By now, some of you may have heard. The Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre (HPAC) is closing its doors. Oh, sure, there will be restructuring, reconfiguring and rebranding and the building itself will stand, with the Center for Discovery (TCFD) at the helm. But the HPAC that many of us have grown to love will be no more. In a joint statement from both entities, I read the press release with sadness.

The headline, in bold caps, screamed off the page. 

“BREAKING NEWS: Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre Announces Conclusion of Operations.”

The joint statement from both entities had this to say, in part: “After thoughtful discussion and careful consideration, the Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre has made the decision to conclude its current operations, effective October 31, 2026. The Center for Discovery will work collaboratively with, and support HPAC, as it moves through this transition.”

Devastated, I read on. 

“For more than a decade,” the statement continued, “HPAC has worked to support and celebrate the arts in Sullivan County by offering to the public a variety of cultural opportunities like cinema, festivals, youth and family programming, senior programming, educational classes and community events.”

Saddened, but not shocked, I was reminded of words that HPAC Founder and Artistic Director Janet Carrus wrote in May 2022 during the annual Hudson Valley Gives fundraiser.

“What I love about HPAC is the openness to presenting a variety of Life and Arts to the community… we showcase real life issues that surround social justice and the environment as well as balancing reality with music, dance and first-run films.”

It’s no secret that the arts are suffering right now. Federal and local funding has been slashed. People are hurting; money is tight and most folks are struggling to make ends meet given the rising costs of virtually everything we need to exist, so the arts has taken a back seat to filling the tank and putting food on the table. I get it, but changes like this aren’t helping; they’re stinging even more. 

In the last two months alone, I’ve attended a variety of events at HPAC, for instance a screening of director Lex Gillespie’s acclaimed documentary “The Catskills,” exploring “the rise, golden age and fall of the Borscht Belt era in the Catskill Mountains,” and was sponsored by the Borscht Belt Museum. It was followed by a lively discussion with locals, who had stories of their own to share. 

My next outing was to catch singer/songwriter Cris Spinner and her five-piece band performing “I Have Eras Too” as she shared stories about her connection to writing original music influenced by the various decades in her life. Spinner has ties to both HPAC and TCFD, so her show served as foreshadowing; it was followed just weeks later by the announcement of HPAC leadership changing hands.

Over the years, I’ve attended music festivals, pride festivals, ballroom dance events and original theatre. I’ve taken in comedy nights, movie nights and intimate evenings of entertainment in the now-shuttered Tango Café. 

Just last Saturday, I took my seat once again in the plush cinema theater to celebrate the history of the region with one of its own; songstress extraordinaire Patti Greco. Greco’s show, titled “This Is My Life: A Borscht Belt Baby,” was a tuneful nostalgic trip down memory lane as she shared songs and stories of how her life was shaped by rubbing elbows with the likes of Norm Crosby, Gabe Kaplan, Red Buttons and Tom Jones during her years performing in legendary hotel showrooms like the Concord, Kutchers, and the Raleigh. 

Greco is a consummate performer and held the audience in the palm of her hand as she recalled the glory days of the resorts, while waxing nostalgic about her family, her musical influences and her life during those memorable years.

I’ve even participated in events at HPAC myself, once with an art exhibit that could not have succeeded in the way that it did without the support of the incredible staff. 

Additionally, I’ve “performed” (for lack of a better word) on their main stage twice with storytelling events of my own. Not only did that make me happy, but it resonated with sold-out audiences as well, for which I’ll always be grateful.

Will programming like this exist post-HPAC? I have my doubts, but only time will tell. One thing I’m sure of is that Janet Carrus is a visionary who put her magical touch on Hurleyville and her mark will forever be indelible. 

I reached out to Carrus for comment regarding this change of direction, not knowing how, or if, she would respond. Unexpectedly, she referenced our relationship first, which seemed to correlate to the situation at hand. 

“One of my most favorite friends [I’ve made] since I came to Hurleyville was Jonathan Charles Fox. We’ve both had life experiences that were and have been prompted by change.”

“One of my driving forces in life has been trying to better a situation or place: to make something out of nothing,” she wrote. 

“The forces that brought me to Hurleyville are too long of a story to go into. But I will say it was enough to motivate me to change a dynamic in an area by [creating] an arts center. It has been a financial, educational and emotional journey with many hurdles.”

“The intention of the Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre was to bring together a community,” Carrus continued. 

“The best way I can describe my vision is to recall the bar scene from the film ‘Star Wars’ [because of] the assortment of characters socializing in one communal space. Throughout the 10 years that we existed, I think we accomplished that in varying degrees, but not without constant challenges.”

“Now I must put aside my dream—I tried—and accept that change is a necessity for future growth… it’s not easy but it comes with the hope that in some shape or form it will continue.”

Janet Carrus is better at accepting change than I am, in my humble opinion. I had the opportunity to sit down with her at Patti Greco’s show last weekend, and I was a little overcome with emotion. “It’s going to be all right,” Carrus said. “We’re both going through a transition, but remember—the only thing constant is change. It’s growth, whether we saw this coming or not. Let’s have lunch.”

I know she’s right, and that change is inevitable, but I’m not comfortable with it. I’m grateful for all that Carrus and HPAC have brought to the region, and for the friendships and relationships that she’s fostered, but I can’t help but wonder how it would have turned out under different circumstances, specifically with unwavering support from the community she worked so tirelessly to enrich. While the handwriting is on the wall, none of us know what the next chapter will bring, but I’m fairly sure I’ll be sharing it as the story unfolds. Stay tuned.