Guilford Art Center is a non-profit institution established to nurture and support excellence in the arts. Through classes for adults and children, gallery programs, a shop of contemporary crafts, and special events, the Center fulfills its mission to provide opportunities for the public to participate in the arts, to experience their cultural and historical diversity, and to appreciate the process and product of creative work. The Center seeks to preserve craft traditions and foster innovation by providing an environment where artists can gather, practice, exhibit, teach and exchange ideas.

Founded in 1967 as the Guilford Handcraft Center, the organization evolved from the first Handcraft Expo (now Craft Expo), held on the Guilford Green in 1957, in which local artisans displayed their work and demonstrated their crafts. Since its founding, the Center has become a vital part of the town, helping Guilford forge an identity as a cultured community where the arts are celebrated, bolstering the economy through tourism, and enhancing its desirability as a compelling place to live and visit.

The Center’s school offers over 400 classes each year in a four-semester program, serving approximately 2,000 students of all ages and levels of ability. Offerings include painting and drawing, ceramics, weaving, jewelry and metalsmithing, sculpture, stone carving, and photography, as well as specialty topics. Youth classes are offered throughout the year, with an extensive summer program for ages 3 ½ to 13 years.

Craft Expo, still held annually on the Guilford Green each July (2012 marks its 55th anniversary), remains one of the Center’s most important fundraisers, at the same time bringing high quality handcrafted works by more than 170 American artists to the shoreline community. The Center also presents media-specific and thematic exhibitions in its gallery year-round, as well as exhibitions by community organizations and arts groups, such as the Shoreline Arts Alliance and the Guilford Art League. The gallery is open seven days a week and all exhibits are free of charge. The Center’s annual Artistry Holiday Sale of Fine Craft & Art, held November through early January, is also a great resource for handmade American craft, supporting the work of local, regional and national artists.