Reher Center Celebrates Local Art + Immigrant Culture with a Sunset Celebration at Opus 40

Located in Kingston NY, the Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History is a local non-profit organization that does so much for our community, fostering belonging by engaging all people through culture, community, work, and bread.

You may ask, “Why Bread?” Back in the day, two generations of the Jewish immigrant Reher family ran a bakery for nearly a century, from the storefront of 101 Broadway in Kingston, New York. Residents of the surrounding Rondout neighborhood, mostly working class and immigrant, came to Reher’s for bread, canned goods, and gossip.

Jump to 2002. The idea for the Reher Center was hatched when Geoffrey Miller peered into the window of 101 Broadway and observed a time capsule: the space was left untouched since Hymie Reher closed his family’s bakery in the early 1980s. Geoff describes it as “falling down a rabbit hole,” as he envisioned preserving and opening the site as a museum. Through a conversation with his friend Barbara Blas in 2004, Geoff learned that the Rehers and Blases were longtime members of Kingston’s Orthodox synagogue, Agudas Achim, and old family friends. Hymie was pleased with Geoff’s vision (Barbara remembers him singing “Happy Days are Here”) and arranged to deed the Reher’s property at 99-101 Broadway to the Jewish Federation of Ulster County.

“Building community by celebrating multiculturalism and our immigrant past.”

Today, the site is a museum and cultural center that preserves and honors the legacy of Reher’s Bakery and amplifies immigrant stories of the Hudson Valley, past and present.

You’re Invited to celebrate the Reher Center and its contributions on August 30th at Opus 40 with a sunset celebration of culture!
Savor delicious foods, enjoy ambient music, and bid on beautiful Hudson Valley artworks.

This is The Reher Center’s first-ever Fiesta of the Arts, an inaugural fundraising event and silent art auction to benefit the organization. Honoring the Filipino cultural tradition of fiesta, this community-wide gathering will bring people together to celebrate immigrant contributions and the diverse backgrounds that shape our community.

Reher Center Fiesta Fundraiser Celebrates Local Art, Immigrant Culture

You’re Invited!
August 30, 2023, 4-7 pm Opus 40
356 George Sickle Road Saugerties NY

Get your tickets to enjoy Filipino cocktail bites from Harana Market and Lamisa Events LLC, savor crafted cocktails and local beverages from Kingston Standard and Whitecliff Vineyard , and bid on local artworks by Cary Liebowitz, Norm Magnusson, Susan Lisbin and more!

Featuring works by emerging and established artists with ties to the Hudson Valley, the Fiesta art auction will raise vital funds for the Kingston-based museum, with proceeds going to directly support the Center’s mission of amplifying immigrant voices through engaging exhibitions and programs. Guests will be able to view artworks onsite and place a bid at the click of a button on their mobile phones through our event website at rehercenter.org.

For those who cannot attend, early bidding for the auction will begin online starting August 23, 2023. Donations include works by Bruce Cahn, Kim Do, Mark Hogancamp, Kathleen Kucka, Cary Leibowitz, Susan Lisbin, Norm Magnusson, Stephen Maine, and Gelah Penn, among others.

“Celebration is at the heart of our mission,” said Reher Center Interim Director Jackie Lieske. “Through this special event, we’re inviting neighbors to join us for an evening of cultural exchange. As a small, grassroots organization we are always looking to raise awareness – and vital support – for our cause. We’re grateful to our supporters for helping to make this event possible, and encourage new friends to join us for a historic celebration!”

The Fiesta of the Arts is happening on Wednesday, August 30th from 5 – 8 pm. Tickets are required and sensible shoes are recommended. Tickets are available online at ReherCenter.org.

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The Reher Center is a cultural center and museum focusing on immigrant stories of the Hudson Valley. Born out of the 2002 rediscovery of a rare, intact 19th-century building that once housed an immigrant-owned bakery, the Reher Center aims to honor the Reher family’s legacy and the history of Kingston’s Rondout neighborhood. Be sure to visit their site to see their programming including: tours of the historic bakery, exhibitions, and a robust education program. Learn more at ReherCenter.org

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Support the Reher Center by Donating HERE
With your support, the Reher Center will continue its efforts to honor immigrant contributions past and present. Your generosity will directly invest in preserving the past, and investing in a more inclusive future.