Art is at the heart of Beacon. When industry could no longer sustain the city, art helped fill the void—sparking a creative renaissance.
From the Hudson River to Mt. Beacon, Beaconites make and celebrate art in all forms.
Walking through Beacon is a fulfilling experience. You can spend an hour (or a day) strolling our mile long Main Street—shopping, listening, gazing, eating, and (gallery) hopping.
Let’s walk!
Use the links below to get up-to-date exhibition information and days/hours of operation. Commercial fine art galleries with regular hours are in bold. Listings are ordered from the West end of Main Street to the East—a little over a mile.
Most Beacon Galleries are open Saturdays and Sundays, but check their websites for days/hours and current exhibition information.
1. Dia Beacon presents the Dia Art Foundation’s collection of art from the 1960s to the present as well as special exhibitions and public programs. Fri–Mon 10–4.
2. Analog Diary is an experimental gallery that hosts visual arts, video, performance, music, and poetry. 1154 North Avenue. Sat/Sun 11–5.
3. Bannerman Island Gallery Hudson River Valley paintings and photographs. 150 Main Street.
4. Beacon Tintype is Oren Cohen's wet plate collodion portrait studio in the Hudson Valley that makes handmade portraits on tin (tintypes) and glass (ambrotypes) in a 19th century technique that is hauntingly timeless. 149 Main Street.
5. Hudson Beach Glass features handmade art glass in its renovated firehouse, which adjoins an active glass-blowing studio. The second-floor gallery space hosts a wide range of fine-art exhibitions. 162 Main Street. Open daily.
6. Marion Royael Gallery offers contemporary fine art originals, editions, and objects, while highlighting the work of emerging and mid-career artists through a program of Directed Migrating Installations. 159 Main Street. Thur–Mon, 12–6.
7. Clutter Gallery The Clutter Gallery shows established and emerging artists in the fields of art toys & toy customization, and modern pop & lowbrow art in both 2D and 3D. The gallery also houses the impressive permanent collection of Designer Toys held by the founders of the gallery. 163 Main Street. The Gallery is open every Second Saturday from 6–9pm.
8. Garage Gallery presents significant exhibitions by emerging and mid-career artists working in a wide range of media. Its expansive grounds offer a site for large-scale sculptures and installations. Across the street from 11 North Elm Street, 1/2 block North of Main Street. Sat/Sun 1–5. Season runs April–end of October.
9. LotusWorks Gallery & Workshop is a cross-disciplinary, multi-use art space founded by visual artist Aaron Loray Sanders and performing artist Skyla Schreter. 261 Main Street.
10. Silica Studio is a small pottery studio belonging to Hudson Valley artist Daniela Rzepnicki with a Local Artist Platform Gallery in the front of house. 428 Main Street, Wed–Sun
11. Photo Book Works is an artist-run space that features select artists’ books, works on paper, photobooks, and poetry from small, independent, and artist-run presses. 469 Main Street.
12. Howland Cultural Center is a gallery and event space in the historic 1872 Richard Morris Hunt building. The center’s programming includes music, dance, theatre, and storytelling. 477 Main Street. Open most Sat/Sun 1–5 and by appointment.
13. Super Secret Projects is an artist-run, approachable art space that gives its members the ability to create freely, outside of the commercial gallery structure. Behind the Hyperbole shop at 484 Main Street.
14. Brown Eyes Gallery is the personal gallery of Nancy LeVine, an award winning photographer who has traveled worldwide on a variety of assignments. South Street near Main Street. Open by appointment.
15. Maria Lago Studio 502 features contemporary paintings, drawings and sculptures by Maria Lago, an internationally recognized artist from Spain. 502 Main Street.
16. BAU Gallery is a fine art gallery and project space that gives its members and invited artists a place to experiment, grow, exhibit, and gain exposure for their work. 506 Main Street. Sat/Sun 12–6, occasional Fridays, and by appointment.
17. Ethan Cohen Gallery at KUBE repurposes the site of a former high school as a space to promote international exchange of culture and art. 211 Fishkill Avenue. Sat/Sun 11–5.
Other things to see and do.
Garage Gallery is ½ block north of Main Street on North Elm Street in Beacon NY.
(To use GPS, enter 11 N. Elm St., Beacon NY—the gallery is across the street.)
(To use GPS, enter 11 N. Elm St., Beacon NY—the gallery is across the street.)