Transgender Day of Remembrance Recognized In Beacon By BeaconLGBTQ

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Wednesday, November 20, 2024 was Transgender Day of Remembrance. One place it was recognized in Beacon was by BeaconLGBTQ at The Yard Beacon. The event featured food, drink and community. The event was designated free, sober, and kid friendly. BeaconLGBTQ described the day as: “Transgender Day of Remembrance: A day dedicated to honoring the memory of transgender individuals whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.”

The artwork they used to promote the event was a portrait of Cecilia Gentili by the artist Gabriel García Román who is based in Newburgh. He describes his experience photographing her here. Learn more about Cecilia’s expansive life, community service, and death here.

BeaconLGBTQ listed names on what they called an “official record of community members we have lost this year to anti-trans violence.” However, they emphasized: “Not listed are the countless Trans folks whose lives gone too soon from a million micro-aggressions, trauma and no hope. As well we know that many of our community members are mis-gendered and/or ignored, so the numbers and the names are under reported.” More names and portraits can be found here at www.transremembrance.org

San Coleman
Honee Daniels
Kassim Omar
Redd (also known as Barbie)
Tai Lathan
Vanity Williams
Dylan Gurley
Monique Brooks
Shannon Boswell
Kenji Spurgeon
Pauly Likens
Liara Kaylie Tsai
Tayy Dior Thomas
Jazlynn Johnson
Kita Bee
Andrea Doria Dos Passos
Starr Brown
Nevaeh “River” Goddard
Tee Arnold
Meraxes Medina
Alex Franco
Diamond Cherish Brigman
Reyna Hernandez
África Parrilla García
Sasha Williams
Kitty Monroe

Organizer KkDevina Naimool expanded on more of their thoughts here in their Instagram post.

POEM: To Anyone Who Tells Me That I Support Terrorists; That I Don't Know What It's Like To Be Jewish

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Sometimes when someone says something to me about Palestine - either a stranger in Comments, or a regular Instagram person in Comments, or a regular Commenter here at the blog itself, or a person I know in real life - it can trigger a poem to process what they just said. In this case, someone who I know for years, and had just spent several hours with in one of the most pleasant and fun experiences, did an about face on a Monday evening. Unprovoked directly by me, resulted in them letting me know their thoughts in a random DM.

If it triggers a response in me that may help others, the response is put into words if possible, and then into a poem. Or word phrases. However you grammar dart enthusiasts want to target it to say what it isn’t. :) It’s words. And if they help someone, they are here.

To anyone who tells me that I support terrorists.
That I don’t know what it’s like to be Jewish.
You’re right.
I don’t know what it’s like to be Jewish.
Or to have your family be wherever they are from.

I also don’t know what it’s like to be Black.
Or to have my family stolen from me and my body sold.

I know what it’s like to study the Holocaust.
I know what it’s like to be challenged.
I know what it’s like to be asked:
“What would you do if this were happening again?”
I know what it’s like to be racist.

I know that telling me that I support terrorists and that I don’t know what it’s like to be Jewish is an extremely racist thing to say.
You are extremely racist.
Were before. And still are. Despite my hope.

You wish ill on me.
You wish I get what I deserve.
This is not what is breaking my soul today.
Something completely different and unrelated is breaking my soul today.
And making me stronger and more focused. Clarity.

Doing anti-Zionist, anti-occupation, liberation work is healing my soul today.

Free Palestine.

New Day/Time!! "SOON IS NOW," Lovers Of Long Dock Park Will Love This Immersive Multi-Performance Curated Around Climate And Eco On Oct. 1

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SOON IS NOW, the climate and eco art & live performance festival in Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park is happening on a new date an time, due to last week’s weather. Fitting, being that this performance is all about the climate! This year, it is on the same day as Spirit of Beacon Day, so you have quite a collection of things to do this Sunday.

Important Things You Need To Know:

IMMERSIVE PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Resistance Revival Chorus, coming to Beacon for “Soon Is Now” at Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park. On October 1 at 3pm.

SOON IS NOW is from 12pm-3:30pm. Multiple performances happen throughout the nature in the park, ending with the finale of the famous The Resistance Revival Chorus performing at 3pm. Tours take people through the different performances and run every half hour starting at: 12:30pm, 1pm, 1:30pm. If you miss the start of a tour, you could wander around the park and fall into a group.

Lovers of Long Dock Park will get to experience it in a way they have never experienced it before. Located along the Hudson River, this park is mainly covered in tall grasses with winding paths cut through, surrounded by dunes of other grasses, shaded by trees and rocky beach along the water.

