Beekman St - Dia:Beacon – Blinky Palermo

Crisp air, clear blue skies, trees in every autumnal hue... a quick check of the official foliage report confirms that it’s finally fall in New York! While NYC is just starting to change, Beacon NY is nearing peak, which is a perfect excuse to head up to Dia:Beacon for the final weeks of Blinky Palermo: A Retrospective 1964-1977! In the exhibition pamphlet curator Lynne Cooke explains that Palermo is an “artists’ artist.” His geometric, color-block work is focused on the relationship between color and space. Whether you love it or hate it, this space, with its natural light and with Imi Knoebel’s 24 Colors – for Blinky on view nearby, is the place to see it (especially because there are so many other great things to see while you’re visiting). 

The building itself is an awesome old box-printing factory with surprises around every corner. There is so much space here! The galleries are divided in a way that highlights each artist individually, so skip the ones you’re less interested in. Personally, I’m mildly obsessed with these Sol LeWitt wall drawings. Not only are they mathematical and methodical and so precise, but they’re drawn right on the walls! That somehow presents the artist's hand in a more tangible way for me. It’s like standing in the original Barnes Foundation in Merion, PA and realizing Matisse himself stood there sketching on the wall with a long charcoal stick. So cool! 

Dia:Beacon also offers you the opportunity to choose from John Chamberlain’s car-crash-esque sculptures, Dan Flavin’s light installations, Fred Sandback’s work with acrylic yarn, and so much more. Step out onto the west garden landing to hear Louise Lawler Birdcalls. Wind your way through Richard Serra’s Torqued Ellipses. Relax in Robert Irwin's landscaped forecourt.

Then, head over to Main St, Beacon (about a mile away), for the deliciously fresh soups and sandwiches at Homespun Foods. While you’re there, pop into Hudson Beach Glass to admire their seasonal glass gourds. 

Or, just grab a sandwich at Dia:Beacon's cafe and take a stroll around the grounds. Might as well enjoy every bit of it while you're there, right? I mean, isn’t this place unlike anywhere you’ve been before?! 

Ingredients:

Venue: Dia:Beacon

Artists: Blinky Palermo, Sol LeWitt, Richard Serra, Various Artists

Streets: Beekman St, Beacon, NY

Eats: Homespun Foods

Map: