Performers
Location
About
Join us for the annual Art Omi Upstate Benefit on Saturday, September 26, 2026, 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.
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Location: Pocketbook Hudson Hotel & Baths (a recently opened hotel, restaurant, and cultural complex in a historic 1885 textile factory) — 549 Washington Street, Hudson, NY 12534.
Schedule highlights
- 5:30 PM — Cocktail party with libations, hors d'oeuvres, and live music from FlamenKora. Led by trumpeter and composer Volker Goetze with kora master Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko and flamenco guitarist Roberto Monteiro, the group draws on West African music, jazz, and flamenco to create a singular sound.
- 7:00 PM — Argentine feast by Ambos Executive Chef Norberto Piattoni, followed by a live auction and paddle raise hosted by Jacqueline Towers-Perkins.
- Dessert and dancing until the last song plays.
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 at any time, alongside rotating exhibitions in the Newmark Gallery — all 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.
Jack Shear, Our 2026 Honoree
Jack has supported 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.
He has assembled a collection of over 2,000 works on paper, 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, Jack 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 the husband of Ellsworth Kelly, Jack continues to honor his legacy. In 2023 he donated 207 artworks by Ellsworth Kelly to 22 American museums and oversaw exhibitions and publications highlighting Ellsworth’s achievements, including presentations at the Museum of Modern Art, Glenstone Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
About FlamenKora
FlamenKora interweaves improvised trumpet and flamenco guitar with traditional Mandinka kora and Senegalese vocals to create timeless multicultural music. Volker Goetze’s trumpet lines dance with the soulful vocals and kora of Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko, and guitarist Roberto Monteiro adds Spanish flamenco flair. “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
About Jacqueline Towers-Perkins
Jacqueline Towers-Perkins is an international auctioneer and CEO/Founder of Towers & Co, a fundraising consultancy and auctioneer agency for galas and benefit events. Her clients have included international royalty and major figures in entertainment; she has auctioneered to thousands of bidders and raised millions for charity. She previously held senior positions at global auction houses including Sotheby’s New York.
Venue and dining
Pocketbook Hudson Hotel & Baths blends history, design, art, and cuisine and includes a communal bathhouse, Ambos (open-fire restaurant), café and bar, Ether nightclub, galleries, and a street-level market.
Ambos (evening restaurant) is led by Chef Norberto Piattoni and draws on his Argentine heritage, fermentation practices, and live-fire cooking.
Questions
For more information, email Lux Krueger, Associate Director of Development, at Lkrueger@artomi.org.
Support
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.