WHAT PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE ON THE TOURS

Tours will start at the River Center (big Red Barn). Walk straight to the dancers on the berm ahead of the River Center. Walk through the native grasses and the aster and sunflowers currently in bloom, and continue to the shore of the Hudson River. Performances will be seen all along the rocky beach - 3 performances in total. At the edge of the beach is a performance in a bog in the wetlands. The wetlands! The group will then go to the Outdoor Classroom, which is a mini concrete amphitheater located down low in what feels like a sunken part of the tall grasses. People will experience theater in this spot. People will make their way back across the park, past the kayak shelter to go straight ahead to meet a dancer again where they dance with 5 trees.




WHO YOU WILL SEE

Come to the park to see the visual arts exhibition in the River Center (Big Red Barn) with work by Camille Seaman, Jaanika Peerna and Jean Brennan. Meet climate activists from Beacon Climate Action Now and Climate Reality, and sign up for a tour.

This event is FREE of charge and open to the public and there are so many wonderful artists (many from Beacon) participating: Edwin Torres, Andrew Brehm, Elise Knudson, Elisa Santiago, Twinkle Burke and more. Click here for more details >

3PM: THE RESISTANCE REVIVAL CHORUS

Beaconites and those located nearby are in luck, as they get to experience The Resistance Revival Chorus up from NYC to sing a closing concert at 3pm. The Number Seven Sandwich Food Truck located near the River Center in Long Dock Park will have food for sale.

PARKING & DRIVING NOTES

The 46th annual Spirit of Beacon Day is happening up the hill on Beacon’s’ Main Street. A few notes for parking and driving down to Long Dock Park:

12pm-1:30pm Wolcott Avenue will be closed from Beekman Street (Giannetta’s Salon Spa) to Beekman Street (Rose Hill Manor Day Care), as Spirit of Beacon Parade participants will be lining up there. If coming from the south (Cold Spring), take 9D all the way, or if in Beacon, take Teller Avenue down to Beekman (Rose Hill Manor Day Care) and take a left on Beekman, which will take you past the Dia and to the park.

If coming from the north (1-84) take Wolcott/9D to Beekman (Giannetta’s Salon Spa) and take a right on Beekman. Pass Two Way Brewery and Brett’s Hardware all the way around until Long Dock Park.

Free parking is at the Metro North Beacon Train Station. The Spirit of Beacon Day will have a special FREE Dutchess County Bus that is shuttling people from the train up to Main Street from 11am-4:40pm. You can take it to help you experience both events.

Main Street in Beacon will be blocked from Key Food to the Yankee Clipper Diner, so take Henry Street if you want to go around Main Street for any reason.

SOON IS NOW - A Festival Of Climate And Eco Art, Performance And Activism - Here In Beacon - September 23, 2023

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SOON IS NOW is an afternoon of art and live performance about climate change and the ecological in Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park, a former industrial site and brownfield transformed by Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architects, the Scenic Hudson Land Trust, and others, into a sustainable park on the Hudson River in Beacon, NY. This site is on the unceded land of the Wappinger, in a region with a vital history of environmentalism rooted in Scenic Hudson’s fight to save Storm King Mountain from industry and Pete Seeger’s fight for an unpolluted Hudson River.

Twinkle Burke, What We Give Back, by Madeline Sayet, photo by Lucas Millard 

Audience walking to the next performance, photo by Flynn Larsen

Part reverence for the River, part cry for what is lost to climate chaos, part response to the pollution and rejuvenation of the park's ecosystem, SOON IS NOW places art in conversation with the landscape and brings audiences into an immersive experience with original works. 

Actors, dancers, musicians, performance and visual artists are curated throughout the park (many of them Beacon-based): Edwin Torres, Alex Waterman, Raven Chacon, Bob Bellerue, Koyoltzintli, Elise Knudson, Elisa Santiago, Randy Burd, Cecilia Fontanesi, Tom King, Jim Fletcher, Jaanika Peerna, Twinkle Burke, Jojo Gonzalez, Camille Seaman, Andrew Brehm and Jean Brennan.

Edwin Torres, Water’s Way: A Poet’s Choir for the Hudson River with E.J. McDonald, LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, Tamalyn Miller, Kristin Prevallet, Urayoán Noel, Jayden Featherstone. photo by Flynn Larsen  

The Resistance Revival Chorus will be performing a special concert at 5pm including a new song about climate change. 

