Explore New Haven’s Vibrant Art Scene During Month-Long 'Open Studios New Haven 2026'

NEW HAVEN, CT — It's opening weekend for Open Studios New Haven 2026 in more than two dozen locations across New Haven, Westville, and West Haven. The month-long extravaganza of events is a great chance to discover and visit many smaller galleries, studios, and art installations throughout the city.

Open Studios New Haven runs Oct. 1 to Nov. 1, with ongoing exhibits and special events, plus an exciting line-up
of weekend events.

Explore New Haven’s vibrant art scene

Meet and support innovative local artists throughout the city’s neighborhoods during Open Studios New Haven (OSNHV). Visit artists in their studios, see work in progress, and discover the creative process—often in spaces open to the public only during Open Studios.

Throughout the week, galleries will also feature special exhibitions, events, and extended hours. Come celebrate New Haven’s creative community and find one-of-a-kind artwork, jewelry, and handmade gifts just in time for the holiday season.

OSNHV events are free and open to everyone. Find participating locations, addresses, and event schedules on printed maps available throughout the city and at OpenStudiosNHV.org.

Schedule of month-long Open Studios New Haven events

Opening weekend, Oct. 1-4
Get a sneak peek at the month’s events with “Glorious Index: Small Works by Open Studios Artists,” on view at The Gallery Upstairs at the Institute Library. The opening reception is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Both the Ely Center for Contemporary Art and City Gallery will be hosting receptions and Open Studio hours, and galleries across the city will be opening new exhibits for October.

Downtown weekend, Oct. 10-11
More than a dozen New Haven galleries and studios will have special hours and events, including a pop-up gallery on Chapel Street. Explore downtown New Haven and the
Audubon district, plus nearby locations in Fair Haven and East Rock.

Erector Square/Marlin Works weekend, Oct. 17-18
Erector Square’s popular, big event will have well over a hundred artists and creatives at its multi-building complex in Fair Haven. In addition to resident artists opening their
studios, there will be dozens of guest artists, family art-making, live entertainment, interactive events, and local food trucks. Nearby in East Rock, Marlin Works and the Eli
Whitney Museum & Barn will also be opening their studios; and across town, cARTie, the art museum bus for children and youth, will have its fall festival in Westville.

Westville weekend, Oct. 24-25
Studios in Westville and West Haven host OSNHV events, including Gilbert Street Studios, Source/Material, West River Arts, and Kehler Liddell Gallery, as well as a number of private studios, most within a few blocks of one another.

Westville Nov. 1
A Giant Puppet Parade in Westville’s Edgewood Park on Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. closes out Open Studios New Haven 2026 with a big celebration.

Throughout October
Don’t miss the ongoing exhibits that also have weekday hours, some in unexpected venues: The Gallery Upstairs at The Institute Library, Wábi Gallery, Kiara Matos Studio,
BACA West, 63 Audubon, Ely Center of Contemporary Art, City Gallery, Creative Arts Workshop, NXTHVN, Kehler Liddell Gallery, Color Local @ Erector Square, New Alliance Foundation Art Gallery at CT State Gateway, and mActivity.

Participating locations

63 Audubon
Anita Louise House
BACA West
cARTie art museum bus
Chapel Street Pop-Up Gallery
City Gallery
Color Local
Creative Arts Workshop
Eli Whitney Museum & Workshop Barn
Ely Center of Contemporary Art
Erector Square Studios
Frank Bruckmann Studio
Gilbert Street Studios
Heidi Harrington Studio
John Keefer Studio
Kehler Liddell Gallery
Kiara Matos Studio
Lotta Studio
mActivity
MakeHaven
Marlin Works
New Alliance Foundation Art Gallery at CT State Gateway
NXTHVN
Souce/Material
Steven DiGiovanni Studio
The Institute Library
Wábi Gallery
West River Arts
Yale Schwarzman Center

Brief History of New Haven’s Open Studios Event

For over two decades, Artspace’s City-Wide Open Studios was one of the largest Open Studios event on the East Coast. During the month-long art festival, hundreds of artists opened their
studios or set up shop in alternate venues in different parts of the city. Sadly, when Artspace New Haven closed its doors in 2023, there was no central organizing institution to run Open Studios.

In October 2023, the first artist-led Open Studios was organized at Erector Square. Eric March led the effort, working with many other artists at Erector Square, including Martha Willette Lewis (also at the Institute Library), Allison Hornak, Oi Fortin, Karen Hibbs, Niko Scharer, and many others. Maxim Schmidt organized a wonderful group of volunteers, WPKN broadcast live from A.C. Gilbert’s original wood-paneled office, and over a hundred artists participated. That year, a few other locations, such as Westville and Marlin Works also hosted their own Open Studios.

The following year, the grassroots effort began to expand. Two things that had been greatly missed were the printed map and the group exhibit and opening night party at the Artspace
Gallery. When City Gallery’s Bill Frucht heard that Erector Square wanted to restore Open Studios to being a city-wide festival, he put together a new map with information from a dozen other venues about their October open studios and events. When Martha Lewis of the Institute Library and Erector Square heard of Bill’s plans, she, Maxim Schmidt, and Scott Schuldt mounted the first “Glorious Index” group exhibit and opening party at the Institute Library to showcase the different studios participating across the city.