Exhibitions
The Athens Cultural Center presents a dynamic range of exhibitions that celebrate the talent and diversity of our region’s creative community. These include member shows, nonprofit partnerships, K–12 student exhibitions, and seasonal curator-led projects. Each exhibition invites residents and visitors alike to connect through the shared experience of art.
Current
Esperanza, Hope: Portraits of Migration and Change in Athens, NY
Photographs by Thierry Casias
On View December 20, 2025 - February 15, 2026
First Friday Receptions: January 2 & February 6, 2026, 5-7pm
Artist Talk: February 7, 4pm
Gallery Hours: Saturday & Sunday 12-5PM
Esperanza, Hope is a portrait-based exhibition that traces the evolving identity of Athens, NY through the intertwined forces of migration, immigration, and integration. Rooted in the town’s layered history—from its Indigenous origins to its role in the Underground Railroad, the arrival of Italian settlers, and the labor of African Americans in building regional infrastructure—it reflects on the shifting balance between presence and absence.
More than a documentary project, Esperanza, Hope is a platform for reconnection and recognition. It serves as both a tribute to those who have long been marginalized or rendered invisible and a microcosmic portrait of the American socio-political landscape.
Join us for an artist talk with Thierry Casias on Saturday, February 7 at 4pm, in conjunction with his exhibition Esperanza, Hope. Casias will discuss the stories, research, and personal histories that shape this deeply resonant body of work.
upcoming
Confluence / Convergence
Dan Bridge
Bruce Byers
Ellen Mahnken
Nancy Meissner
On View March 6 - 22, 2026
First Friday Receptions: March 6, 5-7pm
Gallery Hours: Saturday & Sunday 12-5PM
Confluence / Convergence brings together the work of Bruce Byers, Dan Bridge, Ellen Mahnken, and Nancy Meissner in an exhibition that considers how distinct artistic practices meet, overlap, and resonate within a shared space. While each artist approaches material, process, and form differently, their works are united by an attentiveness to structure, rhythm, and the intelligence of making.
Across painting, drawing, photography, and textiles, the exhibition traces moments of alignment and productive tension—where gestures echo, surfaces invite slow looking, and individual vocabularies converge into a larger visual conversation. Rather than resolving difference, Confluence / Convergence embraces it, offering an experience shaped by proximity, contrast, and exchange.