Albany Art Galleries

(Albany, New York - NY, USA)

Art lovers spending time in Albany will find a number of notable galleries and exhibitions to satisfy their cravings. First stop should be the Empire State Plaza Art Collection, which is spread around the plaza and its buildings. This complex is home to some striking contemporary pieces by American painters, sculptors and graphic artists, such as Ellsworth Kelly, Paul Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, Robert Rauschenberg and George Warren Rickey, amongst many others.

Close to central attractions, including the city's Public Library and Sheridan Park, the Albany Institute of History and Art ranks amongst the most historic of all the art museums in North America, since it was established way back in the early 1790s. Also worthy of mentioning is the Omi International Arts Center, situated roughly 45 minutes to the south of New York's capital.

The University Art Museum is another art gallery of note in Albany and is immediately impressive from the outside, with its modern architecture offering a spacious interior, flooded with natural daylight and featuring three separate gallery spaces.

Those visiting on the first Friday of the month will be able to enjoy the art-themed event aptly named '1st Fridays', when local artists, galleries and exhibition spaces are joined by one-night shows in vacant stores around downtown's Center Square. Live entertainment and fine dining always accompanies this cultural event, with venues including the Albany Public Library on Washington Avenue, the Westminster Presbyterian Church on State Street, the Upstate Artists Guild on Lark Street and the Pride Center on Hudson Avenue.

Albany Institute of History and Art (AIHA)

Address: 125 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York (NY), 12210, USA
Tel: +1 518 463 4478
This gallery stands on a site of just under 0.8 hectares / 2 acres between Dove Street, Elk Street and Washington Avenue, where it comprises three buildings. Particularly special is the Rice Building, which dates from the latter years of the 19th century and is a grand Beaux Arts mansion, linked to the rest of the complex via a glass structure.

In total there are now in excess of 20,000 items within the collections of the Albany Institute of History and Art, which include more than 2,000 paintings and sculptures, over 1,000 drawings and more than 5,000 artifacts of historical significance.

The permanent exhibits are spread around the two levels of the original building, with the gallery spaces being named as the Hudson River School, the Lansing (18th- and 19th-century paintings and sculptures), Ancient Egypt (including two mummies and other ancient Egyptian treasures) and Colonial Albany (with historical exhibits relating to the development of the capital). When you first arrive, you will be able to view some of the museum's latest acquisitions within the Entry Point Gallery. Visitors will be pleased to learn that there are parking spaces located at the rear of the gallery.
Open hours: Tuesdays - registered groups, Wednesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 12:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for children and seniors, children five years old and under are free

The Linda - WAMC's Performing Arts Studio

Address: 339 Central Avenue, Albany, New York (NY), 12206, USA
Tel: +1 518 465 5233
Lying on the northwestern side of downtown Albany, the Linda gallery is to be found close to the Bleecker Stadium (used for baseball, American football and soccer). There is a real eclectic assortment of attractions based at this Performing Arts Center, including exhibitions of art, screenings of independent films, live music gigs, trade shows and private events. The auditorium is capable of seating just under 250 people or more than 300 for a standing reception.
Open hours: varies according to performance
Admission: charge, varies according to performance

University Art Museum

Address: 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York (NY), 12222, USA
Tel: +1 518 442 3300
Located within the Uptown campus of the University at Albany (State University of New York), the University Art Museum opened in 1967. Over the course of the year, visitors will be able to appreciate around seven or eight different themed exhibitions of both paintings and sculptures, which are generally of a contemporary nature. Of note, there is a small charge for parking from Monday to Friday, although this is free at the weekend. If you time your visit right, you may even be able to join the audience for a lecture by alumni artists.
Open hours: Tuesday - 10:00 to 20:00, Wednesday to Friday - 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday - 12:00 to 16:00
Admission: free