Saugerties artist Anne Leith stands in front of her mural Water’s Edge on the corner of Main St and Ulster Ave. Produced by Shout Out Saugerties in collaboration with Speedy Mart owner Harry Barot, Art Inside Out creates a changing outdoor gallery and represents a unique approach to exhibiting community art.
Greetings Saugerties Artists and Creatives!
Spring has arrived in full color—tulips bursting to life and trees unfurling in ever-changing shades of green—and here in Saugerties, that same sense of renewal is alive in our arts community.
We’re thrilled to share that our beloved community member Robert Langdon has rejoined the Saugerties Arts Commission Board. Robert is currently the Program Director at Byrdcliffe. Many of you know Robert as the former proprietor of Emerge Gallery and a dedicated advocate for the arts, having served with Arts Mid-Hudson, the Saugerties Arts Commission, and the Saugerties Chamber of Commerce. He continues his impactful work as an advisor to ShoutOut, a nonprofit championing the arts locally and beyond. Robert has already jumped in—taking on the roles of newsletter curator, website updates, Secretary, and helping shape future initiatives. Nina and Andrew are absolutely delighted to welcome him back into the fold.
Looking ahead, we invite you to support the Commission on Wednesday, May 6th, as we present to the Town Board. We’ll be sharing what we’ve been celebrating, creating, and envisioning—along with our proposed 2026 budget. With funding approval, we’re eager to bring a full slate of events back to life for our community.
And what a season it’s shaping up to be. Rohmer Gallery opens May 1 from 5-7 PM with a compelling two-person exhibition featuring Marcie Paper and Benni Huang (May 1–June 21), alongside a lively folk show with Allie Chip and Tyler Dezago on May 2 at 7 PM. Over at the Orpheum Theatre, Upstate Films welcomes Saugerties’ own Ian Flanigan home for an intimate evening of storytelling and unreleased music on May 2. Then on May 3, a new series—Music, Image & Word—kicks off, blending jazz, poetry, and film in a dynamic creative experience.
Beyond these highlights, our town continues to hum with artistic energy—gallery openings, filmmaker talks, concerts, classes, jam sessions, poetry readings, and shared meals that bring people together through creativity and connection.
Are you creating, crafting, performing, or dreaming up something new? Make sure you’re listed in our Artist Directory—a growing hub for local talent to be discovered, supported, and connected. Add yourself today: https://www.saugertiesarts.org/artist-directory
We’re also seeking enthusiastic volunteers and board members (Events Committee and Treasurer) to help grow and energize our arts community. If you're interested in contributing your skills and passion, email us at arts@saugertiesarts.org for more information.
As we move forward, we’re reminded just how vibrant and essential the arts are to Saugerties. There is so much to celebrate—and even more to look forward to. Here’s to a season of inspiration, collaboration, and community. We can’t wait to see what we create together next.
Warm regards,
Andrew Rein
Want to get involved? Email us!
| arts@saugerties.org |
Want to get involved? Email us! | arts@saugerties.org |
Visiting Artist Series at SHS — February
Design Muralist Marcie Paper
Exciting Saugerties High School student initiatives have truly blossomed —and it all began with the November 20, 2024 Saugerties Arts Commission Small Group Creative Idea Session. That evening sparked an outpouring of ideas from local artists and creatives who shared a common vision: to connect our students more deeply with the vibrant creative community that surrounds them.
On February 11 and 12, Artist Marcie Paper (www.marciepaper.com) presented to Jodi Adams-Hill's Advanced Studio Art students (grades 11-12) and Amy Hayes’ Drawing and Painting class (grades 10-12). Marcie discussed her professional career painting patterned murals for hotels, residences, restaurants and lounges. Marcie spoke to the Art students about her background, her love of painting, and the creative choices she made in her career to become a Design Muralist. She shared her method of creating daily abstract paintings from everyday life, how they translate into a pattern, and how she works with her clients; from choosing the pattern, collaborating on the colors, projecting or hand stenciling the design onto the wall, floor or step risers—and ultimately transforming their space with a hand painted personalized design. She shared final designs in situ of businesses in the village (Headspace and Josie’s coffeehouse) who have hired her, as well as interiors of private homes—even a NYC playground.
