Up NExt
First Friday: Animal Bodies
Join us for First Friday to celebrate the works of Elana Herzog, Jean Shin, and Brigitta Váradi, in Animal Bodies, curated by Yasmeen Siddiqui.
June Classes
Discover opportunities to learn, create, and connect through hands-on workshops and classes for all ages at ACC. Click below to see what’s coming up next!
Athens Community Day
Join us and the Athens community for family festivities at Athens Riverfront Park!
In addition to ACC’s free arts and crafts table for all ages, instructors Carl Thomsen and Barbara Schofield will lead a 15-minute demonstration of low-impact Qigong exercises in the park.
Qigong demonstration starts at 11:20am
Arts and Crafts 10am-2:30pm
No need to register!
Martha Elizabeth Miller Live in concert
ACC welcomes renowned vocalist and composer Martha Elizabeth Miller to perform songs from her new album What Lies Within, praised by Tunite Music as, “a thoughtfully constructed listening experience that rewards attention from beginning to end.” Following the performance, we will open the floor for an intimate Q&A conversation with the artist.
What Lies Within is a psycho-spiritual journey circumambulating the contemplations of my inner life. These twelve songs tell a story of transformation, and follow the meandering, spiraling process of becoming one's true self. I took inspiration from the work of Carl Jung in the curation of this set. The music doesn't neatly fit into any one genre. Rather, it is a blend of the music I've been drawn to - choral, hymns, theater music, folk, classical and the progressive rock songs of my youth. I’ve always loved singing complex vocal harmonies, and I’m delighted to have Daune Campbell and Marguerite Witvoet singing with me on this album.
Co-produced with Marguerite Witvoet, the seeds of this album were planted when Marguerite, Daune and I first met years ago in vocal workshops with Richard Armstrong at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada, and further nurtured in more recent workshops with Richard in upstate New York.
What Lies Within is available on all streaming platforms as well as Bandcamp. For more information and links to music: https://linktr.ee/marthaelizabethmiller
Artist & Curator Talk: Animal Bodies
Join us for an artist and curator talk exploring Animal Bodies: The Works of Elana Herzog, Jean Shin, and Brigitta Váradi, curated by Yasmeen Siddiqui of Minerva Projects. Through textiles, pattern, and material transformation, the exhibition examines connections between wild and settled worlds, inviting viewers to consider how design and manufacturing shape our relationship to the natural environment. This intimate conversation offers insight into the artists’ panoramic approaches and the ideas that connect their work.
First Friday: Animal Bodies
Join us for First Friday to celebrate the works of Elana Herzog, Jean Shin, and Brigitta Váradi, in Animal Bodies, curated by Yasmeen Siddiqui.
First Friday: Animal Bodies
Join us for First Friday, a closing reception to celebrate the works of Elana Herzog, Jean Shin, and Brigitta Váradi, in Animal Bodies, curated by Yasmeen Siddiqui.
Save the Date!
Join us for our third annual fundraising party at Cavalli of Hudson Valley on September 10th 6-9pm. Details coming soon!
Athens Pride Flag Raising
Join us at the Athens Riverfront Park at the base of 2nd Street for the annual Athens Pride Flag Raising and gathering!
None of us are free until All of us are free
Annual Meeting
WE NEED YOUR VOTE!
Over the past twenty-plus years, ACC has evolved and grown. Thanks to the strong support of our community, we no longer have members repairing and painting walls or being required to sit in the gallery on weekends when we’re open. Over the past five years, the board has grown from six to sixteen, and we now have three dedicated staff members. ACC is supported through membership dues, grants, donations, and events like our annual gala.
It's time for our bylaws to catch up!
We need to update our bylaws to reflect our growth from a member-governed to a board-governed organization and to comply with current New York State nonprofit regulations. This change requires a vote by our membership at our Annual Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 6:30 pm at the ACC. We hope you will join us for this important vote, review what we accomplished in 2025, and learn what we are planning for 2026 and beyond.
Can't make it? Why not use a proxy ballot?! Click the link below for more information.
Chris Parker Quartet
This event has moved indoors to ACC (24 Second Street) due to inclement weather. See you soon!
Join legendary drummer Chris Parker for a free outdoor concert as he inaugurates his brand-new music studio in Athens with an afternoon of world-class jazz. Enjoy extraordinary live music and light refreshments for a perfect spring afternoon on the lawn. This free event is a benefit concert for ACC; all donations will go to support the Cultural Center’s mission!
