Founded in 1976 in Utica, Sculpture Space grew from artists’ need for affordable industrial workspace and developed into a distinctive residency program focused on large-scale sculpture in an urban small-city setting. Its early home at the Utica Steam Engine and Boiler Works gave artists access to tools, metalworking expertise, and lower costs than New York City, while distance from SoHo offered fewer distractions. It later incorporated as a nonprofit, expanded installations across its building, grounds, and the city, and added projects in nearby Rome. Despite burglary and vandalism in 2022, community support helped sustain this longstanding center for sculpture.