The Resistance Revival Chorus, photo by Ginny Suss

On SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd at 2pm the day starts at the River Center (the red barn) in Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park with a visual arts exhibition. Meet activists including Beacon Climate Action Now, Climate Reality Hudson Valley & Catskills and Fareground, and learn what you can do. Sign up for an 80 minute tour of performances throughout the park that start at 2:30, 3pm and 3:30pm, first come, first served. Even if you don't get on a tour you will be able to experience performance, visual art in the River Center and the concert by The Resistance Revival Chorus at 5pm. Poppy's Farm 2 Trailer food truck will be at the event selling tacos. Parking at Long Dock Park is limited. Park at the Metro North Beacon Train Station where all parking spots are free on the weekends, a short walk to the event. Free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by Climate Reality Hudson Valley & Catskills and HV Climate Solutions Week. Part of Climate Change Theatre Action's 2023 season. Funded by Arts Mid-Hudson, the Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts administered by Beacon Arts, and many local businesses and individuals. 

Tom King, photo by Lucas Millard

Jaanika Peerna, Glacier Elegy, photo by Flynn Larsen

Liz Zito, Eric Magnus, Andrew Brehm, The Oysters, by Miranda Rose Hall, photo by Lucas Millard

Elise Knudson, Sentinels, photo by Flynn Larsen

For more information: soonisnow.org or contact evemorgenstern@gmail.com.

About Eve Morgenstern:

Eve Morgenstern, Director/Founder/Producer is a photographer and filmmaker. She has been awarded artist residencies at The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace and MacDowell, and grants for her work from The New York State Council on the Arts, Chicken and Egg Pictures, The George Gund Foundation, The Park Foundation and Arts Mid-Hudson. Her environmental film Cheshire, Ohio has screened in festivals in the US, Canada and Asia and is distributed by Bullfrog Films and ovid.tv . Her photographic project Facades of Crises had its solo Museum premiere at Bildmuseet in Umeå, Sweden. Eve is also co-chair of her Climate Reality Hudson Valley & Catskills chapter. She lives in Beacon, NY with her daughter Chloe and her beloved mutt Amber. “This started as an experiment to produce plays from Climate Change Theatre Action, a project that uses storytelling and live performance to foster dialogue about our global climate crisis. The project grew to include visual art and original live performance created in dialogue with the site. The idea to curate works throughout Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park as a tour for audiences is intentional and meaningful as this site was once a brownfield, remediated and revisioned into a beautiful climate resilient public park on the Hudson River.”

CREDITS SOON IS NOW:

Eve Morgenstern, Founder, Director

Connie Hall, Producer

Brian Mendes, Producer

ALBB is a Media Sponsor of this event, and is proud to partner to help get the word out.

Artwork Deadline September 1 For Beacon Bus Shelters From BeaconArts

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BeaconArts is the group behind the changing art on the bus shelters in Beacon, and the time has come to change the art again. After a recent round of fundraising which included a benefit concert, BeaconArts raised the funds needed to refresh the artwork on 5 bus shelters located throughout the city.

Artwork needs to be submitted by Friday, September 1st via this link. Submissions need to be from BeaconArts members (you can join here - membership starts at $100/year).

Artists will be asked to submit digital files that will be printed on vinyl and displayed on the shelter panels.

Submission guidelines:

  • All applicants must be BeaconArts members.

  • BeaconArts is looking for artwork that has a strong graphic quality and can be viewed from a distance.

  • The final artwork will consist of two 50" w x 60" h panels.

  • The artwork selected should fit within the proportions of the bus shelter panels

  • Submissions must be jpg files, 1000 x 1200 pixels at 72dpi

  • If selected, artwork must be delivered as high resolution files, 50 x 60 inches at 300 dpi

Vinyl printing and installation are provided by BeaconArts at no charge to the artist.

Inside The Hidden Meaning Of The Runway Designs Of the 2023 Marist Fashion Show

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Editor’s Note: A Little Beacon Blog sent our cultural reporter Izdihar Dabashi to the annual Marist Fashion Show in May 2023. This year's was especially enticing because the theme was activism and speaking through message. Izzy reports from a higher gaze. This is what she saw and felt.

By Izdihar Dabashi
On May 5th, 2023, Marist College presented their largest annual event, the Silver Needle Runway. Juan-Manuel Olivera-Silvera, a remarkable designer with a diversified skill set and range in the arts, served as faculty producer of the show. I had seen a few promos leading up to the event, to feel the theme, which had a general sense of advocacy. Aptly titled: “[Re]action”, the logo design is black with spray painted shadowed grays and the harsh contrast of vivid maroon.

At first glance, it was easy to dismiss this aesthetic in the logo, which presented a sense of hopelessness and disengagement often associated with grunge, but this was incongruent with the efforts of genuine engagement of advocacy centered in the theme. The typical surface level take of grunge aesthetic, with that dark and broody look, was actually far from the theme's message and reflection of fashion designs.

