We Are Upstate With Helen Toomer of UPSTATE ART WEEKEND

UPSTATE ART WEEKEND (UPAW) is coming to the Hudson Valley from July 18 to 21, 2024, and the excitement is building. This annual four-day festival, now in its fifth year, was founded by arts organizer Helen Toomer as a celebration of art and the cultural vibrancy of Upstate New York. Thousands of locals and visitors explore the region’s top art venues, museums, pop-up exhibits, and various UPAW related events. This year, the festival features over 145 participating galleries, local arts organizations, and museums spanning over ten counties in the Catskills Mountains and Hudson Valley. Needless to say, there are many outstanding exhibits and events at this year’s festivals for art enthusiast and collectors alike. See you there!

UPSTATE ART WEEKEND | July 18-21,2024
View the Full Program Here | View Interactive Google Map Here

The best way to plan your festival journey is by reviewing the daily outline of activities in the Program and with the UPSTATE ART WEEKEND Google Map that can be saved and customized.

And now, let’s meet Helen Toomer and take a peek at some of the festival highlights below.

INSIDE+OUT: Where were you born, and how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley? Where are you based?

I was born in the south of England, lived in New York City for over a decade, and fell in love with the Hudson Valley after visiting friends. We bought our place in 2016, launched our Stoneleaf Retreat Residency in 2017, and our son Harry was born here in 2018.

Tell us about your career in the Arts. What was your journey?

It’s been a jungle gym of art fairs, residencies, and events—always in service of artists and the galleries that care for them.

Now in its fifth year, what inspired Upstate Art Weekend, and what sets it apart from other art events?

It’s inspired by the region’s natural beauty and rich art history. It’s a different kind of art event as it has a wide reach of 11 counties and also includes a mix of organizations, projects, galleries, and museums connected by the region.

What is a typical day like for you leading up to this 11-county expansive event?

There is no typical day! The only consistent routine is morning snuggles with my boys, a vat of iced coffee, lots of lists, and generally running around like a headless chicken!

You are a supporter of the arts and a leader in the art world. Are you also an artist in your own right?

Oh no, I’m not an artist; I’m just a supporter and lover of artists.

You’ve also founded other organizations and retreats (Stoneleaf Retreat, Art Mamas, etc…). Tell us about them.

STONELEAF RETREAT is an extension of our home, an artist residency focused on supporting women and families. Since 2017, over 50 artists and more than a dozen families have come through. It’s an absolute joy to share our home with the artists.

Art Mamas is a nonprofit organization I founded with my dear friend Katy Donoghue. We had our sons six months apart and bonded on the rollercoaster of motherhood and the things that people didn’t talk about—e.g., postpartum, the challenges of breastfeeding and getting pregnant, etc. So, during the pandemic, we wanted to extend the conversations and support parents in the arts, and Art Mamas was born!

How do artists get involved with Upstate Art Week? What is the process?

They do this in different ways—through galleries and museums, by putting on group shows and temporary projects with their peers, and by visiting and supporting their neighbors.

What is one question you’re constantly asked, or the biggest misconception about what you do?

The first thing that comes to mind isn’t a direct answer, but a lot of artists and organizers in the region have thanked me for what I’m doing, and I always say, “I’m not doing the work – you are!” Without them, there is nothing. I’m the lucky one who gets to shine a spotlight on all the magic being made here.

What about the Hudson Valley makes it unique to live + work here?

It’s magic, fresh, raw, and you really feel the elements, which I love.

What impact does your business have on your town/community?

I hope it is a good one, that brings additional attention and support to the organizations doing the work.

What’s missing in the area that you wish we had?

Everything I need is here.

What is your current state of mind?

Calm. Excited. Grateful.

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Some of this years exhibits and events that caught our eye:

Storm King Center | New Windsor NY
Girl Group Performance Art & Dance |  July 19 and 20, 6:45-8:45PM

Arlene Shechet x Annie-B Parson’s first collaboration premieres next weekend! If you’ve enjoyed twilight events and tours at Storm King, you’ll love this evening dance performance that will move across the landscape through Arlene Shechet’s exhibition “Girl Group.”  Dance as sculpture: sculpture as dance For “Girl Group,” artist Arlene Shechet translated ceramic works from her Together series into large-scale painted metal works. Outdoors, the hollow clay of Shechet’s ceramics transforms into open volumes of sheet metal, while the vibrant and textured glazes of her ceramics inspire an array of painted colors rarely seen in monumental sculpture. Choreography by Annie-B Parson in collaboration with six dancers from Big Dance Theater: Cecily Campbell, Elizabeth DeMent, Natalie Green, Kashia Kancey, Brooke Ashley Rucker, and Jin Ju Song-Begin. Costumes by Arlene Shechet. Produced by Storm King Art Center and Big Dance Theater.

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Benefit Concert at Unicorn Bar | Kingston, NY | @unicornkingston | Friday, July 19th at
$20 Advanced Tickets / $25 At the Door

Get your tickets to this not-to-be-missed benefit concert with performances by Gail Ann Dorsey & Kyp Malone, with a Golly Presents dance party to follow! Brought to you by @noisefornow and @gollypresents  Proceeds support ABORTION ACCESS in NY / New York Abortion Fund @nyaafund and independent abortion clinics in NY state via Keep Our Clinics @keepourclinics

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Studio Tashtego | Cold Spring NY
“Stories from a Collection” featuring objects designed or collected by Russel and Mary Wright

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Artport Kingston | Kingston NY | 5 pm – 8 pm
ArtPort Kingston, Kingston. Stop by for an exciting Opening Reception for Game On”: A Fusion of Art and Interactivity Unveiled and featured project: “Lucid Dream Minigolf”

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Magazzino Italian Art | Friday Open House Free Entry
Magazzino invites art enthusiast, artists and collectors to a memorable experience during the celebration of Upstate Art Weekend with OPEN DOORS, offering free admission to our galleries Friday July 19.

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The Macedonia Institute, Ghent | NY
Stop by Ten Barn Farm and the Macaedonia Institute for the Arcadian Revival exhibit where artists reflect on what a modern return to nature might look like.

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The Campus | Claverack NY
An exhibition is organized by Timo Kappeller

Photos Courtesy of Helen Toomer and UPSTATE ART. WEEKEND | Helen Toomer Portrait Courtesy of Tonje-Thilesen

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