history
The West Hartford Art League was started in 1934 by two women, Mrs. Rebecca Field Jones, a sculptress and painter, and Mrs. Gertrude Patterson, a portrait painter and art teacher. We celebrated our 75th anniversary as a regional arts organiztion in 2009.
As the two teachers started offering classes, the group grew and needed a larger space. They approached the town of West Hartford who offered them the “West School” at 87 Mountain Road, now known as the little red schoolhouse. Through potluck suppers and volunteer work, plumbing and heating were introduced to the building. As the Art League continued to grow, children’s classes and exhibition opportunities were added.
In 1976 the Art League salvaged a second historic building, the Woodruff Allen house, which was built in 1759 as a farmhouse and acquired by West Hartford in 1943 as a caretakers house for the town’s golf courses. The Art League negotiated a nominal lease from the town in exchange for the League’s funding the buildings renovation. In 2009, the Art League moved out of the 250 year old Saltbox building, 
sorepairs could be made to the roof. We moved back into the historic Saltbox Building in December of 2010.
Ten years later, the town offered the old Buena Vista Clubhouse for use as a second gallery and classroom facility, which the Art League also renovated for additional classroom and gallery space. The clubhouse, along with the Saltbox and School House comprise the Art Leagues grounds. Restored and operated by the Art League, they are all part of West Hartford’s Historic District.
Started as a volunteer based organization, The Art League now employs a full time Executive Director, a part time registrar, gallery assistant and book-keeper.
The Art League is supported by the work of the many volunteers who help hang our exhibits, staff our fundraising events, sit on our Board of Directors, and serve on our committees.
Our monthly exhibitions are free and open to the public and include work by local, regional and national artists. Our membership has grown to over 700 members from 51 communities in CT.
We encourage young artists, and donate gallery space annually to the West Hartford Public school system for ArtBeat, an exhibition of artwork of students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade. We offer a $1200 scholarship every spring to a graduating senior in the region who is going on to an accredited art school or University to study art.
We are committed to supporting our community and started ArtWalk eight years ago in an effort to take art out of our galleries and make it more accessible. This annual exhibit, which adopted a new format in 2011, displays work of local artists in West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square and offers community art projects to children and adults.
As part of our Art In Public Places program, we have placed large scale works of art by CT sculptors Charles Perry, Tim Prentice, Peter Busby and Karen Petersen on public land in West Hartford.
The West Hartford Art League is a 501 (c) 3 organization.