Vote on the sale of old high school to be held March 4.

On March 4, Beacon residents will be asked to vote on whether or not to give the Beacon City School District permission to sell the old high school building - again. The building reverted back to the school district at the end of 2006 after the BCF filed for bankruptcy. An affirmative vote by the residents will allow the district to entertain any potential offers to purchase the property. Word has it that there have been parties interested in acquiring the building, but I don't know if there is a current offer on the table. Last week the Poughkeepsie Journal announced the upcoming vote and stated that proceeds from an eventual sale, after expenses, will be used to reduce the tax levy.

Residents can vote on the sale of the old Beacon High School from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. March 4. Polls will be at Beacon High School, Glenham Elementary School, Chelsea Firehouse and the district bus garage. The school district covers the City of Beacon and portions of the towns of Fishkill and Wappinger. Call 845-838-6900 ext. 2017.

In June 2002, voters approved the sale of the high school to Terminal Associates for the creation of the Decorative Arts and Design Institute. Plans for that project never came to fruition, and eventually, under the management of the Beacon Cultural Foundation, the building was opened as artist studios in 2003.

Update: On March 5th, the Poughkeepsie Journal reported the vote results: 496 to 41 to allow the BCSD to sell the building.

"Name That Collection Of Artist Studios Formerly Known As Bulldog Studios" Contest!

As of late, I have found myself occasionally referring Beacon Studios as Bulldog, which I'm sure is some sort of violation of trademark. I notice that I'm not the only one either. I've heard many folks (even a few residents) roll back to the more engrained moniker in conversation, and there are still many people coming to maykr via searches for Bulldog Studios.

Like it or not, the Bulldog name was concise, and singularly identifying. 'Beacon Studios' has neither of those attributes, nor does it truly capture the imagination. Not only does it consist of 5 syllables, there is no neat manner of abbreviating it to the 2-syll format which has continued to be all the rage in upwardly hip enclaves around the nation; ala SOHO, or, as I heard someone describe our area, NOBRO - I guess anything north of The Bronx.

Ok, perhaps you could craft BEaSTUD, or 'CONUDIO. Or if it can't be shortened, perhaps a nice anagram is in order. Bios Outdances sounds very avant to me.

The artist/tenants at the old high school building have much on their plate in working to secure their place in the building, and and certainly the name of the joint is probably the least of their worries.

So to that end, we here a maykr would like to announce the "Name That Collection of Artist Studios Formerly Known As Bulldog Studios" Contest!

If you have an idea you'd like to enter, please deposit it in the comments section of this post, or email us at info@maykr.com .

I'm not sure what you can win yet....but that'll be worked out in good time. Really.

Bulldog Studios is now Beacon Studios

The workspace formerly known as Bulldog Studios is now, rather generically, being called Beacon Studios. The space has a new website that lists all of the tenants of the building. The building will be having an open studio on June 9 from 1-5pm.

Children's art classes at Spire Studios

In To Art Class!

IntuArt School and the Beacon Cultural Foundation are proud to announce after-school art scholarships for young people in Beacon.

IntuArt is a small art school that was founded by art educator, Jennifer Sipple, this past summer in order to provide more art education opportunities for Beacon students ages 10-16.

Says Sipple, “Although Beacon has a flourishing art scene, there’s not all that much available to kids who want to make art. IntuArt is about providing the space, materials, and instruction for young people to learn and create… but that’s not all. Some of my long-range goals for the program include artist studio tours, student art exhibits in local galleries, and field trips to galleries and museums.”

This fall, IntuArt will be offering after-school classes on Mondays and Thursdays from 4:00-6:00 at Spire Studios on Beekman St. The first session starts on September 19.

In order to make these classes affordable for the majority of Beacon residents, the tuition has been kept as low as possible -- $95 per six-week session. But the real news is that some scholarships will be made available to students in need.

So far, the Beacon Cultural Foundation has taken the lead by funding three scholarships. Sam Yanes, President of the Foundation says, “Arts education is an important component of a vibrant community. We are pleased to help this effort in Beacon.”

A recruitment drive is under way to encourage local businesses and organizations to follow their lead. These sponsors can make tax-deductible contributions to the Beacon Cultural Foundation. In addition, if an organization or individual is able to provide just half of a scholarship, the Foundation will match that donation.

“More business participation means more student participation,” says Sipple. “Bringing Beacon’s art and business communities together for the sake of education.”

IntuArt’s 2005 Summer Art program was held at the old Beacon high school, now Bulldog Studios, which is run by the Beacon Cultural Foundation, and courses included: Drawing and Painting, 3-D Art and Sculpture, and Papermaking and Bookbinding. Over a three-week period, seventeen students ranging in age from 7 to 16 attended the program. (If interest is voiced for younger students to be able to attend the fall after-school classes, an additional session will be added for children ages 6-9.)

If you are a member of an organization that would like to sponsor a student or if you are a student who would like to attend IntuArt School, please call: 845-416-5608 or e-mail: jenalice@intuart.com. For online information visit www.intuart.com/jensipple.