Since the turn of the 21st century, as the increasing gentrification of New York City has spurred artists to seek more affordable studios and homes elsewhere, Peekskill has looked to position itself as a kind of SoHo North. Call it PoHo.
That long-nurtured dream will take another leap forward Thursday, June 25, through Sunday, June 28, as Peekskill makes its Upstate Art Weekend debut with “Enlighten Peekskill,” an array of public art seven years in the making that marks an extensive public-private partnership. When New York state awarded Peekskill a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant in 2019, it earmarked $500,000 for public art. The National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, ArtsWestchester, Impact100/Westchester and local businesses all provided additional support.
The state selected the Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art (HVMOCA), founded in Peekskill in 2004 by collectors Livia and Marc Straus, to administer the three “Enlighten Peekskill” facets, which include:
- “Illuminate Peekskill,” organized by HVMOCA — light-illuminated sculptures focusing on beautifying and brightening local streets and improving public safety with art. Four sculptures have been installed to date;
- “Making Connections,” organized by the Peekskill Arts Alliance — murals creating a way-finding art corridor that highlights key themes from Peekskill’s history and interacts with its architecture. Eleven murals have been added to Peekskill’s cityscape, with work from 36 artists.
- “Five Elements Arches,” created by artists Christine Knowlton and Candace Winter, with five murals near the train station on South Street greeting visitors in a set of collaged images that reflects the seasons’ colors and the work of more than 1,500 local hands.
A post-industrial city, Peekskill struggled with disinvestment in the second half of the 20th century. Thus far, this century has been a different story as the city has blossomed as a center for the arts, presenting emerging and recognized visual and performing artists. Its Open Studios, held each June — this year Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, from noon to 5 p.m. — draws about a thousand visitors annually. Median housing values have more than doubled over the past 25 years, since dedicated artist live/work spaces were zoned and constructed. Still, the city remains a work in progress.
HVMOCA’s Livia Straus was an early believer, taking a 12,000-square-foot former home improvement warehouse and creating a space with her husband that would not only house their contemporary art collection but would use it as a springboard for though-provoking shows on a variety of themes: “Our goal since opening the museum has been to instill new energy, introduce visitors to the natural beauty of the location and introduce intensive educational programming based in the arts and the intersection of the arts with history and culture. We’ve also wanted to expose a larger audience to Peekskill’s substantial local artist population. Along with the museum’s other efforts, we are really pleased with what the ‘Enlighten’ collaboration is bringing to the city.”
Civic as well as arts leaders are working to ensure that Peekskill’s reputation as an arts destination continues to grow, spotlighting underrepresented artists as well as established ones. To that end, the city created the Peekskill Arts Council. Said Peter Erwin, assistant director of planning and development: “We are a mid-sized Hudson River city with an unusually significant investment in public art, and the arts council will ensure that the art is well-curated, is cultivated and is maintained.”
Multimedia artist Carla Rae Johnson holds a monthly salon where artists can find mutual support and stimulation. Along with other arts events in Peekskill, including those at the Paramount Center for the Arts, the salons help to foster what Johnson calls “…an engaged and active artist community.”
For her and other artists, who will light the way to more cultural offerings, the fruition of the public art project is another chapter in an unfolding story.
“We are on the brink of a new era,” said landscape painter and muralist Larry D’Amico, who with ceramicist and former Peekskill Arts Alliance President Robin Kline shepherded the mural project. “We’ve seen great growth in PAA membership, now at more than 200. I am thrilled with the quality of murals both from members and outside artists, and I only expect more.”
Added Kline: “This public display enhances the city’s arts reputation that draws writers, poets, visual artists and performers, and answers the question, ‘Where’s the art?’”
Photograph © Joseph Squillante, 2026.
A ribbon-cutting and guided art trail walk will kick off festivities for “Enlighten Peekskill,” part of Upstate Arts Weekend, on Thursday, June 25, at 4:30 p.m. from The Central, 300 Railroad Ave., followed by a grand opening and Art Trail Tour with performances on Friday, June 26, starting at 5:30 p.m., and artist panels on Sunday, June 28, from noon to 3 p.m. at HVMOCA, 1701 Main St.
Participating artists and a show catalog can be found here. For more, click here.
