Williamsburg Art & Historical Center
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The non-profit Williamsburg Art & Historical Center (WAH Center) [1] in Williamsburg was founded by artist Yuko Nii in late 1996. She wanted to preserve the WAH Centers building, The Kings County Savings Bank Building[2], which is in the National Register of Historic Places and a New York City landmark, and make it a functional part of the cultural community.
During the first 7 1/2 years the WAH Center pursued what Chris Gray of the New York Times called a furious schedule, producing over 150 fine art shows incorporating over 2500 artists, and countless performances[3].
Besides local and national exhibitons, the WAH Center produced international shows twice a year. The Center has exhibited art from Cuba, Holland, Italy, Japan [4], Palestine [5], Russia[6], Slovenia, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam. .
Additionally the Center had created an artist membership group, the "Williamsburg Salon"[7]. Every year the members had a group show. There was also a dance festival[8], a film festival, and the Williamsburg Arts & Culture Festival (WAC Festival, which features galleries, businesses, open studios and an historical tour), an ongoing music series, theatrical productions by the WAH Theater(under the direction of Peter Dizozza[9]), poetry and staged readings, fashion shows [10], symposia and lectures.
The collections include furntiture by Pierre-Antoine Bellange.
In 2005 the Center closed for two years for renovation. It is expected to reopen sometime in 2007.
