Antonia Arts is celebrating its Silver Jubilee, marking a quarter of a century of growth, success and resilience in the City of Peekskill. In honor of its 25th year as a non-profit organization. Starting in January, on the 25th of every month, Antonia Arts will be celebrating with something special. On January 25, from 7 p.m.  to 9 p.m., Antonia Arts and Founder Scarlett Antonia will hold a Silver Jubilee 25th Anniversary Kickoff event at the Antonia Arts Studio, located at 925 South Street in The Artist Spot. 

The Silver Jubilee kickoff event will feature singers, dancers, Zumba, memorabilia from past performances, reminiscing, food and beverages, as well as pictures of the hundreds of kids, youth and adults who made Antonia Arts an integral part of their life over the past 25 years. In addition, the audience will get to see a preview of the 5th annual Antonia Arts OZ Land Festival. 

“I am thrilled and very happy we have been here for the past 25 years. I can’t wait to see what the next 25 years brings,” Scarlettt Antonia said. “I love it here. Peekskill is home and we are not going anywhere.” 

A little over 30 years ago, downtown Peekskill reinvented itself as an artist district, led by Mayor Frances Gibbs, the Common Council, the city government, and planning consultant Ralph DiBart. The artist district, with the Paramount Theater as the core foundation, would help bring an identity to the downtown that was much needed. At the same time, the Peekskill Business Improvement District (BID), as well as the Peekskill Arts Alliance, were founded, and SUNY Westchester Community College Digital Arts Center made Peekskill its home. Over the course of the next decade, the Artist Lofts on South Street and Central Avenue were built. Peekskill was on the rise and attracting artists from all over the country. 

It was around that time that Scarlett Antonia, originally from Minnesota, was working often in New York City as a young performer. “My friend was a clown, (she remembered with a giggle), with Ringling Brothers Circus, and encouraged me to come up and visit Peekskill,” she recalled. “I missed the trees, the water, mountains and rivers. I visited Peekskill and was drawn by the Paramount. Then I visited the new artist lofts on South Street and knew this is where I wanted to be. This was the place. This felt like home.”

Shortly thereafter, around the year 2000, Scarlett set down roots and moved to Peekskill. Within a short time, Scarlett created Antonia Arts Academy, a non-profit organization. Over time, the word “academy” fell off and it became known simply as Antonia Arts. 

“With all of my performance work throughout the years, I wanted to pass along my experience and wisdom to as many people as possible. I have been teaching since I was 13 years old so it came naturally to me to create a non-profit where myself and others taught singing, dancing, acting, and performance,” Antonia said. 

Upon opening in Peekskill, Scarlett ran the Antonia Arts non-profit out of a small office at 23 North Division Street along Restaurant Row. After a few months, she moved the organization to her live/work art loft at 814 South Street, where it remained for more than a decade.

“We would find anywhere and everywhere to practice our large performances before putting on big shows,” she said. “We practiced at places like where the Guitar store is located on Division Street and in 2020 moved to our current location at 925 South Street.” Throughout the years, Antonia Arts has put on large and small performances inside the Paramount and in the open air of Peekskill that has delighted thousands of people. Performances included Peekskill Private I’s, Annie, Wizard of Oz, and Cats, among others. 

Around 2013, the students at Antonia Arts had just finished sold out-performances of Annie when Scarlett began to think about the Wizard of Oz and the connection that its author L. Frank Baum had to Peekskill. That got her to thinking about doing the Wizard of Oz at the Paramount. As she recalled, “We couldn’t get into the Paramount for some reason. I came up with another idea and that was to create the Wiz Kids. It would be an exceptional group of student performers who wanted to push and excel further in singing, dancing, acting, performing and even writing original shows.” The Wiz Kids has been a part of Antonia Arts now for more than 10 years and counting. Eventually, in 2015, Scarlett was able to bring the Antonia Arts performance of The Wizard of Oz to the Paramount Theater with back-to-back sold-out performances. 

A little over five years ago, Scarlett Antonia came up with the idea of the Antonia Arts Oz Land Festival. The festival would pay homage to the Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum. The festival takes place every year on South Street between Union Avenue and Division Street. Last year, at the fourth annual Oz Land Festival, an entire day’s worth of entertainment included a DJ, storyteller, local singers and dancers, artists, local organizations, food vendors, an art show, Zumba, and all of the Wizard of Oz characters, including Dorothy, Toto and the Wizard. Scarlett Antonia has promised this year’s fifth annual Oz Land Festival will be better than ever. 

Scarlett Anonia said, “the staff here at Antonia Arts are delighted we are still leading Peekskill’s next generation of theater performers, with singing, dancing, drama, tap dancing, Zumba, poetry and theater classes for people of all ages. “New programs are always being offered, such as “Behind the Scenes,” said Scarlett. “The new class is for youth who want to learn more about how shows work, backstage craft, and the production aspect of shows. The class will cover all aspects of a production that take place behind the scenes, such as stage managing, set design, lights, sound, props, running crew, promotions, graphics, advertising, funding proposals and general management,” Antonia said. 

Throughout the past 25 years, there have been hundreds of people who have made their way through classes and programs at Antonia Arts, and thousands have been entertained. The non-profit organization has had its share of success stories. Some graduates of Antonia Arts have gone on to appear on screens big and small, singers have become well-known, such as Grace Vanderwaal. Under Scarlett’s mentorship and guidance, at age 12, Vanderwaal became the winner of America’s Got Talent Season 11. She has won numerous national and international awards and toured both nationally and internationally. Grace has accumulated over 7 million Instagram followers, 3.5 million Youtube followers, created over 79 videos on YouTube, and continues to explode on the music scene. And to think all that success and acclaim has its roots right here in Peekskill at Antonia Arts.

There are others who have gone on to become singers on cruise ships, actors on Broadway, and industry leaders backstage in the theater, said Scarlett.  “I am proud of each and every one of them and Peekskill should be proud too!”

For more information about Antonia Arts, classes, Wiz Kids, or the Oz Land Festival, stop by the Antonia Arts Silver Jubilee Kickoff event on January 25 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. You can also visit AntoniaArts.org and follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

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