Barrett Art Center (BAC) hosts critically-acclaimed national juried contemporary art exhibitions and programs in a landmark Greek Revival townhouse to provide spaces for the exploration of emerging ideas in visual art. The mission of Barrett Art Center is to foster and perpetuate an appreciation of the visual arts in the Hudson Valley region through exhibitions, education and preservation.
In 1900, a Poughkeepsie banker named Thomas Barrett and his wife, Kate Stoutenburgh, moved to the Greek Revival brick townhouse at 55 Noxon Street.
Their son, Thomas Weeks Barrett, Jr., was born in 1902. Barrett attended Poughkeepsie schools and soon discovered his love for art. After graduating from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 1927, Barrett worked in New York City as a successful commercial artist.
In 1934, inspired by the positive response to President Roosevelt’s WPA Federal Art Project, Barrett organized Dutchess County’s first art exhibition at the Luckey Platt Department Store in Poughkeepsie. Over 2,000 visitors attended on the opening day.
Buoyed by the show’s success, Barrett and his colleagues founded the Dutchess County Art Association in 1935.
Working with curators from around the globe, Barrett Art Center brings exemplary contemporary art from international artists to its exhibitions. Our reputation for high-quality exhibitions and art education programs attracts thousands of visitors to our gallery annually. Always free and open to the public, Barrett Art Center’s arts programming engages and supports the diverse community. They are an open, inclusive, and equitable place where all are welcome.
If you wish to visit the Barret Art Center, you can reserve a time slot for free on their website. The art center is accessible by train from NYC on the Metro North Railroad’s Hudson Line, Barrett Art Center is a just one mile (about a 20 minute walk) from the train station.
Interested in history of art? Visit Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center
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