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Welcome to the home page for the Art Guild of Middletown in Middletown, Connecticut.
Please feel free to browse through our site and learn more about us.
This page describes the the history and mission of the Middletown Art Guild.

Featured Artwork by Member Artist: Gwen Clark


Mission Statement

To foster and encourage art and the development of the visual artists in the 
Middletown, Connecticut, area by:
a) developing quality PROGRAMS to bring artists together;
b) providing venues for the artists to EXHIBIT their work;
c) providing ART INSTRUCTION and workshops in drawing and painting and related visual arts.

 
How the Middletown Art Guild serves Middletown and the 
surrounding community:
 
The Middletown Art Guild serves the Middletown area by continuing to offer 
excellence in art instruction, programs, and exhibition opportunities.  We bring together a 
diverse group of people, both amateur and professional, senior citizens and young adults, 
who have a passion for the arts.  Our members have developed many strong and lasting 
friendships around their common interest.  We support one another in learning new techniques 
and encourage one another in our artistic endeavors.  Some members who have taken
classes and become more proficient artists through their association with the 
Middletown Art Guild are now teaching in adult education programs and senior
citizens groups.  Another small group meets regularly on their own for plein air painting.  
The population we serve may overlap with other arts groups, but we feel our contribution is unique.

We hope to continue to offer our excellent programs, classes and exhibition opportunities 
to serve an ever-growing population.  

 

Highlights of Our Organization
  
The Middletown Art Guild offers:

Eight guest artist demonstrations a year
Class instruction in a variety of mediums
Several special workshops lasting one or several days each
Group member shows/exhibits every year
Rotating individual exhibits lasting a month or more at five different locations

Members exhibit their work throughout the Middletown area at libraries, a
a dental office, The Village at South Farms, Luther Ridge, and other locations.  
Depending on the location, members commit to showing
their work for a month or more.

The Guild presents a June members show at Wesleyan University.

Classes meet for six-week blocks; guest artist demonstrations meet for a couple of hours, 
one evening a month, for most months of the year.  Workshops are generally one Saturday 
session per workshop.  Class and workshop sizes are, on average, about 10 people, 
and demo presentations attract 25-50 persons. 
  

History of the Art Guild

In the late 1940s, a small group of Wesleyan faculty wives, led by Wesleyan biology professor 
Jean Cochrane, started The River Valley Art Guild (RVAG). The people who started the Guild 
had been members of the Wesleyan Potters which, at that time, had still not left the Wesleyan campus. 
The Potters were and are crafts-oriented: the Guild members wanted the focus to be fine art.

The RVAG met for several years in the basement of the Honor's College at Wesleyan, where 
Wesleyan art teachers John Frazer and Jim Guy taught life drawing and painting lessons. 
Then Wesleyan decided that they needed the space for other things, and the RVAG 
had to find another venue.

This was the start of many, many moves and some name changes for the group over the years,
ending up currently at the Middlefield Federated Church Ed (again) in Middlefield.  
The Guild could more correctly and affectionately be called the "Art Gypsies of Middletown"!

Classes were the focus in the early RVAG years, but almost no attempt was made to exhibit.  
Because of this, Carol Beinhorn, who was not a member of the RVAG, started another group 
called the Middletown Art Association (MAA).  The MAA offered no classes, but organized several
 exhibits a year.  John Bickford and his architect wife, Anne, belonged to both groups and, because 
they didn't say "No," eventually were elected to head both, Anne as the President of the RVAG, 
and John as President of the MAA.  John and Anne were going to too many meetings and 
overlapping programs, so in 1972 decided to merge the two groups as the 
Art Guild of Middletown, CT. offering classes and sponsoring exhibits.

	Art Guild of Middletown PO Box 205 Middletown, CT 06457 ****

`Annual Members' show at Wesleyan`
Activities and Events Classes Officers and Members Instructors Messages to the Membership Community Links Contact	Welcome to the home page for the Art Guild of Middletown in Middletown, Connecticut. Please feel free to browse through our site and learn more about us. This page describes the the history and mission of the Middletown Art Guild. Featured Artwork by Member Artist: Gwen Clark `Mission Statement`To foster and encourage art and the development of the visual artists in the Middletown, Connecticut, area by: a) developing quality PROGRAMS to bring artists together; b) providing venues for the artists to EXHIBIT their work; c) providing ART INSTRUCTION and workshops in drawing and painting and related visual arts. How the Middletown Art Guild serves Middletown and the surrounding community: The Middletown Art Guild serves the Middletown area by continuing to offer excellence in art instruction, programs, and exhibition opportunities. We bring together a diverse group of people, both amateur and professional, senior citizens and young adults, who have a passion for the arts. Our members have developed many strong and lasting friendships around their common interest. We support one another in learning new techniques and encourage one another in our artistic endeavors. Some members who have taken classes and become more proficient artists through their association with the Middletown Art Guild are now teaching in adult education programs and senior citizens groups. Another small group meets regularly on their own for plein air painting. The population we serve may overlap with other arts groups, but we feel our contribution is unique. We hope to continue to offer our excellent programs, classes and exhibition opportunities to serve an ever-growing population. `Highlights of Our Organization` The Middletown Art Guild offers: Eight guest artist demonstrations a year Class instruction in a variety of mediums Several special workshops lasting one or several days each Group member shows/exhibits every year Rotating individual exhibits lasting a month or more at five different locations Members exhibit their work throughout the Middletown area at libraries, a a dental office, The Village at South Farms, Luther Ridge, and other locations. Depending on the location, members commit to showing their work for a month or more. The Guild presents a June members show at Wesleyan University. Classes meet for six-week blocks; guest artist demonstrations meet for a couple of hours, one evening a month, for most months of the year. Workshops are generally one Saturday session per workshop. Class and workshop sizes are, on average, about 10 people, and demo presentations attract 25-50 persons. `History of the Art Guild` In the late 1940s, a small group of Wesleyan faculty wives, led by Wesleyan biology professor Jean Cochrane, started The River Valley Art Guild (RVAG). The people who started the Guild had been members of the Wesleyan Potters which, at that time, had still not left the Wesleyan campus. The Potters were and are crafts-oriented: the Guild members wanted the focus to be fine art. The RVAG met for several years in the basement of the Honor's College at Wesleyan, where Wesleyan art teachers John Frazer and Jim Guy taught life drawing and painting lessons. Then Wesleyan decided that they needed the space for other things, and the RVAG had to find another venue. This was the start of many, many moves and some name changes for the group over the years, ending up currently at the Middlefield Federated Church Ed (again) in Middlefield. The Guild could more correctly and affectionately be called the "Art Gypsies of Middletown"! Classes were the focus in the early RVAG years, but almost no attempt was made to exhibit. Because of this, Carol Beinhorn, who was not a member of the RVAG, started another group called the Middletown Art Association (MAA). The MAA offered no classes, but organized several exhibits a year. John Bickford and his architect wife, Anne, belonged to both groups and, because they didn't say "No," eventually were elected to head both, Anne as the President of the RVAG, and John as President of the MAA. John and Anne were going to too many meetings and overlapping programs, so in 1972 decided to merge the two groups as the Art Guild of Middletown, CT. offering classes and sponsoring exhibits.