1906
Sculptor Solom Borglum purchased a farm in Silvermine. In 1908, Borglum invited artists to join him at his barn to socialize, exhibit, and critique or “knock” one another’s work on Sundays. The gathering became known as the Knockers Club, and members began to share their work with the community. The exhibition became a yearly event in the late summer andgrew in popularity.
1910
A pair of American icons, Raggedy Ann and Andy, were created by guild member Johnny Gruelle. And another Guild member, Clifton Meek, who drew cute little mice, inspired Walt Disney to create Mickey Mouse.
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1913
Silvermine artists Daniel Putnam Brinley, Edmund M. Ashe, Bernhard Gutmann and Solon Borglum all exhibited in the groundbreaking 1913 Armory Show in New York. It became a legendary watershed event in the history of American art.1913-1922
The Silvermine Group of Artists was formed, purchasing a barn on Silvermine Road which served as an exhibition gallery and home to the annual exhibition—the biggest social event in Silvermine. In 1924, the Silvermine Guild of Artists was incorporated. The guild included not only painters, sculptors, and illustrators, but musical, literary, and dramatic artists as well.
1924
The Barn, now called Hays Gallery, originally served as both classroom and exhibition space.From the beginning, education was an important part of Guild activity. The first painting class was taught in 1924 by Robert Schmidt. Sculpture and classes for children soon followed. For 35 cents, students could sketch from a live model and enjoy discussionand refreshments.
1925-1939
The Silvermine Sillies were established. While the visual arts were paramount in Silvermine, music, theater, film, and other arts were well represented as well. These hilarious, bawdy musicals were presented outdoors on summer evenings. The Sillies were the primary fundraiser for the Guild through the mid 40’s.
1935
During the depression, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), created the conditions for wide-spread socially minded art productions throughout the nation. Social commentary and cultural forums also flourished at Silvermine. Several Guild members completed major projects for the WPA.
1936
John Vassos was the President of the guild for 10 terms, in 1936, 1940, 1941, 1949-1955 and raised significant funds for the center using his considerable influence with RCA, where he worked as a consultant designer for almost four decades. He was highly regarded as an artist, industrial designer, illustrator, inventor, interior designer, architect and social commentator. John was a pioneer in the field of Industrial Design along with Norman Bel Geddes, Raymond Lowey and Eliot Noyes among others.1938
This proved to be a watershed year for the Guild in terms of artistic creativity and crossover collaboration. In that year, the Silvermine Music Festival melded the visual arts with live classical music concerts performed by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Eugene Ormandy, José Iturbi, and Quinto Maganini. The event attracted over 30,000 attendees, and all of the proceeds went toward building a new annex to the barn, which allowed for new classes in drama, dance, music, and experimental film.
1938
Every painter in the Guild was invited to paint a contemporary social statement – they could register any protest or make any comment on canvas, depicting the unusual world at the time. When the exhibition closed, it travelled the country where it was shown in various museums and exhibition halls.1938-1945
During WWII, most of the Guild’s facilities were turned over to the local Red Cross and Civilian Defense. Barn activities were limited to returning veterans. In 1943, the First Annual War Bond exhibition was established, which paid artists in war bonds. The show was so successful, it was held annually until the end of the war.
1945
The original sketches for the Silvermine Map along with more work by Vassos can be viewed in the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art.
1949
The Guild established the first New England Exhibition in 1949, a Silvermine tradition to this day and one of the area’s oldest and most prestigious juried competitions. Originally open to artistsin the New England states, the expanded exhibition now includes artists nationally. Currently known as AoNE, the exhibition is in its 72nd year. AoNE has introduced emerging artists to critical exposure for decades with the help of many distinguished critics, dealers, artists, and museum professionals who have served as jurors over the years. Louise Nevelson, Elaine de Kooning and Richard Anuskiewicz are among the artists whose early recognition in the annual competition contributedto outstanding careers.
1949
A meeting of the Board of Directorsin the gallery garden patio.
1950
Space for classes was extremely limited and the buildings had no heat. When Guild president, John Vassos, an award winning industrial designer and book illustrator returned from war, he dedicated himself to moving forward Silvermine’s expansion plans which had been halted during the war.
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1951
Begun in the mid-40’s, the expansion was completed in 1950 and dedicated in 1951. The new school building included a large auditorium, a painting studio, a mirrored dance studio and a children’s workshop.1952
In 1952, the Leonardo da Vinci Exhibition, celebrating his Quincentenary, attracted hundreds of people from all over the state, to see the fascinating work of the master of all artistic trades. Displayed were models, sketches and reproductions from the Burndy Corporation Library and from IBM.
