Events & Experiences
Family Balancing Day! Part of Defining & Defying Gravity
Join us for a free interactive Family Balance Day led by celebrated acrobat and visual artist Karen E. Gersch!
Participants of all ages are invited to explore balancing and partnering skills through hands-on activities including juggling, object manipulation, balancing on objects, plate spinning, rola bola, and other beginner-friendly circus arts exercises.
This welcoming workshop encourages teamwork, cooperation, and creativity across generations and abilities. Children, teens, parents, teachers, students, and curious beginners are all encouraged to participate. All props are provided and skilled assistants will be available to work individually with attendees throughout the event.
Meet Karen: A celebrated acrobat (founding member of Big Apple Circus, Circus Smirkus and Friendly Bros. Circus), as well as a visual artist herself (BFA with Honors, Pratt Institute). Selections of her own work are on view at the Bank Art Gallery; she is exhibited and collected globally
Suggested Donations
Free Admission
Donations Appreciated
This project is made possible with funds from the New York State Legislature and administered by Arts Mid-Hudson.
The Art of Balance
A one-time performance not to be missed.
Experience world class circus performers in an intimate setting inside the historic Bank Art Gallery lobby. Featuring breathtaking acrobatics, juggling, tightwire performance, visual comedy, and gravity-defying balance acts performed by internationally celebrated artists.
Featured performers include:
Li Liu - contortion and hand balancing
Kyle Driggs - dance-infused juggling
Logan Kerr - tightwire artist
Drew Richardson - physical comedy
Karen E. Gersch is a celebrated acrobat, educator, and visual artist. She is a founding member of Big Apple Circus, Circus Smirkus, and Friendly Bros. Circus. She has spent decades directing and performing circus arts programming throughout the Northeast.
Suggested Donations
Adults $15
Children & Students $5
This project is made possible with funds from the New York State Legislature and administered by Arts Mid-Hudson.
Cyanotype Workshop with Luis Fonseca
Join us for a hands-on Cyanotype Workshop with artist Luis Fonseca!
Participants will explore one of photography’s oldest processes while creating their own cyanotype prints using objects, florals, fabrics, or personal materials. Guests are encouraged to bring items they would like to experiment with during the workshop.
Space is limited and RSVP is encouraged, although walk-ins will also be welcome if space allows.
Suggested Donations
Adults $20
Children & Students $10
If someone is unable to contribute, no one will be excluded from participating in the workshop.
A Brush with History: Art in Circus & Circus in Art
Join us for a lecture + slideshow presented in partnership with Karen E. Gersch!
This dynamic slide show and humor-laced lecture serves as a panoramic romp from prehistoric to current times; highlighting how and why circus has impacted and inspired visual artists since the start of time.
The program includes a Question & Answer and personal tour of relative art on display in the gallery.
Meet Karen: A celebrated acrobat (founding member of Big Apple Circus, Circus Smirkus and Friendly Bros. Circus), as well as a visual artist herself (BFA with Honors, Pratt Institute). Selections of her own work are on view at the Bank Art Gallery; she is exhibited and collected globally
Suggested Donations
Adults $15
Children & Students $5
Not recommended for Children under 10 years old
This project is made possible with funds from the New York State Legislature and administered by Arts Mid-Hudson.
Grand Reopening
Bank Art Gallery will reopen on Friday, May 8th from 6 to 9 pm with the launch of a new Living Exhibition. The evening will mark the unveiling of Andrés San Millán’s retablo, a monumental installation that anchors the exhibition and sets the tone for the space.
The exhibition brings together a curated group of artists working across a range of mediums, with works presented throughout the main floor and into the lower level vaults. Guests are invited to move through the space and experience the work as it unfolds across multiple rooms.
The evening will also include two live performance sets by Orchestre des Bonzanj, blending Haitian rhythms, piano, and voice into an immersive soundscape inspired by dreamscapes and ancestral storytelling.
Set within the historic former Newburgh Savings Bank, the gallery’s architecture continues to play a central role in how work is experienced, with large-scale and immersive pieces becoming part of the environment itself.
Opening night on May 8 marks the beginning of this new chapter, welcoming the public back into a space built around continuity, presence, and return.
Real Art
Real Impact
Bank Art Gallery in Partnership with Gerald Doering Foundation is a non-profit organization that relies on a variety of funding sources to sustain its activities. Bank Art Gallery deeply appreciates the loyalty and enthusiasm of its members and donors, and provides a range of benefits and privileges in thanks for their generosity.
As you make your donation, you will have the opportunity to further designate your gift, if you choose, to a specific locality in our region, arts discipline, or other category. Please note, we cannot direct gifts to a specific artist or organization.
To make a donation, click below.