Art Omi Upstate Benefit 2026

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our generous community of philanthropic leaders, art lovers, and friends, who attended the annual Art Omi Upstate Benefit on Saturday, September 26, and raised over $255,000 for our programming supporting artists and nurturing lifelong curiosity in the arts!

We were delighted to welcome over 180 guests at Pocketbook Hudson to honor Jack Shear, President of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation and Executive Director of the Ellsworth Kelly Studio, for his extraordinary contributions to the arts, near and far.

Our live auction, hosted by Jacqueline Towers-Perkins, was a massive success, raising over $117,000 to fuel our core programs: free exhibitions across our 120-acre Sculpture & Architecture Park and gallery, world-renowned international residencies, and arts education beloved by local families and children.

Guests celebrated with a lively cocktail party set to the sounds of FlamenKora, savored a seated Argentinian feast by Ambos Executive Chef Norberto Piattoni, and capped off the night with dessert and a stunning performance of Flower Duet by Eva Dean Dance.

And there's a lot to celebrate. Art Omi is home to five international residency programs for architects, artists, dancers, musicians, and writers, welcoming creative minds from around the world to live and work right here in Columbia County. Our 120-acre Sculpture & Architecture Park is home to more than 60 artworks on view at any time, alongside rotating exhibitions in the Newmark Gallery—all free and open for everyone. 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, no matter what they can afford.

All of this is possible because of nights like this one. The Art Omi Upstate Benefit is one of our favorite evenings of the year, a chance to gather the community that makes this work possible and celebrate everything we've created together.

We are deeply grateful not only to our Supporters for their remarkable spirit of giving, but also to our Event and In-Kind Partners for their invaluable collaboration, including Mud Bunny, 542films, David Israelow, davistudio, and Neverstill Wines.

A sneak peek of the evening's festivities can be found above. More to follow shortly!

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our generous community of philanthropic leaders, art lovers, and friends, who attended the annual Art Omi Upstate Benefit on Saturday, September 26, and raised over $255,000 for our programming supporting artists and nurturing lifelong curiosity in the arts!

We were delighted to welcome over 180 guests at Pocketbook Hudson to honor Jack Shear, President of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation and Executive Director of the Ellsworth Kelly Studio, for his extraordinary contributions to the arts, near and far.

Our live auction, hosted by Jacqueline Towers-Perkins, was a massive success, raising over $117,000 to fuel our core programs: free exhibitions across our 120-acre Sculpture & Architecture Park and gallery, world-renowned international residencies, and arts education beloved by local families and children.

Guests celebrated with a lively cocktail party set to the sounds of FlamenKora, savored a seated Argentinian feast by Ambos Executive Chef Norberto Piattoni, and capped off the night with dessert and a stunning performance of Flower Duet by Eva Dean Dance.

And there's a lot to celebrate. Art Omi is home to five international residency programs for architects, artists, dancers, musicians, and writers, welcoming creative minds from around the world to live and work right here in Columbia County. Our 120-acre Sculpture & Architecture Park is home to more than 60 artworks on view at any time, alongside rotating exhibitions in the Newmark Gallery—all free and open for everyone. 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, no matter what they can afford.

All of this is possible because of nights like this one. The Art Omi Upstate Benefit is one of our favorite evenings of the year, a chance to gather the community that makes this work possible and celebrate everything we've created together.

We are deeply grateful not only to our Supporters for their remarkable spirit of giving, but also to our Event and In-Kind Partners for their invaluable collaboration, including Mud Bunny, 542films, David Israelow, davistudio, and Neverstill Wines.

A sneak peek of the evening's festivities can be found above. More to follow shortly!

As a philanthropist, Jack Shear has generously supported local organizations throughout Columbia County that improve the lives of residents and provide opportunities for civic engagement, while also displaying tremendous support for the arts across the globe. In 2022, Jack initiated an innovative collaboration among three college art museums with the donation of his collection of 75 Tibetan Thangka paintings and objects to Skidmore College, Vassar College, and Williams College. He currently serves on both the executive committee of the MoMA’s International Council and the board of the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies.

