives" in various mediums by more than a dozen artists. What carries the light of the world to you? How do you carry light? Don't hide it under a bushel. Bring it to Main Street and the MR Gallery. 
In the MR Yard outside, don't miss The Bird's Nest, a site-specific installation.
Hours: Noon to 7 pm (sometimes later)

Hudson Beach Glass / Fovea
162 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-0068
This glass studio has been casting functional and sculptural objects for over 20 years - a truly special establishment to have in Beacon. Stop in to find blown-glass objects of all kinds, from lights to bowls to wind chimes. Sometimes on Second Saturday, you can watch them blow glass!
Special for Second Saturday: Canopy - works from Gail Robinson, Marieken Cochius, and Marlene Lipinski - opens, in conjunction with Chris Davison Gallery. Visit this exhibition to see how the three artists reference the forest’s top layers, always reaching, using layers of meaning like layers of paint - or leaves.
Also opening: Downstairs in the main part of the Hudson Beach Glass store, you’ll see 1000 Cranes suspended from the ceiling, flying through the air. The origami art installation is a project of Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), and shows work made by RTA prisoner-members at Fishkill Correctional Facility. It might seem an odd pairing, but RTA participants have a recidivism (return to prison) rate of less than 7 percent, way better than the national average of more than 50 percent. Outcomes like that are good for everyone. Through Sunday, September 29.
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, 6 to 9 pm

Clutter Magazine Gallery
163 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(212) 255-2505
The Clutter Gallery is a branch of the Clutter Media Group family, and is focused on showing quality work by both established and emerging artists in the fields of toy design and customization, as well as modern pop and lowbrow art. Clutter Gallery's exhibitions are open to the public and free of charge. 
Special for Second Saturday: Three shows take over the gallery this month. First up, The Revenge of Planet Rainbow Sparkles. It almost sounds sinister, but I’m not buying it. More than 50 artists are going to be sharing hundreds of cute pieces, organized by hue. It’s a really neat visual effect and you shouldn’t miss it. Because hundreds of pieces in one show aren’t enough, Clutter is also packing in The Cute, the Weird, and the Derpy, a Sad Salesman solo show (come make a friend, and cheer him up!), as well as The Forest Awakens, more super-cuteness from Beanie Bat. Many of the participating artists will be in attendance this Second Saturday, so come meet them! Come for the art, stay for the refreshments: Second Saturdays at Clutter have libations from Lagunitas Beer!
Hours: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm; Saturdays, noon to 5 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, 6 to 9 pm

RiverWinds Gallery
172 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-2880
RiverWinds Gallery features Hudson Valley artists. Work includes fine art paintings and photography, plus contemporary crafts including ceramics, jewelry, fiber arts and more.
Special for Second Saturday: It’s not often we get to see such a marked evolution in a painter’s style, unless they’re super famous and it’s a retrospective. (Dia probably has something to fit that bill, though, if you head down the hill.) Lucky for us, Virginia Donovan is going to exhibit both her beautiful, traditional landscape oil paintings right alongside her newer work, vibrant contemporary acrylic works. Of the dichotomy, she says: “The landscape paintings tend to be of places I have loved, that really spoke to me and added roots to my life. In the contemporary work, I am paying attention to feelings and events that have moved me and grounded me.” See the evolution in person at RiverWinds. Through Sunday, October 6.
Hours: Monday, noon to 4 pm; Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, noon to 5 pm; Saturday, noon to 6 pm with a opening reception from 6 to 9 pm

Beacon Institute for Rivers & Estuaries
199 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 838-1600
This historic brick storefront houses a variety of Institute programs: the WOW! gallery, the Hudson River bookstore and gift shop, its administrative headquarters, and a new venture, Sensor Place. Events feature talks by artists and regional Hudson Valley authors.
Special for Second Saturday: Local luminary Pete Seeger would have turned 100 years old recently. He fought tooth and nail for the health of the Hudson River, so in reflecting on his legacy, consider doing a little homework on local ecology. John Sabraw’s Anthrotopographies invites viewers through landscapes equally sublime and terrifying, unearthing the beauty and brutality of topographies (the surface of the landscape) affected by extraction of natural resources. Discover how Sabraw translates raw materials and pollutants like toxic acid mine drainage (AMD) into pigments, and uses advanced tools to burn and excavate his pieces, echoing extractive practices in his work. Through October 2019.
Hours: Friday and Saturday, 3 to 7 pm; Sunday, noon to 4 pm

