Plus, it’s Upstate Art Weekend
Clear the decks this weekend because the city’s thriving art scene is about to take over with Beacon Open Studios 2026 summer show. Art lovers will be able to peruse the work of scores of local artists from Friday, June 26th until Sunday, June 28th.
Beacon Open Studios City Takeover
The city’s artistic community has been welcoming the public into its private studios and installing art in public spaces for Beacon Open Studios for more than 15 years. This self-guided weekend tour invites art-lovers into artists’ studios from noon until 6 PM each day.
Everything kicks off with an opening reception for the Artist Group Show which is on Friday, June 26th from 6 PM at The Yard (4 Hanna Lane). There’s also live music from Broadway in Beacon’s Will Reynolds, and the premiere of a collaborative performance by Skyla Schreter and visual artist Aaron Sanders.
Roughly 26 artists will feature at The Yard, and there’s another 40 locations to visit including artists’ studios and galleries in and around Beacon’s historic backstreets and Main Street. Hudson Beach Glass (162 Main Street) is also showcasing work from participating artists in their second-floor gallery. All in, almost 80 artists are participating.
Visit beaconopenstudios.com for the online map and a list of all participating artists and venues, including some local businesses.
Here’s a taste of what to expect beyond the Group Show at The Yard.
Off Main Street
That Creative Space (333 Fishkill Avenue)
At That Creative Space, founder Stacey Burgay is hosting a show with work from five studio artists including Jalyn Thedford, Natalie Downey, Emily Clare Zempel, Gia Shakur, and Stacey herself. Artists Margot Kingon of Second Wave Supplies and Kelly Kingman will also feature.
Main Street Businesses Supporting Local Art
- Where: Multiple locations
Bank Square Coffee (129 Main Street) offers the first stop on Main Street from the Beacon Metro North train station. Grab a coffee here and take in the work of fine artist Andy Hornberger.
Hudson Beach Glass second-floor gallery (162 Main Street) features a broad collection of work from the 2026 Beacon Open Studios artists.
Adaptogenic drinks destination, Elixxr Café (304 Main Street), will be showcasing the work of abstract artist Jess Kravit.
LotusWorks Wellness (261 Main Street) will feature work from co-owner Skyla Schreter, who will also be performing at the opening reception on Friday evening.
Håkan Chocolatier (462 Main Street) features a collection of work from Evan Samuelson. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Samuelson’s work has adorned Håkan’s walls for past Beacon Open Studio shows. Stop by and grab a much-needed iced drink and a tasty bon bon or two before heading off to the next art spot.
Another Door (468-470 Main Street) is showcasing the work of printmaker and multimedia artist Polly Perkins. Be sure to stay and peruse Another Door’s treasure trove of vintage and consignment clothing while you’re there.
One of Beacon’s favorite coffee shops, Trax Coffee Roasters (1 East Main Street), is giving space to Michael Fox who specializes in oil and cold wax paintings that often focus on expressive, figurative, and abstract themes.
Artist Spotlight
Beacon Open Studios offers the chance to discover exemplary local artists—some emerging and others well-established— working across every imaginable medium including oil, sculpture, photography, 3D printmaking, lithography, and more.
Here’s a spotlight on just some you’ll encounter in and around the backstreets of Beacon.
Anna West (57 Dutchess Terrace)
Anna West started her artistic career in photography, shooting punk bands and eventually playing in one herself. She started to paint with oils on canvas in 1999, and paints daily since moving to Beacon in 2004. You can catch her Beacon-themed show “12508” at Hudson Beach Glass, which opens next month on July 11th.
Edward Miller (71 Maple Street)
Edward Miller is an illustrator and graphic designer who specializes in children’s book illustration and product design. His colorful, playful illustrations can be found in the Beacon Historical Society’s new kids’ book, “Hop On The Bus! Let’s Explore Beacon.” If you’re on Main Street, look for his REV250 illustrations on flyers telling the stories of Beacon’s role in the beginning of America on storefront windows. He’ll be showing art prints, collages, greeting cards, and Beacon specific art prints.
