Housed in a solar powered, reclaimed 1880s industrial factory, Basilica Hudson, a nonprofit multidisciplinary art center located in Hudson NY, welcomes over 20,000 visitors each season to genre-pushing music festivals, large scale marketplace events, regular film screenings, an artist in residency program, a new weekly concert/art series in the Gallery Building, public installations and other community gatherings. The majority of its programs are free or sliding scale.

Through its programs, Basilica Hudson supports the creation, production and presentation of independent arts and culture, and strives to forge experiences that aspire to the scale, grit and beauty of its surroundings. It draws inspiration for its mission and programming from the City of Hudson’s epic history, as well as the region’s artistic legacy and environmental advocacy.

Learn more about Basilica Hudson on our FAQ page.

EXPANDING AND ENGAGING 

In 2020, Basilica Hudson celebrated its 10-year anniversary with the expansion of BASILICA GREEN. Building on Basilica Hudson’s long-standing commitment to environmental advocacy and the City of Hudson’s waterfront, BASILICA GREEN joins cultural activism with ecological responsibility to regenerate the planet, all people and our economy through innovative projects and strategic partnerships that will support equitable and sustainable community development in the City of Hudson and the surrounding region.

We are embarking on a Strategic Planning Process to guide the next decade. This transformation and growth will be informed by active listening, learning and engaging with a variety of local leaders, organizations and causes, to instigate cross-sector collaboration. Our aim is to play a role in the collective creation of a more inclusive, equitable and resilient City of Hudson, region and world.

HISTORY

Basilica Hudson is housed in a spectacular solar powered 1880s factory located on the Hudson River. The building has seen many iterations, from forge and foundry for steel railway wheels, to knitting mill, to a glue factory through the 1980s and now an arts center, offering a striking backdrop to all of Basilica Hudson’s programs. 

Having gained 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 2015, Basilica Hudson continues to grow and evolve sustainably, affording the residents of Hudson and beyond ample opportunity to engage and exchange down at the Hudson waterfront.

MORE HISTORY INFO (CLICK TO EXPAND)

Originally built in 1880 as a forge and foundry for steel railway wheels (later housing a glue factory until the 1980s), the building has since been stripped down to its architectural bones: industrial windows, brick walls, terracotta ceiling tiles and an intricate steel truss system.

In a spiritual meeting of minds in 2010, previous owner/visionary Patrick Doyle approached Basilica Hudson founders Melissa Auf der Maur and Tony Stone to take over the building. They began to fill the commanding space with the work of artists they love, starting with music and film. Over the course of the new few years, complementary programs in visual art, performance, regional food and culture were added to Basilica’s seasonal offerings.

Basilica Hudson’s vision has taken shape thanks to our many partners, collaborators, visiting artists, friends, adventurous audiences and community members. This process has been equally informed and inspired by the city of Hudson’s eclectic and epic history. Basilica continues to evolve in tandem with the city of Hudson’s ongoing transformation.

Basilica is honored to pursue and expand upon Patrick Doyle’s original mission: to utilize the building as a platform for unconventional art experiences. Patrick acquired the building in 2000 and bravely gutted and stripped it of its glue factory insides. He brought life into the building, transforming it into a gathering space for the local community, with music, art shows and theater. 2003 ushered in Basilica’s first significant music event, as Patti Smith gave a benefit concert for The Friends of Hudson Foundation in protest against the development of a massive cement plant that would have occupied Hudson’s beautiful waterfront in Basilica’s backyard. The fight against the plant was successful — environment and community over profit!

Having gained 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 2015, the organization continues to grow and evolve sustainably, affording the residents of Hudson and beyond ample opportunity to engage and exchange down at the Hudson waterfront for years to come.

Land Acknowledgement

It is with gratitude and humility that we acknowledge that we are learning, speaking and gathering on the ancestral homelands of the Mohican people, who are the indigenous people of this land. Despite tremendous hardship in being forced from here, today their community resides in Wisconsin and is known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. We pay honor to their ancestors past and present as we commit to building a more inclusive and equitable space for all. We respect the enduring relationships that exist between indigenous people and the land and waterways. To learn more, please visit https://www.mohican.com/. 

TEAM 

  • Melissa Auf der Maur, Co-Founder and Director
  • Tony Stone, Co-Founder
  • Ben Seretan, Basilica Hudson Program Manager
  • Allison Young, Jupiter Nights Curator
  • David Szlasa, Basilica Green Designer and Project Manager
  • Liz Shaw, Interim Operations Manager
  • Jeanne Stark, Basilica Hudson Rentals Manager

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • Sotirios Kotoulas, Chair
  • Melissa Auf der Maur, Interim Treasurer
  • Stacy Morrison, Interim Secretary
  • Katie Higgins
  • Cecil Castellucci
  • Cathryn Dwyre
  • Rebecca Foon
  • Raj Kumar
  • Cassandra Marketos
  • Sonia Skindrud
  • John Pelosi
  • Jessica Wallen