Despite this observation, I still approached the night with a faint sense of skepticism. While I often dismiss cynicism as cheap and unremarkable, even my romanticism of the hum of continuous metamorphism grounded in universities was dissuaded by my experiences of witnessing alleged social advocacy from my perspective as a hijabi.

I couldn’t deny the unmistakable thrum in the air, interwoven with the pulse of the music and buzz of the crowd in Marist’s Mccann Center. The sense of compassion and community was apparent even before the show began.

Designs By: Emkay Kanu
Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

Concepts Appearing Throughout The Show

The show was introduced with faculty members John Bartlett, known as a fashion designer and animal activist with work featured across massive publications, and Jacqueline Reich, the Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts. The faculty members proudly spoke about the recently awarded Ralph Lauren Scholarship, the emphasis of activism and leadership embraced by Marist designers, and the concepts interwoven throughout the show, which included:

  • childhood nostalgia

  • body positivity

  • cultural dynamics

  • self-care

  • living with disability

  • gender identity

  • environmental concern and engagement

  • current issues such as women’s rights and gun control

  • gender identity and fluidity.

The Fashion Show

Silence fell across the room as the lights collapsed and the show opened with a few students appearing to vandalize the runway entrance with spray paint cans.

Within moments of the models gracing the runway, I clearly saw the efforts to bring inclusivity to fashion. Model castings were held in New York City, and the diversity of the city was reflected in the selection of models. At this point, my initial inhibitions quieted. The entire runway experience felt like dynamic storytelling, from the way the fabric interacted with the wearer, to the details the clothing carried in silhouette and distinguished style. It was as though the designers sought out the voices they wanted amplified, and created tangible stories rooted in the history of the issue and the history of the fabric.

Spotlight On Designers

In Annie Starn’s collection, “Breaking Down the Walls” inspired by the political and physical divide of 1960s Berlin and its relevance to the political divide on women’s rights, she used sustainably sourced fabrics such as grape leather and QR codes linked to websites and organizations centered around women’s rights.

Tara Sears and Rachel Kamppila focused on disability advocacy. Tara Sears worked closely with blind or visually impaired people to create “Sense”, a collection that is meant to be a touch, sound, and sensory experience.

Rachel Kamppila crafted her collection around the metaphorical experience of the butterfly life cycle to her own experiences and growth as someone with a learning disability.
Designed By: Rachel Kamppila
Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

Some designers focused on heritage, such as Simran Chhabra’s collection inspired by the storytelling of classical Indian dances and ghungroos, which are little bells woven into the clothing eliciting pretty chimes with every movement of the model.
Designs By: Simran Chhabra
Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

“Justice Para la Cultura,” by Isa Perez, paid homage to their Mexican heritage through use of deadstock fabric and denim with hand-stitched embroidery. The breathtaking collection also challenged expected gender identity and highlighted Adelita women who fought in the Mexican Revolution.
Designed By: Isa Perez
Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

Several designers honored women in their work and navigated expected masculinity and femininity with clever intricacies. Chaiyah Chambers leaned into femininity while uplifting body positivity and incorporating the inspiration of various hair textures dyed to match various hues of natural pearls in the textiles she created.

Design by: Chaiyah Chambers
Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

Design by: Chaiyah Chambers
Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

Design By: Chaiyah Chambers
Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

Most collections featured different sized models, though one of my favorite collections from designer Lily Muth’s: “From Her Boots to Her Roots” (the style felt like a Barbie cowgirl dreamland) features the innovative use of natural dyeing techniques and collected fabrics. However, it notably neglected a range of sizes past runway small. It left me wondering why designers may promote the idea of inclusive representation without actually including inclusive representation with sizes.
Designs By: Lily Muth
Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

This brought to question: Were there not enough models? Is it difficult to assemble the technicalities in clothing past a “standard” small? What are reasons for not making clothing past a size small?

Shannon Wines’ collection “Eve '' was a character study on Eve from the book of Genesis in the Bible with designs meant to evoke a feeling of exposure and vulnerability as a way to focus on the feelings of shame women often feel with exposure. Her work featured a variety of bodies. The way the fabrics and greenery of her designs embraced the models felt endearing and empowering, like the moment you slip on your favorite dress and just know the designer adores women.

A couple of designers traced back tiny footsteps into the nostalgia and experience of childhood. While some designers crafted wonderful whimsical and significant pieces (that I desperately wish I owned), such as the melodic blend of ruffles and color by Sandy Chillogallo-Quito, and LindseyAnn Moschetta’s nostalgic capture of being a child through her work with children at the Fashion Art Studio of Westchester, to design prints and textiles; others approached the preservation of innocence and value of childhood from a different perspective.

