Visitation Safety Protocols 

Masks Optional:  Guests are welcome to wear a mask in the theatre or art galleries to protect themselves and others, but it is no longer required.

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Hours of Operation

Our Three Galleries - The Victorian Gallery (formerly the Hallway Gallery) located at 9 Vassar Street, and the Hancock Gallery and the Reception Gallery located at 12 Vassar Street - feature works from local and regional artists. All proceeds from artwork sales help both the artist and the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center.  If you are interested in displaying artwork in our galleries please email us at CHACexhibits@gmail.com

The Victorian Gallery at 9 Vassar Street is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.

The Art Galleries at 12 Vassar Street, the Hancock Gallery and Reception Gallery, are open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and can be accessed by calling the CHAC Office at (845) 486-4571, as well as during events at the VBI Theatre.

 

Date: May 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025
Time: Victorian Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday / 9 am to 5 pm

Jim Smith, Jr. – Solo Art Exhibition the Victorian Gallery @ 9 Vassar Street

Art Opening Reception: Friday, May 9, 2025 / 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm @ 9 Vassar Street

Jim Smith, Jr. – Photographer

Jim Smith, Jr.  was born and raised in South Africa, Pietermaritzburg, KZN and moved to Hyde Park, NY with his family during his childhood years. Upon graduating from FDR High School, he enrolled at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) where he is completing his BFA in Photography with two concentrations in commercial and documentary photography with a minor in fashion photography, a minor in Film & Television, and a minor in Art History. An avid outdoorsman, Jim enjoys photographing wildlife and landscapes along with traveling the globe exploring the frontiers of possibilities the world and nature have to offer.  “Nature and the world are my inspirations along with being able to show how nature is always changing and mirrors the world,” he relays. “The unpredictability of nature has always fascinated me and how the world is never standing still…when fusing nature, the world, and photography you never know what kind of interesting, beautiful things that the world and nature will show you.”  In addition to his prolific forays into the world of photography, Jim is also an Eagle Scout member, a Free Mason in the Grand Lodge of the State of New York of Free and Accepted Masons, a 32° Scottish Rite Mason in the Valley of the Hudson, and an 18-year volunteer firefighter.

Date: May 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025
Time: Reception Gallery Viewing Hours: Monday - Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 (call 845-486-4571 for access) and during events at the VBI Theatre

Kate Masters, Sylvia Mueller, and Jacqueline Oster of the CIRCLE24collective – Group Art Exhibition in the Reception Gallery @12 Vassar Street

Art Opening Reception: Friday, May 9, 2025 / 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm @ 12 Vassar Street

 

Aurora by Kate Masters

Kate Masters is a painter based in Saugerties, NY and founding member of CIRCLE24collective.  She began painting in earnest in her late 50s with her recent work of abstract compositions and landscapes inspired by local settings done in oil. “I am interested in the ‘vibe’ of sweeping romantic scenes, exploring how distance, weather and atmosphere impact the scene, and where land and sky merge, rather than a focus on details,” she remarks. Masters has participated in the Mohonk Preserve Plein Air Art Walk and Auction and The Hudson Valley Plein Air Festival, and her work has been shown in the ArtBar Gallery, Arts Society of Kingston, Emerge Gallery, The Muroff-Kotler Gallery, WomensWork.Art, Woodstock Artists Association & Museum, and Woodstock School of Art. She also serves on the Board of Advisors at Woodstock School of Art. 

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Windmill No. 2 by Sylvia Mueller

Sylvia Mueller studied photography at the School of Visual Arts and worked for several years in advertising and magazine production in NYC. Moving to the Hudson Valley from Brooklyn, NY, she embarked on another creative journey whereby enlisting magazines and art books to create analog (hand-cut) collages reflecting her love of nature. Her collages are made up of images, often iconic or historical, and mixed with more recent imagery. “My inspiration is drawn from nature, not only in the cuts I use, but in the intricacies, you can see in any landscape – the macro down to the micro.” explains Mueller. She has exhibited her work in many juried shows that have included New York’s Upstream Gallery in Hastings on Hudson, Emerge Gallery in Saugerties, Woodstock Artists Association and Museum in Woodstock, and Muroff Kotler Gallery to name a few. She is also a founding member of CIRCLE24collective. 

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The High Life by Jacqueline Oster

Jacqueline Oster is a graduate of The Fashion Institute of Technology who has worked for various advertising agencies as a Graphic Designer and Art Director in New York City. When she moved to the Hudson Valley region to raise a family, she furthered her career as a Freelance Graphic Designer crafting successful design projects from her homebased Studio for a diversified roster of tri-state area clients. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jacqueline revisited her love of watercolor focusing on ordinary common objects, animals, nature and people. “I believe that every object has a story to tell and I try to capture that in my watercolors,” she relays. “Even the most mundane household item has movement and flow which can be transformed into a work of art. You just need to look at the object and think of its function to actually ‘see’ the movement.”  When describing her watercolor technique, Jacqueline says, “I allow the water to move the paint and I follow along guiding it with various tools and my sense of design…a hairdryer, toothbrush and magic eraser all work in unison with my assortment of brushes.” Jacqueline is an Active Member of Woodstock Artist Association and Museum, a member of Create Council on the Arts, and a member of Arts Mid-Hudson. Her work has been exhibited at local businesses, libraries and galleries including WAAM Gallery, ASK Gallery, Emerge Gallery, Jane Street Gallery, Olive Free Gallery, Create Gallery and Cornell Creative Arts Center of Kingston. She is also a founding member of CIRCLE24collective.

