YONKERS ARTS WEEKEND @ CMAD
Yonkers Arts Weekend at the Carpet Mills Arts District Delivered an Incredible Experience
Yonkers Arts Weekend is an annual, city-wide celebration that transforms our streets into a vibrant canvas of creativity. From soaring murals to intimate gallery showcases, this event brings together the best of our local talent and the community that sustains it.
As a cornerstone of the festivities, the Carpet Mills Arts District (CMAD) serves as a premier destination in its own right. CMAD offered a curated journey through industrial-chic spaces filled with immersive exhibitions, live performances, and hands-on activities designed to elevate visitors’ experiences.
YOHO ARTISTS OPEN STUDIO
The 22nd Annual YOHO Open Studios, a cornerstone of Yonkers Arts Weekend, is produced by the YOHO Artist Community and Heights Real Estate Company. It welcomed visitors into the studios of artists within the YOHO Community. This special event provided an opportunity to explore the studios of over 80 artists working in a wide range of mediums—from painting and sculpture to photography, textiles, ceramics, and more all under one roof at the historic YOHO Artist Studios. Visitors had the rare chance to meet the artists, view and purchase original works, and experience the creative energy that makes this community so unique.
17TH ANNUAL YONKERS ARTIST SHOWCASE
Our annual Yonkers Artist Showcase celebrated the diversity and talent of the Yonkers creative community. This year’s dynamic group show highlighted work in all mediums from both emerging and established local artists. The showcase offered a powerful glimpse into the city’s thriving art scene, and was open to the public until May 17th.
MURAL FESTIVAL AT CMAD
The Mural Festival at CMAD once again brought the district’s walls to life with vibrant, large-scale works created in real time. A talented lineup of local and visiting artists transformed buildings and public spaces across the Carpet Mills Arts District with bold, colorful murals. This live painting event celebrates street art as a powerful form of storytelling and community expression, adding new energy to the city’s growing public art scene.
THE MILLS OPEN STUDIOS
Saturday, May 16 and from 11 AM - 5 PM at The Mills at 530 Nepperhan Ave. Featuring:
Little Shop; specialty decor and photography
French Finish; custom interior wall coverings
Kairos Productions; custom event design and production
CB Vintage USA; vintage furnishings, clothing and accessories.
Todo Studio; professional photography and staging
FOUNDATIONS EXHIBITION AND ARTIST TALK
The FOUNDATIONS Exhibition and Artist talk was produced and hosted by Pieces by Akasha Collective, an exhibition and experience that acknowledges and honors the history of the creative journey and the importance of a solid foundation on which to build creative success.
YONKERS COLLAB EXCHANGE
Experience the intersection of streetwear, art, and culture! We transformed The Lab into a full-blown creative hub for two days of immersive talent and community vibes.
ARTS WESTCHESTER ARTS MOBILE
The Arts Westchester Arts Mobile visited us for another incredible print making workshop for creatives of all ages and all skill levels.
POETS & AUTHORS EXPO
The Poets and Authors Expo celebrated the power of the written and spoken word. Hosted by the Yonkers Arts Poet in Residence, Tom Ray, this festival served as a premier stage for the voices shaping our city’s contemporary literary landscape. From raw, rhythmic performance art to profound lyrical storytelling, this showcase gathers the region's most compelling writers for an afternoon of deep connection and cultural reflection.
This year’s festival featured a heavyweight lineup of celebrated poets and authors, including the visionary Phylli V, the evocative S. Rose, and the sharp, rhythmic insights of S. Dot Worsmith. Joining them was the legendary Ibrahim Siddiq, aka POET, ensuring a diverse range of styles that bridge the gap between classic literature and modern street poetry.
YONKERS BREAKDANCING LEAGUE
Yonkers Arts launched the Yonkers Breakdancing League, which is presented by Yonkers Arts through support from the Westchester County Youth Bureau. The program, led by BBoy London Reyes, is open to all ages and will kick off in the summer.
YONKERS ARTS FASHION SHOW
Westchester Fashion Week coordinated a dynamic runway event that bridged the gap between fine art and functional fashion. This curated show featured a diverse collection of contemporary, urban, and casual wear designed for men, women, and children, with a special emphasis on the innovation of upcycled clothing.
The showcase highlighted an elite roster of local visionaries, featuring Yoho Artists Marion Kass and Marco, alongside Joe Corbalis of Westchester Fashion Week in collaboration with Linda Mendelson. Together, these designers bring a unique perspective to the runway, blending high-fashion sensibilities with street-ready aesthetics.
OLDPLAY AT SIMPLE MOTIVE BREWING
Crowd pleasing Rock from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s at Simple Motive Brewing, located at 222 Lake Ave, on Saturday, May 16 from 7 PM - 10 PM.
THE BASEMENT
The BASEMENT is an experience for the community to witness the creative process from the ground up as they paint a one-of-a-kind piece right before their eyes! The experience will give you an inside view of an artist's creative process. THE BASEMENT IS produced and hosted by Pieces by Akasha Collective,
INTERACTIVE MURAL PAINTING AND CRAFTS
Simple Motive Brewing hosted an interactive art workshop led by Erica Soto of Enjoy Erica Art Studio.
THE LIBRARY JAZZ BAND
The Library Jazz Band took over the Yonkers Arts Project Space on Sunday, May 17, with a delightful music offering that featured an elegant, stripped-back Piano and Guitar Duo with intricate melodies and sophisticated harmonies, and a Jazz and Spoken Word Experience featuring Tom Ray and Phylisha Villanueva, blending the Library Jazz Band’s rhythm section with poignant spoken word. The afternoon ended with the Little Big Band’s Sunday Soul led by tenor saxophonist Matt Garrison featuring favorites from legends like Lee Morgan, Cannonball Adderley, and Hank Mobley.
Yonkers Arts Weekend @ CMAD is presented by
City of Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano
Heights Realty Company
Robert Salem of EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants
Generously supported by
Matthew Taragano of Apex Supply Company
Christy Watson of Creative Planning
Thomas Enright of Sprague Energy
James Barber of Risk Management International, LTD
David Turley of Cronheim Mortgage
Gary Schwartz of GS Adjustment Company, INC
Mitchell Kaikow of Pro Serv Garden City
Paul DeSimone of United Metro Energy
Stephen Lo of Charles Schwab
Eric Kahan of Sperber Kahan Law Group PLLC
Rishi Nangalia of 222 Lake Partners
Harlan Rose of The Mills at Yonkers
Thomas Noonan
Yonkers Arts Weekend is sponsored by the Yonkers Community Development Agency, produced by the City of Yonkers in partnership with Yonkers Arts, Yonkers Downtown Business Improvement District, and Thompson & Bender
ArtsWestchester, with funding made possible by the Westchester County Government, with the support of County Executive Ken Jenkins
The Department of Criminal Justice Services through Project RISE
Andrea Stewart Cousins through the Senate Funding Initiative
New York State Council on the Arts