Design By: Allissa Divak
Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

Allissa Divak starkly juxtaposed the whimsical carefree nature of the other childhood inspired collections with a sharp contrast of experience by designing bulletproof, fireproof, and stab-proof clothing for her “On the Other Side of Fear '' collection, in response to the growing number of school shootings.

There were 35 total designers. I highly suggest you take a look at every artists’ highlights available on the Marist SNR site and TikTok page. The designers’ created noteworthy, conceptual frameworks to their designs, and I wish I could include every single one in this review. Truly, the worst part of the show was being unable to take home my favorite pieces.

Senior Designer Of The Year Award

The Senior Designer of the Year Award was selected by a panel of judges composed of industry professionals to critique the Designer Senior Thesis Presentation. Marist alum and designer Emma Gage, joined the panel. Aleena Brown was awarded “Building Blocks”, a sustainable collection of breathable active-wear and convertible garments.

I applaud the designers and faculty involved for the sense of community they crafted and the emphasis on human compassion interwoven with design. I am also astounded by the level of professionalism and collaboration of the five SNR teams: Communication, Creative, Branding, Production, & Logistics. Follow their Instagram and TikTok pages to learn more about the program, behind the scenes content, which includes your opportunity to witness the lively rapport between faculty/students and direct conversations with the student designers on the cognition poured into their work.

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

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

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

About “Duality”

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

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

About Super Secret Projects

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

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

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

Beacon Open Studios Is Back! This Weekend! July 22-24th - Events All Weekend

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If you're new to town, you may not have experienced Beacon Open Studios, an always evolving interactive art experience that happens once a year. It is the one time that you get to wander around Beacon to find yourself inside of an artist's studio. You get to see their tools, smell their mixtures, and maybe see some artists in action.

Beacon Open Studios took quite a blow during the shutdown of the pandemic. As with all things wonderful in Beacon, this is a volunteer effort, where leadership can change from time to time. New energy came in this year to produce this event for you, led by artist  Darya Golubina.

Her preferred medium is oil paint or graphite but some of you may know her as “the hand," handling tiny little masterpieces in the photos she takes for Beacon’s Tiniest Gallery. The miniature gallery is a project she helped start with her friends when the isolation of the pandemic took over and they craved connection to their community. When she’s not painting or documenting the gallery’s newest acquisition, she photographs life-size humans at a studio she manages in NYC. Born in the Ukraine; raised in Brooklyn; graduated from SVA. Darya says Beacon, "feels like home."

Bringing back Beacon Open Studios certainly helps Beacon feel like home to all who live here.

HOW TO EXPERIENCE BEACON OPEN STUDIOS
From July 22, 2022 - July 24, 2022, you can join Beacon Open Studios for an exciting self-guided tour of Beacon’s artists studios. Including 60+ artists, multiple group shows and their music artists showcase.

7.23 - 7.24 - Artist Open Studios (see here for locations) from 12-6pm. Go visit over 60 artists.

7.22 - Opening Reception at The Landmark from 6-9pm

7.23 Music Artist Showcase at Reserva Wine Bar from 4-7pm

7.9-8.7 Beacon Open Studios Artist Group Show (month long exhibit) at Hudson Beach Glass Gallery from 12-6pm

A Little Beacon Blog is a happy and proud media sponsor of Beacon Open Studios.

A Sampling Of Artists You Can Visit During Beacon Open Studios

A few artists are displayed below of who you can go visit their studios. But don’t miss out on all 60 of the artists you can visit.

Staff at Dia Announce They Want To Unionize: Want Higher Pay and More Job Security

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On Monday, a representative from the union UAW Local 2210, which is a union for technical, office, and professional workers, announced that the staff at Dia Foundation for the Arts are the latest group of arts and culture workers to unionize. Local 2110 UAW also represents workers at the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MASS MoCA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum, Columbia University, Film Forum, Teachers College, ACLU, Center for Reproductive Rights, The New Press, and many more.

Staff unionization would be for professional and non-professional staff of Dia Art Foundation. The unit includes approximately 135 full and part-time staff located in New York City, Beacon, NY, Long Island and New Mexico. According to the press release, staff members cite low pay, job insecurity, and lack of recognition as reasons for unionizing.

"Until this month, gallery attendants at Dia Beacon site were paid a maximum of $15.30 per hour, even for those of us who have been here for over a year,” said Joel Olzak, a Gallery Attendant at Dia Beacon stated in the press release. “We just got a one dollar raise, but it still leaves us below a livable wage for a single person in Dutchess county. According to MIT data from this year, we need to be earning over twenty dollars an hour."

