Albany Barn
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In 2003, stakeholders in the imperiled City of Albany neighborhood of Arbor Hill developed a revitalization strategy called the "Arbor Hill Neighborhood Plan."
Albany Barn is dedicated to providing a sustainable creative arts incubator and community arts center in Arbor Hill – a place for artists to live, work and inspire. It was heralded as a breakthrough in collaborative community planning and continues to enjoy broad support during its implementation. As part of that Plan, it was recommended that one of the top priorities be the adaptive reuse of the abandoned St. Joseph's Academy building, located in the heart of the neighborhood at the corner of North Swan and Second Streets. Albany Barn has partnered with the City of Albany and Albany Housing Authority to redevelop the 40,000 square foot St. Joseph’s Academy building into low-cost live-work apartments, work and rehearsal suites, a dance studio, a digital media lab and ample exhibition, performance and programming space. The project is formally called "Academy Lofts," although it is better known locally as "The Barn." This name originates from the age-old practice of barn raising, when a community collaborated to build a barn - a structure vital to a family's livelihood - for one of its households. The Barn/Academy Lofts will provide essential, affordable facilities to regional artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, dancers and performers seeking an engaging, supportive environment in which to create and share their work, and broad arts-based programming to benefit residents of all ages. To that end, a key requirement of residency in The Barn/Academy Lofts will be community service including, but not limited to, mentoring, creative art instruction/activities, and neighborhood art installations/public space stewardship. Informed by the success of transformative art incubators in other American cities like Providence, RI and New York, NY, The Barn/Academy Lofts is the kind of dynamic reuse that will at once address all the Arbor Hill Neighborhood Plan's components: Housing, Arts and Culture, Economic Development and Quality of Life. It will anchor the North Swan Street corridor with a built-in creative economy; expand the footprint of arts in Albany, NY; nurture meaningful, productive relationships between artists, arts groups, local businesses and neighborhood residents, particularly at-risk City youth; catalyze responsible revitalization and preserve neighborhood identity; and foster community involvement, unity and pride. Opening in 2013, Academy Lofts @ The Barn currently houses 22 artists in affordable, high-quality, live/work apartments, and more than 20 additional artists work in studios and offices at The Barn. Albany Barn also operates a 1,700 square foot art space one block from the The Barn/Academy Lofts called Stage 1. Stage 1 is available for gallery exhibitions, educational workshops, group meetings and events, community outreach initiatives, and private parties.
10/06/2026
We are thrilled to have Dani, Danielle 🥀👁️ , one of our amazing Artistic Members, back as this year’s photographer for FUSION! She really knows how to capture the joy, creativity and fun. FUSION is an anti-gala because we really do want it to be a community celebration, with all of our artists, members, and community! FUSION is a fundraiser, and by raising money, it helps to keep our staff, artists, and bills paid, and, we get to have a really fun party too!
Tickets include food, drinks, and access to all of the weird and whimsical projects happening at Albany Barn, on Friday, October 16th! Tickets are on sale now!
🎟️ Click the link in our bio for more information and to purchase your tickets (tickets include food, drinks, and a weird & whimsical night).
*Must be 21+ to attend FUSION*
Them: “Tell me about Albany Barn, Inc. in 30 seconds”
Us: “Hold my coffee”
🎨🎭🖌️🖼️🌏🤲🌱🛠️🧰⛓️✏️
At our core, we are dedicated to developing the infrastructure and culture necessary to sustain a vibrant and equitable creative economy in the communities we serve.
What does that mean? We are here to help artists!
Well what does that look like? Scroll through our feed and see! We help artists by creating paid opportunities by collaborating with community partners, we help facilitate events, workshops and meetings, we host exhibitions, we provide affordable work-only & live/work studio spaces for artists!
You can become a member for $60 a year (or less depending on your income) and be included in our pool of artists that we can hire! One paid opportunity could cover your membership for the year!
Sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay up to date on everything that is happening with ABI (that includes Albany & Schenectady)! And email [email protected] if you have any questions or want to get involved!
