The Guild of Boston Artists
Encyclopedia
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
artists working in the academic and realist traditions. Among the founding members were Frank Weston Benson
Frank Weston Benson
Frank Weston Benson, frequently referred to as Frank W. Benson, was an American artist from Salem, Massachusetts known for his Realistic portraits, American Impressionist paintings, watercolors and etchings. He began his career painting portraits of distinguished families and murals for the...
, William McGregor Paxton
William McGregor Paxton
William McGregor Paxton was an American Impressionist painter.Born in Baltimore, the Paxton family came to Newton Corner in the mid-1870s, where William's father James established himself as a caterer. At 18, William won a scholarship to attend the Cowles Art School, where he began his art studies...
and Edmund C. Tarbell
Edmund C. Tarbell
Edmund Charles Tarbell was an American Impressionist painter. He was a member of the Ten American Painters...
, who served as its first president through 1924. The organization holds exhibitions of its members' work several times a year as well as numerous one-person shows. Founded with the intention to promote the highest standards of quality, The Guild also hosts programs and competitions.
History
The Guild of Boston Artists, a non-profit art organization, was founded in 1914 to "promote, nurture and encourage traditional art while adhering to the highest standards of quality and presentation." Founding members included Edmund C. Tarbell, William McGregor Paxton, Frank Weston Benson, Bela PrattBela Pratt
Bela Lyon Pratt was an American sculptor.-Life:Pratt was born in Norwich, Connecticut to Sarah and George Pratt, a Yale-educated lawyer. His maternal grandfather, Oramel Whittlesey, was a pianoforte maker and founder in 1835 of the first music school in the country authorized to confer degrees to...
, Charles Herbert Woodbury
Charles Herbert Woodbury
Charles Herbert Woodbury , United States marine painter, was born at Lynn, Massachusetts.- Biography :Charles H. Woodbury was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, where his earliest work was part of the oeuvre of the group later known as the Lynn Beach Painters...
and Ignaz Gaugengigl.
Boston artists found it difficult to have their work exhibited outside of the local area. In response, seven area artists formed The Guild of Boston Artists. Modeled after the historic guilds of Europe, the organization held high professional standards in a supportive environment. In their Newberry Gallery, annual shows of works of all members were interspersed with two-week one-man shows that highlighted the work of individual artists.
In 1916 the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
temporarily put paintings from two of their galleries into storage to make room for a one-month exhibition of works of "some of the best work being done in Boston" by Guild members. Previously unsuccessful in garnering enough work of Boston artists for an exhibition, the museum was pleased both with the quality of works made available for the exhibition and the inclusiveness of Guild membership.
Works of early women members of the guild, including Laura Coombs Hills, Lillian Hale, Alice Sohier, Lucy May Stanton, Mary Foote Hawley, Elizabeth Paxton and Agnes Abbott, were exhibited in the 2001 retrospective show "A Woman's Perspective: Founding and Early Women Members of the Guild of Boston Artists, 1914-1945."
Guild presidents
The presidents of the Guild include:| Name | Term |
|---|---|
| Edmund C. Tarbell Edmund C. Tarbell Edmund Charles Tarbell was an American Impressionist painter. He was a member of the Ten American Painters... |
1914 - 1924 |
| Frank Weston Benson Frank Weston Benson Frank Weston Benson, frequently referred to as Frank W. Benson, was an American artist from Salem, Massachusetts known for his Realistic portraits, American Impressionist paintings, watercolors and etchings. He began his career painting portraits of distinguished families and murals for the... |
1924 - 1937 |
| Leslie P. Thompsaon | 1938 - 1950 |
| R. H. Ives Gammell R. H. Ives Gammell Robert Hale Ives Gammell , American muralist, portrait painter, art teacher, and writer on art, was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1893. In 1911, he enrolled in the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts... |
1950 - 1952 |
| Aldro Hibbard Aldro Hibbard Aldro Thompson Hibbard was a prominent American plein air painter. He was born in Falmouth, MA, but lived most of his life in Rockport, MA. His depictions of snowy landscapes, particularly in Vermont are highly regarded... |
1953 - 1959 |
| A. Lassell Ripley | 1959 - 1969 |
| Dwight Shepler Dwight Shepler Dwight Shepler was an American naval officer and painter.Dwight Shepler was born in Everett, Massachusetts and graduated from Williams College in 1928, as well as studying in Boston Museum School of Fine Art... |
1969 - 1973 |
| Robert Douglas Hunter | 1973 - 1978 |
| Charles A. Mahoney | 1978 - 1982 |
| Robert Cormier | 1982 - 1998 |
| Thomas Dunlay | 1998 - 2003 |
| Paul Ingbretson | 2003 - |
Membership
Over 60 artists from New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
are currently represented by the gallery, covering a wide range of mediums and genres.
There are currently three forms of membership: Associate, Student and Patron memberships. Members are provided the opportunity to receive a discount for Guild classes workshops, and critiques and invitations to private events and special previews. Associate and student members are also able to submit work for juried exhibitions and are exempt from fees for selected juried exhibitions.
Exhibitions and programs
Each year The Guild hosts painting exhibitions of its members. Ongoing displays of varying genres and mediums are displayed in the upper gallery. The President's Gallery is used for one-person shows and themed exhibits. The Guild offers educational programs for its artists, including classes, workshops, lectures and critiques. Juried competitions for Guild members are held in April and non-members in October each year.The Guild's building is located at 162 Newberry Street in the gallery district of Boston.