THE MIDDLE & MARKET SQUARE

Howland Public Library
313 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-1134
Special for Second Saturday: The second annual Spirit of Beacon exhibit opens. HPL and the Spirit of Beacon Committee asked the community to submit photos they felt captured the essence of the "Spirit of Beacon." This year more than 30 local photographers answered the call, and the selected works, curated by Michelle Rivas and Jennifer Blakeslee, will be on view in this annual community “portrait” of the City. Through Sunday, October 6.
Hours: The Community Room is open during regular library hours; Second Saturday opening reception, 5 to 7 pm

THE EAST END & BEYOND
(Closer to the mountain)

Howling at the Edge of Chaos
428 Main St.
Beacon, NY
As of December 2018, Howling at the Edge of Chaos has closed after owner Valerie J. Mitchell was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Read more in our article about the store closing. Then keep in mind, as Valerie posted on Instagram, “What is important to you? Stop saying you don’t have time and start saying I made time for this ____. See where that takes you.” Sadly, Valerie passed away in May.

Morphicism
444 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-3092
Moveable art in frames - art you must see and experience. Jay Palefsky taught art in New York high schools for more than two decades, then packed his bags to pursue life as an artrepreneur, with a steadfast commitment to doing things differently. 
Hours: Call for hours and events

No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works
469 Main St. 
Beacon, NY
Two doors west of the Howland Center, No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works is an artist-run venue, featuring select artists’ books, artist photobookworks, photography books, work on paper and poetry from small and independent presses. Contact Paulette Myers-Rich at photobookworks@gmail.com for additional information. 
Special for Second Saturday: The reading room returns from summer break, reopening for the fall with Hatched in the Drift, works on paper by Mariam Aziza Stephan and poetry by Julia Johnson. Also on display are books recommended by the artists, as well as selections from the Reading Room archive that relate to their project. Photo Book Works will host a reception with the artists on Saturday, October 12, from 5 to 8 pm.
Ongoing at the Reading Room: Poetry, photography and artists' books published by small and independent presses, including local writers and artists, are always available for browsing and for sale. Also on display and available for purchase are books by Hudson Valley artists and poets.
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, noon to 8 pm

TERRESON:BEACON
475 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(914) 772-6570
Jeffrey Terreson's paintings are in the collections of various Fortune 500 companies, as well as the United Nations. His work is inspired by 20th-century post-war masters such as Julian Schnabel, Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko and Joan Snyder. 
Hours: By appointment; Second Saturday, usually 10 am to 10 pm

Maria Lago Studio 502
502 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 765-8421
Maria Lago's super-textural paintings come to life with her larger-than-life sculptures. Her gallery is filled with the looming, evocative figures. Come meet Women Warriors, Maria Lago's latest painted additions to her family of haunting, elongated beings.
Hours: Call for hours

Bau Gallery
506 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 440-8089
Bau (Beacon Artist Union) is a platform for members and artists to grow, present and market their work and collaborative curatorial projects, while hosting events of related disciplines: performances, talks, film and music. BAU builds a vital link between artists' activities and rest of the community.
Special for Second Saturday: Joan Phares’ Beached came to life after the artist spent a lot of time on Cape Cod, and binge-watched a program set in coastal England. Drenching her imagination in working boats and humble homes “[infused her] penchant for the darker less tangible aspects of life inspired by found objects," and launched this show.
In Gallery 2: Andrew Rust Barger’s Porch will see a revival, as the piece takes on a new form within the gallery walls of Bau. The work reminds viewers of the ways that homes’ front porches create and nurture community interaction. Get inspired! Fall is the perfect time to do some porch hanging with your neighbors and friends.
In the Beacon Room: Small works from Bau members. All through Sunday, October 6.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 pm; Second Saturday opening reception, 6 to 9 pm

Russell Cusick Gallery
530 Main St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 202-7787
Way down to the East End, right across from the Roundhouse, you'll find Russell Cusick's gallery. He has transmuted photography and painted Hudson Valley vistas, rendering the familiar scenes into hypervivid dreamscapes. But he's also known for turning manhole covers into art. (Yes, really. See for yourself!)
Hours: Call for hours and Second Saturday happenings.

BEACON near Route 52

The Lofts at Beacon Gallery
18 Front St.
Beacon, NY
(845) 202-7211
The Lofts at Beacon brought back to life a 19th-century brick mill that once made textiles in the Hudson Valley, located by the Fishkill Creek and situated near the Hudson River in the artists' haven town of Beacon. The Lofts have been completely remodeled into beautiful spaces, providing excellent loft rental units for the working artist.
Through Monday, September 16: Community members have made environmental awareness posters, sharing ideas for taking care of the environment. The 50th anniversary of Earth Day will be next year. It was first celebrated in 1970 to promote ecology and the respect for life on the planet as well as to encourage awareness of the growing problems of air, water and soil pollution. The objective of this small exhibit is to increase community, which can lead to more people collaborating and working together for natural environmental solutions.
Hours: Call ahead of time