Visual Arts
A shared space for art, learning, and creative connection.
The Visual Arts program at the Trumansburg Conservatory celebrates creativity in many forms through rotating exhibitions, community partnerships, and hands-on learning opportunities. Each year, we present four exhibits in our main hall gallery space—one per season—showcasing a diverse range of artists and perspectives.
Our Fall Invitational, held each October, is a TCFA-sponsored exhibition that also kicks off our annual fall fundraising season. In the spring, the gallery hosts the Cayuga Arts Collective Annual Show, another TCFA-sponsored exhibition highlighting regional artists. Winter and Summer exhibitions are curated and presented by outside groups, bringing fresh voices and collaborative programming into the space throughout the year.
In addition to exhibitions, TCFA offers art workshops throughout the year and looks forward to welcoming back Art Club, our children’s visual arts program, when the Conservatory reopens.
Together, these programs help make the Trumansburg Conservatory a vibrant and evolving space for creativity, learning, and community connection.
GNSI Art Exhibit
"A Stand of Artists: The Art and Science of Collective Animal Groups"
Opening Reception:
June 27th 7:00-9:00pm
Exhibition Dates:
August 29 - October 2, 2026
(Fridays & Sundays)
Adjusted Labor Day Weekend Hours:
Friday, Sept. 4: 1:00-3:00 pm
Sunday, Sept. 5: closed
Art Exhibit for the Finger Lakes Chapter of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators’ annual show: "A Stand of Artists: The Art and Science of Collective Animal Groups"
Free and open to the Public.
Gallery Hours will be held on Fridays and Sundays from 1:00pm - 5:00pm
except for Labor Day weekend.
Adjusted Labor Day weekend hours:
FRIDAY 1:00-3:00; CLOSED ON SUNDAY
“Sketch with the Artists”
In conjunction with our current exhibit, TCFA will be offering an opportunity to meet and sketch with artists of the Finger Lakes Chapter of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI) on Sunday, September 13, from 1-3pm. This will be a free event and is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the Guild and its work in scientific illustration. Specimens for drawing will be supplied (including three live owls!), and drawing materials will be provided free of charge. The event takes place in the beautiful, light-filled auditorium of the Trumansburg Conservatory.
The “Sketch with the Artists” event is co- sponsored by the GNSI-Finger Lakes Chapter.
Plein-Air Pastel Painting on Private 6-acre Farm
with Cynthia Mannino
Wednesday, September 16
10:00am to noon
(rain date of Friday, September 18)
Learn tips, techniques, and general instructions for outdoor pastel painting, in which you will create pastels on paper that can serve as a final piece or as preparatory work for a later painting. The session will take place on a small farm with hillside views outside the village of Trumansburg. Address provided with registration.
Cost: $50
CayAC members receive 10% discount using code CAYAC2026.
Portable easels, tinted pastel paper, workable fixative, viewfinder, and clipboards provided. Students will need to purchase their own set of pastels. Discover the fun of plein-air!
Cayuga Arts Collective
Sponsored by the Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts
About
Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts sponsors Cayuga Arts Collective (CayAC) a group of over 100 local artists and crafts people that was founded in 2017 by Domenica Brockman and Marina Delaney. In keeping with the broader mission of TCFA, CayAC aims to build community that both fosters creativity in the arts and promotes cultural enrichment for everyone. The group welcomes emerging and established artists alike.
For a low annual membership of $25 ($20 for students), CayAC members are guaranteed at least one spot in our annual exhibit which serves as the Conservatory’s annual spring show. For the duration of the exhibit, we run a “People’s Choice” Award where everyone is invited to choose their favorite piece on display. First prize is $100.
In addition to inclusion to our spring show, membership to CayAC also grants a 10% discount on all TCFA art classes for adults; inclusion in our booth at TCFA’s annual Holiday Handmade Market; and access to the “Paddle Grant”, a $500 grant designed for the purpose of professional growth in the arts that was initiated in 2021 to mark our 5th anniversary. Online applications to the Paddle Grant will be available again in the fall.
To compliment its member benefits, every October, CayAC hosts the Draw-a-thon Cafe. This event is registered with The Big Draw, an international festival that takes place all over the world throughout the month of October to celebrate the universal language of drawing. The event is free and open to the public. A wide range of drawing materials are always supplied and all skill levels are welcome.
Over the years, CayAC has partnered with a number of organizations including Petrune Gallery, Ithaca Reuse and Ithaca Drawing Group, which holds its weekly figure sessions in our downstairs studio. For information on these sessions and much more visit our website HERE
We invite you to become a member of the creative experiment that is the Cayuga Arts Collective.
Tuesday Figure Drawing classes resume
September 22, 2026
6:30-8:30pm
Cost: $10.00