Featuring Yuto Kanazawa, Kyoko Oyobe, Michael O’Brien, and Chris Parker.
Bring a blanket to lounge on the grassy hillside!
In the event of poor weather, join us indoors at the Athens Cultural Center.
Students and Family Celebration
Join us for the 2026 Art Explorations student and family celebration at ACC!
All are welcome!
May Classes
Discover opportunities to learn, create, and connect through hands-on workshops and classes for all ages at ACC. Click below to see what’s coming up next!
In-school Hamlet Performance
Coxsackie-Athens, grades 8-12, Catskill Mountain Shakespeare is coming to you!
A bold new take on Shakespeare’s classic, this high-energy production of Hamlet is set in the rebellious spirit of the 1980s exploring themes of authority, identity, and resistance through a fresh, accessible lens. Fast-paced and engaging, this 90-minute performance brings Shakespeare to life in a way that feels immediate, relevant, and alive.
Performed by Catskill Mountain Shakespeare
Sponsored by Athens Cultural Center
Please note this performance is during school hours and is not open to the public.
Charity Night @ Night School
Our friends at Night School have graciously offered to make ACC the subject of their April charity night. Join us for delicious pizza, exciting raffle items, live music, and more, all raising money to help us sustain the community arts programming that you know and love! Admission is free, there's never been a better or easier way to support the arts and enjoy our thriving community at the same time!
Queer & Trans Connection Network
The Queer & Trans Connection Network offers a welcoming peer-led space for LGBTQ+ community members and allies in Greene and Columbia Counties. Meeting monthly at the Athens Cultural Center, these gatherings provide connection, conversation, resource-sharing, and support in a substance-free environment for ages 14+. Together, we share experiences, celebrate wins, and build affirming, inclusive community close to home.
Every 4th Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Communication with Young Children: Building a Positive Relationship and Connection
Join Mike Pagnani, Parenting Educator of Cornell Cooperative Extension of CGC, for an educational workshop offered to all caregivers of youth aged 2-7. The workshop focuses on learning effective, evidence-based communication strategies that encourage healthy social and emotional development, resiliency, motivation, and age-appropriate conflict resolution. Our shared goal is for families is to foster an environment of trust, safety, and mutual respect through positive communication.
FREE Event with an open-ended activity to be provided for young children.
Registration encouraged, walk-ins welcome!
April Classes
Discover opportunities to learn, create, and connect through hands-on workshops and classes for all ages at ACC. Click below to see what’s coming up next!
Queer & Trans Connection Network
The Queer & Trans Connection Network offers a welcoming peer-led space for LGBTQ+ community members and allies in Greene and Columbia Counties. Meeting monthly at the Athens Cultural Center, these gatherings provide connection, conversation, resource-sharing, and support in a substance-free environment for ages 14+. Together, we share experiences, celebrate wins, and build affirming, inclusive community close to home.
Every 4th Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Confluence / Convergence First Friday Reception
Join us for the First Friday opening reception for Confluence / Convergence. This exhibition brings together the work of Bruce Byers, Dan Bridge, Ellen Mahnken, and Nancy Meissner in an exhibition that considers how distinct artistic practices meet, overlap, and resonate within a shared space. While each artist approaches material, process, and form differently, their works are united by an attentiveness to structure, rhythm, and the intelligence of making.
Confluence / Convergence
Confluence / Convergence brings together the work of Bruce Byers, Dan Bridge, Ellen Mahnken, and Nancy Meissner in an exhibition that considers how distinct artistic practices meet, overlap, and resonate within a shared space. While each artist approaches material, process, and form differently, their works are united by an attentiveness to structure, rhythm, and the intelligence of making.
March Classes
Discover opportunities to learn, create, and connect through hands-on workshops and classes for all ages at ACC. Click below to see what’s coming up next!
Milk and Honey: Screening and Conversation
Film Screening: Milk and Honey
Saturday, February 28, 2026 | 6:00 PM
Niva Dorell presents her critically acclaimed 24-minute short film Milk and Honey, produced for Showtime Networks. The film is set in Texas in 1953 and tells the poignant story of an Israeli woman and a Black man who meet and spend a single day together.
A brief welcoming program and discussion led by Dorell and Marya Warshaw will accompany the screening.
