Does Vassar College's art gallery draw big crowds? Is it free to the public?

Yes, it's free. Normally it's surprisingly uncrowded, considering that it has over 18,000 works, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints, drawings, textiles, and glass and ceramic wares. There are notable collections, and a great group of Hudson River School paintings - fun to take a look, considering we're in the Hudson Valley here.

The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar has an art gallery that is open to the public free of charge. As for the crowds - that seems to depend on the exhibit and time of day/ the season. My personal feeling is that it is an under-utilized resource in the area.