Hudson Valley Colleges with GREAT Art Galleries

It’s a given that colleges are great places for students to learn but they can also be great places for visitors to discover and experience some fine art. Many of the area’s institutions of higher learning have galleries worth visiting. A few feature annual displays of work by students who participate in fine arts programs, while others carry the worlds of renowned international artists. So, if you need a quick art fix or just a fun way to spend an afternoon, check out some of these galleries.

Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art | 1 Hawk Drive, New Paltz | @dorskymuseum

The Dorsky Museum comprises more than 9,000 square feet of exhibition space distributed over six galleries. The permanent collection features more than 6,000 works of art from around the world and spans over a 4,000 year time period.

Muroff-Kotler Visual Arts Gallery at SUNY Ulster | 491 Cottekill Road, Stone Ridge | Facebook

The Muroff-Kotler Visual Arts Gallery serves as a center for creative artistic activity at the College and for the outside community. It also functions as an environment for teaching, performing and exhibiting. The College’s permanent art collection enriches the cultural climate on campus by making additional works of a high level of artistic achievement available to students and the community.

Neuberger Museum of Art at SUNY Purchase | 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase | @neubergermuseum

The Neuberger Museum of Art features exhibitions of modern, contemporary and African art and art-inspired events in the Philip Johnson-designed building at the heart of Purchase College. The museum’s collection has grown to over 6,000 objects by artists including Milton Avery, Romare Bearden, Willem de Kooning, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Jackson Pollock. Follow their Facebook Page.

Orange Hall Gallery at SUNY Orange | 24 Grandview Avenue, Middletown | @sunyorangeculturalaffairs

Orange Hall has one large or concurrent exhibit that changes every four to eight weeks, often including small musical performances during receptions and sometimes related art demonstrations and lectures.

Mindy Ross Gallery at SUNY Orange | One Washington Center, Newburgh | @sunyorangeculturalaffairs

In the Mindy Ross Gallery, there is usually one exhibit that changes every six to ten weeks, often including small musical performances during receptions and sometimes art demonstrations and lectures or discussions. Foyer has an Artists of Excellence exhibit running for 10 to 12 weeks.

Mildred I. Washington Art Gallery at Dutchess Community College | 53 Pendell Road, Poughkeepsie | @dccvisualarts

The Mildred I. Washington Art Gallery is located at the north end of campus in the Allyn J. Washington Center for Science and Art. Each year, the gallery exhibits work from regional, national and international artists. Each semester the gallery houses a display of outstanding student work and a show of faculty work. Follow their Facebook page.

Art Galleries at Columbia-Greene Community College | 4400 Route 23, Hudson | @suny_cgcc

The College houses five art galleries: the Kaaterskill Gallery adjacent to the Library, the Blue Hill Gallery at the main entrance; the Belknap Memorial Gallery in the Administrative Wing; the Foundation Gallery in the Arts Center; and the Alumni Gallery in the Professional Academic Center. Exhibits in the Kaaterskill Gallery and the Blue Hill Gallery are changed monthly. Exhibits in the Foundation Gallery are changed three times a semester. All galleries contain a diverse mixture of works by area artists and students. The Belknap Gallery contains works from the College’s collection, which also appear at other locations on campus on a rotating basis. The Foundation Gallery is the principal exhibition space of the Fine Arts Department. Lastly, the Alumni Gallery houses special exhibits.

Exhibition Center at Bard College | 7401 South Broadway, Red Hook | @bardseniorart

The off-campus gallery hosts the annual thesis exhibits of students in Bard’s Milton Avery Graduate School of Art. Follow their Facebook page.

Hessel Museum of Art at Bard College | 33 Garden Road, Annandale on Hudson | @ccsbard

The CCS Hessel Museum of Art is housed in Bard’s Center for Curatorial Studies. The museum features works from the Marieluise Hessel Collection of Contemporary Art, which comprises more than 1,700 objects on permanent loan to Bard. Follow their Facebook page.

CMA Gallery at Mount Saint Mary | 330 Powell Avenue, Newburgh | @cadmmsmc

The mission of the Mount’s CMA Gallery is to exhibit professional art and media picked by Mount faculty from among the rising population of artists who live and work in Newburgh, Beacon, and throughout the Hudson Valley. The gallery space features focused lighting to highlight the artwork on the first floor of the college’s main academic building. Follow their Facebook page.

The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar | 124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie | @theloeb

The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center is a teaching museum, major art repository, and exhibition space, founded in 1864 as the Vassar College Art Gallery. It displays works from antiquity to contemporary times. Follow their Facebook page.