New Art Center in Newton

Specialties

The New Art Center supports the development of visual artists and cultivates a community that appreciates art. The New Art Center offers a supportive culture that takes art and artists seriously. We serve over 2,500 students annually in hundreds of classes and workshops. Our faculty includes some of the regions most esteemed art educators. In a setting that is welcoming and conveniently located, we offer an inclusive, multi-​generational approach to art education that has served children, teens and adults at all skill levels since 1977. We have one of the few mid-​sized nonprofit exhibition spaces in New England, and attracts over 4,500 visitors annually. The New Art Centers Curatorial Opportunity Program is well respected in New Englands visual arts community. This program is a unique vehicle for curators and artists to collaborate and present thoughtful, innovative concepts. It is the foundation of our Connections Program for gallery education.

History

Established in 1977.

In December, 1976, the City of Newton sold an abandoned 19^th century church building to Newton Cultural Affairs, Inc. to develop a center for the performing and visual arts. A volunteer committee raised funds for the renovations and the Newton Arts Center began programming in 1977. The organization was incorporated as a 501 (c)(3) institution in 1983.

In 1994, the name «Newton Arts Center» was changed to the «New Art Center in Newton» to address misconceptions that the Center was for Newton residents only; that it was a city agency funded by the City of Newton. The new name reflects an expansion of the Center’s audience beyond the city limits to include people from greater Boston and New England.