Description
The Arts Center of the Capital Region is a private, not-for-profit corporation that began as the Rensselaer County Council for the Arts. It was formed in 1962 to coordinate and promote cultural events and programs in Troy and Rensselaer County. With the Arts Center’s purchase of 189 Second Street in 1965, the Arts Center became a place for artists and arts organizations to meet and work.
In 1995, the Arts Center purchased the former Standard Furniture Building on Monument Square and began a major transformation. Five years and $5.3 million later, the 36,000 foot conversion project culminated with the Center's grand opening in January 2000.
Today, the Arts Center is a regional arts center, providing a wide range of programs and services to more than 25,000 persons a year. The organization's offerings range from dozens of classes for adults and children each month to weeklong arts camps for children and teens to ambitious and highly acclaimed exhibitions throughout the year. This year, some 12,000 gallery visitors will pass through Center's doors, thousands more will attend performances in the center's Joseph L. Bruno Theater, and over 1500 people will take classes.
The Arts Center is a member of the Alliance of New York State Arts Councils, and is funded in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
