The Phoenix Gallery & Music Hall is an art gallery and music venue located in the thriving center of Waterbury Village’s historic district. The Phoenix is resurrecting the turn of the century soda fountain and candy shop that was located in this building until the 1960’s, and serves two taps of Rookie’s Root Beer and Maple Lemonade, together with a candy counter featuring all your childhood favorites. The Phoenix is available year round for rentals for your private party, business or non-profit gathering or wedding events. Check the “Rent Our Space” link in the main menu for all the details. Upstairs, Waterbury Studios offers rental studio spaces for private art practice/a brick and mortar home for creative small businesses and features a small gallery space with rotating shows.
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Access to exhibits at Waterbury Studios
Guided tours of the current exhibit at Waterbury Studios are available anytime The Phoenix is open. Simply ask at the front desk and we’ll happily take you up for a private viewing.
hours
Sunday 12-6pm
Monday closed
Tuesday 11am-6pm
Wednesday 11am-6pm
Thursday 11am-6pm
Friday 11am-6pm
Saturday closed (except for events or concerts—check our events calendar)
WHO WE ARE
The Phoenix and Waterbury Studios are co-owned by Joseph Pensak and Anna Black. Our contributing partners at The Phoenix are Anne Decker and T.R. Risk.
the founding team
Joseph Pensak
Founding director and head curator of The Phoenix and Waterbury Studios, Joseph grew up in Memphis, Tn and moved to his adopted home of New England in 2001—first for grad school in Boston, then to Connecticut, and for the past 11 years, to his “forever home” of Vermont. For nearly a decade, Joseph was head curator of New City Galerie in Burlington, managing an artist in residence program and gallery space that supported many emerging and now well established artists in Vermont. After New City was forced to close because of a roof collapse in January of 2020, Joseph served as executive director of River Arts in Morrisville, Vt until the pandemic closed its doors and all full time staff were laid off (River Arts was thankfully able to reopen after the lockdown with a restructure of their staff model). The Phoenix and Waterbury Studios are truly rising from the ashes of the past three years of tough times. Besides being a proud dad to three daughters (Nadine, Lucie and Maelle), Joseph is a songwriter in his other life and you can check out his most recent release here, named the #1 Vermont based record of 2019 by Ray Padgett of County Tracks. Vermont Public’s Liam Elder-Connors wrote, ”Hallowell’s debut is quietly grand—from hazy strings, horns and guitar that circle around serene melodies to joyful, orchestral pop...beautiful and thoughtfully composed.” @waterbury.studios @thephoenix @waitwhat.77
Anna Black
Co-owner Anna Black is an accomplished painter, skateboarder and lawyer at Stackpole & French. She serves on the board of the Stowe Land Trust and is a founding member of the band Cool Babies. @banaani
Anne Decker
Co-curator of our music calendar and director of TURNmusic, Anne Decker has made The Phoenix TURNmusic’s home venue. She is a music lover, conductor, educator , and collaborator. A new music enthusiast, she has worked with composers Augusta Reed Thomas, Joan Tower, Erik Nielsen and Dennis Bathory-Kitsz. Anne has conducted productions with the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble, Middlebury Opera Company, Vermont Opera Theater, Amato Opera Company of New York City, and served as the Assistant Conductor of the Pioneer Valley Symphony. Anne Decker was a member of the artistic staff at the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association from 1999-2012. She conducted the Youth Philharmonia and served as the Associate Director of Instrumental Programs. Ms. Decker has been active as conductor for Vermont district and regional festivals.
Anne Decker holds a Bachelors in Music Education from Western Michigan University and a Masters of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Illinois State University. She has studied with Glenn Block, David Effron, Charles Peltz, and Frank Battisti. Ms. Decker directs the orchestra programs at U-32 Middle and High School in East Montpelier. She resides in Waterbury Center, Vermont with her husband and two daughters. @anniedecks
T.R. Risk
T.R. Risk has been designing custom furniture and building unique environments for his elite clientele across the US and abroad since the early 1990's. He was ahead of the trend in his passion for sustainability after seeing the long-vacant barns that began scattering the landscape of the Brandywine Valley where he was raised. During a weekend home from college he tore down a barn and was given the lumber as his pay.
After several stints of this throughout his college days, he came home to an amass of salvaged lumber and began to build his first piece of furniture. And so began his career becoming one of the most sought-after furniture artists in America.
Each piece of furniture is a thoughtful take on the remains of what it once was...so the beauty within becomes something much more than an object for function- it is art in its purest form. @trriskartist @trriskgallery