Artsee makes chain stores look like eyesores. Always looking into the future, Artsee decided to open an eyewear boutique/gallery in Hudson, New York. Inside you will be surrounded in a warm and calming gallery-like atmosphere that features exclusive eyewear designs from around the world. Our carefully curated eyewear collection is displayed amongst beautiful revolving art shows and installations. Always serving and never selling, Artsee proudly shares its unique optical knowledge with their clients. At Artsee we believe "glasses" are not a costume, they are a way of life.

Visit : A love letter to our neighborhood

Our trained, qualified and knowledgeable opticians always go the extra mile for our customers. Shopping at Artsee is a memorable experience where listening, knowledge, careful curation, and service are our mission. There is never a moment of pressure when you are shopping at Artsee.  Enjoy a tea or coffee and admire a beautiful art book, the Artsee team will make sure your visit will be one to remember.

"Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others." ⎯ Jonathan Swift

Julio Santiago founder of Artsee, quite literally stumbled upon the genesis for his first Artsee boutique in New York City in the winter of 2002. While taking an evening stroll through Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, he tripped and fell in front of a vacant building bearing a “For Rent” sign. He had his eureka moment. “I saw glasses, I saw art. I saw my future store. Laying there on the ground, I could see art and I could see a for rent sign and I thought… Artsee.” When the Spanish-born, Puerto Rican-raised optician inquired about the building, its owner was quickly sold on Santiago’s concept of an eyewear store specializing in handcrafted, avant-garde frames, with rotating exhibits by established and emerging artists. Artsee was a perfect fit in an area for the area that was on—the—cusp of becoming a trendy destination. This trend would continue when Julio and his husband James stumbled upon a 200 year old historic building on the main drag of Hudson, NY. 

Press : Town & Country & The B Mag

Do not follow trends. Your face is a canvas. Listen. Listen. Listen. Life is short get another pair. Expect, no. Adventure, yes. Eyewear first. Outfit second. Be memorable.

Our store is divided into two halves that bleed into one another, as in life things are always intertwined. The "Art Gallery" is bathed in yellow side is mainly art gallery that spills over into the See space. Our Galleries were envisioned as a temple for surfacing organic and synchronistic artistic dialogue with the community at large. The delineation between the two spaces is - two way mirrored door - all lines in the see space lead the eyes toward the gallery space - the see space serves as both overflow and contextual undermining of the artist in the main space. Perhaps some work is student work or studies that inform customers and the curious of the artist that lies behind the door to the yellow gallery. 

The "See Gallery" concept is a unique approach to eyewear store; shelves that feature eyewear are approached from the eye of a collection curator or prop master. Sometimes they are displayed upside down, or laid out chromatically, or even in intentional juxtaposition by mixing brands together. Cases of eyewear are a place to find treasures and an opportunity for discovery with Julio and his staff. 

Our customers are collectors… whether they are looking for an artwork for the walls or their face.

The space at 529 Warren Street was vast and proved to be the perfect canvas for his vision of an expanded Art and Eyewear gallery in lieu of a traditional store. This is a place where retail becomes something of an experiential journey into Julio’s unique world. Defining convention, each half of the storefront spills into one another, the perfect platform to encourage the curious and allow for a unique experience of art, whether it be for your face or your walls.

Santiago led Artsee through a transformation of its own. “In this location, I decided to look toward the future,” he says. He hired design firm, Openshop, a longtime collaborator to assist him with his vision. His vision was for a chic gallery vibe. Street-level windows span the storefront, serving as a showcase for striking product displays as well as pieces from featured art exhibitions. The sales floor looks more like a museum or collector’s loft than a store.

Forgoing conventional countertops and display cases eliminates a barrier between staff and customers and makes the shopping experience more intimate. No space is wasted either, the facade of the building is a giant canvas meant to celebrate the unique character of the building, the community and the store within. Santiago insisted on elements friendly to the environment. To satisfy his wishes, he used repurposed materials.

What hasn’t changed is Artsee’s array of cutting-edge glasses, with prices ranging from the attainable to unique works of art by master artisans. Santiago attends New York’s Vision Expo East, Italy’s Mido and Silmo in France to see what’s new and discover optical innovators. “There are kids designing and playing with materials. It’s good to see people out there sketching and doing art for the face.” Artsee’s customers are the business’ best advertisers.

In developing a retail strategy that would be both dynamic (based on location) but fixed (based on methodology,) Openshop seized on the relationship between Artsee and their customers as the first step in understanding how to shape the store's design in order to ensure that this relationship remained the central focus.

More about : Openshop

" Bold is Artsee’s motto. They like being different, and attracting those people that are not afraid to stand out from a crowd. Artsee is located inside a not so conventional looking building in the historical town of Hudson, NY. This controversial design stands out among other equally beautiful buildings on Warren street and different businesses ranging from antique stores to coffee shops. The facade represents Artsee’s personality, achieved by preserving the form but adding character with the color.

Gathering inspiration from Sci-Fi movies and fashion shows alike, the store includes futuristic elements achieved with LED lighting strips and mirrors, playing with the user’s perception of the space. The separation of spaces is clear due to the use of sharp lines and color, however, the setup of the space lures users from one into the next. Art and eyewear inhabit the space indistinguishably, complementing each other."