About
Howland Cultural Center is a nonprofit arts center at 477 Main St in Beacon's East End historic district, at the corner of Tioronda Avenue. It hosts concerts, gallery shows, readings, open mics and community events in one of the city's landmark buildings.
A Landmark Library Building
The building was commissioned in 1871 by Civil War General Joseph Howland and designed by his brother-in-law, architect Richard Morris Hunt, whose later work includes the entrance facade and Great Hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It opened in 1872 as the Howland Circulating Library and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Since 1979 the Van Wyck Council on the Arts and Culture has run it as the Howland Cultural Center, with a mission to preserve the building, promote the arts and serve the community.
What's On
The calendar mixes concerts, theater and storytelling with gallery exhibitions in Northcutt Hall, where admission is free. Regular programs include a monthly open mic night, a Southern fiddle tune jam, Latin dance nights and a holiday gift show and sale. The Howland Chamber Music Circle presents its concert series here, and the center hosts the Beacon LitFest.
Visiting and Private Events
The Beacon Free Loop bus stops close to the front doors. The center also rents its space for private events, from meetings and recitals to fundraisers, ceremonies and parties.
Check the center's What's Happening calendar for upcoming shows.
Address
477 Main St, Beacon, NY 12508