Vision

The overall vision is to help Newburgh achieve its potential as a broadly diverse, culturally dynamic urban environment; and to regain its status as a jewel of the Hudson Valley.  We seek to blend old and new — promoting and assisting a wide variety of artistic endeavors, and also activities embracing Newburgh’s rich history.

We work closely and cooperatively with existing non-profit and community organizations, supporting their core activities and also fostering greater dialogue and cooperation among them.

We hope to promote wide public recognition of Newburgh’s role in the greater tableau of United States history, and greater pride and awareness within the local community of the city’s heritage, including its rich stock of architectural treasures.

We intend to focus special attention on Newburgh’s historic role in the development of gardening and landscape architecture in America, and to connect this heritage with programs to beautify the city.

At the same time, we remain acutely aware of the needs of Newburgh’s low income community, and are committed to finding ways to bring the benefits of art, history and creative endeavor to the entire community.

About Newburgh

In 1952, Newburgh, New York – a city overlooking the Hudson River about 60 miles north of New York City – was named Look magazine’s “All American City”. The city is home to the nation’s first publicly owned historic site, Washington’s Headquarters. It is the birthplace of the father of American landscape architecture, Alexander Jackson Downing, who collaborated with architects Alexander Jackson Davis and Frederick Clarke Withers on several houses in the city. It is the home of Downing Park, the last collaborative effort between Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted. And it is where Thomas Edison built one of the world’s first central electric stations in 1884, making Newburgh one of the first electrified cities in the United States. 

But, by 1981, Newburgh had been put on the Federal list of the most distressed cities in the United States. A perfect storm had struck – factories closed, the completion of new highways diverted traffic from the downtown, and urban renewal destroyed nearly 1,300 buildings.  By the early 2000s, almost all news headlines about Newburgh were negative, reporting on violence and poverty, and offering little hope for a possible resurgence. 

Today, however, Newburgh is experiencing a cultural and economic renaissance. The collective efforts of city government, small businesses, civic leaders, and community-based organizations are working towards seamless connectivity, waterfront access, and diversified housing stock, and a diverse and engaged community of residents.

For more information about Newburgh, please visit the City of Newburgh’s website.