To better understand her process, Marcie then had the Art students give it a try themselves. She walked them through how to make a “repeat pattern” step by step and each student created a 12x12 mural of their own. Student reactions were surprise and delight by the project’s end.
The Visiting Artist Series is one of several Art Initiatives with the SHS Art Department organized by Lisa Pfitzner, a member of the Saugerties Arts Commission. This series is designed to expose students to possible career options in the field of art and to engage Saugerties Artists with their wider community to build stronger relationships.
Events & Arts Organizations:
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Fri. May 1st
DIRT: The Secret Life of Soil
5pm performance @ Pershing Avenue Park, 49 Pershing Ave, Poughkeepsie NY
4pm puppetry workshop for ages 7-12
Free public performance & workshop in conjunction with MHA / CASA of Dutchess County and made possible by support from the New City Parks Foundation.
Sat. May 9th
DIRT: The Secret Life of Soil
11:45am @ Kingston Earth Fair
TR Gallo Park, 30 Rondout Landing, Kingston NY
This is a free performance sponsored by the Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund.
Sun. May 10th
DIRT: The Secret Life of Soil
10:30am @ Chaseholm Farms, 115 Chase Rd, Pine Plains NY
This is a free performance made possible with a grant from Arts Mid-Hudson.
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Dialogue for the Ear and Eye: A Monthly Multi-disciplinary Arts Series by Joanne Pagano Weber and Bruce Weber
Tuesday, May. 7 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm
9W Diner, 3 Simmons PlazaSpecial guests this month are: storyteller/performer Zelda aka Judith Z. Miller, visual artist Lucinda Abra, and songwriter/guitarist Alex Castle. Guests present their work for about twenty minutes each, followed by an open discussion/Q&A. There is an open mic sign up with a three artist maximum and strict three minute limit per artist.
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Thursday, April 30th
6:30 PM - 8:00 PMPoetry Open Mic with the Bluestone Poets
Calling every poet, writer, and admirer of poetry alike: Inquiring Mind Saugerties hosts an open-format poetry reading night on the last Thursday of every month. We encourage those of all skill levels to sign up for a six-minute slot to share original poetry, fiction, or prose. Unpublished work as well as published welcome. Sign-up is on a day-of, first-come basis.
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Life Drawing – Session 1
Thursdays; Apr 30, May 7, May 14, May 21, 5:30 – 8:30pm
Fridays; May 1, May 8, May 15, May 22, 5:30 – 8:30pm
11 Jane St, Suite A, Saugerties, NY, 12477Join our first Life Drawing sessions of the season and secure your place in a focused, artist-driven environment with a live model. Designed for independent practice, each session offers dedicated time to sharpen observation and build momentum in your work.
Thursdays (Short Poses: 1 min-20 min pose): April 30 – May 21, 5:30–8:30 PM
Fridays (Long Pose: One pose per 3 hour class): May 1 – May 22, 2–5 PM
Each session includes 4 classes ($20 per class/$80 total). Space is limited to maintain a comfortable, productive studio setting.
surREAL – Opening Reception
Sat, May 16,4-6pm
11 Jane St, Suite A, Saugerties, NY, 12477Enter a world where reality dissolves and imagination takes form. surREAL defies the ordinary, inviting you to explore a universe where the strange and the familiar intertwine. Through unexpected landscapes, twisted perspectives, and otherworldly creations, this collection challenges your perceptions and sparks your curiosity.
Ted Dixon – Would it be enough – Artist Talk - in conversation with Elizabeth Keithline
Sat, May 23, 2026, 2-3pm
The Sketchbook Gallery
9 Jane St, Saugerties, NY"We never know what is enough until we know what's less than enough.”
My thoughts and imagination skirt the boundaries between past, present, and future encounters to seek meaning and purpose of joy and hope, as well as sadness and despair.
With these new paintings, I am inviting the viewer to consider how “enough” plays a role in how we feel, the decisions we make, and the person we continue to grow into.
The theme of the exhibit came out of my thoughts of a parent who has outlived two of their children, of a people who continue to wonder when, and my understanding that received blessings should not come with guilt.
