According to Patrick Trettenero, executive director of the Stissing Center, “This year’s programming is inspired by our commitment to bring people together through the shared experience of arts and culture. It’s a lively mix of musical styles — from roots, classical, world, rock and jazz — to our always-popular singer-songwriter series, with more than 50 music events to choose from.”
In addition to music, the season includes theater and dance. Highlights include the Hudson Valley Puppet Slam and the Roundtop Burlesque Revue, along with dance performances ranging from flamenco to Irish step. A film series will showcase the indie comedy favorite Hundreds of Beavers and a live-score screening of the beloved silent Charlie Chaplin classic The Kid. The season also includes free programs for children all summer, along with community events and family-friendly fare.
The 2026 season also marks the launch of The Grace Note, an intimate venue located downstairs at the Stissing Center that will serve as an inviting and informal entry point to mainstage shows. The Grace Note will be open every Friday night and will feature singer-songwriters, stand-up comedy, jazz quartets, play readings, storytelling and more.
Natalia Zukerman will open the series at The Grace Note, the new space at The Stissing Center on Feb. 13.Sarah Blodgett
The venue is part of the center’s commitment to offering a place for locals and visitors alike to gather and discover new work, hear familiar voices in new ways and enjoy a great night out in the neighborhood. The Grace Note opens Feb. 13 with a performance by local singer-songwriter Natalia Zukerman, who is also the Lakeville Journal and Millerton News’ arts, lifestyle and engagement editor. Her masterful musicianship and storytelling blend folk, blues and Americana with wry humor and emotional clarity, creating an experience that feels both personal and expansive. Zukerman said, “I’m honored to be opening the season in this beautiful new room at The Stissing Center. The Grace Note opens up lots of creative opportunities for the Center, for performers and for our community. It’s thrilling.”
“We are very intentional about this season and the launch of The Grace Note,” Trettenero added. “Our goal is simple: to make the Stissing Center a place for people of all backgrounds and perspectives to come for great arts experiences, to support outstanding artists and to offer a place for connection and shared humanity through the arts.”
The full season schedule and tickets for all events are available at thestissingcenter.org or by calling 518-771-3339.
Visitors gathered at Troutbeck in Amenia for the opening of “Conversant” on Friday, Jan. 16, a solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist E.E. Kono, presented in collaboration with the Wassaic Project. Kono, an alumna of the Wassaic Project’s Winter Residency program, created a series of luminous egg tempera paintings inspired by Troutbeck’s landscape, history and legacy as a site of social and intellectual exchange. The works incorporate silverpoint, locally sourced pigments and recurring clematis motifs, referencing the estate’s history as a gathering place for artists, thinkers and social reformers. The exhibition will end with an artist talk on April 19.
Natalia Zukerman
