For centuries, the creative energy of SouthCoast artists has been fired by a rich combination of the natural beauty of the land, sea, and sky, by the taste and prosperity of generations of patrons and collectors, by the manifold cultural inspirations of successive waves of immigrants and an enduring Indigenous community, and by the artists themselves by force of their collaboration and community.

Best of SouthCoast brings together the works of 75 artists working in a wide array of media and forms over a span of hundreds of years. The New Bedford Art Museum is proud to mark its 30th year with a show that is both an investigation of the diverse visual art produced locally and a celebration of the artists who have made this work.

We invite you to come in, trust your eyes and your ideas, and discover the common threads and the unique visions that join and distinguish these artists.
Welcome.