Niva Dorell:
Niva Dorell is a mixed-race, American-Israeli filmmaker and writer whose work explores themes of identity, loss, and connection across cultures. Her first short film KINGS received Showtime’s Black Filmmaker Grant and became one of seven films featured on the first AFROCENTRICITY (available on Amazon). Her subsequent film MILK AND HONEY premiered on Showtime and made its international premiere at the Jerusalem International Film Festival. Her films have aired on Showtime, UPN, PBS, and BET-Jazz, and screened at festivals worldwide. Her latest directorial effort is TRAVELING MERCIES, a short film produced by Social Cinema Foundation and still on the festival circuit. Upcoming projects that Niva wrote and will direct include: short film THE LOTTO LINE, adapted from Christola Phoenix’s upcoming memoir; feature film LIVING, LIVING based on a personal love story; and television series BYE BYE BABY, adapted from Caroline Sullivan’s memoir Bye Bye Baby: My Tragic Love Affair with the Bay City Rollers. In addition to her narrative work, Niva co-directed the feature documentary SKID ROW (featuring Pras Michel of The Fugees) and has developed multiple scripted and non-scripted concepts. Her creative writing has been supported by residencies at Hedgebrook, Millay Arts, Cill Rialaig, and Vermont Studio Center. After two decades in Los Angeles, Niva moved to New York’s Hudson Valley, where she continues to be active in its artistic community. She served as the Visual Arts Director at CREATE council on the arts, Marketing and Box Office Manager for LUMBERYARD, and, most recently, curated Goddess: Origins of Wonder for the Athens Cultural Center. Niva is a member of New York Women in Film and Television, holds an M.F.A. from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, and a B.A. from Temple University. She publishes a monthly newsletter about the creative process on her Substack, The Think Tank.
Marya Warshaw:
Marya Warshaw is the Founding Executive/Artistic Director of BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange, where she led the organization and its wide slate of programming, strategy and development for nearly thirty years. Warshaw was recognized by Bard College in 2019 with their John Dewey public service award and has received two NY Dance & Performance Awards (the “Bessies”) both in 2018 for outstanding service to the field of dance and 1998 for “building a house and a home for the arts in Brooklyn”. From April 2020- December 2022 she was Director of the Petronio Residency Center in Round Top, N.Y. where she was responsible for providing residencies and retreats for performing artists and companies as developing the capacity of the center. Warshaw serves as the President of the CREATE council on the arts Board of Directors and is currently a consultant and a strategic advisor to non profit Artistic/Executive Directors as well as independent dance, theater and performance artists and not for profit Boards. www.maryawarshaw.com
Queer & Trans Connection Network
The Queer & Trans Connection Network offers a welcoming peer-led space for LGBTQ+ community members and allies in Greene and Columbia Counties. Meeting monthly at the Athens Cultural Center, these gatherings provide connection, conversation, resource-sharing, and support in a substance-free environment for ages 14+. Together, we share experiences, celebrate wins, and build affirming, inclusive community close to home.
Every 4th Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
February Classes
Discover opportunities to learn, create, and connect through hands-on workshops and classes for all ages at ACC. Click below to see what’s coming up next!
Queer & Trans Connection Network
Created by the Columbia Greene Addiction Coalition, the Queer & Trans Connection Network offers a welcoming peer-led space for LGBTQ+ community members and allies in Greene and Columbia Counties. Meeting monthly at the Athens Cultural Center, these gatherings provide connection, conversation, resource-sharing, and support in a substance-free environment for ages 14+. Together, we share experiences, celebrate wins, and build affirming, inclusive community close to home.
Every 4th Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Victorian Stroll Comment Session
The time has come to look back on one of our favorite events of last year: 2025's Victorian Stroll. We would like to invite any and all community members to join us at the Cultural Center on 1/6 at 3pm for a comment and critique session. Your input helps us make the Victorian Stroll the best it can possibly be, we can't wait to hear from you!
If you are unable to attend, please email your thoughts to info@athensculturalcenter.org.
Queer & Trans Connection Network
Created by the Columbia Greene Addiction Coalition, the Queer & Trans Connection Network offers a welcoming peer-led space for LGBTQ+ community members and allies in Greene and Columbia Counties. Meeting monthly at the Athens Cultural Center, these gatherings provide connection, conversation, resource-sharing, and support in a substance-free environment for ages 14+. Together, we share experiences, celebrate wins, and build affirming, inclusive community close to home.
