Upstate Art Weekend’s Largest Iteration Yet
UPSTATE ART WEEKEND (UPAW) returns for its fourth edition from July 21—24, with four days of exhibitions, installations, activations, and events taking place at 130 destinations across the state of New York. Stretching from Pocantico Hills to Catskill and beyond, the event’s 2023 iteration features 60 participants joining for the first time, and new digital features to help make the most of the abundant, art-filled weekend.
“This year I’m excited that you can search our program of over 130 participants and can filter by day and county, to make things easier,” said Helen Toomer, UPAW Founder and the co-founder of STONELEAF RETREAT and Art Mamas Alliance. Also, our Google map is key for planning your Upstate Art Weekend adventures and you can customize it to make your very own, like I’m currently doing now!”
The weekend’s self-directed itinerary invites participants to choose from a robust roster of happenings, filling in their schedules and constructing a roadmap of as many (or as few) stops as they’d like. The programming will begin Friday morning, with art spaces, venues, and other establishments presenting both open exhibitions and special events at various times throughout the weekend, allowing the DIY itinerary to take you on a four-day weekend adventure or even a single afternoon of discovery.
Croning Ceremony, UPAW22 Stoneleaf Supportive Event at Stoneleaf Retreat, courtesy of UPSTATE ART WEEKEND.
What to do on Friday
On Friday, jump into the festivities with the Urban Art Projects Tour, where the Rock Tavern art space is opening up its workshop for the first time. Spend the afternoon touring spaces like 1053 Gallery, Catskill Art Space, Beacon Open Studios, Chambers Fine Art, the Center for Photography at Woodstock, and Alpana Bawa, which is holding a Meet the Artists Reception at 5 PM for its show “colors & days,” featuring vibrant work by Erika deVries, Gabe Brown, and Polly Apfelbaum. Then, you’ll want to head to Magazzino Italian Art in Putnam County, where you’ll find the exhibition “Arte Povera,” featuring 12 artists working within the movement.
How to spend Saturday
Following a night of rest at local accommodations—we’d recommend the participating Starlight Motel in Ulster County—start your Saturday off with morning yoga at Storm King Art Center, led by the artist yogi Sara Hart, before taking one of the tram tours around the grounds. Alternatively, families with young children might enjoy stopping at Dia Beacon for a hands-on tour. Then, experience work by Bosco Sodi at Assembly, witness Charle Stobbs’s installation Chiral Proscenium with Wave Farm and WGXC 90.7-FM, and enjoy a tour of The School with Jack Shainman, where you’ll find “Michael Snow: A Life Survey.” After dinner, end the day with a pint at West Kill Brewing (which is also presenting the exhibition “FISH, FOWL, & FOREST”) or back at the Starlight Motel for a cocktail pool party.
Cheryl Mukherji, “Mother,” 2023, courtesy of the artist and Stoneleaf Retreat.
Sunday Highlights
On Sunday, members of Art Mamas Alliance and the Female Design Council are invited to start the day with a brunch at STONELEAF RETREAT. Meanwhile, the retreat’s Open Studios—featuring art by Liziana Cruz, Nene Aïssatou Diallo, and the Baxter St Fellow Cheryl Mukerji—welcome the public. Following stops at spaces like Loose Parts, Sunfair Farm, Unison Arts Center, and Foxtrot Farm & Flowers, attendees will want to head to The Colony in Woodstock for Noise for Now: Benefit Concert for Abortion Access. Featuring entertainment by the likes of Amanda Palmer, Holly Miranda, and Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen, the night will see proceeds going to the New York Abortion Access Fund and the Keep Our Clinics initiative.
Monday’s Must-Sees
On Monday, there are endless options for seeing art before you make your way home. Pippa Garner’s “$ELL YOUR $ELF” features five decades of work at Art Omi. Howland Cultural Center is presenting “LATTIMORE STUDIO OF FINE ART Student Exhibition,” Studio Tashtego is debuting R.A. Pesce’s latest ceramics in “Brutalism vs. Nature,” and Garrison Art Center will share an outdoor presentation of sculptural works by James Murray. Finally, end the day with a performance of Love’s Labor’s Lost by the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in Putnam County.
Installation view of Jaune Quick-to-See Smith’s work in the Main House Sitting Room, Photo © Peter Aaron, courtesy of Thomas Cole National Historic Site.
Beacon Open Studios for UPSTATE ART WEEKEND 2023, courtesy of Beacon Open Studios.
