Westchester Arts Groups Embrace Upstate Art Weekend

Helen Toomer launched Upstate Art Weekend (UPAW) in 2020, a result of her feeling physically separated from art and people during the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival aimed to connect locals and tourists to the plentiful array of arts groups in Catskills and Hudson Valley regions. Coming into its fourth year, the program has since grown in scale, expanding from 23 participants in 2020 to more than 145 in the upcoming festival on July 18-21.

During the four-day affair, venues open their doors and welcome new visitors to explore their space. Participants offer exhibitions, workshops, performances and one-time-only arts events offered specifically for the program.

A Google map created for the event pinpoints the location of each participating group so arts lovers can plan an itinerary around visiting multiple areas during their adventure, a way for visitors to be introduced to new arts offerings.

Eight Westchester County arts organizations are featured as part of UPAW this year, engaging in the program’s initiative to physically bring together arts and culture into people’s lives.

ArtsWestchester — White Plains
ArtsWestchester is the County’s arts council, granting funding and assistance to arts groups and artists, hosting exhibitions and performances in its historic landmark building, and acting as a resource to the local arts community. In its historic bank building in White Plains, ArtsWestchester’s gallery space will host the exhibition Home Is Where Your Heart Is which highlights the work of six local photographers and one painter to expand and explore the definition of “home.” Included during UPAW week are a hands-on paper maquette workshop on 7/20 and building tours throughout the week. (31 Mamaroneck Ave.)

The Capa Space — Yorktown Heights
The Capa Space is an organization that centers around photography and community, particularly exploring how photography interacts with concepts of peace, equality and justice. The Space’s current exhibition includes the photography of Sara Bennett, a public defender of 18 years who began shooting portraits of women with life sentences. In addition to the exhibit, on July 20, The Capa Space will host a movie screening of Behind Bars, a documentary highlighting the impact of white supremacy on the criminal justice system. (2467 Quaker Church Rd.)

Caramoor — Katonah
The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is an organization with an expansive campus of gardens, lush grounds and several performance venues. Caramoor will also host five music and dance events from its summer season during the course of UPAW, including pianist Joyce Yang, violinist Geneva Lewis, a music and dance production of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, and the world premiere of a communal music-making project by Sandbox Percussion. Its Rosen House will display an exhibition that highlights works of art by and about women artists (149 Girdle Ridge Rd.)

Flat Iron Artist Studios and Gallery — Peekskill
The Flatiron Artist Studios and Gallery in Peekskill features photography, stained glass, handcrafted items, and fine art. During UPAW, there will be six open studios and the Flatiron Gallery, which includes a gallery space, shop and bookshop that specializes in handmade art and gifts. (105 S. Division St.)

KinoSaito — Verplanck
KinoSaito’s galleries primarily feature abstract art and contemporary artists, supporting experimentation in subject and form across a variety of mediums. Three indoor galleries and the garden will be open during UPAW, featuring abstract artists from a variety of different backgrounds. In addition to the galleries, KinoSaito will have two events, including an art installation/garden party on 7/19 and an experimental theatre piece on 7/20. (115 7th St.)

Pocantico Center — Tarrytown
Formerly the home of the Rockefeller brothers, and now part of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Pocantico Center hosts conferences, artist residencies, tours, performances, exhibitions and educational programs, aiming to bring lovers of the arts together in a physical space. For UPAW, the center will host a musical event featuring jazz from Ben Wendel and Kevin Hays. Guests can also explore the Portraits of Process, exhibition, which features 34 bronze life castings of artists’ hands, including Chuck Close, Maya Lin, Jasper Johns and more created for the American Artists’ Hand Archive. (200 Lake Road)

Sleepy Hollow Mermaids Festival — Sleepy Hollow
This family-friendly festival, which encourages participants and viewers to engage with the Hudson River through education and access, features both land and river parades and a costume contest, followed by a party in the park. Performances range from puppeteers to a drumline… (Tarrytown Light-Kingsland Point Path)

Yellow Studio — Cross River
Yellow Studio’s Natural Tendencies exhibition displays the work of four women artists. Using various materials, artists in the exhibition aim to elaborate a connection between the featured artists’ work and nature. Additionally, Yellow Studio will host two programs during UPAW: a cyanotype workshop and a relief printing workshop, both facilitated by exhibiting artists. (792 NY-35)

More From Our Neighbors!
Make sure to check out more UPAW activities from some of our friends outside of Westchester: