Special Exhibitions Celebrate 125 Years of New Haven Paint and Clay Club

Paintings by New Haven Paint & Clay Club Members Jill Abele Butcher and Heidi Harrington on view at the Lyme Art Association in Old Lyme, CT. Photo courtesy of Paul Michael and the Lyme Art Association.

There is a tradition in the United States dating back to the nineteenth century of clubs that have sought to unite artists for shared benefit. Connecticut’s New Haven Paint & Clay Club is a longstanding example of such an association. The Club was founded in 1900 and is one of the many member-based collectives that have influenced the art community in the region. Now in its 125th year, the group is celebrating with a series of special shows. Exhibition offerings throughout 2025 will give visitors a chance to form a new appreciation for this impactful historic organization.

The oldest continuously active art society in Connecticut, the New Haven Paint & Clay Club has enjoyed ties with institutions like Yale’s storied School of Art and the Ely Center for Contemporary Art. It has organized exhibitions that have shared the work of hundreds of artists over the decades and is still active today, showing and collecting artworks by local artists working in a range of media. The Paint & Clay Club accepts Active Members and Associate Members. Active Members are artists who may join after being juried into two of the organization’s shows. Dues are $30 a year. Associate Members are any individuals who want to support the Club’s work by paying dues of $10 a year. Today there are about 200 members.

The Club hosts two exhibitions annually: a spring juried show of member and non-member artists from the Northeast and an Active Members Exhibition in the fall. Another special tradition is an annual showcase highlighting members who were singled out by the juror of the group’s last Active Members Exhibition. The current iteration of this Select Members Exhibition is on view now through August 16 at the Lyme Art Association at 90 Lyme Street in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The show is open 10am - 5pm, Tuesday - Sunday, and will include a celebratory reception on Saturday, August 2 from 5-7pm.

Mixed media works by New Haven Paint & Clay Club Member Aspasia Anos on view at the Lyme Art Association in Old Lyme, CT. Photo courtesy of Paul Michael and the Lyme Art Association.

Asked about the exhibition, Lyme Art Association’s Gallery Director and Curator Paul Michael responds positively, saying, “We’re thrilled to have the New Haven Paint and Clay Club’s Select Members Exhibition here at the Lyme Art Association. Heidi Harrington, Jill Adele Butcher, Aspasia Anos, William Butcher, and Frank Bruckman each bring a unique vision to the show, pushing the boundaries of their materials to create works that are both technically accomplished and emotionally resonant.”

In addition to displaying pieces by contemporary makers, collecting artwork has long been a core goal of the Paint & Clay Club. Begun in the 1920s, the group’s permanent collection now boasts nearly 400 artworks which are displayed in public spaces in Connecticut. Earlier this summer, these holdings were the subject of an extensive retrospective at the New Haven Museum. The exhibition, which highlighted the Club’s interest in preserving the artistic legacy of the region, was curated by artist and past Club President Greg Shea with the assistance of Jason Bischoff-Wurstle, New Haven Museum Director of Photo Archives.

Active for well over a century, the Paint & Clay Club has created community and impacted artists. Sculptor and Connecticut Arts Council member Brian Walters II says of his membership in the group, “In a state where the art scene is so chopped up and scattered, P&C has proven to be a cultural anchor. They have stood the test of time through the countless ups and downs an artist club faces over a century. This is due in part by the dedication of its members and the commitment of the club’s leadership. Everyone involved contributes in one way or another all keeping the club active and viable in the contemporary art world. While the club may be humble and not on the ‘main stage’, what it lacks in pretension it makes up with an unfaltering commitment to the members, submitting artists and the region's art community.”

Max Dellfant (American, born Germany, 1867–1944), New Haven Paint & Clay Club Annual Exhibition Poster, 1906, ink on paper. New Haven Paint & Clay Club Archives.

Coming up August 25 - October 4, the New Haven Paint & Clay Club will host its annual Active Members Exhibition at the Creative Arts Workshop at 80 Audubon Street in New Haven, Connecticut. The exhibition will feature $2,800 in awards which will be selected by Nathan Lewis, MFA, Chair of the Department of Art and Design at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. This exhibition, along with the past show at the New Haven Museum and the current Select Members feature at Lyme Art Association, will afford locals the opportunity to explore the present-day talents that form the historic Club.

In addition to organizing exhibitions and maintaining a collection, the New Haven Paint & Clay Club also offers scholarships for area students. And membership enables artists who are involved to find opportunities beyond showing their work, like networking and professional development. In the complex and varied New England art scene, the Club fills a special role. The multi-faceted nature of the New Haven Paint & Clay Club makes it a dynamic regional organization with both a storied history and a vibrant present.

Learn more about the New Haven Paint and Clay Club at www.newhavenpaintandclayclub.org.

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