Alex Vargo, who has worked in Dia’s Learning and Engagement Department for seven years, said in the press release: “I work in art education because I believe that museums can be sites for transformative learning opportunities. All workers at Dia contribute to making art accessible to the public, and unionizing recognizes the importance of our contributions and gives staff a greater collective voice in shaping Dia's future."

According to UAW Local 2110, the last few years have seen thousands of workers in cultural institutions decide to unionize. Employees at the Jewish Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Hispanic Society of America, Film Forum, Anthology Film Archives, MASS MoCA, Film at Lincoln Center, Studio in a School, the Portland Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston voted to unionize with Local 2110 since November 2020. Many reference similar issues of low pay, and lack of job security or opportunity.

“How can Dia, with its prestigious Board and reputation, justify paying us so much less than a livable wage,” Olzak added in the press release. “Dia’s development in Beacon has actually driven up the cost of housing here. Most of us can’t afford to live in the area, not on Dia wages.”

Vernon Byron who has worked at Dia for eleven years, adds. “I am unionizing to ensure that my colleagues and I have more opportunities for development in addition to achieving a living wage and more sensible working conditions.”

Dia Art Foundation is a contemporary arts organization with a major collection site in Beacon, NY, an exhibition and programming space in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, and several site-specific installations across Manhattan, Long Island, New Mexico and Utah.

On Friday, July 15, Technical, Office, and Professional Union Local 2110 UAW petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a union election of professional and non-professional staff of Dia Art Foundation. The unit includes approximately 135 full and part-time staff located in New York City, Beacon, NY, Long Island and New Mexico. The union has a reputation for its successful organizing and bargaining.

It's Official! Second Saturday In Beacon Is BACK! BeaconArts Has Spoken.

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You all have been asking: “Is Second Saturday still going on in Beacon?” and ALBB’s answer has been: “The spirit of Second Saturday has never left. The art galleries are still having their openings. There just hasn’t been, like, a banner hanging over Main Street or something like that. But go! Go to the galleries!”

This week, the organization who originated Second Saturday in Beacon, BeaconArts, announced that Second Saturday was officially BACK. BeaconArts announced to its newsletter community: “A full calendar of events is on its way! We’re also in the process of adding more benefits for BA Membership on every level. Perks will include discounts, workshops, and exclusive member-only events.”

So far, BeaconArts will promote Second Saturday on their Instagram, which you can follow here.

The galleries and shops exhibiting art that BeaconArts is promoting for May 14th include: Garage Gallery Beacon, Hudson Beach Glass, Fridman Gallery, Bau Gallery, Mariala Gostudio 502, Marion Royael, Silica Studio 845, Rick Rogers Studio, Hyperbole, Clutter Magazine, and Landmark Beacon (this is the former Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church that currently serves as an event space).

You can join BeaconArts here as an artist, individual or business.

Beacon does not disappoint with being able to not contain itself for excitement! The Pink Unicorn has been spotted at Marion Royael Gallery with a bubble machine for Second Saturday pre-game. ALBB was lucky to have met the person behind the costume at a recent I Am Beacon mixer at Homespun this week. We know the story behind how they got their costume. They’ll need to chime in to let us know if we can share the behind-the-scenes story.

Next Event From BeaconArts

In their own words: “Our first member meet-up! This event will include a special musical performance. We encourage all members who attend to bring a non-member guest. If you’re not sure if you are still a member, please email treasurer@beaconarts.org. Renewing your membership or joining online is super easy! These meetings/gatherings will be held bi-monthly for all BeaconArts members. If you’re not a member yet, you can sign up on the spot. We’re easy, no pressure! Come check it out. This is a chance to meet like-minded artists and local businesses. Each get-together will include the latest BA news and updates, member announcements, a brief artist talk or performance, and ample time to network and grab a drink. The first round is on the house, followed by a cash bar.”

New Board Members Announced For BeaconArts

Along with the announcement for upcoming networking events, BeaconArts announced their new board member lineup:

President: Matthew Agoglia
Vice-President: Damon Banks
Treasurer(s): Christine Olivier, Aaron Ketry
Secretary: Becky Eaton
Board Members At-Large: Samantha Palmeri, Suzanne Ball, Denise Gianna, Marilyn Mitchell

Mask Comes Down From The Face With The Hat Mural On Building On Main Street - People Remember The Mask In Photos

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The person in the hat, a mural in Beacon at 314 Main Street. Days or weeks prior to this photo, the artist had installed a mask on the face. The mask is gone now. Below, find people’s photos of when the mask was up, taken in homage to helping Beaconties stay safe. Today, COVID-19 case counts are down, and vaccination rates are up. Hopefully they stay that way.

