Known originally as The Greenwich Society of Artists, the Greenwich Art Society is an organization dedicated to promoting arts education in the town of

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...

. It was founded in 1912 by artists affiliated with the "Cos Cob School," and many associated with the development of the American

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

movement, who sought “the promotion and maintenance of the fine arts and the exhibition of works of art in Greenwich.”

History

As wealthy New Yorkers looked to move out of the city at the end of the 19th century, Greenwich evolved from a rural village to a bustling suburb with an established artists’ colony and a growing market for art.

Theodore Robinson Theodore Robinson (June 3, 1852April 2, 1896) was an American painter best known for his Impressionist landscapes. He was one of the first American artists to take up Impressionism in the late 1880s, visiting Giverny and developing a close frie ...

and

John Henry Twachtman John Henry Twachtman (August 4, 1853 – August 8, 1902) was an American painter best known for his impressionist landscapes, though his painting style varied widely through his career. Art historians consider Twachtman's style of American Impr ...

taught summer art classes at the Bush-Holley House, and Twachtman and

Leonard Ochtman Leonard Ochtman (October 21, 1854 – October 27, 1934) was a Dutch- American Impressionist painter who specialized in landscapes. He was a founding member of the Cos Cob Art Colony and the Greenwich Society of Artists. Biography and ca ...

were living in Greenwich full-time. The first president of the Greenwich Society of Artists was

Edward Clark Potter Edward Clark Potter (November 26, 1857 – June 21, 1923) was an American sculptor best known for his equestrian and animal statues. His most famous works are the marble lions, nicknamed ''Patience'' and ''Fortitude'', in front of the New Yor ...

, best known as the sculptor of the lions at the

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; Leonard Ochtman served as the first vice-president. Other notable early Society members include John Plumer Ludlum,

Elmer Livingston MacRae Elmer Livingston MacRae (1875–1953) was an American visual artist known for his paintings, pastels, and sketches, and for his role as a leading member of the Cos Cob Art Colony, in Greenwich, Connecticut. MacRae was one of the organizers of ...

, William Bunker Tubby, Joseph Howland Hunt, Sr.,

Dorothy Ochtman Dorothy Ochtman (March 8, 1892 - April 26, 1971) was an American painter. Daughter of the Netherlands, Dutch-born painter Leonard Ochtman and his wife, Mina Fonda Ochtman, Mina, Ochtman was born in Riverside, Connecticut, Riverside, Connecticut, ...

, Mina Fonda Ochtman,

Matilda Browne Matilda Browne (May 8, 1869 – November 3, 1947) was an American Impressionist artist noted for her flower paintings and her farm and cattle scenes. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she was a child prodigy who received early art training from her ar ...

Charles Henry Ebert Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

, Florence W. Gotthold,

George Wharton Edwards George Wharton Edwards (March 1859 – January 18, 1950) was an American impressionist painter and illustrator, and the author of several books of travel and historical subjects. Early life and education Edwards was born in Fair Haven, Connecticu ...

Henry Bill Selden Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

, J. Alden Twachtman (son of

) and other artists and patrons affiliated with the Cos Cob Art Colony. A number of these artists were active in other influential organizations at that time, including the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, the group responsible for the 1913

Armory Show The 1913 Armory Show, also known as the International Exhibition of Modern Art, was a show organized by the Association of American Painters and Sculptors in 1913. It was the first large exhibition of modern art in America, as well as one of ...

. Dorothy Ochtman served as Secretary of the Society from 1928-1946, and President from 1947-1948. The Society held its first show in September 1912 in a house donated to the town by Robert M. Bruce, which would become the Bruce Museum. Until 1926, the Society continued to organize all of the Bruce Museum’s exhibitions, and the core of the museum's permanent collection grew through purchases and gifts from these exhibitions. In 1928, the Annual Members' Exhibition of the society was moved to the art gallery of the Greenwich Library. In 1956, the Society expanded its mission: “to further art education and to awaken and stimulate interest in arts and crafts in the Town of Greenwich by means of classes, demonstrations, lectures and exhibitions.” The name was changed the Greenwich Art Society in 1958 when it was incorporated as a non-profit organization and began providing art instruction year-round.

Present day

The Greenwich Art Society continues today as an active organization that continues to provide art classes and programs for adults and children, exhibitions for its members, workshops, and gallery trips.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official website of the Greenwich Art Society

Greenwich Art Society records, 1912-1987
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution American artist groups and collectives American art movements Non-profit organizations based in Connecticut Greenwich, Connecticut Connecticut culture Art societies Arts organizations established in 1912 1912 establishments in Connecticut