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Press Contact: Leslie Hermelin 
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Basilica Hudson Announces 2022 Season  Sets Sights on Ambitious Climate and Community Initiatives 

In its first decade Basilica Hudson looked to the last century to build an understanding of the spirit of this place. Now it looks towards the future. 

April 7, 2022 – Hudson, NY: Multidisciplinary arts center Basilica Hudson has stood as an architectural and engineering glory for more than a century. Today it announces details of its twelfth season with a genre-spanning array of film, music, art, environmental programs, community programs and more. 

In 2022 this spectacular reclaimed, solar-powered 1880s factory on Hudson’s waterfront will fully establish itself as an incubator for future-forward climate leadership through its BASILICA GREEN and Net Zero Campus Renovation Project initiatives. The non-profit organization is committed to achieving carbon neutral, net zero energy performance as part of the upgrade and carefully restoring the historic industrial factory. Once complete, both buildings will be fully winterized allowing for year-round use. BASILICA GREEN will continue to present and develop new public programs, green jobs training opportunities, localized green initiatives and strategic partnerships in 2022 to foster equity, environmental stewardship and sustainable community development in the City of Hudson and surrounding region.

“When we started Basilica, providing a platform for independent voices and artists was our goal. In the past decade, Hudson and the world has changed significantly, and our mission must evolve with the needs around us. With BASILICA GREEN, we are creating new public greenspace, developing green workforce development opportunities, shaping the Hudson waterfront as an ecotourism destination, and advocating for the City of Hudson to become a carbon neutral leader in the region through strategic partnerships in the region,” says Basilica Hudson Co-Founder and Director Melissa Auf der Maur. “We are going to go further in our support of our planet and our local community, and to push ourselves to what is possible for an organization working at the intersection of art, climate justice and meaningful social change.” 

Watch the Basilica Green Mini Documentary Short, shot by National Geographic filmmaker Jon Bowermaster, HERE

Basilica Hudson will kick off its season Earth Day weekend with Temple of Sound, a 12-hour sonic awakening and homage to the building itself and its beloved 24-HOUR DRONE festival on April 23. As part of the nonprofit’s larger Earth Day Opening Weekend season launch, the program invites attendees to immerse themselves in the meditative power of sound through Basilica Hudson’s cavernous raw industrial space. Full details and tickets can be found here.

On April 24th, BASILICA GREEN programming will activate multiple spaces on campus inviting the community to celebrate Earth Day Weekend. Developed in collaboration with partners Toolshed, Pathway to Paris, New Yorkers for Clean Power, Rivers and Mountains GreenFaith Circle, artists-in-residence Ellie Irons and Fruiting Bodies / Inclusive Ecologies, and others, these free activities will include a teach-in on greening the grid and electrifying everything, an individual fossil fuel divestment workshop, the activation of welcoming and developing public green space on Basilica’s campus, environmentally-focused art and youth activities, advocacy letter writing campaign opportunities, live music and more. 

City of Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson will be in attendance to give remarks. Food will also be available on site. Full details and schedule can be found here.

This spring also marks the launch of the newly expanded Basilica Gallery Building, allowing for year-round programming for the first time ever. 

Basilica Gallery will open on May 5 with the first iteration of Jupiter Nights, a new weekly series on Thursdays celebrating regional musicians and creatives through concerts, poetry readings, conversational gatherings, art exhibits, DJ nights and more. Jupiter Nights will serve as a counterbalance to the organization’s large-scale events, with a focus on the local creative community. The series is presented in collaboration with musician, artist and curator Sam Hillmer. Admission for events will be on a sliding scale basis, and those interested in performing or displaying their work in the gallery are encouraged to contact info@basilicahudson.org. 

On Saturday, May 7, Basilica Hudson will present in collaboration with A24 an experiential evening with casting director Jennifer Venditti to celebrate the launch of her new book Can I Ask You A Question? The Art and Alchemy of Casting. Event details will be announced shortly. 

Further 2022 programming highlights include

  • Non-Fiction Screening Series, running June – October, will be back at Basilica Hudson’s North Hall screening room after two seasons at the Greenville Drive-In Outdoor Cinema due to the pandemic. 
  • Basilica SoundBath will take place September 9-11. Drawing curatorial inspiration from Basilica Hudson’s two anchor music festivals, 24-HOUR DRONE and Basilica SoundScape, this year’s SoundBath will be an expansion on last year’s limited-capacity event due to pandemic restrictions. 
  • Basilica Farm & Flea Holiday Market will be held on Basilica Hudson’s campus Thanksgiving Day Weekend November 25 – 27, showcasing the splendor of Hudson Valley local makers, farmers and collectors with a focus on homemade and vintage goods. 
  • Hudson As Muse Artist in Residence Series, running July – December, will also return to the campus this year.

In addition to hosting select concert events and special programming (lineup TBA), Basilica Hudson will further expand its ongoing work with like-minded organizations from across the Hudson Valley region, allowing the organization to both highlight the inspiring work of its sister nonprofits, and to celebrate the local businesses in the community. Partner organizations for 2022 include Albany Symphony, Hudson Youth Department, Spark of Hudson, Hudson Coloring Club, SunCommon, Rivers and Mountains GreenFaith Circle,  New Yorkers for Clean Power, Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley, Sustainable Hudson Valley, Super Stories, Processional Arts, Black Entrepreneur Market, Forge Project, Toolshed and more.

Basilica Hudson is thrilled to welcome people back into its halls this year and remains committed to upholding pandemic safety procedures to create a safe and respectful environment for attendees, artists and staff. In addition to its focus on environment and safety, the organization is committed to providing a platform for independent and innovative voices through the pandemic and beyond.

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About Basilica Hudson

Founded in 2010 by musician Melissa Auf der Maur and filmmaker Tony Stone, Basilica Hudson is housed in a reclaimed, solar-powered 1880s industrial factory on the riverfront of Hudson, NY. The organization welcomes over 20,000 visitors each season to genre-pushing music festivals, large scale marketplace events, regular film screenings, an artist in residency program, 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. Visit basilicahudson.org for more information.