The Waterloo Library and Historical Society on East Williams Street might not be the first place you would think to look for an art gallery — and that unexpected quality is part of what makes its Silver FLX Finest award for Best Art Gallery in 2022 such a charming piece of the region's cultural puzzle. This community institution has been serving Waterloo since the 19th century, and its dual mission of library services and historical preservation has expanded over the years to include rotating art exhibitions that give local and regional artists a dignified venue in a town better known for its claim as the birthplace of Memorial Day.

The gallery space within the historical society is modest but thoughtfully curated, offering exhibitions that connect the visual arts to the broader cultural heritage of Seneca County. Shows might feature local painters, photographers documenting the changing Finger Lakes landscape, or historical displays that bridge the gap between art and community memory. The setting itself — a library and historical society rather than a commercial gallery — gives the exhibitions a civic quality that feels distinctly different from the wine-trail art shows and lakeside craft fairs that dominate the region's art scene.

What the Waterloo Library and Historical Society represents for the Finger Lakes arts community is the importance of institutional infrastructure at the grassroots level. Not every art venue needs to be a purpose-built gallery or a converted barn with track lighting. Sometimes the most meaningful cultural experiences happen in the spaces a community already gathers — the library, the historical society, the places that belong to everyone. Waterloo's voters recognized that in 2022, and the award serves as a reminder that art thrives wherever someone cares enough to make room for it.