1952
Having already achieved international renown as both a painter and printmaker, Gabor Peterdi joined the Silvermine Guild. In 1959, he launched the National Print Biennial exhibition and established a permanent print collection for exhibition and study by students and Guild members. Peterdi established the printmaking department at Yale University, and as a professor there, he guided many budding talents such as Chuck Close into the individual expression that later resulted in major recognition. His two books on printmaking are considered definitive works.1956
Interest in sculpture was also burgeoning at Silvermine in the 50’s. A large new sculpture studio was dedicated in 1956 with a ceremony featuring a speech by Jacques Lipchitz and an exhibition of the medium interpreted by world class artists -including Calder, Moore, and Giacometti – on loan from museums and collectors.
1958
Jean Woodham (r) with her guest Louise Nevelson and the latter’s sculpture “Portrait”, at the opening of Silvermine’s “Be My Guest” show. Woodham worked and studied at the Clay Club alongside Louise Nevelson. In a short time Woodham was exhibiting her sculpture in group shows with David Smith, Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi, and Nevelson. In 1955, the family moved to CT where Woodham became head of the sculpture program at Silvermine. She showed her work in galleries and museum exhibitions winning many prestigious prizes. In 1959, Louise Nevelson sponsored her for membership in the Sculptors Guild. In 2021, Silvermine hosted a memorial service for Woodham in the Silvermine Galleries to honor her lifelong commitment to Silvermine, its educational mission and her prestigious career.1960
An affiliation with the University of Bridgeport led to the establishment of the Silvermine College of Art in 1960. Accredited by the state of CT, the school offered a two-year Associate in Fine Arts degree and remained open until 1969 when demands of accrediting and lack of funds prompted its closing.
1961
Continuing a focus on contemporary design, an exhibition in 1961, Architectural Directions, celebrated local architects who were making their mark. Internationally known contemporary architects such as Marcel Breuer, John Johansen, Philip Johnson and Elliot Noyes were featured.1966
The summer music series was flourishing and in 1966 the Silvermine Chamber Orchestra was established. Distinguished soloists and the Silvermine String Quartet performed concerts each summer.
1972
The Guild held a 50th Anniversary Ball at Waveny House, a Tudor Mansion in New Canaan, to the beat of Lester Lanin’s music. In celebration of Silvermines’ 50 years, Outdoor Jazz Concerts featured renowned artists such as Dave Brubeck.
1974
Dance was taught in four week master classes by the Alvin Ailey Dancers.1979
A retrospective of portraits and drawings by Alice Neel took place at Silvermine in 1979. Fifty-two paintings, many of them never before exhibited, were on display. A second group of fifty works by the artist was exhibited at the University of Bridgeport.
1983
Beginning in 1983, annual fundraisers called “Silvermine Collections” created an interaction with the corporate world. Public spaces such as Perkin-Elmer, Pitney Bowes, and Richardson-Vicks were transformed into art galleriesfor a weekend offering Guild art for sale.
1984
Artists was established to function as an educational resource for professional artists. The IVA hosted monthly lectures and forums for both artists and art lovers. The IVA ran programming for 17 years.1987
The Silvermine Guild branched out in 1987 to have a temporary exhibition space at the Stamford Metro Center. In 1988, the Stamford Gallery exhibited a retrospective of work by Jimmy Ernst, Guild artist and son of celebrated artist Max Ernst. Jimmy Ernst taught at the Silvermine School of Art, and he designed the cover for the 1955 summer session catalogue seen here and his bio listed in this catalogue demonstrated the range of his career. He had twelve one-man shows in New York City and was an instructor at the Pratt Institute and the Brooklyn College Department of Design. His artwork is represented in the Metropolitan Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Guggenheim Museum, Chicago Art Institute, Toledo Museum, Toronto Art Gallery, Wadsworth Atheneum, and many more institutions and private collections.
1992
Community Outreach became a major goal of the expanding arts center. In 1992 an Art Partners program was launched in Stamford elementary schools in which Silvermine provided Teaching Artists to work directly with classroom teachers to develop art projects related to curriculum. Students from underserved schools discovered new selfconfidence through creating art. Today the program extends to Norwalk, Stamford and Bridgeport children.
