NEWSLETTER
A thriving arts scene exists amidst the expansive rural landscape of Central New York, which visitors to this region of vast farmlands and lakeside scenery will be delighted to discover. A beloved opera festival takes place against the backdrop of a legendary lake, a fine arts museum features world-class exhibits and acts as an elegant setting for chamber music concerts, and rock, blues, and jazz musicians jam for a day on a bridge that spans the Susquehanna River. Plus, discover world-class arts and culture in every region of New York State with I LOVE NY’s newly launched regional map and guides, upcoming calendar of events, and more.
JUMP TO: Visual Arts | Theaters and Performing Arts | Historical Sites and Landmarks | Music and Film | Events and Festivals
Visual Arts
To get an idea of a traditional dwelling common to this region 400 years ago, step into a Great Iroquois Longhouse replica at the Iroquois Museum in Howes Cave. Inside the striking longhouse is an impressive collection of modern Iroquois art, the most comprehensive collection of its kind in the world. View intricate stone and antler carvings, clay sculptures, basketry, paintings, traditional clothing, and much more. A highlight of the museum is the archeology collection, including exhibits about pre-Revolutionary Schoharie Mohawks, and a site in Schoharie County that dates back 9,600 years. Before you go, check out the full lineup of events, including artist demonstrations, live music, stone carving workshops, and much more.
Fenimore Art Museum
Credit: @fenimoreartmuseum on Instagram
This is a museum that begs to be visited again and again. Don’t miss the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, a stunning display of rich textiles, beadwork, sculptures, and more. Objects and artifacts once owned by The Last of the Mohicans author James Fenimore Cooper and his family are also on display. The Cooperstown museum sits on property the novelist once owned. Fine art, folk art, photography, sculptures, and much more are also on exhibit. If the weather permits, be sure to step outside for panoramic lake views. In warmer months, the Fenimore Café makes outdoor tables available on the terrace. Docent-led museum tours are offered at select times.
Works by some of the greatest American artists can be found at this Utica museum—think Frederic Church, Romare Beardon, Jackson Pollock, and Georgia O’Keeffe. European Modernism, from the likes of Kandinsky and Picasso is also represented. These works are only a handful of the 13,500 that exist in the museum’s collection, which are housed in a starkly chic 1960 building designed by Philip Johnson. Attached to the building is Fountain Elms, the 1858 Victorian-era Italianate mansion that was home to the museum’s founders and the place where an impressive collection of the family’s decorative arts can be viewed. If you’re in town for Christmas, be sure to check out Fountain Elms’ elaborate holiday decorations.
In the unassuming and picturesque village of Canajoharie, there is a splendid museum that contains paintings by Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, and other prolific artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Arkell Museum is also a wonderful place to take a deep dive into the Mohawk Valley; a collection by that name features photographs, diaries, portraits, and many more items of local historical significance. Museum founder Bartlett Arkell was the first president of the Beech-Nut packing company; the museum houses a collection of photographs, paintings, and advertisements related to the company.
Roberson Museum
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A visit to the Roberson Museum in Binghamton will expand your knowledge of art, space, model trains, and perhaps a little history of the Gilded Age. That’s the effect of the exhibitions here, which are derived from a broad range of sources. The museum is in the Italian Renaissance home built in 1907 for Alonzo Roberson and his wife Margaret Hays Roberson. Guided mansion tours are offered (half-price on First Fridays) and provide a glimpse into the lives of this wealthy couple. Also part of the museum is Roberson’s Link Planetarium, featuring scheduled programs that educate visitors about our universe and beyond. The area’s largest model train display is also on permanent exhibit. Lectures, readings, and educational programming are on the schedule of events.
Stone Quarry Hill Art Park
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The grounds of this outdoor art space in Cazenovia invite exploration. Following the marked trail system, visitors will encounter sculptures created by visiting artists who make their mark on the landscape. Installations change on a regular basis as visiting artists come and go, so there are often new works waiting to be discovered. The four miles of trails are well marked, and welcome visitors for walking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Make an afternoon of it by grabbing a bite in town and picnicking in the park. Guests are welcome to bring their own chairs and blankets. Stone Quarry Hill Art Park is open daily from dawn to dusk, year-round.
First Friday Art Walks, Public Sculpture Tours, and workshops on practical skills like Grant Writing for Artists are a handful of great events offered by this regional arts council in Binghamton. They invite Broome County artists to submit proposals for exhibitions, performances, and cultural programs. Art exhibits are on display at the Artisan, Art Path, and Artful Child Galleries; the last provides space for children to create and display their art.
Theaters and Performing Arts
Catch a live concert, comedy act, or Broadway performance in a lavish theater designed by Thomas Lamb, an architect who was known in his day as the “King of Theatres.” Designed in the Mexican Baroque style, the Stanley opened in 1928 and originally functioned as a grand movie palace with a capacity for close to 3,000 people. Now it is a treasured venue that brings world-class entertainment to the stage in Utica. Take a guided tour (available by appointment) to get a closer look at some of the theater’s resplendent elements: the proscenium arch at the center of the stage, the 6,500-pound chandelier, and the lobby’s exquisite staircase meant to replicate the Grand Staircase on the Titanic.
