Past Calendar Events

Saturday, September 19, 2026 @ 8:00 pm / VBI Theater – 12 Vassar Street / Tickets: $20 Advance and $30 Door / Advance Online Ticket Purchases: Judi Silvano’s Garden Winds

The gifted vocalist and composer Silvano leads a new trio – Garden Winds – with Haruna Fukazawa on flutes and Claire de Brunner on bassoon. The gifted vocalist and composer Silvano leads a new, thoroughly unique trio featuring Haruna Fukazawa on flutes and Claire de Brunner on bassoon, celebrating their upcoming first recording of their chamber sensibility deeply informed by poetry and improvisation. Elysium Furnace Works

Saturday, September 12, 2026 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday, September 13, 2026 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm /Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center – 9 & 12 Vassar Street, Poughkeepsie, NY / Free Admission / Click HERE for more information and for Additional Participating Locations and Artists

9 Vassar Street: Featured Resident Artists’ Studios – Onaje Benjamin, Shirley Parker-Benjamin, Laura Polirer, Lauren Hollick and Carolyn Schlam

12 Vassar Street: Featured Resident Artists’ Studios – WomensWork.Art / Nikki Hung and Elinor Levy

September/October 2026 Art Exhibitions:  9 Vassar Street – Liliana Washburn in the Victorian Gallery / 12 Vassar Street – Group Exhibition What Comes Back: Renewal and Resilience curated by Barbara Todd in the Reception and Hancock Galleries

Friday, August 21, 2026 @ 7:00 pm / VBI Theater – 12 Vassar Street / Tickets: $30 / Online Ticket Purchase: Last Out / NOTE: Veterans can attend this performance for free by selecting Nation’s Defenders Ticket for this pricing when ordering tickets online. / For more information visit Task Force Pineapple

Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret is a gripping live stage production written by Ret. Green Beret Lt. Col. Scott Mann and performed by combat veterans and military family members. Through the eyes of Danny Patton, a Green Beret caught between this life and the next, Last Out takes you on a powerful journey through the warrior’s experience – from the battlefield to the homefront. Raw, emotional, and deeply human, this is not just a play – it’s a mission to heal, connect, and remember.

Saturday, August 15, 2026 and Sunday, August 16, 2026 / VBI Theater – 12 Vassar Street / Performance Times and Ticket Information: From Stage to Screen Acting Studio

Saturday, August 8, 2026 and Sunday, August 9, 2026 / VBI Theater – 12 Vassar Street / Performance Times and Ticket Information: SRO Theater Company

Sunday, August 2, 2026 from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm / Waryas Park, Poughkeepsie, NY / Free Family Outdoor Event / Information: Poughkeepsie La Guelaguetza 2026

The Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center is proud to be the Fiscal Sponsor of La Guelaguetza 2026.

Friday, July 24, 2026 at 7:00 pm, Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 1:00 pm & 7:00 pm, and Sunday, July 26, 2026 at 1:00 pm / VBI Theater – 12 Vassar Street / Performance Times and Ticket Information: West Side Theatrix

Sunday, July 19, 2026 / 2nd Floor Dance Studio and the VBI Theater – 12 Vassar Street / See Poster for Class Times and Information / Free Admittance – Registration Required / Click HERE to register for the Master Class and for a free ticket to the performance / BalletCollective / Willow Dance Center

Saturday, July 18, 2026 @ 8:00 pm / VBI Theater – 12 Vassar Street / Tickets: $20 Advance and $30 Door / Advance Online Ticket Purchases: Ingrid Laubrock and Cecilia Lopez Eventbrite Tickets    

Ingrid Laubrock and Cecilia Lopez

A duo of very different sort, composer/saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and multimedia artist Cecelia Lopez sculpt otherworldly soundscapes rich with electro-acoustic invention in this startling collaboration. Elysium Furnace Works

Friday, July 10, 2026 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm / Free Admission / Refreshments will be served

• Victorian Gallery @ 9 Vassar Street – Onaje Benjamin, Jazz Photography and Shirley Parker Benjamin, Mixed Media
• Reception Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street – Meghan McDonough, Oil Paintings 
• Hancock Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street – Mukta, Oil Paintings

Art Opening Receptions: Friday, July 10, 2026 / 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Onaje Benjamin & Shirley Parker-Benjamin – Victorian Gallery @ 9 Vassar Street

Photograph by Onaje Benjamin

Onaje Benjamin and Shirley Parker-Benjamin will share the spotlight in the Victorian Gallery in their collective exhibition entitled Mystical Rhythms. 

