ABOUT The ART MISSION
Our History
Director: Amy Scolaro
Gallery Manager: Chris Bahr
The Board of Directors
Patricia M. Shores, President
Dennis Ebert, Vice President
Charlotte Fassett, Secretary
Eve Berman, Treasurer
Robert Bell
Timothy Hayden, Esq.
Steven Palmer
Marilyn Gaddis Rose
Joseph Stacey
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The ART Mission is a not-for-profit downtown community art space supporting contemporary artists working in the visual arts. Our mission is to foster creativity and art excellence; provide exhibition space to new and established artists; provide programs and activities that encourage public awareness, participation, and appreciation of the visual arts and to serve as a catalyst for small city revitalization via the arts.
The ART Mission promotes its mission through:
§ Presenting sponsored exhibitions of new and established artists that are open free to the public;
§ Conducting community events, often through partnerships, to generate community participation in the arts;
§ Developing downtown architectural revitalization projects that utilize the visual arts to enhance the small city environment
The ART Mission is a not-for-profit downtown community art space supporting contemporary artists working in the visual arts, and a program of independent film in our theaters.
We are located in a 100-year old building that was once a railroad hotel, now home to our gallery, two theaters and 3 floors of loft apartments, in the heart of the urban revival called the Railroad District.
The Theaters at the ART Mission are on schedule to open Spring 2007. We will
provide the best in independent, culturally significant, experimental and foreign language films to our audience.
The Gallery at the Art Mission has become the premier showplace for exceptional visual Artists from the area. We have new exhibitions in our gallery every month, and additional shows in partner gallery spaces. We show works done in new and traditional media. Recent shows have included painting, photography, sculpture, and installations.
For artists interested in showing at the ART Mission, we have an annual Member's Show in the spring, and an open call for slides in January. Before sending slides, please review our Gallery Policy.
In addition to our Gallery and Theaters, The ART Mission offers special arts-related events and programs. We are actively involved in efforts to enhance the quality of visual arts available to our community.
The ART Mission is a cornerstone of revitilizing our urban center through arts and community activities.
Our original gallery was located in an historic district in the heart of Downtown Binghamton, NY. The ART Mission building dated from the 1840’s, a landmark building in the National Historic Register. The building restoration was recognized with an award from the Preservation Association of the Southern Tier. At one time, the building was the home of the City Rescue Mission.
Our programs are supported in part by the United Cultural Fund of the Broome County Arts Council, and the The NYS Council on the Arts.
We also depend on the support of our members and volunteers, and have many opportunities for anyone interested in geetting involved!
You can learn more about us by browsing through our web site.
Renovation of the historic City Rescue Mission at 128 Washington Street
proved to be a positive force in the revitalization of downtown Binghamton. The ART Mission opened as a 501 (c) non-profit gallery on
New Year’s Eve, 1998 with an exhibition in cooperation with First Night
Binghamton. Working together with First Night and Gorgeous Washington
Street Association, visual and related arts became increasingly
recognized as an important component of the quality of life in a
community; the ART Mission contributed to the overall strength of the
area’s economy by making the region attractive to both industry and new
residents.
The ART Theater was originally located in a renovated 1920’s era
theater on Vestal Avenue in Binghamton. Always a movie house, it
underwent a period of unattractive circumstances until it was
purchased in the 1980’s by Bingahmton University cinema graduate
Richard Kruce and became mainly an independent theater. Showing
“art-house” films (with exception to an occaisional second-run film or
event) there was a small but loyal audience who regularly attended to
see the latest in unique films no other local theater would show.
In February 2004, the theater was destroyed by a fire. Southbridge Arts
and Business Community (SBAC) formed to revive the ART Theater, first
at its original location, and then to create a newer theater and resume
showing independent film in Binghamton. After two years of operating as
a volunteer/membership effort - showing DVDs while researching
opportunities -the SABC committee was invited to become a project of
the ART Mission. The SABC passed a motion to accept.
The ART Mission Board of Directors approved the merger of the Theater
and Gallery in 2005. A duplex theater and movie house was planned for
61 Prospect Avenue, in the emerging Railroad District bordering State
St. and Lewis St. The four story 1900’s historic property, formerly a
railroad hotel and home of Gould Publishing among other businesses went
through extensive renovations with volunteers and donations from
businesses and the
community. The gallery opened in February, 2007 followed by a
May 2007 opening of the new duplex theater.
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