Basilica Hudson facts for kids
Exterior of Basilica Hudson (2012)
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| Location | 110 S Front St, Hudson, NY 12534 |
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Basilica Hudson is a cool place in Hudson, New York, USA, where you can enjoy all sorts of arts and performances. It started in 2010 inside an old factory building from the 1800s. This factory is right by the "South Bay" riverfront, close to the Hudson River.
Basilica Hudson hosts events from spring to fall. You can find everything from movie showings and art displays to yearly farmers' markets and flea markets with local sellers. It's also where two big music events happen: the Basilica SoundScape festival and the 24 Hour Drone music festival.
The people who help create the events there are musician Melissa Auf der Maur and filmmaker Tony Stone. In 2012, a newspaper called The Guardian said Basilica Hudson was one of the top ten "industrial-chic" places in the world. This means it's a stylish place that used to be an industrial building.
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What is Basilica Hudson?
Basilica Hudson is a large building that used to be a factory. Now, it's a special place for art, music, and other fun events. It's located in Hudson, New York, a city known for its creative community.
What kind of events happen there?
Basilica Hudson is known for its unique events that bring together different kinds of art.
- Film Screenings: You can watch movies and documentaries.
- Art Exhibitions: Artists show their paintings, sculptures, and other artworks.
- Farmers' Markets: Local farmers sell fresh food and goods.
- Flea Markets: You can find unique items from local vendors.
- Music Festivals: Two famous festivals are held here:
- Basilica SoundScape: This festival is sometimes called the "anti-festival" because it mixes music with visual art and literature in a thoughtful way.
- 24 Hour Drone: This is a unique music festival where people camp out in the building for a full 24 hours. Experimental artists perform non-stop music for the entire time!
Who runs Basilica Hudson?
The main people behind Basilica Hudson are musician Melissa Auf der Maur and filmmaker Tony Stone. They are the creative directors who help decide what events and art shows come to the venue. They moved to Hudson and started curating events in the space before buying it.
The Story of the Building
The building where Basilica Hudson is today has a long and interesting history. It was built a long time ago, in the 1880s.
From Factory to Art Space
- Railroad Factory: When it was first built, it was a foundry. This is a place where metal is melted and shaped. This factory made wheels for railroad cars.
- Glue Factory: Later, the building became a glue factory. It made glue until the 1980s, when it closed down.
- Saving the Building: In the late 1990s, there were plans to turn the site into a chemical processing plant. But a group called "Friends of Hudson" worked hard to stop this. They wanted to protect the environment.
- Becoming an Arts Center: After the chemical plant idea was stopped, some people tried to make it an arts center, but it didn't work out at first.
- Basilica Industria: In 2001, two people named Patrick Doyle and Catherine Dodge Smith bought the building. They opened it as a community arts center and called it "Basilica Industria."
- Famous Concert: In 2003, a famous musician named Patti Smith even held a concert there to help the "Friends of Hudson" group. They were trying to stop a big cement plant from being built nearby.
Basilica Hudson is Born
Around 2008, Melissa Auf der Maur and Tony Stone started using the space. They held band practices, filmed movies, and helped organize events. In 2010, they bought the building along with Tony's parents, artists Bill and Nancy Stone. They then renamed it Basilica Hudson.
They worked hard to turn it into the amazing arts and performance venue it is today. Basilica Hudson officially started its music and arts programs in the summer of 2012. That same year, a local newspaper called Metroland named it the "best new venue" in the area. And as we mentioned, The Guardian also recognized it as one of the best industrial-chic spaces in the world!
How Basilica Hudson Works
Basilica Hudson is a very large space, about 18,000 square feet. It can hold up to 1,200 people at once! The venue is open for events mainly between spring and fall.
The owners of Basilica Hudson are dedicated to supporting artists and creative people in the Hudson Valley area. This commitment, along with their unique events, has made Basilica Hudson famous around the world. It's a place where art, music, and community come together in a really special way.
