Partnerships Support Peekskill’s Major New Public Art Aimed at Community Beautification and Improvement
New York State’s breakthrough grant in northern Westchester is transformative
Contacts: Sharon Rubinstein, sharon@rubisparkscommunications.com, 914-314-6696; Robin Kline, r2kline@gmail.com, 917-371-1364; Jo-Ann Brody, drimakingconnections@gmail.com
May 21, 2026 - (Peekskill, NY)
After seven years of collaboration and effort, Peekskill is sharing a newly completed and cohesive array of public art, collectively called “Enlighten Peekskill.” This culmination of joint activity and major financial support reflects Peekskill’s chosen art town identity constructed for decades, and is a promise for the future.
The debut of this undertaking is timed to be a component of the prestigious Upstate Art Weekend at the end of June, with an array of events in the city.
Many partners were crucial to this achievement. New York State awarded Peekskill a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant funded in 2019, with $500,000 going to public art. The National Endowment for the Arts, ArtsWestchester, New York State Council on the Arts, Impact100/Westchester, and local businesses all provided additional support.
The state selected the Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art (HVMOCA) to administer all three projects that comprise Enlighten Peekskill, which include:
Illuminate Peekskill, organized by HVMOCA: Light-illuminated sculptures focus on beautifying and brightening local streets and improving public safety with art. Four sculptures have been installed to date
Making Connections, organized by the Peekskill Arts Alliance: Murals create a wayfinding art corridor that highlights key themes from Peekskill’s history and interacts with its architecture. Eleven murals have been added to Peekskill’s cityscape, with work from 36 artists.
Five Elements Arches, created by artists Christine Knowlton and Candace Winter: Five murals near the train station on South Street greet visitors with a set of collaged images that reflect the seasons’ colors.
A post-industrial city which struggled with disinvestment from the 1960s to the early 2000s, Peekskill has blossomed as a center for arts creation and display, incubating and supporting promising and recognized artists. Open Studios, held each year in June, draws about a thousand visitors annually to its art offerings. Median housing values have more than doubled over the past twenty-five years, since dedicated artist live/work spaces were zoned and constructed. Nevertheless, burnishing Peekskill’s reputation remains a work in progress. Both the state and private support have enabled a consolidated push to bring more traffic and buzz to a city that has natural beauty, a strong and growing artists’ community, and greater proximity to New York City than either Beacon or Kingston to the north. The $10 million infusion of funds from New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative is paving the way, and the earmark of $500,000 in DRI funds from the state specifically for public art has been a critical element toward realizing Peekskill’s potential.
Prominent art collectors Livia and Marc Straus were early investors in Peekskill’s future, establishing in 2004 The Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art (HVMOCA), initially dubbed the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art. Livia Straus is eager to mark progress during Upstate Art Weekend. “Our goal since opening the museum has been to instill new energy, introduce visitors to the natural beauty of the location, and introduce intensive educational programming based in the arts and the intersection of the arts with history and culture. We’ve also wanted to expose a larger audience to Peekskill’s substantial local artist population. Along with the museum’s other efforts, we are really pleased with what the Enlighten collaboration is bringing to the city.”
Celebrated artist Larry D’Amico, who along with ceramicist and former PAA president Robin Kline shepherded the organization in bringing its mural project to fruition, has watched the city’s evolution. “We are on the brink of a new era. We’ve seen great growth in PAA membership, now at more than 200. I am thrilled with the quality of murals both from members and outside artists, and I only expect more.” Says Kline, “This public display enhances the city’s arts reputation that draws writers, poets, visual artists, and performers, and answers the question, ‘Where’s the art?’” The city of Peekskill is all in, having established the “Peekskill Arts Council" to better maintain and celebrate its growing public art collection. Peter Erwin, Assistant Director of Planning & Development, says “We are a mid-sized Hudson River city with an unusually significant investment in public art, and the arts council will ensure that the art is well-curated, is cultivated and is maintained.” Although the new public art is drawn from artists across the country, a significant number are local, with four of the murals made by Peekskill Arts Alliance members. The Peekskill Arts Council will continue to help local and underrepresented artists exhibit alongside those with national reputations.
An array of other players in Peekskill have also aimed to make the city an artistic hub for the region. Carla Rae Johnson, recipient of numerous awards and grants and a former full professor of art, holds a monthly salon where artists can find mutual support and stimulation. Along with other arts events in Peekskill, the salons help to foster what Johnson calls “…an engaged and active artist community,” and she says “Presentations and conversations at the salons go deep and wide, drawing in serious artists from neighboring communities and positioning the arts as significant intellectual and creative resources.”
Peekskill artist Christine Knowton, along with Candace Winters, galvanized the public to create “The Five Elements” a series of multicolored murals printed from paper originals. “We held Five Elements paper-painting and shape cutting workshops in schools, the library, coffeehouse, music festivals and art studios. Over 1500 hands across our community helped create the pieces used for the mural art,” Knowlton says. During Upstate Art Weekend, Peekskill will showcase the newly installed art that forms a path leading from the Hudson River to the city center. A ribbon-cutting and guided art trail walk will kick off festivities on Thursday, June 25 at 4:30PM from The Central, 300 Railroad Ave., followed by a Grand Opening and Art Trail Tour with performances on Friday, June 26 starting at 5:30PM, and artist panels on Sunday, June 28 from 12-3PM, HVMOCA, 1701 Main Street. This multi-day celebratory debut marks Peekskill’s first time included in Upstate Arts Weekend.
Participating artists and a show catalogue can be found here; Carol Bouyoucos’ mural “Above the Fruited Plain“ and Scott Goss’ ”Wind Farm” sculpture are two of the most recent works. Established artist Sandra Muss’ “Open Doors” project, positioned near the riverfront at the beginning of the trail, is already a well-received fixture that abuts the old Peekskill railway station building.
More information about Peekskill's public art projects and forthcoming details about the weekend's events are here.