Thomas Kenny (365 Verplanck Avenue)
Thomas Kenny is a versatile multimedia fine artist who has long graced the Beacon arts scene, working in oil, gouache, digital, drawing, and photo-based mixed media.
Erica Hauser, Jennifer Blakeslee, and Denise deVore (24 Van Nydeck Avenue)
These three artists are collectively showcasing their diverse range of work at their salon studio throughout the weekend. You’ll especially enjoy Blakeslee’s 2026 colorful, encaustic mixed media pieces if you like tiny art.
Go Deep With An Artist Talk
- Where: Distortion Society (155 Main Street)
- When: Sunday, June 28, 2026, 2:00 PM
Distortion Society Gallery Director Michelle Silver sits down with installation artist Josué Morales Urbina to discuss his practice which centers on the idea of transcultural displacement; the theme embedded in his current solo exhibition, Larrupin. This free event is open to everyone.
Upstate Art Weekend
The sixth annual Upstate Art Weekend (UAW)—taking place across the Hudson Valley and Catskills —coalesces with Beacon Open Studios across the city. Here’s details of some of the UAW participants.
There’s Extra Hours At BAU Gallery (506 Main Street)
BAU Gallery is presenting its all-member exhibition Convergence 2026. BAU offers emerging and mid-career artists a venue to engage communities in conversation about the meaning of artmaking. Its 14 members’ practices span drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, sound, and more.
Participating artists: Robin Adler, Karen Allen, Bob Barry, Joel Brown, Dan Florin, Nate Hill, Nataliya Hines, George Kimmerling, Linda Lauro-Lazin, Nansi T. Lent, Síle Marrinan, Soli Pierce, Eileen Sackman, and Ilse Schreiber-Noll.
For UAW, there’s additional gallery opening hours:
- Thursday, June 25 | 4 to 8 pm
- Friday, June 26 | 1 to 8 pm
- Saturday, June 27 | 12 to 8 pm
- Sunday, June 28 | 12 to 6 pm
Special Events At Dia Beacon
Stop by Dia Beacon (3 Beekman Street) on Friday, June 26, for the opening day of an exhibition by Italian conceptual artist Alighiero Boetti. Plus, stay to view the recently opened show of influential American sculptor John Chamberlain.
On Saturday, June 27, Dia members are invited to a special tour of two concurrent Boetti presentations. A walk-through of Tutto Boetti 1966–1993 at Magazzino Italian Art will be led by Magazzino chief docent Greg Slick. Then the group will head to Dia where curator and co–department head Matilde Guidelli-Guidi will present Alighiero Boetti. If you’re not already a member, head to Dia’s membership page and sign up today if reading this is giving you a sense of FOMO.
Last Weekend For Museum of Fishes & Greens
- When: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Where: Scenic Hudson’s River Center, Long Dock Park
Presented by Soon Is Now, this colorful multimedia installation focuses on climate, craft, and food with batik saris, handmade paper, handcrafted books, and three films. Food Studio Collective, artists and curators in Kolkata, and women in the Sundarbans in West Bengal, India created the show.
Shigeko Kubota Video Art Foundation (20 West Main Street)
This exhibition is an update of SKVAF’s “Restored in Beacon” program, highlighting recent and in-progress restorations of Shigeko Kubota’s work. There are also interactive analog video installations.
While there is an abundance of art to take in, the good news is that it’s all neatly contained within a five-mile radius, and Beacon is a highly walkable city. If you come by car, it’s probably best to park in one of the city’s 12 free parking lots, if possible, and walk from studio to gallery to another studio, and so on. Explore our Arts & Culture Directory for all of Beacon’s gallery destinations.
And when you need a refuel or hydration break, dip into our Eat & Drink Directory for everywhere you need to know for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or just a quick coffee. Plus, there’s no shortage of one-of-a-kind independent stores to satisfy the most discerning shoppers if you get the urge for some retail therapy.
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Until next time…
The Beacon Beacon🧡