The Wassaic Project, the 8,000-square-foot, seven-story former grain elevator transformed into a vibrant arts space, opens its 2026 Summer Exhibition, “Because, now is the time of monsters,” on Saturday, May 16, from 3-6 p.m. at Maxon Mills, launching a season-long presentation featuring 39 artists working across installation, performance, video and sculpture.
The opening celebration will include an afternoon of exhibitions and live programming throughout the historic mill building and its surrounding spaces. Gallery and Art Nest hours run from 12-6 p.m., with special presentations scheduled throughout the day.
Highlights include “Life’s a Game, Boy,” an end-of-year exhibition by the Wassaic Project’s JV and varsity art clubs (4-6 p.m.), showcasing work by students in grades 5-12 from across the region. At 4:30 p.m., artist Ace Lehner presents “Barbershop: The Art of Queer Failure,” a participatory performance and installation that reimagines the barbershop as a space for queer world-making through improvised haircuts and collaborative exchange. Haircuts will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.
In the evening, artist Nate King will present “When I Was Younger and Now That I’m Older” (8-10 p.m.), a projection work that transforms the facade of Maxon Mills into a shifting visual field of memory, geometry and childhood imagery, reflecting on time, age and perception.
The exhibition, organized by the Wassaic Project, will be on view through Sept. 12 and brings together a wide range of contemporary artists working in and around the Hudson Valley region. More information is available at wassaicproject.org.
Cella’s paintings are tucked in almost every available space thoughout Little Store Antiques. L. Tomaino
