Performers
Location
About
Join us for the annual Art Omi Upstate Benefit on Saturday, September 26, 2026, 5:30–10 PM, honoring philanthropist, collector, curator, and photographer Jack Shear.
Location: Pocketbook Hudson | 549 Washington Street, Hudson, NY 12534
TICKETS
DONATE IN LIEU OF ATTENDING
This year's benefit takes place at Pocketbook Hudson Hotel & 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
- 5:30 PM: Cocktail party with libations, hors d'oeuvres, and live music from FlamenKora.
- 7:00 PM: Argentine feast prepared by Ambos Executive Chef Norberto Piattoni, followed by a live auction and paddle raise hosted by Jacqueline Towers-Perkins.
- The evening concludes with dessert.
About FlamenKora
FlamenKora blends improvised trumpet and flamenco guitar with traditional mandinka kora and Senegalese vocals. Led by trumpeter and composer Volker Goetze, the group features kora master Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko and flamenco guitarist Roberto Monteiro. Their music draws on West African music, jazz, and flamenco to create a singular sound. “FlamenKora exudes a remarkable sense of cultural diversity... showcasing an uncanny ability to listen and respond to one another, resulting in an exquisite musical beauty.” – JAZZIZ (US)
About Jacqueline Towers-Perkins
Jacqueline Towers-Perkins is an international auctioneer and CEO/Founder of Towers & Co, an auctioneer agency and fundraising consultancy. Her clients have included international royalty and major figures in entertainment and business. She has previously held senior positions at global 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 features 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.
Your support at any level makes this evening, and Art Omi itself, possible. We can't wait to celebrate with you!
Jack Shear, Our 2026 Honoree
Jack Shear lives and works in Spencertown, NY. He has supported local organizations throughout Columbia County and the arts globally. 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 collected more than 2,000 works on paper ranging from Old Masters to contemporary artists. In 2020 he was honored by The Drawing Center and he serves on the Drawings and Prints Committee at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. As a photographer, he has published books including Knot, paired with poems and prose by Forrest Gander. His work is 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.
As President of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation and Executive Director of the Ellsworth Kelly Studio, Jack continues to honor Ellsworth Kelly’s legacy. In 2023 he donated 207 artworks by Ellsworth Kelly to 22 American museums and oversaw exhibitions and publications highlighting Kelly’s achievements, including presentations at the Museum of Modern Art, Glenstone Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Pocketbook Hudson Hotel & Baths
Nestled in a historic 1885 textile factory, Pocketbook Hudson blends history, design, art, and cuisine. The property includes a communal bathhouse; Ambos—an open-fire restaurant; a 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 live-fire cooking with local meat, seafood, fresh pasta, and produce.
Questions
For more information, email Lux Krueger, Associate Director of Development, at [email protected]
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.
Date
Saturday, September 26, 2026 | 5:30–10 PM
Location
Pocketbook Hudson | 549 Washington Street, Hudson, NY 12534