Art League seeks help with 80th anniversary project

WEST HARTFORD>>The West Hartford Art League will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2014, and now request public support to help paint a picture of our history with your work.
Founded in 1934 by two artists, the West Hartford Art League has long been a fixture in West Hartford and in the region. Not only were our founders Rebecca Field Jones and Ruth Patterson highly regarded artists and teachers, our Schoolhouse Building on Mountain Road, built in the 1870's, was the towns original one room schoolhouse called the West School.  The Saltbox Gallery on Buena Vista Road dates from the 1750's and is on the National Historic Register. The Clubhouse Gallery where we now offer summer camp, monthly exhibits and teach classes used to be the Clubhouse for the Golf Course on Buena Vista Road.
Over the years, we've heard stories from people who took art classes at the West School when The Art League opened in the 1930's, or who went to school there before we opened. We're interested in your knowledge and photographs as a way to document our history as an organization over the last 80 years. If you have any photos, paintings, or newspaper clippings dating from the 1930's to present time that you think might interest us, we would love to hear from you. We are in the midst of planning a special 80th Anniversary celebration, and your help will be appreciated. Please contact Roxanne Stachelek, Executive Director at (860) 231-8019 or by e-mail at director@whal.org.

Photo: painting of the Schoolhouse building at 87 Mountain Road.