Past Calendar Events

Saturday, January 11, 2025 and Sunday, January 12, 2025 / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Performance Times and Ticket Information: From Stage To Screen Acting Studio

Jessica Licciardello, Videographer 8 Minutes to Freedom – Friday, January 3, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the Reception and Hancock Galleries @ 12 Vassar Street / Free Admission / Refreshments will be served

Melanie Gonzalez, Fine Art Photography – Friday, January 10, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the Reception Gallery / Free Admission / Refreshments will be served

Monday, December 16, 2024 /Doors Open at 6:00 pm and Play Reading begins at 6:15 pm) / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Free Admission (Suggested Donation: $5-$10)

Enjoy a play reading on the VBI Theater stage of Closure written and directed by Victor Cuenca. Closure is about Sara and Adam who had a 6 month romantic “rollercoaster” relationship.  Adam broke it off due to his mental illness.  Within the last 7 years Sara neurotically has “sussed” out the situation to be an alleged con-job affair.  Now Sara invites Adam to come over for a face-to-face encounter to ultimately grasp the closure she desperately seeks.  Was she deceived or is she deceiving herself?   Featuring Shainna Belocura as Sara and Michael Zupan and Adam. Written, directed and produced by Victor Cuenca. (NOTE: Closure was originally a one act play that has now extended to a two act and is currently being positioned for a three act.)

Saturday, December 14, 2024 and Sunday, December 15, 2024 / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Performance Times and Ticket Information: From Stage To Screen Acting Studio

Saturday, December 7, 2024 @ 8:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Purchase Advance Online Tickets at Harriet Tubman: the band

Elysium Furnace Works out their monumental 2024 season with the fiery intensity of this long-running eclectic, electric collective comprised of the insanely talented, accomplished trio of guitarist Brandon Ross, bassist Melvin Gibbs and drummer JT Lewis.

Monday, December 2, 2024 / Doors Open at 6:00 pm and Play Reading begins at 6:15 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Free Admission (Suggested Donation: $5-$10)

Saturday, November 30, 2024 @ 5:30 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Tickets: $25 per person or 2 Tickets for $40 / Payment Options: Zelle 845-518-5240, Cash App $DHATSATRIP or Venmo @Kanell-Harvard / Advance Purchased Only / No Door Sales

Sunday, November 10, 2024 @ 4:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Tickets: $25 per person / Purchase Online Tickets HERE

Come discover some rarely heard treasures for string orchestra! Led by conductor and music director David Rudge, Erehwon Ensemble’s 21 musicians will offer an intriguing and attractive program ranging  from the atmospheric Sonic Meditation by Pauline Oliveros to Vaughn Williams’ beautiful arrangement of the Welsh hymn tune Rhosymedre. Other gems include characteristic works such as John Corigliano’s Voyage, Portraits of Country Fiddlers by Norwegian composer Pehr Henrik Nordgren, and Danzas de Panama by William Grant Still. The concert comes to energetic conclusion with the fiery Rumanian Folk Dances by Béla Bartók.

Art Opening Reception: Friday, November 8, 2024 / 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm @ 9 Vassar Street

The Right To Be Held by Lala Montoya

Lala Montoya is a mixed-media artist who was born and raised in Medellín Colombia – a land of strong mountains, ancient lakes and careful campesinos. It is this abundance of nature and the abundant nature within each of us, particularly the way that nature is expressed in the body and in the work of Life, that inspires her powerful earthen art of ceramics, wood carving, painting, and printing blocks. It is through these mediums that she seeks to illuminate the beauty of time and of age and to make transparent the small details often missed in the rush of progress and perfection. “At the core of all my work are three ethics – Care for the Earth, Care for the People and Fair Share that is practiced by making outdoor education accessible and eliminating economic and language barriers,” explains Ms. Montoya.  Her exhibition at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, “The Right to”, focuses on the harsh realities of conflict and human rights violations and aims to stimulate contemplation on how to collectively preserve these sacred rights, fostering empathy and awareness.  She is currently rooted at the foot of the Hudson Valley in Poughkeepsie, NY and, in addition to being an accomplished artist, works as youth coordinator of Poughkeepsie Farm Project.

