SUNY New Paltz is a public university of about 8,000 students that has, over the decades, shaped the character of the village more than any other single institution. Founded in 1828 as a normal school, it has a strong reputation in the arts, particularly painting, sculpture, and ceramics — the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has produced a notable number of working artists.
The campus is worth a walk for anyone curious about American college architecture of the mid-20th century, and the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art is genuinely good — free admission, well-curated rotating exhibitions, and a permanent collection with real depth in Hudson Valley art and photography. The museum's programming around Hudson River School painting puts local landscape in useful context. The campus also hosts the annual New Paltz Jazz Festival in late summer, one of the better free music events in the valley.