The Arts Center of the Capital Region was founded in 1962, as the Rensselaer County Council on the Arts, at the invitation of the New York State Council on the Arts. Our first priority was to promote the arts throughout the region. In 1963, with the help of the Junior League, RCCA organized its first big event – Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic at RPI fieldhouse for area children.

We built support quickly, and just three years later, seven families personally secured our first mortgage to purchase a building on Troy’s Washington Park. By 1965 we were offering classes, studio space and exhibition space to the public. In 1979 we entered into a contract with HVCC to provide craft courses for credit, which we continue today. In 1989 we received the Governors’ Arts Awards for outreach into populations with special needs, which also continues today.

We outgrew our Washington Park location and in 1995 we bought six contiguous buildings on River Street in downtown Troy for $160,000. River Street was desolate and the buildings were in major disrepair, and the customized renovation cost over two million dollars. The primary funding came from the State of New York.  When we opened in 2000, Senator Joseph Bruno stated “The intent was that [ACCR] would be the center of rejuvenation and renaissance in Troy…and it has worked out that way”. Since its earliest inception ACCR recognizes that while its primary role is to engage the community in the arts, we also anchor River Street and its continued development.

Today, the Arts Center of the Capital Region serves 40,000 people each year from the eleven counties surrounding Troy.  We operate 36,000 square feet of studio space that focus on pottery, digital arts, printmaking, culinary arts, jewelry making and metalworking, woodworking, painting and drawing, stained glass, writing and dance in addition to our four contemporary art galleries and 100 seat black box theatre.

Our community is everyone of any age who wants to explore their creativity. We offer 500+ classes each year; week-long art camps for children and teens; credit from HVCC for coursework at the Arts Center; programs for children and adults with disabilities and scholarships for all our programs. 

We also provide support for artists. Every class is taught by working artists and we provide comprehensive training programs on the business of arts for area artists. And, going back to our founding principles, we are a partner of the New York State Council on the Arts, distributing $90,000 a year in decentralization grants for artists who work in the community. 

We hope you make the Arts Center of the Capital Region your own and we will see you soon.