Poughkeepsie - Middle Main Poughkeepsie will present its inaugural OpenHouse Poughkeepsie community arts festival from July 16th through July 30th. For two weeks, the Middle Main neighborhood along Main Street in Poughkeepsie (between Academy Street and Pershing Avenue ) will be awash with visual art, music and dance.
Works of art by various local and regional artists will be on display in storefronts throughout the neighborhood. Over a dozen artists are expected to participate, exhibiting work in vacant commercial spaces and small stores, restaurants, and gallery spaces. Work will include pottery, photography, painting, metal sculpture, and interior design. Some items will be for sale by the artist. In addition, a full calendar of events has been created, including music, dance, and spoken word performances celebrating the diversity of populations in the neighborhood; a Main Street history walking tour and book signing; a film screening; artist receptions; and a public art walking tour.
"OpenHouse Poughkeepsie is a really unique event in our area," says participating artist and event curator Matthew Slaats. ""OpenHouse uses the arts as a platform for engagement in the City of Poughkeepsie . By partnering with artists and business, we hope to provide a moment for people to re-think and re-see what is around them. We want people to see the wealth of voices that flows through Poughkeepsie and give them an opportunity to participate in that conversation. The objective is to write a new narrative that shows the dynamic nature of the people and places that make up this community."
OpenHouse Poughkeepsie will commence with an opening reception on Friday, July 16th from 5pm – 7pm at the Gov. Clinton House located at 549 Main Street . The Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce will preside over a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5pm, and several long-standing members of the arts community will be recognized for their commitment to advancing the arts in the Poughkeepsie area. The reception will feature the best of cultural traditions from the Middle Main neighborhood against the backdrop of one of the oldest historical buildings in Poughkeepsie, including live music by Los Caribeños, a Mexican folk dance performance by the Ballet Folklorico Benito Juarez, and a performance by the M*POWER Elite hip hop troupe. Free refreshments will be provided by El Bracero Mexican restaurant.
The two week festival will close with a reception on Friday, July 30th at Barrett ClayWorks, located at 485 Main Street.
Several restaurants will also be offering special promotions during the two week period. Dining options available in the Middle Main neighborhood include some of the best truly authentic Caribbean and Latin American food available in Dutchess County . Participating restaurants include La Bahia Dominican restaurant, El Pollo Giro Mexican restaurant, El Bracero Mexican restaurant, and El Dorado Tex-Mex Restaurant.
"Middle Main contains a rich diversity of cultures, artists, and food establishments that can serve as the foundation to develop a distinctive cultural district in the City of Poughkeepsie, where residents and visitors can enjoy unique retail shops, authentic Caribbean, Latin American, and African food, and great visual and performance art," said Elizabeth Celaya , community relations manager for Hudson River Housing. "OpenHouse Poughkeepsie will showcase that with the variety of events we have lined up." Middle Main Poughkeepsie hopes to develop other OpenHouse events in the future, which may take various forms such as holiday celebrations or educational workshops. "They will all be designed to create dialogue about the future of Poughkeepsie , and how we can work together to celebrate and improve Main Street," says Ms. Celaya.
Most events scheduled for OpenHouse Poughkeepsie are free and open to the public. A complete schedule can be found at www.middlemain.ning.com or www.hudsonriverhousing.org.
Middle Main Revitalization, which is sponsored by the nonprofit housing agency Hudson River Housing, is focused on putting asset-based community development theory into practice in a five-block neighborhood running along Main Street from Academy Street to Pershing Avenue. The group is always seeking individuals and groups who share its vision to join its work. Open community meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month. More information can be found at the group’s interactive neighborhood website, www.middlemain.ning.com, or by contacting (845) 454-5176.
