Nestled in a 19th century stone barn on the grounds of the former Waveny Estate in New Canaan, CT, the Carriage Barn Arts Center is a welcoming, inclusive arts center which encourages creative expression, celebrates artistic achievement, and enriches the community as a whole. The Center’s activities are sponsored by the New Canaan Society for the Arts (NCSA), a member-supported, non-profit cultural organization.
Established in 1895, the Carriage Barn’s mission is to promote greater participation across the visual and performing arts while working to strengthen the bonds among cultural organizations within our community. The Society disappeared early in the 20th century and, after an 80-year hiatus, the Barn doors were re-opened in 1977 by a dedicated group of artists and art-lovers committed to restoring this unique community resource.
The exquisite Betty Barker Gallery is host to six premier art exhibitions annually, including a popular Members’ Show, a juried Photography Exhibition, and Spectrum, our major juried event for modern painting, drawing, graphics and sculpture. A variety of Invitational Exhibitions each year feature original and iconic work inspired by themes ranging from “smallWORK” to “Farm” to “The Model as Muse.” Each spring, we host “Through Our Eyes,” a local Invitational Student Exhibit, in conjunction with a national High School Ceramics Show. The Society also sponsors “Art in the Windows,” which places art in retail stores for the enjoyment of residents.
The Carriage Barn is open Wednesday-Sunday 11-4 pm September through June (during Exhibitions). Entrance to the Gallery is free and all Exhibitions are open to the public.
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