Guilford Art Center

About Us

GUILFORD ART CENTER is a non-profit organization that inspires and promotes community participation in the visual arts through education, exhibitions, and outreach.

As a comprehensive and inclusive community environment for arts education and appreciation on the shoreline and in greater Connecticut, Guilford Art Center believes in and provides:

Public participation in the arts
Classes and workshops in the visual arts in a wide range of media, with quality instruction, and a collaborative, supportive, and inclusive environment for people of all ages, abilities and skill levels
Preservation of craft traditions and encouragement of innovation
Support of American art and artists through our Gallery exhibitions of contemporary art and our Shop of unique works by local and nationally-recognized artisans
Events for the community that creatively engage and inspire
Arts education to help to develop critical thinking skills, visualization of complex ideas, holistic problem-solving, creative thinking, and opportunities for mindfulness, which are all essential in today’s global world
Founded in 1967 (as the Guilford Handcraft Center), the Center evolved from the first Handcraft Expo, held on the Guilford Green in 1957, in which local artisans displayed and demonstrated their crafts. Ten years later, the Center was incorporated and, since that time, has become a vital part of the town and the extended shoreline community and culture. It serves as the most comprehensive art organization, and includes the largest public exhibition space, between New Haven and Old Lyme.