HCS is a DIY-built arts and counter-cultural institution in Vestal, New York. Located in an area that has experienced decades of financial hardship, we've been serving our community for over 20 years. Amidst our difficult circumstances, HCS has thrived as an arts and maker hub, bringing together skill shares in arts and fabrication within a uniquely evolving alternative alliance. We support our community through a blend of cultural, educational, and recreational facilities with a special emphasis on the dispossessed and the dreamers.
HCS provides access to spaces and equipment for visual arts, graffiti, performances, films, and workshops in book-making, metal fabrication, stenciling, and photography. Our long-standing indoor/outdoor park for skateboarding and biking, in concert with our arts programming and workshops, brings incredibly diverse communities together.
Until recently, HCS was responsible for about one third of the building we are housed in, with the remaining two thirds occupied by commercial interests. With the recent departure of those two businesses, HCS must expand into the now-empty space, or lose access to the entire building, including all of the art and cultural facilities that have been built together over 25 years. Our expansion plan will transform the now empty space into affordable studios, practice spaces, and venues for art and performance. This aligns perfectly with our historical mission and practice, and would ensure our financial stability, allowing us to continue our vital work in this upstate New York community.