Date: May 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025
Time: Hancock Gallery Viewing Hours: Monday - Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 (call 845-486-4571 for access) and during events at the VBI Theatre

Mari Keeler Cornwell – Solo Art Exhibition in the Hancock Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street

Art Opening Reception: Friday, May 9, 2025 / 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm @ 12 Vassar Street

Mari Keeler Cornwall – Portraiture Artist

Mari Keeler Cornwell is a classically trained artist from Caracas, Venezuela who draws inspiration from her vibrant homeland and the remarkable women in her life. Growing up surrounded by strong female figures, Mari was mentored by her artist aunt who helped her hone her artistic skills and the resilience of her grandmother, Venezuela’s first female aviator, who instilled in her a deep appreciation for the strength and power of womanhood. After earning her BFA from Laguna College of Art and Design in 2001, she explored a career in advertising while continuing to showcase her art in New York City exhibitions. “My journey as an artist is a constant exploration of the connection between color, pattern, and emotion with a goal to enrich the tradition of portraiture,” Mari conveys. “By infusing intensity into depictions of women, I use pigments and textures to breathe life into my subjects that celebrate their resilience, brilliance, and individuality.”

Date: Friday, July 11, 2025
Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center – July 11, 2025 Art Opening Receptions

Friday, July 11, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm / Free Admission / Refreshments will be served

  • Victorian Gallery @ 9 Vassar Street – Jenny Sweeney, Painter
  • Reception Gallery & Hancock Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street – Group Exhibition featuring Fatma Kadir, Ilhan Sayin and Semine Hazar  
Date: July 1, 2025 - August 29, 2025
Time: Victorian Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday / 9 am to 5 pm

Jenny Sweeney – Solo Art Exhibition the Victorian Gallery @ 9 Vassar Street

Art Opening Reception: Friday, July 11, 2025 / 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm @ 9 Vassar Street

Jenny Sweeney

Jenny Sweeney is an exceptionally skilled and prolific visual artist specializing in realistic drawings using colored pencils and watercolor paints. She pursued her artistic passion by taking art courses at Spackenkill High School and at Dutchess Community College all the while bravely serving in the Air National Guard.  As Jenny’s family expanded, she discovered profound inspiration for her recent series of drawings entitled “Through the Eyes of a Child” that will be on display at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center.  This exhibition reflects the innocence and curiosity of children.  Her artwork is a testament of her love for humanity and each emotional connection is captured in her portraits. “My children and the vibrant community around me are not just subjects but the essence of my art; their presence fuels my love for color and emotion, which I strive to infuse into my drawings and paintings,” explains Jenny. “Through my art, I aim to transport viewers to a time of simplicity and beauty, urging them to cherish the memories we create and to see how precious life truly is.”  Jenny and her “lively” family, that also includes beloved pets, reside in the Town of Poughkeepsie where she actively collaborates with esteemed local organizations on many projects and artistic endeavors.  In addition to exhibiting her work at various locations that have included the Boardman Library (Poughkeepsie, NY), she also utilizes her creative skill set as a highly sought-after professional face painter for various events and parties.  

Date: July 1, 2025 - August 29, 2025
Time: Reception and Hancock Galleries Viewing Hours: Monday - Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 (call 845-486-4571 for access) and during events at the VBI Theatre

Semine Hazar, Fatma Kadir, and Ilhan Sayin – Group Art Exhibition in the Reception and Hancock Galleries @12 Vassar Street

Art Opening Reception: Friday, July 11, 2025 / 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm @ 12 Vassar Street

Award-winning visual artists Semine Hazar, Fatma Kadir and Ilhan Sayin, whose global collaborations include museums and United Nations Conferences, bring their “I Love New York” group art show to the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center. This exhibition highlights each artists’ area of expertise and offers unique perspectives of New York.  Semine Hazar is a celebrated oil artist known for her lighthouse paintings such as Lighthouses of the Hudson River as well as her exploratory themes of climate change and the environment as captured in her piece The Lighthouse at the End of the World inspired by her experience witnessing ice melting in Argentina.  She has exhibited her work in numerous juried shows and museums, including the National Lighthouse Museum in Staten Island, NY.  Fatma Kadir, who is also a renowned oil artist specializing in avian paintings, brings her works of Hudson Valley’s trees and birds to the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center and will unveil her painting Flaco, the male Eurasian eagle-owl (March 15, 2010 – February 23, 2024), who escaped his long-time enclosure at Central Park Zoo in New York City after someone cut the protective netting. Also featured in her exhibition are three paintings of the first American flamingos of New York.  Acclaimed botanical artist, Ilhan Sayin, will present his floral paintings and gives homage to New York State with paintings of the Rose – the state flower. More than just a symbol of beauty, the Rose “is a testament to resilience and cultural significance…it is an iconic emblem of the Empire State,” he explains. Ilhan Sayin has shown his artwork in Havre de Grace Maritime Museum and Environmental Center (Maryland, USA), The Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change (Hong Kong), and the Pinelo Art Gallery (Turkey), to name a few.

Date: Friday, September 3, 2025
Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center – September 3, 2025 Art Opening Receptions

Friday, September 5, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm / Free Admission / Refreshments will be served

  • Victorian Gallery @ 9 Vassar Street – Valerie Berner, Acrylic Paintings
  • Reception Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street – Inna Ivanovskaya, Photographer/Documentarian & Tatiana Rhinevault, Painter
  • Hancock Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street – Lisa Weinblatt, Painter (School Lunch Series)  

Live Music @ 12 Vassar Street provided by Leonid & Sofia Poleeschuck

Date: Friday, November 7, 2025
Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center – November 7, 2025 Art Opening Receptions

Friday, November 7, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm / Free Admission / Refreshments will be served

  • Victorian Gallery @ 9 Vassar Street – Arianne Wack, Acrylic Paintings
  • Reception Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street – Alfons Rodriguez, Photographer
  • Hancock Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street – Elise Pittelman, Painter