Onaje Benjamin defines himself as a documentary/humanist photographer whose creative process involves monochromatic interpretations of the intrinsic aspects of life. As a visual storyteller, his images are artistic representations of the lives people live, their challenges, conflicts, and romantic dances they do while weaving in and out of their own experiences. Onaje’s artwork reflects his lived experience, and his body of work encompasses the current shifting cultural dynamics, political and identity conflicts and socio-economic landscapes, and social tensions.  “My camera is an extension of my inner creative vision and imagination, and I seek confirmation of my existence and that of the social beings I share this sphere called earth,” he states.  “The lens is a tool that can be an interpreter of beauty and social tensions and conflict or weaponized to challenge and violate our personal spaces.”  Onaje has had gallery exhibitions in the Mid-Hudson Valley, New England and New York City, and a solo show at the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum.  He has received numerous awards, including the Lelani Claire Award for Outstanding Achievement in Photography and was a recipient of the Creatives Build New York, Guaranteed Income for Artist Award.

Artwork by Shirley Parker-Benjamin

As a multidisciplinary artist for over 30 years, Shirley Parker-Benjamin has sought to create works of art of multiple genres that include sculptural mixed media, assemblage, installation and works on paper. She explores the intersection between ancestral, metaphysical, spiritual traditions and the divine feminine. “I utilize memory and ancestors in my work to visually tell a story,” Shirley explains. “My process includes the use of found objects, natural materials, fiber, metal, minerals, powered pigments and beads to create my work…. I am interested in how multiple textures interface.” Shirley’s compelling works of art have been exhibited regionally and internationally. In 2024, she was recognized by the Woodstock Artist Association and Museum (WAAM) with the 2024 Social Justice Award.  Her current artistic projects include creating an Oracle Card Deck and an ancestral sculpture.  Her studio, Re-Emergent Sanctuary, is located at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center.

Meghan McDonough – Reception Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street

Wonder by Meghan McDonough

 

Meghan McDonough is a figurative artist and dedicated educator whose work intricately explores the layers of human experience and the quest for a divine existence, and to encapsulate the cycles of universal emotion, illustrating the relief and grace that accompany the rediscovery of our divine source of love. Primarily utilizing oil paint, she also experiments with mixed media to allow her vibrant and dynamic brushstrokes to echo the fluidity of human movement. The application of paint is thick, raw, and linear, reflecting the intensity of emotions encountered in both the profound lows and euphoric highs of existence. “I endeavor to capture the motion, chaos, and serenity of the human condition as it strives to connect with a divine essence,” notes Meghan. “Each gestural figure in my work embodies various stages of life’s inner journey, symbolizing the shedding of false identities and the exploration of true selfhood.” Meghan graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 2012, earning a B.F.A. with a specialization in painting and drawing. This academic foundation catalyzed her artistic journey, leading her to delve deeply into the transformative power of art. After teaching private lessons, Meghan discovered the profound fulfillment that comes from sharing her passion for creativity and inspired her to pursue a Master of Science in Teaching, focusing on Art Education and Special Education.  Since 2017, she has been an art teacher in New York City public high schools, where she guides students in grades 9 through 12. Meghan believes that everyone has the inherent ability to create, and she fosters an inclusive environment that encourages her students to explore their artistic voices. In her artwork, Meghan seeks to understand the complexities of the Self through the dynamic human form. As she continues her artistic and educational journey, she remains committed to empowering her students and enriching the lives of those around her through the transformative power of art.

