SPOTLIGHT

Use three words to describe yourself:
Innovative
Dedicated
Sustainable

What brought you to the Hudson Valley/Catskill Mountains? The Metropolitan Museum Of Art had a major philanthropic leader and board leader named Ashton Hawkins, whose international leadership also took hold with an interest in the City Of Hudson, NY.  Ashton and his partner brought Jonah Bokaer to Hudson NY, among many other artists, and encouraged Jonah's already-established museum career to consider larger amounts of column free space, against the backdrop of the history of Hudson, its properties, its scenery, and the tabled history of the Hudson River School. This was the impetus for Bokaer in Hudson, NY which led to the creation of major critically acclaimed works ("On Vanishing" at the Guggenheim Rotunda 2011), among many others.  Because the company was nomadic in its early days in Hudson NY, relationships with 27 local venues formed. From this deep basis of local engagement, the blueprint for The Hudson Eye was outlined, in what later became a major New York State Festival in 2019. We have remained steady, consistent, and loyal - while continuing to thank our original patrons while we grow.

What do you love about your job? We work deeply at all levels of the city to consider what it means to be part of the Hudson community fabric, and we looked inward at our own relationship to the region over the past 19 years. The Hudson Eye was born - to be shared annually in partnership. The Hudson Eye is an annual 10-day public program and urban showcase, artist-driven, with a focus on Dance, Music, Performance, Film, Visual Art, Dining Out, and Nightlife during the final week of August, running through Labor Day weekend, as a celebratory close to Hudson’s two peak tourism weekends of the summer.

Best place near you to get:

Breakfast: Kitty's 

Lunch: Feast & Floret

Dinner: Farmer & Sons

What’s your favorite local store? Farmstead Hudson Valley

What’s your favorite art/creative space to visit? With our Festival relationships with 27 local venues, it's very difficult to name just 1 creative space to visit. We would like to point towards, and cultivate, curiosity about Artist Studios in Hudson and Columbia County, which also relates to our focus and mission which is highlighted by staging RECESS: Incantations, Twin Barns at the Staats House in a creative setting, historic home, venue, and artist's space for Upstate Art Weekend 2025.

What is one tip for people experiencing UAW for the first time? Be focused, be adventurous, and leave extra time: both if commuting between regions, and also if traveling to experience a new creative locale for the first time.

What is a fun fact about you that might surprise people? A surprising fact is that our local organization is actually 19 years old; its Founder is managing a major grant from the president of the Ford Foundation; and is making plans with its Board for an Endowment to sustain this work longterm. Take a closer look, and you'll always find program alignment with our organization, including with RECESS: Incantations, Twin Barns at the Staats House.

Now for the speed round! Pick one or the other:

Valley or mountains? Valley 

Car or train? Car

Walk or hike? Hike

Sun or snow? Sun

Indoors or outdoors? Outdoors

Diner or restaurant? Restaurant

Market or shop? Market

Clear or clouds? Clear

Sunglasses or hat? Hat 

Abstract or realist? Abstract 

Contemporary or modern? Contemporary

Sculpture or painting? Painting

IRL or digital? IRL 

Look or listen? Listen

See or feel? Feel