The Guild of Boston Artists (The Guild) was founded in 1914 by a handful of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

artists working in the academic and realist traditions. Among the founding members were

Frank Weston Benson Frank Weston Benson, frequently referred to as Frank W. Benson, (March 24, 1862 – November 15, 1951) was an American artist from Salem, Massachusetts known for his Realism (arts), Realistic portraits, American Impressionism, American Impressio ...

William McGregor Paxton William McGregor Paxton (June 22, 1869 – 1941) was an American painter and instructor who embraced the Boston School paradigm and was a co-founder of The Guild of Boston Artists. He taught briefly while a student at Cowles Art School, wher ...

and Edmund C. Tarbell, 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 show A solo performance, sometimes referred to as a one-man show or one-woman show, features a single person telling a story for an audience, typically for the purpose of entertainment. This type of performance comes in many varieties, including auto ...

s. 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 1914About us, The Guild of Boston Artists. 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, Lilla Cabot Perry, Frank Weston Benson,History, The Guild of Boston Artists.

Bela Pratt Bela Lyon Pratt (December 11, 1867 – May 18, 1917) was an American sculptor from Connecticut. Life Pratt was born in Norwich, Connecticut, to Sarah (Whittlesey) and George Pratt, a Yale-educated lawyer. His maternal grandfather, Oramel Whittle ...

Charles Herbert Woodbury Charles Herbert Woodbury (July 14, 1864 – January 21, 1940), was an American marine painter. 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 ...

Ignaz Gaugengigl Ignaz Michael Marcel Gaugengigl (16 January 1855 – 3 August 1932) was a German-American painter and engraver who worked primarily in the United States. He specialized in portraits and historical paintings. Biography Ignaz Gaugengigl was born ...

, and Gertrude Fiske. 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 The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 paintings and more than 450,000 works ...

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 Laura Coombs Hills (1859–1952) was an American artist and illustrator who specialized in watercolor and pastel still life paintings, especially of flowers, and miniature portrait paintings on ivory. She became the first miniature painter elected ...

Lilian Westcott Hale Lilian Westcott Hale (December 7, 1880 in Bridgeport, Connecticut – November 3, 1963 in Saint Paul, Minnesota) was an American Impressionist painter. Biography According to the 1880 original Bridgeport archival records at the Connecticu ...

Alice Ruggles Sohier Alice Ruggles Sohier (1880–1969) American artist, known for paintings of figures, portraits, still life, and landscapes. She was an active artist between 1900 until around c.1959. Life Alice Ruggles was born in 1880. The daughter of Frederick H ...

, Lucy May Stanton, Mary Foote Hawley,

Elizabeth Okie Paxton Elizabeth Okie Paxton (1878–1972) was an American painter, married to another artist William McGregor Paxton (1869–1941). The Paxtons were part of the Boston School, a prominent group of artists known for works of beautiful interiors, landsc ...

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:

Membership

Over 60 artists from

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

are currently represented by the gallery, covering a wide range of media 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.Membership, The Guild of Boston Artists.

Exhibitions and programs

Each year The Guild hosts painting exhibitions of its members. Ongoing displays of varying genres and media are displayed in the upper gallery. The President's Gallery is used for one-person shows and themed exhibits.The Guild of Boston Artists, The Art Guide. 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.

Gallery

The gallery contains works of some of the guild's members. File:Arrangement in Pink and Gray (Afternoon Tea), circa 1894, by Edmund C. Tarbell (1862-1938) - Worcester Art Museum - IMG 7585.JPG, Edmund C. Tarbell, ''Arrangement in Pink and Gray (Afternoon Tea)'', c. 1894, Worcester Art Museum File:WilliamPaxton LeavingTheStudio 1921.jpg, William McGregor Paxton, ''Leaving the Studio'', 1921 File:Old Squaws 1915 Frank Weston Benson.jpg, Frank Weston Benson, ''Old Squaws'', drypoint, 1915, Art Gallery, University of New Hampshire File:Bela Pratt - Figure from Fountain of Youth.jpg, Bela Pratt, ''Figure from Fountain of Youth'' File:Ignaz Gaugengigl Selbstportrait.jpg, Ignaz Gaugengigl, ''Self-portrait''

Notes

References

* Bedford, Faith Andrews
''The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson''
David R. Godine, Jaffrey, NH, 2000. .
The Guild of Boston Artists (official site)
Retrieved June 13, 2011.
The Guild of Boston Artists, The Art Guide
(2011). Retrieved June 13, 2011. * Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. (April 1916
Boston Museum bulletin
Volume 14. Retrieved June 15, 2011.

External links

The Guild of Boston Artists (official website)

The Guild of Boston Artists Exhibition, Art Institute of Chicago, 1916 Catalog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guild of Boston Artists American artist groups and collectives Arts organizations based in Massachusetts Organizations based in Boston Arts organizations established in the 1910s 1914 establishments in Massachusetts