Mukta – Hancock Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street

Painting by Mukta

 

Mukta began art at the age of three and since then his journey has been one of dedication and discovery.  He received an associate’s degree from Rockland Community College and B.F.A. in painting and drawing from SUNY New Paltz.  In 2003, Mukta began to dedicate his art to higher consciousness because of profound life-altering spiritual experiences. His oil and watercolor paintings are surreal and abstract in nature and are inspired by personal growth.   “As an artist, I dive deep within and attempt to release all barriers that block the pure creativity from manifesting through them,“ he relays. “By taking this journey to its highest potential, Love, Light and Truth is transmitted through the artist’s creations that aid in the spiritual evolution of the planet restoring art to its powerful purpose of creating an environment of divine experience.” Mukta is also the co-founder of Divine Shakti Arts – an organization to bring divinity to earth through art and music.

Saturday, June 27, 2026 @ 8:00 pm / VBI Theater – 12 Vassar Street / Tickets: $30 Advance and $40 Door / Advance Online Ticket Purchases: For Living Lovers Eventbrite Tickets       

Brandon Ross and Stomu Takeishi

String duos continue into the summer for Elysium Furnace Works with this celebrated, long-running, unplugged project featuring acoustic guitarist/banjoist/vocalist Ross and acoustic bass guitarist Takeishi, building upon their initial association in the ensembles of Henry Threadgill to craft an innovative, distinctively chamber-like approach to modern string music.  Elysium Furnace Works

Saturday, June 13, 2026 and Sunday, June 14, 2026 / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Performance Times and Ticket Information: From Stage To Screen Acting Studio

Saturday, June 6, 2026 and Sunday, June 7, 2026 / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Performance Times and Ticket Information: From Stage To Screen Acting Studio

Saturday, May 30, 2026 / 7:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / $40 per person / To purchase Tickets Click HERE / A Limited Number of Tickets will be Available at the Door to Purchase by Cash Only / Open Seating

For over 25 years, The Chain Gang Band has been entertaining audiences with a 250-song repertoire of timeless tunes and genres from the 1960’s to the 1980’s as well as with critically acclaimed tribute concerts. Their Billy Joel Tribute Concert at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center covers the span of Billy Joel’s career that includes iconic hits such as “Just The Way You Are”, “Allentown”, “Piano Man” and “Movin’ Out”.  All of the songs are performed in their original arrangements and fans of this talented five-piece band remark that “if you close your eyes, you will think you’re at Billy’s (Joel) concert!” The Chain Gang Band is comprised of Sam Costanzo on lead vocals, Doug Abramson on bass, Dan Kalbfus on keyboards, Tom Nastasi on guitar, and Rich Iula on drums.  

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 @ 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm / Reception Gallery – 12 Vassar Street / Free Admission / Donations Welcome 

Saturday, May 16 @ 8:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Tickets: $20 Advance and $30 Door / Advance Online Ticket Purchases: gabby fluke-mogul and Charles Burnham Eventbrite Tickets      

gabby fluke-mogul and Charles Burnham

String duos remain the Elysium Furnace Works thing with this incendiary gathering of two contemporary violin virtuosi: educator and Creative Music Studio executive director gabby fluke-mogul joining forces with veteran Downtown musician Charles Burnham. Elysium Furnace Works

Friday, May 8, 2026 @ 7:00 pm and Saturday, May 9, 2026 @ 2:00 pm / VBI Theatre – 12 Vassar Street / Ticket Information: SRO and In Flight, Inc. The Wizard of Oz Tickets

Friday, May 8, 2026 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm / Free Admission / Refreshments will be served

• Victorian Gallery @ 9 Vassar Street – Joel Mason, Photography
• Reception Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street – Julian Allen, Acrylics and Watercolor Paintings 
• Hancock Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street – Monika Kalra, Giclee Prints 

Sunday, May 3, 2026 / Workshops at 12 Vassar Street: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Bad Ass Veil Belly Dance Class in the Dance Studio (2nd Floor) and 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm Instrumental Instruction of Belly Dance Rhythms in the Reception Art Gallery (1st Foor); Belly Dance Performance from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm in the VBI Theater – 12 Vassar Street / Tickets Information: Hips of the Hudson 2