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 an unforgettable night at 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.
The evening unfolds at Pocketbook Hudson Hotel & Baths, a recently opened hotel, restaurant, and cultural complex housed in a historic 1885 textile factory and Art Omi’s newest partner in bringing art and community together across the Hudson Valley.
Schedule highlights:
- 5:30 PM: Cocktail party with libations, hors d'oeuvres, and live music from FlamenKora.
- 7:00 PM: Argentine feast by Ambos Executive Chef Norberto Piattoni, followed by a live auction and paddle raise hosted by Jacqueline Towers-Perkins.
- The evening concludes with dessert.
Musical performance: FlamenKora
FlamenKora blends improvised trumpet and flamenco guitar with traditional Mandinka kora and vocals from Senegal. 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. “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)
Host/auctioneer: Jacqueline Towers-Perkins
Jacqueline Towers-Perkins is an international auctioneer and CEO/Founder of Towers & Co, an auctioneer agency and fundraising consultancy for galas and benefit events. She has auctioneered for clients across finance, entertainment, and philanthropy and has previously held senior positions at major auction houses including Sotheby’s New York.
About Jack Shear, 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 from Old Masters to contemporary artists. He was honored by The Drawing Center in 2020 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, 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.
He continues to honor Ellsworth Kelly’s 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 helped oversee a global network of exhibitions and publications marking Ellsworth Kelly’s centennial.
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 — all free and open to the public. Arts education programs include summer camps, public school partnerships, and weekend workshops for kids and families.
Venue: Pocketbook Hudson Hotel & Baths
Nestled in an 1885 textile factory, Pocketbook Hudson blends history, design, art, and cuisine. The complex 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 Argentine heritage and fermentation practices, the menu features local meat, seafood, fresh pasta, and produce transformed by live-fire cooking.
Contact
For more information email Lux Krueger, Associate Director of Development, at Lkrueger@artomi.org
Sponsors
- Sustainer: 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; 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.
We can't wait to celebrate with you!