Upstate Art Weekend Unitary Shifts Towards a Significant Art Spectacle in New York
The Hudson Valley and upstate New York are currently home to a thriving art scene, with a strong community of galleries, artist-run spaces, and cultural events. This dynamic art community will come together for the 2025 Upstate Art Weekend (July 17-21), a five-day festival featuring over 155 cultural organizations, galleries, and artists across the Catskills and Hudson Valley.
Prominent galleries and art spaces participating in the event include Catskill Art Space, Leo Koenig’s outpost in Andes, Pamela Salisbury Gallery, Mother Gallery, and numerous exhibitions along Warren Street, Hudson, including Lightforms Art Center, Front Room Gallery, Hudson Hall, and Turley Gallery.
The region also offers interactive events such as watercolor workshops catering to all skill levels.
The pandemic has played a significant role in the growth of the art scene, with artists and collectors migrating from New York City to the Hudson Valley and upstate New York. This influx has expanded the market, increased gallery openings, and diversified programming, fostering a flourishing ecosystem for contemporary art outside NYC proper.
However, some galleries like Pamela Salisbury are closing or relocating, indicating possible shifts or consolidations within the scene. The presence of interdisciplinary and experimental work, along with curated outdoor installations, points to a broadening of artistic practices embraced by the region.
The Upstate Art Weekend, founded by Helen Toomer in 2020, covers a large area, stretching across 6,000 square miles, from Tarrytown to Stamford, and from Narrowsburg to East Chatham. The festival initially featured 23 participants but has grown to 158. Toomer has also launched Upbringing, a year-round art space in Kingston, as the event's headquarters, offering custom itineraries for visitors during the weekend.
Sky High Farm, a food-security nonprofit, held an inaugural biennial featuring more than 50 artists with a curatorial emphasis on ecology, social justice, and place-based dialogue. Most works in the biennial are for sale, with artists designating a portion of proceeds to the nonprofit. Prices ranged from a few hundred dollars to more than $1 million.
Artist Ashley Garrett and her husband, Brian Wood, organized "Upstate Gnarly," a group show in their studio in Chatham, which helped build lasting relationships with both local and international collectors. Kristen Dodge, the founder of September Gallery in Kinderhook, has participated in every edition of Upstate Art Weekend since moving upstate in 2014. Her gallery has been instrumental in getting collectors in the door to purchase work and getting writers and curators to understand the gallery's program.
In a recent edition of On Balance, it was noted that ambitious summer group shows in New York have been conspicuously absent, and this year, it seems they have moved to Upstate. The median home price across the region's nine counties topped $300,000 for the first time last year, reflecting the growing appeal of the area.
Alex Camacho, an artist and art handler, noted the difference between Upstate and the Hamptons, stating that the former lacks pretense and has a more authentic energy. Some attendees have grumbled about the distances between venues, but few artists or dealers expressed interest in a more centralized format, preferring the chance to encounter art in situ and to draw attention to the diverse variety of local arts organizations.
Sources: 1. The New York Times 2. Artnet News 3. Hudson Valley Magazine 4. Hudson Valley One 5. Artforum
- The thriving art scene in the Hudson Valley and upstate New York features a strong community of galleries, artist-run spaces, and cultural events, culminating in the 2025 Upstate Art Weekend.
- Catskill Art Space, Leo Koenig’s outpost in Andes, Pamela Salisbury Gallery, Mother Gallery, and numerous exhibitions along Warren Street in Hudson are among the prominent galleries and art spaces participating in the five-day festival.
- The Upstate Art Weekend, founded by Helen Toomer in 2020, covers a large area, featuring over 158 participants and serving as a platform for contemporary art in the region.
- The region offers interactive events such as watercolor workshops, catering to all skill levels, and fostering a nurturing environment for artistic development.
- The influx of artists and collectors from New York City has expanded the art market, increased gallery openings, and diversified programming, creating a flourishing ecosystem for contemporary art outside NYC.
- However, some galleries like Pamela Salisbury are closing or relocating, indicating possible shifts or consolidations within the art scene.
- Artist Ashley Garrett and her husband, Brian Wood, organized a group show in their studio in Chatham, helping build relationships with both local and international collectors.
- The biennial at Sky High Farm, a food-security nonprofit, featured more than 50 artists with a curatorial emphasis on ecology, social justice, and place-based dialogue, providing an opportunity for artists to contribute to meaningful causes while showcasing their work.
- In recent years, ambitious summer group shows have moved from New York to the Upstate, reflecting the growing appeal of the area and its burgeoning art scene – a lifestyle choice that also appears to boost the home-and-garden market, with median home prices topping $300,000 last year.