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Fri : 1 May ― 8:00pm: Jazz: Bobby Previte Second Arrow Quintet
Sun 3 May ― 7:00pm: Portuguese Fado: Alison Dasilva, Pedro Botas, Ricardo Parreira, and Nelson Aleixo
Thu 7 May ― 7:00pm: Spooky Ghost: Gerry Leonard
Sat 9 May ― 7:30pm: Indie Folk Rock: Overheard / Liam Singer
Wed 13 May ― 8:00pm: Local Waves: Pocket Merchant
Fri 15 May ― 8:00pm: Colombian Cumbia Party: Yeison Landero
Fri 29 May ― 8:00pm: Moroccan Sufi Blues: Saha Gnawa
Sun 31 May ― 5:00pm: The 18-String Prepared Sardinian Guitar: Paolo Angeli
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Opus 40
Lesser Mysteries
Friday, May 1, 2026, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Website | TicketsShakespeare on the Rocks | Hamlet with Catskill Mountain Shakespeare
Saturday, May 2, 2026, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Website | Tickets
Community Day — Celebrating 50 Years of Opus 40
Saturday, May 9, 2026
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Free
Website | TicketsNature Walks
Indigenous History Walk: A Glimpse into the Past with Justin Wexler
Sunday, May 3, 2026, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Website | TicketsTree ID and Spring Ecology Walk with Luke Sarrantonio
Friday, May 8, 2026, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Website | TicketsStone Trust Workshop
Cheek Rebuild Workshop
Saturday & Sunday, May 30 & 31, 2026, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Website | Tickets -
May 2: Saugerties’ own Ian Flanigan home for an intimate evening of storytelling and unreleased music
May 3: a new series—Music, Image & Word—kicks off, blending jazz, poetry, and film in a dynamic creative experience.
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Quick Brown Fox
217 Main StreetLetterpress Workshop
May 9, 2026, 10am
Come play with vintage letterpress equipment and create gorgeous prints the old-fashioned way. We'll teach you everything you need to know - no experience required!
More infoone year anniversary party
Saturday, May 16, 2026 ,11am-5pm
217 Main Street -
May 1 from 5-7 PM: Opening reception: two-person exhibition featuring Marcie Paper and Benni Huang (May 1–June 21),
May 2 at 7 PM: folk show with Allie Chip and Tyler Dezago
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Saugerties Farmers Market
Opening Day
Saturday, May 23, 2026, 10 am - 2 pm
Every Saturday through October 31. 2026
115 Main Street, Saugerties
Kids Art Corner every Saturday with a special hands-on kids arts and crafts program created each week by the artist, Anita Barbour. Live local music to listen and dance to each week programmed by Danielle DeCicco. All events are free. Come to get fresh and local food good for your taste and your health! Support local farmers, bakers, and makers.cription
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Saugerties Public Library
91 Washington Ave. Saugerties, NY
Saugerties High school art exhibit
Month of May and June
Swing Dance
Monday, May 11, 2026, 6:00pm
No experience necessaryFriends of the Library's Street Fair
Saturday, May 30th, 2026, 10 am - 3pm
n the backyard! Games, food and books for sale! -
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ShoutOut Saugerties
Writing a Memoir, Telling the Truth: A Reading with Jana Martin and Kim Merrill
FrIday, May 22, 2026, 6:00pm
Rohmer Gallery, 84 Partition Street, SaugertiesFree. Post reading talk with moderator JC Hopkins
More infom description
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Spiral House Park
185 Fish Creek Rd, Saugerties, NYMother's Day Spiral House & Garden Tour
Sunday May 10, 2026, 1 – 3 pm
More InfoSpiral House & Sculpture Tour
Thursday, May 14, 2026, 4 – 6 pm
More InfoScience Lecture & Walk : Stone
Saturday, May 16, 2026, 10 am – 3 pm
SAVE THE DATE for a half-day exploration of stone through science, history, and hands-on workshops, including a guided walk, pollinator bath making, quarry history, and family-friendly activities.Memorial Day Weekend: Celebration of Trees
Saturday, May 23, 2026, 12 – 3 pm
SAVE THE DATE for a day of connection and creativity featuring a Spiral House tour, a Celebration of Trees, and a community weaving installation created together among the trees.Spiral House Tour led by Patty Livingston
Saturday May 23, 2026, 10:30 am – 12 pm
More InfoSpiral House & Sculpture Tour
Sunday, May 24, 2026, 1 – 3 pm
More Info