30 years ago, in the early 1990’s, the City of Peekskill, facing a 70 percent vacancy rate in the downtown, was looking at a bleak future after the recession of 1990-1991. Newly elected Mayor Frances Gibbs, the City Council and planning consultant Ralph DiBart joined together hatched a plan for the City’s future. They created a bold, creative plan to stem the inevitable demise of this Hudson River city. The Mayor, along with the City Council, City staff and Ralph DiBart invited the press to City Hall and announced their plan to have Peekskill reinvent itself as an artist district. The press conference did exactly what it intended to do. It created news locally, statewide and even made it to the New York Times. There were naysayers and even some who laughed at the idea an Artist District could be created from nothing. But the artists came.
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Newspaper Article from the early days of the Artist District Photo from The Peekskill Museum presents, A Retrospective of Peekskill’s Artist District
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Newspaper Article from the early days of the Artist District Photo from The Peekskill Museum presents, A Retrospective of Peekskill’s Artist District
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Within six months of Peekskill declaring an Artist District, 20 artists began living downtown. In late 1992 and early 1993, artists Larry D’Amico and Carla Rae Johnson moved into the newly formed artist district. Soon afterward, Larry D’Amico and JoAnn Brody helped form the Peekskill Arts Council, now known as the Peekskill Arts Alliance. Together, working with the newly formed Peekskill Business Improvement District also established by Mayor Gibbs in 1996, they helped create the very first Open Studios weekend in 1997 where people could see artists working in their spaces.
Photo Credit: Elisa Bruno-Midili
Just this past weekend, on June 1st and June 2nd, the Peekskill Arts Alliance held its 25th Anniversary of Open Studios and the Peekskill Herald promoted it in this article: “Celebrations abound as the 25th anniversary of Open Studios begins and the Artist District and WCC Peekskill celebrate their 30th year”.
This Tuesday, June 4th at the BeanRunner Cafe, the First Tuesday Salon will celebrate the Peekskill Arts Alliance and the 25th anniversary of Open Studios. As CarlaRae Johnson, host of the First Tuesdays Salon says, “the Peekskill Arts Alliance has been promoting the visual, literary, and performing arts for 25 years, and it’s time to celebrate that! Those who open their studios or show their work at other venues during Open Studios Weekend, often don’t get a chance to see what their fellow Peekskill artists are sharing…until now!”
This salon will be like no other before it. Artists are being asked to bring something they made, wrote, or can perform to share with the arts community at this salon. Art lovers are being asked to come and be prepared to be amazed by the abundant talent that is here in our city. This event is free and open to the public.
First Tuesday Salons will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year after a pause during the Covid-19 pandemic. It re-emerged in March of 2024 welcoming the same panel of women painters that was originally scheduled for March of 2020. Last month, the salon had Nationally known artist and Peekskill resident V.L. Cox. In April the salon hosted a panel of four women who discussed Creative Reuse as Earth Month began.
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