Dutchess County Executive's Arts Awards 2023

Throughout 2023, Albert Shahinian Fine Art has been celebrating its 25th year as one of the region’s premier fine art venues.  Besides its formal exhibition program, the gallery has presented musical performances, spoken word series, and artist colloquia. Co-managed with Albert’s spouse, Joanna Hess, the gallery has occupied several locations since 1998, including those in Poughkeepsie, Hudson, New Paltz and, the current space in Rhinebeck.

Albert, who has worked in the Preparator’s department at the Hessel Museum/Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College since 2001, also founded and ran Poughkeepsie Art Museum (2004-2005) as a separate exhibition-based venue. He has organized and installed exhibits throughout the Hudson Valley, at Yale University and even in England.

“We’ve worked really hard to help promote the arts in the Hudson Valley over the last  30 or 40 years, so it is just wonderful to be recognized with this award,” says Joanna about winning a 2023 Dutchess County Arts Award for their business.

“We’ve had some pretty monumental shows,” says Joanna. “We had an exhibit of posters from the Jean-Claude and Christo Gates exhibit when it was in New York City 18 years ago. And we helped develop Poughkeepsie’s ‘Third Saturday’ event. It became quite the thing. From 2000-2007 the arts were really thriving here. It’s looks like there is another rebirth now, too.”

A former educator and music conductor, Albert “can really help artists pull out what they need to do. He supports them. Wherever we go, our favorite thing is going to galleries or museums. Albert always educates himself and then he brings that back to help promote the artists that we represent at our gallery.”