Art in the Tri-Cities this fall: galleries, receptions and markets

Looking for something to do that isn't a restaurant or a movie? The Tri-Cities have working art studios, free galleries and a few seasonal art events worth planning around. Here is what is on the calendar for November and December 2026, as published by each organization.

Batavia: Water Street Studios

Water Street Studios is a nonprofit arts center at 160 S. Water St. in downtown Batavia, in a limestone building that was a windmill factory in the 1890s. It has 26 artist studios and three galleries, and it is open to visitors Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

What to know this season:

• Portrait, a juried show in the second-floor Community Gallery, runs through Dec. 5. It is part of the studio's 2026 What's Your Story? series.
• Heads up: the main galleries and first floor are closed for construction from Nov. 9 to Dec. 4 while the gallery floor is replaced. The Community Gallery stays open Friday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
• Water Street Makers Market returns Saturday, Dec. 5, from noon to 4 p.m., with juried local artists and makers selling handmade work inside the galleries. Later dates are Feb. 6, March 6 and April 3. There is no January market.
• Second Fridays in the Arts District is next on Dec. 11, 6 to 9 p.m., with a gallery opening reception. The studio says it is free and open to all, and it points visitors to neighbors Kiss the Sky and Warehouse 55. The next Community Gallery show, on the theme of mental health, opens that night.
• Winter Break Make & Take on Dec. 26, 10 a.m. to noon, is a free, all-ages art activity.

Batavia: art at Fermilab

The Fermilab Art Gallery on the second floor of Wilson Hall shows work at the intersection of art and science. A Quantum World is on display through Nov. 30. In December, the lab plans ORIGIN, a photo series by 2026 Guest Artist Eleftheria Lialios. The gallery is open weekdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and adults need a REAL ID to enter the site.

St. Charles: St. Charles Arts Council gallery

The arts council's gallery is at 121 N. Second St., Suite H. It is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and admission is always free. The current show, Fins, Feathers & Fur, runs through Dec. 21. A holiday pop-up shop of handmade, giftable work by local artists and makers also runs in the gallery through Dec. 21. The arts council's calendar lists the gallery as closed for updates from Dec. 22 to Jan. 12.

St. Charles: Fine Line Creative Arts Center

Fine Line's Kavanagh Gallery is at 37W570 Bolcum Road in St. Charles and is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wander and Wallow: Must We Dwell, a show of prints by Brian Lathan, runs through Nov. 20. Fine Line's Artisan Gift Sale fills the gallery and building with handmade fine art and craft, with an opening night on Thursday, Dec. 3, from 6 to 9 p.m., and in-person shopping Dec. 4 through Dec. 8.

Geneva: Artists Sunday Road Rally

Geneva's big art day this season is the Artists Sunday Road Rally on Sunday, Nov. 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The City of Geneva describes it as a self-guided art tour through downtown, where you can meet local artists, watch live demonstrations and see special exhibits inside shops.

Tips for an art day

• Check hours before you go. Several of these galleries are only open a few days a week.
• Water Street Studios, the arts council gallery and the Fermilab gallery do not list admission fees.
• Holiday shoppers: the Makers Market, the arts council pop-up and Fine Line's gift sale all sell work made by local artists.