NORTHAMPTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS
AT 33 HAWLEY
ABOUT THE NORTHAMPTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS
The Northampton Center for the Arts (NCFA) provides affordable, versatile spaces for artists, performers, educators, and community members. Located in the heart of the Connecticut River Valley, we support creative expression by offering well-equipped venues at below-market rates. NCFA helps artists bring their visions to life while developing programming focused on arts education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement.
We invite everyone to experience the arts—whether as artists, students, participants, or audience members.
ART EXHIBITIONS & RENTALS
Through a curatorial committee composed of diverse community members, NCFA presents exhibitions in two galleries, showcasing both emerging and established artists. We also sublease space at below-market rates to artists, arts organizations, and local residents for private events. These rentals not only support the creative economy but also generate vital revenue that sustains our mission.
NCFA is a proud hub for Arts Night Out Northampton at 33 Hawley and produces community-centered events such as the Northampton Artisan Fair and the 33 Outside summer dance party series.
EQUITY & ACCESSIBILITY
At the heart of NCFA’s work is a commitment to radical accessibility. We constantly ask: Who is in the room? Whose voices are missing? How can we deepen our efforts to create spaces where everyone feels welcome, represented, and supported?
OUR HISTORY
The Northampton Center for the Arts is a private, non-profit organization, established in 1983 as the result of a public/private partnership between the City of Northampton and the developers of the former Sullivan School in downtown Northampton. For 30 years, the Center’s ballroom and galleries served as venues for performances, exhibitions, arts-education programming and community gatherings. In July of 2013, the City of Northampton’s non-renewable lease for the space that housed the Center expired. NCFA continued its work in the community by producing First Night, sponsoring Arts Night Out, supporting its resident companies, and organizing events throughout the Valley. The Center operated out of a transitional office until its September 2017 relocation to 33 Hawley, the Northampton Community Arts Trust Building at 33 Hawley Street. Construction of 33 Hawley happened in phases, and in 2017 the Center reopened with only two spaces - Eli's Room and Carole's Dance Studio. The Flex opened in 2018, and the final stage of construction, which included the Barn Door Gallery, was completed in December of 2023. In the time since 2017, the Center has weathered construction challenges and a global pandemic, and also expanded its rentals and programming exponentially. Now fully settled in at 33 Hawley, the Center's staff and board look forward to many more years of supporting local arts and artists in the Connecticut River Valley!
NCFA’s leased spaces include:
The Flex – a 2,000 sq. ft. multipurpose performance and event venue
Eli’s Room – a 1,800 sq. ft. studio for classes, workshops, rehearsals, and dance
Carole’s Dance Studio – an 800 sq. ft. studio with marley flooring
Barn Door Gallery – a 500 sq. ft. gallery space for visual art exhibitions
Shared amenities include the lower lobby and mezzanine (home to the Split-Level Gallery, curated with A.P.E.), a street-level lobby with a concession bar and box office, a green room, dressing rooms, accessible restrooms, an outdoor plaza, and a courtyard.
MEETING A CRITICAL LOCAL NEED
Over the past two decades, rising real estate costs in Northampton have made it increasingly difficult for local artists to find space to create and share their work. NCFA helps fill this gap by providing affordable venues, marketing support, and a welcoming environment for diverse artistic expression.
Our vision is to inspire, sustain, and strengthen the local arts ecosystem across Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties.