In 1989, the generosity of a benefactor allowed for the building and opening of an art gallery at Sacred Heart University that reflected the long-standing tradition of the Catholic church to support the fine arts, especially the visual arts.

The University also recognized the importance of providing an opportunity to assist students in developing a "visual vocabulary" that would accompany skills gained in language, the natural sciences and the social sciences.

In 1992 the Gallery mission was further crystallized, and it became The Gallery of Contemporary Art, the only Catholic university gallery between Boston and Washington that is exclusively dedicated to exhibiting and educating the university and the general public about contemporary works of art.

The Gallery's two entrances ideally represent its function, one entrance leads in from a main University hallway while the other opens to the community beyond the campus.  As a result, the Gallery is equally available to the students, faculty and staff of Sacred Heart University and to the general public who are invited to visit the Gallery five days a week, including Sundays, to accommodate the working public.