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 is 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, the recently opened 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 highlights
- 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.
- Live auction and paddle raise hosted by Jacqueline Towers-Perkins.
- Dessert to conclude the evening.
About Art Omi
Art Omi hosts five international residency programs for architects, artists, dancers, musicians, and writers. Our 120-acre Sculpture & Architecture Park displays more than 60 artworks at any time, alongside rotating exhibitions in the Newmark Gallery—free and open to the public. Arts education programs, from summer camps to public school partnerships and 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 has supported organizations throughout Columbia County and the arts more broadly. 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 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, 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 the husband of Ellsworth Kelly, Jack continues to honor his legacy as President of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation and Executive Director of the Ellsworth Kelly Studio. In 2023 he donated 207 artworks by Ellsworth Kelly to 22 American museums and oversaw exhibitions and publications commemorating the centennial of Ellsworth’s birth.
FlamenKora
By interweaving improvised trumpet and flamenco guitar with traditional mandinka kora and Senegalese vocals, FlamenKora creates timeless and enchanting multicultural music; a welcome balm in these troubled times.
- Volker Goetze — trumpet, composer, Art Omi: Music alum
- Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko — kora and vocals
- Roberto Monteiro — flamenco guitar
“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)
Jacqueline Towers-Perkins
Jacqueline Towers-Perkins is an international auctioneer and CEO and Founder of Towers & Co, an auctioneer agency and fundraising consultancy for galas and benefit events. Her clients have included international royalty and leading figures in entertainment, finance, tech, and politics. She has auctioneered to thousands of bidders and raised millions for charity and previously held senior positions at global auction houses including Sotheby’s New York.
Pocketbook Hudson Hotel & Baths
Nestled in a historic textile factory built in 1885, Pocketbook Hudson 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 is Pocketbook Hudson's evening restaurant, led by Chef Norberto Piattoni. Inspired by his Argentine heritage and fermentation and live-fire cooking practices, the menu features local meat, seafood, fresh pasta, and produce.
Questions?
For more information please email Lux Krueger, Associate Director of Development, at Lkrueger@artomi.org
2026 Sponsors
Benefactor
- Gavin Berger & Craig Berggren
- Corina Larkin & Nigel Dawn
Sustainer
- On behalf of Aven A. Kerr Trust
- Heather & Rishi Bhandari
Leader
- David Israelow
- Sarah & Marcus Oliver
Patron
- BKSK Architecture
- Cherrie Nanninga
- Joanne & Robert Ollman
- SKOLNICK Architecture
Supporter
- Richard Hayden
- Noelle Lamuniere
- Gabriella Sperry
Friend
- Peter Frank & Jonathan Lerner
- Ashley Garrett & Brian Woods
- Herrington's
- LeChase Construction
- Carsten Otto & DeWayne A. Powell
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.