Every 4th Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Esperanza, Hope: Portraits of Migration and Change in Athens, NY
On View December 20, 2025 - February 15, 2026
First Friday Receptions: January 2 & February 6, 2026, 5-7pm
Gallery Hours: Saturday & Sunday 12-5PM
Through portraiture, landscape, and archival imagery, Esperanza, Hope traces the many migrations that have shaped Athens, New York, from the region’s Indigenous roots and Underground Railroad history to the arrival of Italian settlers, African American laborers, and today’s migrant and queer communities. Thierry Casias brings these stories into focus through intimate photographic portraits and site-based research, honoring the people whose lives have woven the town’s complex cultural fabric.
The artist talk for this exhibition has been postponed, please follow our socials for updates.
Athens Victorian Stroll
2025 Victorian Stroll
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13TH 1-5PM
Families and friends gather for a free, fun-filled day in celebration of the annual Athens Victorian Stroll.
Up and down the historic village’s Second Street and all-around town, businesses, residents and community organizations host family-friendly activities, free goodies to eat and entertainment galore, with nods to Athens’ past.
Art & Craft Vendors, Victorian Santa, Caricaturist, Ice Skating, Spirit Tasting, Community Band Concert, Historic Open Houses, Cookies, Ice Sculpting, Bell Ringers, Horse Drawn Trolley, Athens Museum, Live Music, Senior Thrift Store, Dancers, Carolers, Petting Zoo, Ice Boat Display, Puppet Show & more!!
FREE EVENT WITH FESTIVITIES ENDING WITH A TREE LIGHTING, CAROLING, S’MORES, HOLIDAY BONFIRE AT THE RIVERFRONT PARK
Holiday Cottages
Join us for family fun making holiday cottages!
All materials provided during this free, all age program.
Children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult. Cottages will be displayed during the Victorian Stroll, Saturday, December 13, 1-5PM.
First Friday
ACC’s annual Small Works show invites us to explore the creative potential of scale, proving that great things do indeed come in small packages. Each artist embraces the challenge of working small, using the limitation of size to reveal a wide range of innovation, technique, and storytelling.
NOVEMBER 7 — DECEMBER 14
FIRST FRIDAY RECEPTION: DECEMBER 5, 5—7PM
GALLERY HOURS: SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS 12—5PM
Queer & Trans Connection Network
Created by the Columbia Greene Addiction Coalition, the Queer & Trans Connection Network offers a welcoming peer-led space for LGBTQ+ community members and allies in Greene and Columbia Counties. Meeting monthly at the Athens Cultural Center, these gatherings provide connection, conversation, resource-sharing, and support in a substance-free environment for ages 14+. Together, we share experiences, celebrate wins, and build affirming, inclusive community close to home.
Every 4th Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Small Works
ACC’s annual Small Works show invites us to explore the creative potential of scale, proving that great things do indeed come in small packages. Each artist embraces the challenge of working small, using the limitation of size to reveal a wide range of innovation, technique, and storytelling.
NOVEMBER 7 — DECEMBER 14
FIRST FRIDAY RECEPTION: DECEMBER 5, 5—7PM
GALLERY HOURS: SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS 12—5PM
Queer & Trans Connection Network
Created by the Columbia Greene Addiction Coalition, the Queer & Trans Connection Network offers a welcoming peer-led space for LGBTQ+ community members and allies in Greene and Columbia Counties. Meeting monthly at the Athens Cultural Center, these gatherings provide connection, conversation, resource-sharing, and support in a substance-free environment for ages 14+. Together, we share experiences, celebrate wins, and build affirming, inclusive community close to home.
Every 4th Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
First Friday!
A very special First Friday to welcome the arrival of autumn and honor the art and artists of Seasons of Greene VI. Free and open to all, with light refreshments provided courtesy of the ACC Board of Directors. Seasons of Greene explores the intimate relationship between landscape painter and land, focusing on the lands maintained by the Greene Land Trust.
One Thousand and One Arabian Nights
Be Enchanted by One Thousand and One Arabian Nights
Step into a world of wonder at the Athens Cultural Center! On the first and third Wednesdays in October and November (7–8 PM), gather with friends and neighbors for an intimate reading of selected tales from the timeless classic One Thousand and One Arabian Nights.
Two local residents will bring these legendary stories to life, weaving magic, mystery, and imagination into every chapter. Whether you’re hearing them for the first time or rediscovering old favorites, you’ll be swept away by the ingenuity, excitement, and exotic charm of these tales.
Come, relax, and let these timeless stories carry you away.
Season of Greene VI: Opening Reception
Celebrate the opening of the Greene Land Trust’s sixth annual Seasons of Greene exhibition! Seasons of Greene explores the intimate relationship between landscape painter and land, focusing on the lands maintained by the Greene Land Trust.