Back in 2015, which is 7 years ago, A Little Beacon Blog ran a contest for people to identify where a tiny corner of a photo was around town. It was called the “Where Is This?” Contest. It was a favorite activity for our readers, and it’s time to bring it back! At the time, a tiny snapshot of this photo was the clue, and a Beaconite named Michelle Rivas, who is currently a librarian at the Beacon Public Library, identified it first.

Since then, the mural of the person in the bowler hat at 314 Main Street (intersection of N. Chestnut) has become iconic. Not for it’s photogenic draw as a selfie-stopper for anyone visiting Beacon to get their photo taken in front of this mural, but for what was added to the mural: the mask. After COVID-19 was declared, and face coverings were mandated for public spaces, the artist installed a powder blue lattice mask on this face, trimmed in sunflowers. The move was made during a time of growing frustration with having to wear a mask as a safety measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

And just like that…the mask has been discarded. Sunflowers from the mask installation on the person in the hat mural on the building at 314 Main Street and N. Chestnut Street.

Little by little, more and more selfies emerged on Instagram of people with the masked version of the mural. By the end of February 2022, face mask mandates started coming down. While walking on Main Street one morning, the trimming of sunflowers was spotted sitting by trash cans. No one knew what that meant in that moment, but the entire lattice-based installation of the mask was also gone. A sign? A statement from the artist that they too are removing their mask policy, as restaurants and schools are, now that they are given the choice instead of being mandated by federal or local government? Local shops, eateries and gyms are all reviewing their policies, emailing their customers, and moving forward into what hopes to be a safe situation for what was once normal.

More importantly, now that COIVID-19 case counts have plummeted, vaccination rates are increasing (still room to increase! Kids need their doses, and everyone needs their boosters (talk to your doctor for your own needs if you have concerns).

A Little Beacon Blog has asked the world (jk, the community of residents and visitors to Beacon) to send in their selfies with the masked version of this mural. Or not the selfies - the scene could look different on different days. We will provide photo credit to each photo submitted and published. Email yours to editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com.

And this doesn’t means it’s over. The mask might come back. Get vaccinated! People can wear a mask if they are comfortable doing so.

Beacon Trivia: The stores currently in this building are Last Outpost Store (a great boutique with mens and womens apparel, home collectibles and house-designed jewelry) and Yanarella (a great inclusive dance studio for kids and adults). Prior to Last Outpost Store was The Dance Bag. Memories!

Photo Credit: Maureen, taken September 2021

Photo Credit: Anvin Alexander @anvinalexander

Photo Credit: Anonymous

Photo Credit: Ginny Moore “Hope this helps!”

Photo Credit: Megan Meister: “Summer 2020 while enjoying a wonderful weekend in Beacon.
Love your blog by the way!”

Photo Credit: Maura Simeone

The Artists Behind The "Greetings From Beacon" Mural At Beacon Bread Company

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Many people in Beacon double as something else. The owner of Beacon Bread Company, Kamel Jamal, happens to be an extremely creative person, both visually and with phrases. He not only doubles the number of restaurants he creates, but enables others to share their talent as well.

It was no surprise when he commissioned one of his Beacon Bread staff, Shannon J. Ramos, to cover the side of the building he leases with an inviting and celebratory “Greetings From Beacon!” mural. Shannon is a muralist and tattoo artist from Poughkeepsie, who developed this design with her boyfriend and fellow artist, Sean who is from Wappingers Falls.

“We met through art,” said Sean. “She’d go to my art shows, and I’d go to her art shows. I love her art. I was in a grumpy mood this morning, but this changed me today. Being able to paint with her is so much fun.”

After 2 months of working for Beacon Bread as a server, Shannon and Sean began researching the design, and after looking at tons of postcards, went with this rainbow connection that “brings happiness,” Shannon said. Painting on the brick wasn’t so much of a challenge, she felt. Shannon used house paint for the hand/detail work, and Sean’s medium is spray painting.

“Murals are a lot of work” Shannon explained. “So it’s fun to have someone to balance off and bring different aspects of art to it. He’s good at spray paint. I’m good at hand-paint. It’s fun to play off each other.” Sean points out that they enjoy the interactive process of having passer-byers walk past to watch them paint. The flowers were left un-colored so that BEACON could stand out. The entire mural took about one day to complete.

Shannon is a full time restaurant server and artist. She has remained at Beacon Bread after starting there in the Spring of 2021, and was surprised to experience the creatively supportive vibe she got from the management. “I got the job, and then…you know…you want to be as available as possible for hours, but then I could only work certain days, and they were totally cool with that and wanted to make it work. It’s cool about them, as they are cool about flexible schedules, and having me do this mural and highlighting what I like to do.”

