New Hope Arts Center Celebrates 20th Anniversary

NEW HOPE, PA — In 2022, a New Hope institution will celebrate 20 years of inspiring the community and showcasing great artistic works.

The New Hope Arts Center, having reopened in August of 2020 after a COVID-19 pandemic closure, is excited to welcome visitors from near and far during this anniversary year.

"The entire region of Lambertville, New Jersey, New Hope [in] Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and the entire Delaware River Valley has been an inspiration for artists for over 200 years," Executive Director Carol Cruickshanks said in a video marking the occasion.

New Hope resident Robin Larsen wanted to showcase the work of contemporary artists in the region, creating an annual sculpture show, outdoor sculpture installation, and Works in Wood exhibition honoring Bucks County's woodworking traditions — in addition to the community arts center. The goal was to "reinstate New Hope and Lambertville as a top national arts destination," Cruickshanks said.

Since acquiring its permanent home at 2 Stockton Ave in New Hope, the center has put on between 10 and 12 major exhibitions each year. The arts center features sculpture, wood, painting, photography, crafts, and new media installations.

The arts center is widening its offerings for its 20th anniversary, to feature collaborative performance art including live music, theatrical presentations, and poetry.

Further, the building will install an elevator in order to be more accessible to the community.

"We support local emerging artists by introducing their work to new audiences," Cruickshanks said. "We also feature legacy exhibitions to honor historically important work with a connection to contemporary artists."

In 2015, the New Hope Arts Center received a grant which led them to create the free, walkable PNC Arts Alive Outdoor Sculpture Project.

"The outdoor sculpture project was particularly significant during the pandemic," Cruickshanks said.

January starts the annual Membership Drive for New Hope Arts, with individual memberships priced at $30. New Hope Arts is engaged with other various arts and cultural institutions, including Artsbridge, New Hope Art League, New Hope Film Festival, Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope Historical Society, Echo Lake Conference, Bucks County Community College, Riverside Symphonia, Phillips Mill Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Center for Photography.

An artist membership with the New Hope Arts Center offers eligibility to juried shows, discounted show application fees, individual artist website links, and insider news; other memberships available include family, contributor and supporter.

After 20 years in business, the arts center is celebrating the outdoor sculpture garden, the creation of more than 150 exhibitions, and the promotion of more than 8,500 visual and performing artists.

"We look forward to continuing to enrich our community with arts and installation," Cruickshanks said.

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