1993
Construction began for a major renovation and expansion of the Sculpture and Ceramics Studios. The ground-breaking ceremony was a symbolic culmination of the efforts of hundreds who contributed time, talent and money to the capital campaign which topped $1 million.1993-1997
Two national juried competitions were launched in the 1990’s. The first competition, Craft USA Today was held in 1993 and Spectra, the national photography competition established in 1997, showcased the rising significance of photography as an artistic medium. As the Silvermine Guild celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1997, the galleries began Spectra, a national juried photography exhibition. The exhibition contin-ued for many years. Peter MacGill of Pace/MacGill Galleries juried Spectra in 2007 and gave a lecture. This exhibition also featured a lecture by Jane Jackson, the director of Sir Elton John's photography collection.
1994
The first Summer Art Camps were offered in 1994, and ran for one week sessions in July and August. An instant success, they have continued to this day, remaining an integral part of introducing the next generation to the world of art through encouraging experimentation, creative thinking, and skill development in a safe, fun, supportive and socially engaging environment with other creative youth.2001
Renowned painter and printmaker Michael Mazur, a star pupil of Gabor Peterdi, began an international career with his first exhibition at Silvermine. A 2001 exhibition of etchings inspired by The Inferno of Dante served as homecoming for the artist, whose monotypes accompanying the Robert Pinsky translation garnered international acclaim. Mazur had a lifelong fascination with the poem. In the early 1990s, Mazur and longtime friend poet Robert Pinsky (U.S. Poet Laureate 1997-2000) collaborated on the production of a new illustrated translation of The Inferno pairing Mazur’s monotypes with Pinsky’s translations. This initial project was later expanded into a portfolio of 41 etchings.
2002
In the spring of 2002, the galleries hosted two simultaneous exhibitions of internationally renowned artists – Paul Cadmus, as well as Christo and Jean-Claude. The illustrious showing of two 20th century modernists inspired panel discussions, slide presentations and the signing of a biography, Christo and Jean-Claude, written by guild member Burt Chernow.2002
The exhibition of world-famous environmental artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude featured sketches of works in progress for “The Gates, Project for Central Park, New York City”, and “Over The River, Project for The Arkansas River, Colorado”. Two Works in Progress. Often requiring decades of planning, sketching, surveying and engaging the public about their projects, admirers of this illustrious duo had the chance to experience and discuss their process and projects.
2016
The Governors Island exhibition, entitled “The Tide is High,” brought together the work of 23 contemporary artists including members of Silvermine’s Guild of Artists, along with other invited artists from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. The goal of the exhibition was twofold, to create a greater dialog between the Connecticut region and the larger contempo-rary art world; and begin to create a new context for art outside of the gallery/museum structure. As the show’s co-curator Christopher Joy said, “The contemporary art world permeates everywhere.”
2017
CT Contemporary Art Fair - offering a look into what is happening NOW in Connecticut’s major contemporary art galleries. The first-of-its-kind event brought together galleries from all over the state to give a broader understanding of Connecticut’s gallery landscape and provided an opportunity for people to encounter galleries they might not usually have the chance to see. CT contemporary was the culmination of the three-part Cultivating Collectors series organized by the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County and Silvermine.2017
Silvermine curated a unique benefit exhibition in honor of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 150-year anniversary. The pop-up exhibition of contemporary art took place in two Wrightian structures —one designed and built by Wright during his lifetime and the other inspired by his design. The event brought artists and art lovers to Petra Island in Mahopac, New York to view a vibrant mix of contemporary artists whose works echo the aesthetic sensibilities of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture.
2019
Silvermine established an International Artist-in-Residency Program, initiated and funded by artist and philanthropist Janet Hennessey Dilenschneider and Robert Dilenschneider, and managed by the International Institute of Education (IIE). The Fulbright residency was created to foster creative, intellectual and professional growth for emerging or established visual artists who have access to Silvermine faculty as well as a private workspace and generous studio time. The inaugural artist in residence, Ivana Radovanovich, from Centinje, Montenegro earned a PhD at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade, Serbia, and is pursuing post-doctoral research at St. John’s University in New York as a Fulbright Scholar.2020
Silvermine’s outreach education program, Art Partners, and the Silvermine Elementary School in Norwalk (a Dual Language Magnet School) were able to reach a milestone this year with the 20th anniversary of the fifth-grade mural project. Just weeks before the pandemic closed all public schools throughout the state, the fifth graders at Silvermine Elementary completed their parting gift of a collaborative mural gracing the school’s main hallway. Every year the fifth graders create a 9’ x 20’ mural, a legacy that remains as they move on to middle school. Past subjects have included “The Rainforest,” “A Multicultural Feast,” and “Birds and Insects of New England.” This year’s theme was “Hoyt Island: Nature and Environmental Awareness."