Follow Shannon at her Instagram.

Beacon Gets A Forever "Thank You Veterans" Mural on Dutchess County DMV Building From Libby

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Beaconites and visitors now have a daily reminder to thank and be kind to a veteran of any age and means with the completion of a new mural on Dutchess County’s DMV Building toward the west end of town. That building is where the Beacon Farmers Market now lives - in the DMV parking lot.

The mural was conceptualized by Joe Schuka of Libby Funeral & Cremation Services, based in Beacon. When asked what inspired him to pursue the mural, Joe remarked on a deep sense of patriotism. “This is another way of showing our appreciation to the veterans.” Libby commissioned the muralist Sabrina Crowley, an artist based in White Plains, that Libby had worked with before at their sister location in White Plains.

As for design direction, Joe gave Sabrina an initial image, and “she made it her own,” Joe told A Little Beacon Blog. “Sabrina saw what I gave her, and added the silhouette of the soldier and other elements.” Permission to paint onto the building had to come from Dutchess County, who was very receptive to the idea, Joe said. “Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro was completely in favor of it.”

During the Veterans of Foreign Wars Pvt William B. Wilson Post 666 ceremony honoring veterans today, VFW Commander Harold Delamater made reference to the new mural.

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

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

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

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

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

  • Entry into the recently-opened Bannerman family residence.

  • Multiple photo opportunities in one of the most picturesque settings in the Hudson Valley.
    Information >

Fridman Gallery Opens In Beacon - Outdoor Performances and Exhibits Planned

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The Fridman Gallery, based on Bowery in New York City, is opening its section location in Beacon on Saturday, May 1 from 12 - 9 pm. According to the Gallery Director and former Matteawan gallery owner, Karlyn Benson, the inaugural exhibition will feature Nanette Carter, Athena LaTocha and Wura-Natasha Ogunji. “Its title,” says Karlyn, Land Escape, refers to the artists’ use of a variety of media to create—rather than represent—landscapes.”

The Fridman Gallery has stepped into the space that artist Jeffery Terreson once occupied for a few years in Beacon. Prior to that, it was known as The Back Room, serving as a gallery for the artist who lived there in the apartments above. Art supplies were sold out of the space.

As with the artist previously in the space, the Fridman Gallery, owned by Iliya Fridman, has befriended the Howland Cultural Center, Iliya tells the Highlands Current in an interview, which has warmed the outdoor green space that exists between them. The opening will culminate at 8pm with an outdoor audio-visual performance by Victoria Keddie, using NASA’s live feed of space debris orbiting above Beacon. The performance is the first in a series of outdoor events presented on the first Saturday of each month with The Howland Cultural Center, located next door.

About The Exhibit

Carter applies layers of paint, markers, and pencil on Mylar to produce textural and luminous fictional worlds. Her new series, The Weight, alludes to land, sea, sky, underwater and outer space and pays homage to the mysteries of nature, human nature, and the contemporary burdens we bear in the 21st century.

LaTocha uses the power of weather and time to develop the intricate textures and undulating surfaces of her works, often employing unusual tools such as shredded tires, bricks, and stones to create new geological forms. LaTocha will present Studies for Bulbancha, a recent series of works made with earth and moss from the natural environment of the Mississippi delta.

Ogunji’s drawings in ink on architectural tracing paper often include subtle, hand-stitched details. Her compositions explore memory, history, and impossible moments in time. For Land Escape, in addition to the drawings, Ogunji will create a site-specific installation of vibrant hanging threads in the gallery's street-facing windows.

About the Artists:

Nanette Carter is a mixed-media artist who works, primarily, with oils on frosted Mylar. Working with intangible ideas such as the advancement of technology, the pervasive use of social media, and social injustice, Nanette Carter employs an abstract vocabulary of form, line, color, and texture to chronicle the issues of our time.

Athena LaTocha's works on paper explore the relationship between human-made and natural worlds and incorporate a variety of materials: inks, ash, lead, earth, wood. LaTocha’s immersive process responds to the storied and, at times, traumatic cultural histories that are rooted in specific places, such as the Mississippi River, the World Trade Center, or the Trinity Site in New Mexico.

Wura-Natasha Ogunji’s drawings and stitchings on tracing paper, videos and public performances are deeply inspired by the daily interactions and frequencies that occur in the city of Lagos, Nigeria, from the epic to the intimate. Ogunji's performances explore the presence of women in public space, often at the intersection of labor, leisure, freedom and frivolity.