The third edition of Upstate Art Weekend, founded by Helen Toomer, takes place in New York July 22—24, presented with support from STONELEAF RETREAT. Equipped with a full program and detailed map available online, the multi-location event invites patrons of the arts to embark on a weekend of self-directed discovery across locations like New Windsor, Poughkeepsie, Woodstock, and Hudson. The weekend’s largest iteration yet welcomes over 100 exhibitions and projects, with contributions from nearly 150 artists, including for the first time a lineup of open studios.
While the weekend includes a vast number of new names, it also sees the return of around 20 founding participants, like JDJ, Elijah Wheat Showroom, Female Design Council, Art Mamas Alliance, MOTHER, and Storm King Art Center. The three-day-event encompasses outdoor installations and sculpture parks, solo shows, residency presentations, around 50 open studios supported by GOLDEN Artist Colors (on Saturday and Sunday), and several parties.
Lizania Cruz’s “Freedom Budget” at STONELEAF RETREAT 2021.
Following the private launch event on Friday, July 22 at Storm King Art Center, pay a visit to all-day happenings like Dia Beacon’s exhibition of artists such as Jo Baer, Melvin Edwards, and Sam Gilliam; the show “DYNAMIC DUO: Judy Singer and Judy Thomas” at Holland Tunnel Gallery in Newburgh; Available Items’s group presentation “Going to Country” in Tivoli; and “Mistakes Were Made” by Jennifer Dalton at Mother-in-Law’s in Germantown.
Later that day, you’ll want to plan visits to STONELEAF RETREAT in Stone Ridge for an early evening celebrating the event’s 2022 edition; Cygnets Way and Lite Brite Neon Studio in Kingston featuring neon art editions and vendors; an exhibition of textiles by Kiki Smith, Valerie Hammond, and local senior citizens at Athens Cultural Center; the “SPEECH STATES” performance series at Hudson House; and musings on apocalypse and utopia, part of “We Do: SURFING THE APOCALYPSE” at CULTURAL ACTIVISM INTERNATIONAL PROJECT.
Las Hermanas Iglesias, “Commiserates II (Beachball), 2019, courtesy of the artists and STONELEAF RETREAT.
On Saturday, begin the day at sunrise with PS21: Performance Spaces for the 21st Century in Chatham, where you’ll find James Casebere’s “Solo Pavilion for Two or Three” outdoors. Then, head over to see artists Zach Seeger and John Ros in Deposit, where the artists will be creating a collaborative, immersive, and responsive installation; or find your way back to STONELEAF RETREAT for presentations like Las Hermanas Iglesias’s solo exhibition and a show of works by STONELEAF alumni like Liz Collins, Leah Dixon, and Tamar Ettun; as well as a private event for Art Mamas Alliance and Female Design Council members.
Also that day are happenings like the first annual Women’s Studio Workshop Upstate Art Book Fair; open studios at The Stonykill Mill featuring two floors of artists working across many mediums; a group exhibition embracing uneven corners titled “ODD ANGLES” at Good Naked Gallery in Catskill; and the work of Zoë Buckman and Vanessa German in “We Flew Over the Wild Winds of Wild Fires” at Beacon’s MOTHER. Finish out the day with Celeste Lecesne’s solo performance at POOF! At The Fair House and STRONGROOM in Newburgh’s evening presentation of “Liz Nielsen: Forcefield.”
Courtesy of PS21.
Finally, on Sunday, visit MANITOGA and The Russel Wright Design Center in Garrison, where you’ll find exhibitions and tours of the grounds featuring a special tea experience (be sure to reserve your spot ahead of time). After planning your route to include stops at your favorite artist’s open studios (find the map here), be sure to visit LABspace in Hillsdale for the group show “Mountain High, Valley Low: artists of the greater Hudson Valley”; an exhibition of the artists working at PUF Studios Community Printmaking Studio; “The Shape of Things” at Swivel Saugerties including the work of Kennedy Yanko, Patricia Ayres, Kiah Celeste, and Emmanuel Massillon, among others; and the inaugural show at Analog Diary in Beacon, “What a Long Strange Trip.”
Upstate Art Weekend 2021 opening at STONELEAF RETREAT.
