Performers
Location
About
Art Omi Upstate Benefit 2026
When
Saturday, September 26, 2026 | 5:30–10 PM
Location
Pocketbook Hudson | 549 Washington Street, Hudson, NY 12534
We invite you to join us for the annual Art Omi Upstate Benefit on Saturday, September 26 from 5:30–10 PM as we honor philanthropist, art collector, curator, and photographer Jack Shear. Jack lives and works in Spencertown, NY, and serves as President of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation and Executive Director of the Ellsworth Kelly Studio.
Tickets
Donate in lieu of attending
This year's benefit takes place at Pocketbook Hudson Hotel and Baths, a hotel, restaurant, and cultural complex in a historic 1885 textile factory and our newest partner in bringing art and community together across the Hudson Valley.
Schedule and program
- 5:30 PM: Cocktail party with libations, hors d'oeuvres, and live music by FlamenKora.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner — an Argentine feast prepared by Ambos Executive Chef Norberto Piattoni.
- Following dinner: Live auction and paddle raise hosted by Jacqueline Towers-Perkins, followed by dessert.
FlamenKora
FlamenKora interweaves improvised trumpet and flamenco guitar with traditional mandinka kora and vocals from Senegal to create multicultural music. The group is led by trumpeter and composer Volker Goetze, with kora master Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko and flamenco guitarist Roberto Monteiro.
Jacqueline Towers-Perkins
Jacqueline Towers-Perkins is an international auctioneer and CEO and Founder of Towers & Co, an auctioneer agency and fundraising consultancy. She has auctioneered at galas and benefit events globally and previously held senior positions at major auction houses, including Sotheby’s New York.
About Art Omi
Art Omi is home to five international residency programs for architects, artists, dancers, musicians, and writers. Our 120-acre Sculpture & Architecture Park displays more than 60 artworks on view at any time, alongside rotating exhibitions in the Newmark Gallery, all free and open to the public. Our arts education programs — from summer camps to public school partnerships to weekend workshops — bring hands-on art experiences to kids and families across the region.
Jack Shear, Our 2026 Honoree
Jack Shear has supported local organizations in Columbia County and arts institutions worldwide. In 2022 he donated a collection of 75 Tibetan Thangka paintings and objects to Skidmore College, Vassar College, and Williams College. He serves on the executive committee of MoMA’s International Council and on the board of the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies.
Jack has built a collection of over 2,000 works on paper. In 2020 he was honored by The Drawing Center and serves on the Drawings and Prints Committee at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. As a photographer, he has published books including Knot, which pairs his photographs with writing by Forrest Gander. His work is represented in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Albany Institute of History and Art.
In his role connected to Ellsworth Kelly, Jack donated 207 artworks by Ellsworth Kelly to 22 American museums in 2023 and oversaw related exhibitions and publications.
Venue: Pocketbook Hudson Hotel & Baths
Nestled in a historic 1885 textile factory, Pocketbook Hudson Hotel & Baths blends history, design, art, and cuisine. The complex includes a communal bathhouse; Ambos, an open-fire restaurant; café and bar; Ether, a subterranean nightclub; galleries; and a street-level market.
Ambos
Ambos, Pocketbook Hudson's evening restaurant, is led by Chef Norberto Piattoni. Inspired by his Argentine heritage and fermentation practices, Ambos features local meat, seafood, fresh pasta, and produce transformed by live-fire cooking and other techniques.
Questions
For more information please email Lux Krueger, Associate Director of Development, at Lkrueger@artomi.org
2026 Sponsors
Benefactor
- Gavin Berger & Craig Berggren
- Paul Cassidy & Vernon D. Evenson
- Corina Larkin & Nigel Dawn
- Mark Portin & Cheryl Roberts
Sustainer
- On behalf of Aven A. Kerr Trust
- Heather & Rishi Bhandari
Leader
- David Israelow
- Sarah & Marcus Oliver
Patron
- BKSK Architecture
- Michelle & Scott Brindley
- Louis C. Ciliberti
- Sarah Lutz & John van Rens
- Cherrie Nanninga
- Joanne & Robert Ollman
- SKOLNICK Architecture
Supporter
- Richard Hayden
- Noelle Lamuniere
- Gabriella Sperry
- David Szlasa
Friend
- Amy Adler
- Darrow School
- Peter Frank & Jonathan Lerner
- Ashley Garrett & Brian Woods
- Herrington's
- Matthew Kalishman
- LeChase Construction
- Judith G. Levy & Pamela Fine
- Carsten Otto & DeWayne A. Powell
- Bill & Denise Wallace
- Marilyn & Mark Webber
Major support for Art Omi is provided in part by the Francis J. Greenburger Family Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, Time Equities Inc., and the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
In-kind support provided by Pocketbook Hudson, Preferred Hotel Partner of Art Omi.
We can't wait to celebrate with you!