Hot Topics
1:00pm daily
FREE HUMANITIES SERIES
A core feature of The Hudson Eye are the daily “Hot Topics” panels, highlighting ten issues of interest to the local community.
All Hot Topics Panels take place at 1:00pm each day at The Tenth Academy, 364 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534.
The panels are free and open to the public.
ARTISTS
VENUES
BASILICA HUDSON
110 S. FRONT STREET
Founded in 2010 by musician Melissa Auf der Maur and filmmaker Tony Stone, Basilica Hudson now operates as a non-profit multidisciplinary arts center, supporting the creation, production, and presentation of independent and innovative arts and culture while fostering a sustainable community. Constructed in 1884, the building originally operated as a factory producing steel railway car wheels and the structure’s intricate truss system pays homage to its industrial past. Basilica Hudson’s programming includes genre-pushing music festivals, large scale marketplace events, regular film screenings, an artist in residency program, a new weekly series of musical performances and art exhibits in their reactivated Gallery Building, and other community collaborations. The majority of its programs are free or sliding scale. Inspiration for its mission and programs is drawn from Hudson’s eclectic and epic history, as well as the regional geography and history. Basilica Hudson invites audiences to discover Hudson and the region and strives to forge experiences that aspire to the scale, grit, and beauty of its surroundings.
ELEVATED MATTER
422 1/2 WARREN STREET
ELEVATED MATTER is a salon-style private gallery in a historic Warren street townhouse. The gallery opened in June 2021 and shows fine art, fine studio jewelry, and design. The focus is on contemporary American artists and designers who engage deeply with historical processes and craft. Careful curatorial attention is paid to the non-traditional and unexpected, particularly in the realm of the senses. This emphasis on sensory elevation infuses the space with an intimate elegance. The founder, Chris Davies, is an artist-jeweler hailing from a family of artists, architects, and designers going back generations. He is also a classically trained philosopher and astrologer in the living Vedic tradition of India.
Photo Credit: Shannon Greer
GALVAN FOUNDATION
400 STATE STREET
The Federal-style stone building, most recently occupied by the Hudson Area Library, was erected by the city of Hudson in the early nineteenth century as an almshouse to provide shelter for the poor. Over the next two hundred years, the structure successively housed a number of institutions including an asylum for the insane, female academy, orphanage, and ultimately a public library. For a brief period, the building served as the private residence of a prominent Hudson citizen.
The Galvan Foundation Old Library is an example of the classicizing architecture of the Federal style. Through its symmetry, pediment, and gabled roof, the building exudes a sense of permanence and strength, characteristic of its variety of functions throughout its two hundred year life. The original limestone structure was built in 1818, with its rear addition being constructed between the period of 1884 and 1889. In 2008, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo Credit: Peggy Polenberg
HENRY HUDSON RIVERFRONT PARK
108 WATER STREET
Rick’s Point is a community space located along Hudson’s Waterfront. The city has focused efforts on improving Hudson’s Waterfront District through New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, developing purpose-built spaces to promote educational, entrepreneurial, and business development while placing an emphasis on arts industries. The incorporation of greenspace and public parks work to foster a sense of community and engage the public as a center of beautification and gathering within Hudson.
The creative legion
7 FAIRVIEW AVENUE
A Special Project made possible by:
Deborah & Mark D'Arcy
Peggy Polenberg Real Estate
Nara Roesler Gallery
Rachel Tretter
The former American Legion Hall has been totally renovated inside & out. The vast 8,000+ SF 2 story building, sited on 1.5 acres, has been transformed into a state-of-the art 6,000+ SF gallery with a separate 2,000 SF luxury apartment above. The gallery features a grand main entry area, super high ceilings, huge load-in double doors, polished concrete floors, full sprinkler system, high capacity HVAC system, handicap accessible mens & womens bathrooms, office space, audio/visual room, storage rooms, full catering kitchen, 400 AMP 2 Phase electrical service & a massive parking area that accommodates 80 cars. The luxury apartment features a large entry room with a Gourmet SS Kitchen, eat-in countertop, hardwood floors, 2 tiled baths, a beautiful bedroom, designer lighting, a massive light filled media room & several closets. Imagine your Soho/Chelsea Gallery in the heart of Hudson NY.
Rendering Credit: Peggy Polenberg Real Estate, Principal Broker
COLUMBIA COUNTY COURTHOUSE
401 UNION STREET
The building faces northeast and is a four story gray colored imestone and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Hudson. The building contains Vermont marble. The northeast front has four columns rising to a decorated pediment at the roof line. The first story windows have small pediment at the top and the second story windows are arched. A stone balustrade runs along the flat roof line. On the center of the roof is a large green colored dome. An addition was constructed on the southwest side. The large courtroom is located on the second story above the northeast entrance. The courtroom has a wide dome ceiling and contains a large portrait of Judge Peter Van Ness arriving at the courthouse at Claverack in 1787. The building was renovated in 2014. The architect was Lothrop Associates and the contractor was Eugene DiLorebzo, Inc.
Photo and Text Credit: Courthouses.co
Hudson Train station
69 S. Front Street
Amtrak (National Railway Passenger Corporation)
Originally built in 1874 by the New York Central Railroad, it is the oldest continuously operated station in the state. Besides the Water Level Route, Hudson was also the terminus of the former Boston and Albany Railroad Hudson Branch, as well as another branch leading to Niverville on the B&A Main Line.
Passenger service at the station as well as across the nation was assumed by Amtrak in 1971. In the late 1980s, the parking lots on either side of the station were repaved. The next renovation took place between 1991 and 1992 with funds from New York State, after the renovations, the station had a grand re-opening. In the late 1990s, ridership at the Hudson station grew to the point that the city opened up an additional parking lot across the street. In 2009, the city created metered parking on Front Street due to the continuing demand. A task force recently studied the feasibility of raising the platform, a difficult task since north end of the platform is curved and an active freight siding lies near that side of the station
Photo and Text Credit: wikipedia.org
HUDSON BREWING COMPANY
Hudson’s First Brewery Since Prohibition:
Before 1920 Hudson boasted a rich beer culture, with several breweries and taprooms catering to the many gangsters, gamblers, and “working girls” who called the city home during that time. After prohibition outlawed the manufacture and sale of “intoxicating liquors” the city went without a brewery until 2015 when Hudson Brewing Company opened its doors.
Hudson Brewing started in the garage of proprietor, Will Thibeault, which just so happens to be the birth place one of our beers on tap, Proprietors Pale Ale.
HBC remains as dedicated to serving the community and its history as those breweries long ago. Our high-quality beers highlight New York State’s finest malt and hops, and our taproom provides guests with a variety of NYS wine and spirits.
Photo and Text Credit: hudsonbrew.com