Art Opening Reception: Friday, November 8, 2024 / 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm @ 12 Vassar Street

The Proposal by John McGiff

John McGiff has been a painter for over forty years, receiving his BFA from SUNY Purchase and MFA from the University of Pennsylvania.  His recent series of paintings reinterprets Classic Greek mythological tales and address the challenges and the possibility of self-transformation.  Using the palette and design patterns of Indian Ragamala paintings, Indian block printing and gouache, Mr. McGiff employs vibrant colors that endeavors light to shine through the work. “I am naturally inclined towards making groups of images, exploring a central idea and evolving a language of gesture, color and design that best expresses this narrative interest,” he relays.  “For example, the theme is the house as a repository of personal and historical memory, as well as a metaphor for the self.”  Mr. McGiff recently relocated to the Hudson Valley area from Delaware where he was Chair of the Arts Department at an Independent Boarding school for 20+ years.  He currently teaches art history for Vassar’s Life Long Learning Institute and has exhibited his work in a myriad of venues across the mid-Atlantic region of the Unites States.

Friday, November 1, 2024 @ 7:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Tickets: $39.50 On Sale September 1, 2024. Click on Connie Fusella Meaningful Messages From Heaven to purchase tickets.

Have you ever wondered if your loved ones on the Other Side are OK? Do you wish you had the chance to hear from them again? Don’t miss this opportunity to see International Psychic Medium Connie Fusella as she connects with your loved ones in Spirit bringing forth meaningful messages of love, healing, and closure. Connie is a psychic medium, spiritual teacher, author, and public speaker with proven abilities to bridge the gap between the physical and spiritual realms. She is unique in having three near-death experiences solidifying her connection to the “Other Side”. Connie is a certified medium with two prestigious non-profit organizations dedicated to providing support to the bereaved: Forever Family Foundation which is featured in the Netflix Series “Surviving Death” and Helping Parents Heal, dedicated to supporting those who have lost children. She is featured in the book She Shines as the “Psychic Next Door” and provides live on-air readings for Signs of Life Radio.  Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to join Connie Fusella in what will be an incredibly powerful and moving evening of heartfelt spirit communications as she proves that the bonds of love between our deceased loved ones are eternal and unbreakable.

Tuesday, October 22, 2024 @ 7:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Purchase Online Tickets at Critical Thinking in the Digital Age

Saturday, October 12, 2024 @ 8:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Purchase Advance Online Tickets at Yuko Otomo

Yuko Otomo, Rob Brown and Daniel Carter

In her first solo Hudson Valley appearance, the exceptional poet and writer Yuko Otomo brings her revelatory work steeped in humane soul and omniversal epiphany accompanied by alto saxophonist Rob Brown and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter. Together, these three sublime artists will create extraordinary music grounded in Ms. Otomo’s singularly inspired writings.

Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm & Sunday, September 29, 2024 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm / 9 and 12 Vassar Street / Visit Poughkeepsie Open Studios for more information on other participating artists and locations.

Saturday, September 21, 2024 @ 8:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Purchase Advance Online Tickets at Peter Evans

Peter Evans — the fearsomely gifted trumpeter Evans astonishes with the sheer multiplicity of sounds and textures he is able to coax from his horn and the staggering inspiration that shapes his fathomless exploration in this rare Hudson Valley solo appearance.

Friday, August 2, 2024 @ 7:00 pm, Saturday, August 3, 2024 @ 7:00 pm and Sunday, August 4, 2024 @ 1:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Tickets: $25 General Admission / Ticket Purchase Information: West Side Theatrix

Sunday, July 21, 2024 @ 2:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Admission Information: Free Admission / Reservations Strongly Recommended – Click Reserve Your Seat to secure admission / Donations Welcome – Click HERE to make a donation. 

Live Choreography Showcase pulls back the veil on the creative process, allowing audience members to experience the intimate dialogue between choreographer and dancer as new works are brought to life, live on stage. Acclaimed choreographer, BalletCollective founder, and New York City Ballet dancer Troy Schumacher will create a short piece LIVE on two New York City Ballet dancers—set to a musical suggestion from event attendees. Willow Dance Center

Friday, July 5, 2024 @ 7:00 pm, Saturday, July 6, 2024 @ 7:00 pm and Sunday, July 7, 2024 @ 1:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Tickets: $25 General Admission / Ticket Purchase Information: West Side Theatrix

Saturday, June 22, 2024 @ 8:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Purchase Advance Online Tickets at On Your Shoulders

This historic congregation of the legendary harmolodic bass pioneer from Ornette Coleman’s innovative electric ensemble Prime Time Tacuma with the DownBeat Magazine Rising Star on tenor saxophone Lewis is a multi-generational celebration honoring past trailblazers and offering, in Mr. Tacuma’s words, “a special thank you to all the mentors and elders in music sharing their knowledge and creativity with the next generation.”

Sunday, June 16, 2024 @ 3:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Admission Information: Bridge Arts and Education