Our journey began with an early but gorgeous train ride along the Hudson River. Looking out the window, we watched the trees changing into their autumn colours, painting the riverbank in rich shades of orange, red and gold.
The destination for our November trip was Dia Beacon, a sanctuary where art and architecture meet. The museum is housed in a grand building made of brick, steel, and concrete that was built in 1929. It was originally a large factory used by the Nabisco company, but it has since been beautifully restored. The artist Robert Irwin helped design the modern layout, preserving the historic character of the open indoor rooms while creating quiet gardens outside. Inside, the massive galleries are flooded with natural light from thirty-four thousand square feet of skylights that open to the sky. This unique design allows the changing daytime atmosphere to illuminate the space naturally.
The true gift of Dia Beacon is its scale, as the museum gives each artist an entire gallery of their own. Being enveloped by such large scale sculptures and installations is what makes this place a true gem. During our visit, we stepped into a fascinating mirrored room by Lucas Samaras, which felt like walking inside an endless kaleidoscope. In the lower level, we experienced a powerful work by Steve McQueen called *Bass*. This vast, subterranean space was filled with deep, echoing music while sixty lightboxes on the ceiling slowly shifted colour. We also walked among the towering steel structures of Richard Serra and stood before the deep geometric shapes cut into the floor by Michael Heizer. There is a profound beauty in the monumentality of the art here, allowing visitors to feel completely immersed in every creation.