Expect three professional quality operas per season from this Binghamton-based opera company that was founded in 1949. Every season, Tri-Cities Opera gathers talent from around the country to perform in engaging productions appropriate for opera aficionados and novices alike. See the schedule for special events like A Grand Night for Singing, featuring a medley of music from the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein; or attend Opera & Beer for a boisterous evening of song. Your first beer is on the house!
Check out this Sharon Springs venue for a litany of special events aimed at building community and promoting the arts. For their annual Poetry Festival, they gather a roster of talented poets to read and discuss their work, all free to the public. The Dance Festival features a weekend (October 4-5) of performances, plus demonstrations and master classes for all, at no cost. Their Summer Concert Series draws the community together for free concerts at Chalybeate Park. The arts center is a year-round venue for theater, dance, music, and art exhibitions.
This all-season multi-arts center serves as a premier venue for the visual and performing arts. Originally built in 1892, the theater featured vaudeville acts, three-penny operas, and silent movies. After going dark during the Depression, the Earlville venue reopened and found success as a movie theater. After closing in 1952, it sat abandoned for nearly two decades, until artist and activist Joey Skaggs purchased it and restored it back to life. Visitors today will find an art gallery featuring rotating exhibits, always free and open to the public. Live theater and concerts by artists from all genres of music are also on their busy calendar of events.
Historic Sites and Landmarks
Construction began in 1817 on this mansion built for George Clarke, who inherited the lakefront land from his father. Set on the shores of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, the neoclassical mansion was designed to remind Clarke of his childhood in England. Five generations of the Clarke family subsequently occupied the palatial 50-room home. On guided tours, visitors can view many of the home’s original furnishings, paintings, and decorative arts, and learn about the daily lives of the Clarke family. Mansion tours are available from May to October. Unique events including themed dinners, evenings of dance, and live concerts are also offered during the season.
Oneida Community Mansion House
In the 19th century, a utopian community thrived behind these walls. Founded in 1848, the Oneida Community flouted society’s rules of convention with their communal style of living. Now a National Historic Landmark, the mansion, located in Oneida, welcomes the public for guided and self-guided tours. Period rooms offer a fascinating glimpse into one of the longest-lasting communities of its kind in the 19th century. See where members slept, cooked, and gathered. Quilts, textiles, and paintings are also on display. Be sure to see The Braidings of Jessie Catherine Kinsley, a permanent exhibit of braided silk rugs created by a folk artist who was born and raised in the Oneida Community. The Inn at the Mansion House offers lodging.
Music and Film
Chamber Music Society of Utica
Credit: @robbydjendrono on Instagram
String and cello quartets and piano trios are among the ensembles audiences can expect from the Chamber Music Society of Utica. Each season, CMSU produces an annual series of concerts sure to delight music lovers of all tastes. They’ve been bringing music to audiences since 1938 and are one of the nation’s oldest chamber music organizations. All concerts are held at Munson and begin at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door (by cash or check). Season subscriptions are also available.
Arts at the Palace
Head to The Palace, the cultural hot spot in Hamilton where you can catch live music, attend a class or workshop, and get to know the people in the neighborhood at a networking event. In the summer, the Palace brings live music to the Village Green every Thursday. Local food vendors, face painting, and free ice cream make it fun for the whole family. Indoor events are held at The Palace Theatre, located in a historic downtown building.
Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra
Led by conductor Daniel Hege, the Binghamton Philharmonic delivers innovative, often cutting-edge performances. Each season, thousands of music fans can choose from a diversity of programming. The Symphonic Series features favorites from classical heavyweights like Beethoven, Mozart, and Mendelssohn, while the Pops Series will have audiences tapping their feet to artists from ABBA to Adele. For the Phelps Mansion Museum Series, concerts take place inside an ornate Gilded Age mansion.
Events and Festivals
Glimmerglass Festival
Spend your summer watching live performances from an opera company that is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025. The Glimmerglass Festival puts on four new productions each summer. Performances rotate and are interspersed with cabarets, lectures, artist discussions, and a series of outdoor concerts. Productions take place in July and August at the Alice Busch Opera Theater, against the stunning backdrop of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown.
Binghamton sings the blues at this annual music festival on South Washington Street Bridge! Blues on the Bridge features local talent, which stays true to the reason this event was conceived. The September 14 festival is free and takes place from noon until 10 pm. Food vendors are on location to feed the thousands of music fans, and lots of activities are going on to accompany the tunes.
Hamilton International Film Festival
A seven-day film festival takes over the village of Hamilton every summer (late July). The featured films cover a range of genres from feature-length and documentaries to short films and world cinema. Filmmakers hail from around the world, and panel discussions about the industry take place throughout the event. Movies are shown at the Palace Theater, the Village Green, the Colgate Inn, and more local venues.
Hear riveting stories told by Onondaga Nation member Perry Ground about the culture and beliefs of the Haudenosaunee, watch traditional Iroquois dances, and attend insightful discussions about wildlife preservation at this annual festival (late August/early September) hosted by the Iroquois Museum in Howes Cave. An Art Market features works by Iroquois artists. Kids can get creative with hands-on traditional crafts, and the museum’s archeology department demonstrates early techniques like flintknapping, an ancient technology of making tools out of stone. Count on the Haudenosaunee food vendors to serve delicious cuisine to festival attendees.
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