Beacon arts enclave blossoms

Cluster of cultural sites draws residents, visitors

By Maeleeke J. Lavan
Poughkeepsie Journal

 

Darryl Bautista photos/Poughkeepsie Journal A woman views a drawing by artist Kazumi Tanaka at Beacon Project Space at an opening of an exhibition by the Japan-born artist in December. Tanaka is in the process of moving from New York City to Beacon.

Artist Kazumi Tanaka, center, chats with people at the December opening of her exhibition at Beacon Project Space on Main Street in Beacon.

BEACON -- Artist Kazumi Tanaka feels like she's come home.

Tanaka, who grew up in Osaka, Japan, recently moved to Beacon, where she is part of a burgeoning arts community.

''After living in New York city, a small town made me feel more comfortable,'' she said. ''It's more like where I grew up.''

Tanaka, whose work is on display in a local gallery, said the friendly community and location of her house near the Fishkill Creek are sweet reminders of home.

As welcoming as the community has been to Tanaka, it is also embracing a recent wave of interest from the art world. Galleries, artist live/work spaces and various art projects are sprouting up all around a revitalized Main Street corridor. Many of those will be open late today as part of Second Saturday, a new program designed to draw more people into the city.

A place to live, work

Buildings along Main Street have become both home and business for artists looking for a convenient place to open up shop.

And at a former industrial site along the banks of the Hudson River is the showcase of the city's artistic renaissance -- a museum of contemporary art to be known as Dia: Beacon.

The former Nabisco box-printing factory, with nearly 300,000 square feet of space, lofty ceilings and yards of skylights, will be the setting for a collection of mainly '60s and '70s pieces by artists such as Andy Warhol, Dan Flavin and Agnes Martin. It is expected to open in the spring.

The unveiling in 1999 of the Dia project accelerated the city's relationship with the art industry.

Further up Main Street, Tanaka's sculptures and drawings are on exhibit at Beacon Project Space. The work and exhibit space serves as the headquarters for the Beacon Cultural Project -- a citywide arts and cultural initiative that began last spring.

The city is no stranger to artistry. Streets lined with historic buildings and homes give it a made-for-movies look. Location, landscaping and industry have led the way for other projects.

''There's always been art or an interest in art,'' Mayor Clara Lou Gould said. ''It's such a beautiful area, I can understand why.''

The new energy and influx of people has added to the competitiveness of the rental market.

''There's not enough, that's for sure,'' Kevin Vacirca, broker/ owner of First Choice Realty, said of apartments. ''We place an ad, and we'll have 15 or 20 calls right away.''

With limited apartments in the city come high prices. In the past couple of years, rental costs for a one-bedroom apartment have jumped from an average of $500 to $750 and $800 per month, Vacirca said.

Buildings purchased and renovated add to the cost.

Vacirca attributed some of the reason for dramatic increases and lack of availability directly to museums, galleries and antique shops moving into the area.

''There's a lot of factors, but (Dia) is the primary factor,'' he said.

More people coming to area

Throughout the region, word of mouth has spread about the up-and-coming arts mecca, drawing even more people into the city, wandering Main Street and eating at the local restaurants.

And today, a new business group, the Beacon Arts Community Association, will hold the second of what is to be a monthly event in the city: Second Saturday.

The idea is to draw more people and business to the area by getting Main Street businesses to keep their doors open later on the second Saturday of each month.

At a reception for Tanaka's work in December, people from as far away as Brooklyn and Garrison came to see what Beacon and its artists are all about.

Patrick Gleason, a resident of the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn, attended the reception.

Gleason said that night was his first trip up to Beacon but definitely won't be his last.

''It's beautiful,'' he said of the city and project space building. ''It's a great art space -- better than what you'd see in Soho.''

Sara Pasti, deputy director of the Beacon Cultural Project, said the city's character is just one thing that makes Beacon attractive to so many people.

''I think what's brought everybody here is the opportunities provided by the space, physical beauty, friendliness and openness in the community,'' she said.

C.J. Tomaskovic, who lives and works in the city, was initially skeptical about moving up from Putnam County, but his doubts quickly vanished.

''I've been here about a year and it's kind of cool seeing all this stuff,'' Tomaskovic said of recent developments throughout the city.

As manager of J & C Market on Main Street, Tomaskovic frequently encounters residents and visitors who are glad to see the city moving ahead.

A little push to enhance the city's character is ''exactly what this place needs,'' he said. ''Hopefully with everything that's going on it will just bring more people.''

Aside from new people moving into the city, the established residents and younger generations seem primed to get close to new initiatives whenever they can.

Student program a success

Last year, Dia began a pilot program: Dia-Art at Beacon High School. With instruction from their teacher, Cynthia Petrovits, and artist Jaanika Peerna, students created a final art project that was displayed in the art gallery in the new high school over the summer.

Last year's pilot was so successful administrators are working to continue the class at the high school and eventually include middle and elementary school students.

Adding to the hometown atmosphere is the fact that several of those involved in local projects have already or plan to make Beacon their home.

Living and communicating with the city where their businesses are located better familiarizes residents with upcoming projects.

''Dia has done wonderful outreach to the community,'' Gould said. ''They really are looking to be part of the community so the community has always been pretty receptive.''

Dia's assistant director Amy Weisser said the more people learn about Dia's objectives through the media and personal contact, the more they warm up to new projects.

''It's been a pleasure for us to become citizens of a new community,'' she said.

The fact the community seems willing and able to go along for the ride makes Beacon all the more inviting to other projects.

''What's exciting to me is that this ''new'' community is developing before we've even opened,'' Weisser said. ''From my perception it seems a really positive growth for the community. There's a lot of new energy.''

IF YOU GO
SECOND SATURDAY
What: Beacon Arts Community Association presents ''Second Saturday,'' more than 30 art galleries and businesses extend hours in Beacon.

When: Today. Businesses will remain open until 9 p.m.

Where: Along Beacon's Main and Leonard streets. A trolley will run along Main Street from noon to 9 p.m.

Call (845) 838-4243 or log on to the Web site www.nynarts.com for map and a list of participating venues.

AT A GLANCE
ARTS IN BEACON
Tallix, 310 Fishkill Ave. Tallix is an art foundry serving parks, museums, corporations, municipalities and private collectors. Services include casting, restoring and fabricating sculptures.

Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St. The Howland center features work of local artists and holds art exhibits, concerts, plays, meetings and fundraisers.

Beacon Project Space, 240 Main St. It is one of a number of buildings in the city dedicated to the Beacon Cultural Project.

Decorative Arts and De-sign Institute. Part of the Beacon Cultural Project, the former Beacon High School on Fishkill Avenue will be turned into a decorative arts museum showing items like quilts and furniture for use and sale.

Dia Center for the Arts. A contemporary art museum with 8 locations nationwide, the Dia center will be located in the former box packing plant on Beekman Street. The museum is scheduled to open to the public May 18.

Art galleries. The city's Main Street corridor is packed with various art galleries and studios.

Coming up: The Journal will take a look at Beacon's "First Saturday" arts event in the Sunday edition.