Our Story

It all started with a mattress. Our founder, Patti Watson–a historian and an artist–had been trying to start a new nonprofit art center for about a year at Slater’s Mill on the Hamburg Turnpike in Riverdale, without success. But she had the strong support of the town of Riverdale, and wasn’t about to give up. Then she went to Bograd’s Fine Furniture in Riverdale to buy a new organic mattress.
She got to talking with Joe and Marcia Bograd about her idea for the new art center across the street from their store, and about saving Slater’s Mill from collapsing before our eyes. Joe and Marcia liked what they heard. In the Spring of 2009, they decided to offer Patti and her small board of trustees the use of their beautiful 1881 Victorian house and Carriage House behind their store to open a nonprofit art gallery and launch the Riverdale Art Center (RAC). And with their generosity, the newly formed arts group began to flourish. The marvelous house at 2 Newark-Pompton Turnpike now houses the Riverdale Artists’ Cooperative Gallery.

The RAC Board of Trustees RAC grew to seven, and that team sprang into action. They found terrific art studio space down the street on Mathews Avenue. Joe Azzolino and his sons Glen and Rob were incredibly welcoming, and so the RAC took art studio space to begin art education programs at their compound at 5 Mathews Avenue in Riverdale.

The RAC’s model emerged to enrich the lives of individuals, families and the community through art. We encourage you to become a member today! With grant money for the arts severely curtailed due to the recession, the only way for the RAC to survive is through your generous support.