Another Festival for the records, thank you!
The 21st Annual Festival of Books was a magnificent community event. The lure of great authors, more than 20,000 gently used books, the delicious sweet and savory treats in our café – coupled with perfect weather – drew crowds of enthusiastic readers of all ages. Thank you to all who worked on the event , attended, baked, and generously contributed! We tallied record sales for this cornerstone fundraiser and are so grateful for your enthusiastic support and participation.
We wish to thank those who donated and shopped, authors who spoke, attendees who listened and especially the scores of volunteers who sorted, hauled and shuttled books (putting in more than 700 amazing volunteer hours), and baked for, served and welcomed hundreds of guests over Labor Day Weekend.
A very special thank you to our generous sponsors who helped to “Get the Festival off the Ground”!
We would also like to thank Joel Dyslin, Gabel Real Estate, and Peter Fitzpatrick for their help with providing parking & signage. It takes a village!
Upcoming Events And Activities
Summer/Fall 2026 Newsletter Now Available
Check it out to see what's coming up and read the interesting backstory to some of our programming and events. Art, Music, Books & Gardens!
See the latest as well as past newsletters.
Contemporary Printmaking
October 3 - November 1
Opening reception: October 3, 3:00-5:00
Invitational show featuring prints in different media by 10 regional artists: Liz Chalfin, Rachel Chapman, Frank Curran, Steven Daiber, Holly Hughes, Renee Iacone, Erin Lobb Mason, Anne Schaefer, Amy Silberkleit, and Vaune Trachtman.
Learn more.
Shiri Zorn Jazz Trio
Saturday, October 10, 7:30pm
Innovative jazz vocalist Shiri Zorn, joined by guitarist Paul Meyers and percussionist Brian Melick, will perform “The Breath Between”—described as an invitation to explore “worlds within worlds,” where American Songbook classics meet Middle Eastern influences and the lush rhythms of Brazil.
Learn more.
Hip Hop Dance Workshop
Saturday, October 17: 2:00-3:00pm
Ages 4-7
We are excited to welcome kids to a FREE hip hop dance workshop, hosted by Roz’s Dance Works. Get ready to turn up the energy and unleash your inner rhythm! No dance experience? No problem! These workshops are all about having fun, moving, vibing, and building confidence. Parents are welcome to join the fun, too!
Learn more.
Supernatural Ballads with Shinbone Alley: Centuries-Old Monster, Murder, and Ghost Songs
Friday, October 30: 7:30pm
Folklorist and multi-instrumentalist Alex Harvey will lead a lamplit evening of monster, murder, and revenant songs of the British Isles and early America—the stories people once told to get through the longest nights of the year and that make modern horror look tame. Appropriate for kids ages 12+.
Learn more.
Tai Chi for Beginners
Taught by Fran Snyder
November 11 – January 27: 12 Wednesdays
1:00 - 2:00 PM
Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art now practiced mainly for its benefits to physical and emotional health. In this class, you will learn the Yang Style Short Form, from the distinguished lineage of Prof. Chen Man-Ch’ing. Through its fluid and controlled movements and its calming properties, this form promotes a harmonious blend of balance and endurance, flexibility, and a sense of internal equilibrium.
Learn more.
All Write, Columbia
November 5-8, 2026
All Write, Columbia Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference is a four day intensive focused on the craft and the business of writing nonfiction. The conference is open to all levels of nonfiction writers, from beginners who are just starting to write nonfiction to more advanced writers with a memoir manuscript. Open to writers who are at least 18 years old. Just 20 writers will be accepted.
Submission Deadline: October 5
Learn more.
Gel Plate Monotype Printing and Collage Workshop with Holly Hughes
Sunday, November 15: 10:00am-4:00pm
This one day off site workshop focuses on gel plate printing, a “super user-friendly,” kitchen table compatible printmaking technique with NO need for a press. Applicable to painters, printmakers, ceramic artists, journal keepers, book artists, etc., once the basics of Gel plate printing are learned, it lends itself to both home, studio and travel purposes with ease and practicality.
Learn more.
Hip Hop Dance Workshop
Saturday, November 21: 10-11:30am
Ages 8-12
We are excited to welcome kids to a FREE hip hop dance workshop, hosted by Roz’s Dance Works. Get ready to turn up the energy and unleash your inner rhythm! No dance experience? No problem! These workshops are all about having fun, moving, vibing, and building confidence. Parents are welcome to join the fun, too!
Learn more.
Laura Anglade
Saturday, November 21, 7:30pm
We are pleased to welcome back New York-based jazz chanteuse Laura Anglade celebrating the release of her new album, “Something’s Coming”. Anglade’s artistry has long been rooted in the Great American Songbook, but musical theater sits at the heart of her new project. Rather than approaching show tunes as fixed standards, she inhabits them as characters, scenes, and emotional landscapes.
Learn more
2026 Young Writers Contest Winners!
Spencertown Academy Arts Center has proudly offered this competition since 2015. Our goal is to encourage creative writing among students in grades 9-12 (including homeschool) living in Columbia County, NY and Berkshire County, MA. This year’s contest attracted 40 creative individuals, writing in either Fiction or Non-Fiction (personal essay) categories.
Learn more
Gee's Bend Quilt Show
July 12- August 3, 2025
Over 4 weeks we welcomed close to 3,000 visitors who came from far and wide, to view this exhibition representing joy, hard work, history and artistry. We thank everyone who passed through our doors, purchased the Quilters' wares, sponsors and donors and our scores of volunteers. Learn more. 
Annual Appeal
Help to support our mission of Building Community Through the Arts, 50 years and going strong. Make your tax deductible gift today.
Watch and Listen to PAST Programming
Dexter Palmer & Rishi Reddi
Discuss their works of historical fiction with Daphne Kalotay. Watch the video on our YouTube channel.
Peter Sis
Discusses his book Nicky and Vera- A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued, with Carl Atkins.
Watch the video.
Rick Rogers
Learn how to make Almas Pite, a delicious Hungarian apple pie.
In conversation with Madaline Sparks. Watch the interview.
HERE'S HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
Become a Member
We're dedicated to programs in a welcoming space for our Columbia County community and neighbors. Learn more.
