This week’s News + Notes

HVNY News + Notes

Feb 16

Written By HVNY

Columbia County:

Art Omi Visitor’s Center to be closed this week

The Benenson Visitors Center at the Art Omi Sculpture and Architecture Park in Ghent will be closed this week, from Monday, February 16–Friday, February 20, 2026.

The Sculpture and Architecture Park will remain open with over 60 installations and 120 acres of meadows and woods filled with quiet trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or sledding (BYOG – bring your own gear). The park is open dawn to dusk, every day except Tuesdays.

$500K to modernize Hudson River Museum’s Planetarium

The Hudson River Museum recently announced it has received a $500,000 grant as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Consolidated Appropriations bill to support upgrades for the site planetarium, the only public planetarium between NYC and Albany, that reaches over 15,000 students and 80,000 visitors annually.

“This money will make a difference to help modernize the Hudson River Museum’s Planetarium and will allow the museum to reach more students and adults interested in STEM,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, who helped secure the grant alongside Senator Chuck Schumer.

Hudson Valley Shakespeare receives funding to expand arts programming

Hudson Valley Shakespeare recently announced it has received $534,000 in federal support to help expand their educational programming and transformative experiences for students and communities across the region. This funding will expand Hudson Valley Shakespeare's educational programming for school groups, including a brand-new student matinee program that invites students and educators to see King Lear and As You Like It this summer.

According to Senator Chuck Schumer, the funding will expand performances and educational programming for school groups, offering 15 matinees to provide roughly 4,500 local students and educators with outstanding Shakespeare performances. This funding will also be used to defray costs for schools’ transportation.

“These funds will ensure that the residents of this region continue to enjoy access to the highest quality of arts performances and arts education opportunities for decades to come, allowing the Shakespearean tradition of storytelling to continue on with future generations,” Kendra Ekelund, managing director of Hudson Valley Shakespeare.