The Bunzl Gallery shares the main floor with a gift shop. That long ago process gave the art center’s wood its irregular nicks and warm patina.

Wood for its floors was salvaged from several historic barns, with some boards making up the original “threshing floor.” This would have been the area of a barn where the wheat, after drying, was scattered and struck with a stick or leather beater. The Bascom’s flagship is a 30,000 square foot building made from reclaimed hand-hewn barn wood. The bridge was moved to Highlands in 2008. Dating from the early 1800s, the handcrafted wood structure began its existence as a covered bridge in New Hampshire, where it spanned a small river. One arrives on campus over a rough-hewn, 87-foot covered bridge that serves as the welcoming entrance to the dynamic three-building, six-acre site. Here, in a park-like setting, audiences of all ages and backgrounds share art experiences and enjoy the synergy of art and nature.

Its exhibition schedule quadrupled over a six-year period. In 2009, The Bascom completed construction of its current campus on a former horse farm.

In 1999, after several changes to the founding organization, the Bascom received its own not-for-profit status and began a growth spurt. The Bascom: A Center for Visual Arts owes its beginnings to artists Watson and Louise Bascom, who had a vision to establish a permanent gallery in Highlands in 1983. Set on a mountain plateau near the charming city of Highlands, visitors can stop at The Bascom for an afternoon or an all-day art adventure. Center salvaged from historic barns shares the snyergy of art and nature

The bascom