2022 was a year of milestones. We expanded our programming to welcome more artists, neighbors and collaborators to our riverfront factory than ever before. From the launch of our new weekly Jupiter Nights series, to the return of Basilica Farm & Flea in full capacity, to the official start of construction on the Basilica Net Zero Campus project, this past season laid the groundwork for a new era of connectivity at Basilica Hudson. 

Music

Our programming kicked off with Temple of Sound, an homage to our beloved 24-HOUR DRONE musical festival. The event featured 12 hours of experiential sound, with sound installations and performances by regional artists Arone Dyer, Samer Ghadry, Madeline Darby, Kamau Amu Patton and Hellish Cashstrap. 

Temple of Sound found inspiration in Basilica Hudson’s founders’ original impression of Basilica Hudson’s commanding halls over 10 years ago: a temple of sound, a place to connect diverse musical communities and traditions, offering a localized snapshot of experimentation within the larger context of universal sound. 

This ethos connected us to all of our music programming in 2023, including the launch of our brand new Jupiter Nights series with co-curator Sam Hillmer, which brought weekly music programming to Basilica’s campus for the first time ever. The series took place in our newly expanded Gallery Building, a smaller, more intimate space that allowed musicians to make new connections both with each other and with attendees. We are proud to have featured over 75 artists in the series over genres that straddled experimental, folk, indie rock, Cumbia, jazz, dance, electronic, soul, darkwave and more, welcoming audiences and artists to Basilica who had never been before.

Photos by Cozy Oaks Productions

As COVID numbers dropped in our county, we began to also host large-scale shows at Basilica once more, including a stunning free performance by the Albany Symphony, Cassandra Jenkins and a sold-out Stereolab concert.

Photos by Cozy Oaks Productions

BASILICA GREEN

Thanks to the generosity of many partners and supporters, BASILICA GREEN programmed art exhibitions, film screenings, a carbon drawdown solutions forum, an Earth Day celebration, concerts and conversations to share knowledge and build community around ecological initiatives.

In September, we presented the BASILICA GREEN Benefit Concert with Pathway to Paris, an uplifting night of inspiration and adventurous talent. The evening featured live music, conversation, poetry, a sculpture installation and a letter writing campaign to the New York State Climate Action Council recommending the prohibition of fossil fuel combustion in the construction of new buildings. 

At the BASILICA GREEN Benefit Concert, City of Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson officially announced joining the 1000 CITIES Initiative for Carbon Freedom, a global network of cities committed to implementing ambitious climate action plans.

Thank you to the artists CAConrad, Devesh and Veena Chandra, Rebecca Foon, Jim Krewson, Rudy Shepherd, Jesse Paris Smith, TROUBLE and Patrick Watson for bringing their craft to our factory, and thank you to all the generous donors and sponsors who supported the expansion our BASILICA GREEN initiative.

Photos by Jessica Chappe

We officially began construction on the Net Zero Campus Renovation Project, a partnership with NYSERDA and Empire State Development, taking the first steps to transform our campus into a carbon neutral facility. Our commitment to tackling climate action through cultural programming continued with the Basilica Non-Fiction Screening Series, showcasing films by local filmmakers Leila Conners and Jon Bowermaster that brought awareness to critical action being taken today to reduce carbon emissions.

Art

Our Gallery Building housed six art exhibitions in 2022 – including our first Upstate Art  Weekend exhibition and our third collaboration with The Hudson Eye – all by local artists: Ramiro Davaro-Comas, Grace Lang, Elizabeth Celeste Ibarra, Sean Desiree, Alison McNulty, Bob Braine, Leslie Reed, b-e-i-n-g-s-o-u-n-d, Jim Krewson, Louise Smith, Jessica Chappe and Annie Reynolds. From spray paint murals by local youth, to psychedelic blacklight canvases, to sculptures that address present-day questions of sustainability, each exhibition added a different perspective and backdrop to the musical performances that unfolded in the space.

The tie between visual art and sound is at the heart of Jupiter Nights, and we were lucky to have had several exhibitions where the artist was directly connected to the musical act of the night. 

In collaboration with A24, Basilica Hudson was honored to host the launch of filmmaker Jennifer Venditti’s new book Can I Ask You A Question? The Art and Alchemy of Casting. Through hundreds of polaroids, casting snapshots and personal anecdotes, her book showcases the beauty of vulnerable human connection. Our North Hall was filled with over 200 eager storytellers from all around the state, who then paired up with strangers to ask each other questions they found taped to the bottom of their chairs. Basilica’s halls rang with conversation and optimism.

We were thrilled to host more free arts programs in 2022, including a pay-what-you-can art dispersal with Free Columbia, and the Mad Hatters’ Parade, which ended with a procession through Basilica Hudson’s Main Hall.

Community

For the first time in Basilica Hudson history, our Main Hall transformed into a skate park for the winter of 2022. Local skaters, as well as some who drove hours to be there, brought a new, electric energy to our factory. Toolshed and Super Stories led the open skate sessions and also hosted several workshops, including ramp building and a spray paint mural workshop. These works of art became the first exhibition in the Basilica Gallery Building. 

As part of our Strategic Planning Process to guide the next decade, Basilica Hudson also hosted a series of community roundtables this past year. Thanks to the insight and openness of local leaders, organizations and causes, we deepened our understanding of cross-sector collaboration.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we hosted the extraordinary return of the Basilica Farm & Flea Holiday Market in our main hall featuring the incredible work of 85 makers, farmers, dreamers and doers. Our building was brimming with energy and excitement as we greeted the thousands of visitors who streamed through our doors, connecting with local talent and taking home some handmade holiday goods.

Photos by Anna Victoria

Basilica Hudson’s programming would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors, individual donors and community partners. Thank you for believing in our mission to uplift independent artists and foster connectivity. We have an amazing season ahead of us in 2023 and we hope to see you at the factory soon!