Dia: Beacon

Beacon, New York is one of my favorite places in the country. It’s a little town that quietly lives within the array of mountains that surround the Hudson River. It’s filled with nice artistic pieces, good-tasting food and great people. The Dia: Beacon art museum is a gallery that is home to some of the best contemporary art that dates back to  the 1960s and 1970s. None of the art here is traditional, they all physically use space and light as  subjects of creativity. The architecture of the building and lighting of the rooms are just as important as the artworks themselves, it’s what makes the work unique. For any readers who want to take a trip to Beacon and visit this museum, just take the Metro-North train from Grand Central Terminal up to Beacon, New York. It’s an hour and a half train ride. A round-trip ticket is just over $30, a Dia ticket is $15 ($12 for students), and the experience is priceless.

cars parked on a town street

A street view from Beacon, NY.

silver circles and squares on a hardwood floor

“The Equal Area Series” by Walter De Maria

 

a glowing light stick in an empty room corner

 

 

Glowing light sculpture made of circles in an empty room corner

The two light sculptures are untitled works from an artist named Dan Flavin.

Beauties of the Hudson River Valley

The Hudson River Valley is home to some of the most beautiful scenery that New York has to offer, especially during the fall season. Before I came to City Tech, I used to go to college in Upstate New York. Never taking a moment for granted, I always appreciated my time there. Being in a rural town amongst the mountains was a nice change from being in an urban city amongst giant skyscrapers. The air, colors, mountains, flora, and atmosphere are all quite the opposite of everything we see down in the city. It’s a beautiful area, but personally it’s the friendships and memories that call for my occasional return to the Hudson River Valley. Here’s what I had the pleasure of seeing during my last trip.

 

a mountain top on a foggy day

orange mountains lit in sunlight

fuchsia and green leaves, up-close

a sun-lit fieldorange and dark purple leaves, close-up