10/04/2026
Raise your hand if you’re a fan of Death Wish Coffee 🙋
Thanks Board Member Mike Mike Lorka for showcasing our Albany Barn mug with Death Wish Coffee ! What a great combo!
So maybe you’ve gotten a $2.50 Espresso or Small Drip Coffee- This amount a month for 1 year supports an hour of professional development for an artist.
ABI Artists receive support in many ways (not just facilities): Do you need help with a marketing plan? Want to review a grant application? Or want to connect with a paid opportunity? Consider becoming a member to receive support like this!
Find out more about the different donation options in the link in our bio.
Did you also hear that at Albany Barn, Inc, we exist to uplift artists.
Our Mission Statement:
Albany Barn Inc. is dedicated to developing the infrastructure and culture necessary to sustain a vibrant and equitable creative economy in the communities we serve.
But what does that really mean?
As an artist, you get to determine what success means to you. If that’s having a private studio space to work, if that’s having the facilities to create that project you’ve been dreaming of, if it’s finding paid opportunities, open calls, administrative assistance, marketing, connecting with other artists 😮💨 whatever your goals may be… we can help.
As a General Albany Barn, Inc. Member, you pay $60 for the year, and that gets you SO many resources. Just one paid opportunity, could cover your membership for the whole year! You can always add onto your General Membership to include our Artist Membership (if you are looking for some admin guidance), Co-working+ (if you are looking for a space to work), Specialty Studios (if you are interested in using the tools at Electric City Barn ). There are so many options!
Click the link in our bio to read more about membership options, prices, and all of the benefits! If you have any questions, make sure you email [email protected] and we are happy to help!
ABI staff are getting ready for a weird and whimsical night! FUSION 2026 is almost here.
Did you know we have discounted tickets for artists/working creatives, and even free options (donations for our silent auction are still being accepted, in order to get your free ticket to FUSION, you must complete the form and follow the terms outlined on our website). Click the link in our bio to read about all of the options on our FUSION website page.
*Must be 21+ to attend Fusion*
When you spend almost a year planning an event, it’s bitter sweet knowing that it will all be over by this time next month. BUT one of the best parts of FUSION is getting the photos back from Danielle 🥀👁️ , because Dani knows how to capture the vibe.
We are SO READY to party in a weird & whimsical way at FUSION this year. Make sure you grab your tickets soon!
Tickets include food, drinks, all of the photos Dani captures of you in your amazing outfits!
Click the link in our bio to lear more about the artists involved, and our ticket options!
09/29/2026
Peep the thecharltonschool travel mug that staff member Eric Arboring Hopes Woodworking uses in the morning at Electric City Barn
There’s been Charlton School interns most summers at ECB and this time around, they helped build some of the tables you see in the photo!
Eric’s usually the one to bring the bag of coffee into the office. So, what about a $20.00 donation for a Bag of Coffee? This amount a month fully supports 1 subsidized monthly Co-Working+ Membership for 1 artist.
Find out more about the different donation options in the link in our bio.
09/28/2026
We’re so thankful to be part of Arts in the City “Wonder Wheels” with Lori Kochanski last week! Lori’s an amazing Albany Barn Artist-in-Residence and has created amazing textile & fiber arts projects over the years, including this one! Thanks Albany Events for having another awesome Arts in the City at Albany Barn and working with Lori A. Kochanski !
See you at the next one!
Tags:
Albany Events
Lori A. Kochanski
Lori A. Kochanski (she/her)
09/27/2026
Buy the Barn a coffee!
What about coffee at home? Thanks Board Member Terrell Terrell D. Rabb for sharing these photos of your morning coffee at home!
Now, if you’re considering the cost of coffee at home, maybe $1.25/month for “I have coffee/tea at home.” (depending on your preference in coffee, and frequency)– Even this amount a month helps support discounted space rental rates for our artists and non-profits in our community.
With our artists hosting workshops, exhibitions, performances, and more, we’re always happy to see something on our stage or in our main spaces!
Find out more about the different donation options in the link in our bio.
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56 2nd Street
Albany, NY
12210
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