With a lifelong passion for collecting art, Jack has built a collection of over 2,000 works on paper ranging from Old Masters to contemporary artists. In 2020 he was honored by The Drawing Center for his achievements as a collector, and he serves on the Drawings and Prints Committee at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

As a photographer, Jack has published a number of books including his most recent, Knot, in which his photographs are paired with poems and prose from the 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Forrest Gander. Jack’s work is represented in the permanent collection 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 with extraordinary dedication as President of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation and Executive Director of the Ellsworth Kelly Studio. In 2023, to celebrate the centennial of Ellsworth’s birth, Jack donated 207 artworks by Ellsworth Kelly to 22 American museums and oversaw a globe-spanning network of exhibitions and publications highlighting Ellsworth’s landmark achievements, including substantial presentations at the Museum of Modern Art, Glenstone Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

As a philanthropist, Jack Shear has generously supported local organizations throughout Columbia County that improve the lives of residents and provide opportunities for civic engagement, while also displaying tremendous support for the arts across the globe. In 2022, Jack initiated an innovative collaboration among three college art museums with the donation of his collection of 75 Tibetan Thangka paintings and objects to Skidmore College, Vassar College, and Williams College. He currently serves on both the executive committee of the MoMA’s International Council and the board of the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies.

With a lifelong passion for collecting art, Jack has built a collection of over 2,000 works on paper ranging from Old Masters to contemporary artists. In 2020 he was honored by The Drawing Center for his achievements as a collector, and he serves on the Drawings and Prints Committee at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

As a photographer, Jack has published a number of books including his most recent, Knot, in which his photographs are paired with poems and prose from the 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Forrest Gander. Jack’s work is represented in the permanent collection 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 with extraordinary dedication as President of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation and Executive Director of the Ellsworth Kelly Studio. In 2023, to celebrate the centennial of Ellsworth’s birth, Jack donated 207 artworks by Ellsworth Kelly to 22 American museums and oversaw a globe-spanning network of exhibitions and publications highlighting Ellsworth’s landmark achievements, including substantial presentations at the Museum of Modern Art, Glenstone Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Saturday, September 26, 2026 | 5:30–10 PM

Pocketbook Hudson | 549 Washington Street, Hudson, NY 12534

Anonymous
Gavin Berger & Craig Berggren
Paul Cassidy & Vernon D. Evenson
Ellsworth Kelly Foundation
Francis J. Greenburger & Isabelle Autones
Corina Larkin & Nigel Dawn
Mark S. Portin, Esq.

On behalf of Aven A. Kerr Trust
Heather & Rishi Bhandari

Anonymous
Jeanne Hardy & Antonio Orrantia
Sarah & Marcus Oliver
Jane Sadowsky
Jane Trombley

Caroline Angoorly
BKSK Architecture
Michelle & Scott Brindley
Louis C. Ciliberti
Dan Devine & Lawre Stone
Robert Flynt, In honor of Jack Shear
Matthew Hall & Robin Rosenthal
Herrick
Sarah Lutz & John van Rens
Victoria & Stephen Montifiore
Cherrie Nanninga
Susan & Harry Newton
Joanne & Robert Ollman
SKOLNICK Architecture

Caroline Angoorly
BKSK Architecture
Michelle & Scott Brindley
Louis C. Ciliberti
Dan Devine & Lawre Stone
Robert Flynt, In honor of Jack Shear
Matthew Hall & Robin Rosenthal
Herrick
Sarah Lutz & John van Rens
Victoria & Stephen Montifiore
Cherrie Nanninga
Susan & Harry Newton
Joanne & Robert Ollman
SKOLNICK Architecture

Alex Lee Agency
Alice Aycock
Gavriel Cohen & Lily Morris
Anne-Marie Francis
Richard Hayden
Noelle Lamuniere
Gabriella Sperry
David Szlasa

Amy Adler
Larry Bentley
Amanda Boyd
Darrow School
Peter Frank & Jonathan Lerner
Ashley Garrett & Brian Woods
Herrington's
Matthew Kalishman
Charlotta Kotik
Sarah Krenicki
LeChase Construction
Judith G. Levy & Pamela Fine
Lillian Lin
Mental Health Awareness & Creative Arts Gallery, Inc.
Carsten Otto & DeWayne A. Powell
Park Row Gallery
Rouse + Co Real Estate
Macarena Tracey
Rebecca Trafton
Bill & Denise Wallace
Marilyn & Mark Webber

Amy Adler
Larry Bentley
Amanda Boyd
Darrow School
Peter Frank & Jonathan Lerner
Ashley Garrett & Brian Woods
Herrington's
Matthew Kalishman
Charlotta Kotik
Sarah Krenicki
LeChase Construction
Judith G. Levy & Pamela Fine
Lillian Lin
Mental Health Awareness & Creative Arts Gallery, Inc.
Carsten Otto & DeWayne A. Powell
Park Row Gallery
Rouse + Co Real Estate
Macarena Tracey
Rebecca Trafton
Bill & Denise Wallace
Marilyn & Mark Webber

Christene Barberich
Jeffrey Zeiler

Updated 9/24/26

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.