Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild

Description

The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild is a multi-arts membership organization. Its Kleinert/James Arts Center hosts local and national performing, visual and literary artists. The WBG offers a variety of classes in the arts and is steward of the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony.

Founded in 1903, Byrdcliffe is one of the older artists colonies in the country, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its historical and architectural significance. It is home to a national Artist in Residence program.

The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild (WBG) is a marriage between two historic organizations, the Woodstock Guild of Craftsmen, founded in 1939, and the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony, founded in 1903. In 1976, Peter Whitehead, the last surviving son of the founder, left the mountainside Colony with its 30 arts and crafts buildings to the Guild of Craftsmen. Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild was born, and has grown into a vibrant multi-arts organization.

The WBG is both a presenting and an educational organization. It hosts exhibitions and performances by some of the finest artists working today and serves emerging artists through classes and residencies. Its facilities include a shop and gallery/performance space in the center of the village as well as the historic Byrdcliffe Colony. White Pines, the Arts and Crafts style residence of the founding family, is being restored and will house an extensive collection of pottery, furniture, painting, metalwork, and weaving that was produced Byrdcliffe. At present, parts of the collection are on display; items still in storage are available to scholars on request. Selected objects can be viewed online.

The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild (WBG) provides the opportunity for people to discover and develop their creative and artistic spirit. We are dedicated to the preservation of the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony as an arts haven, natural environment, and historic site. Our goal is to present and foster the creative arts for the enjoyment and education of the people of Woodstock, the region, and beyond.

As is common for not-for-profit service organizations, the WBG is funded by a combination of contributed income and earned income. Sources of contributed income include individual memberships and contributions, bequests, foundation grants, government agency grants, and income from a restricted fund. The WBG receives earned income from rentals, tuitions, sales, and tickets. These funds cover just a percentage of total operating costs. We are especially proud of the recent investment in the WBG by the Save America’s Treasures, a joint project of the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Ongoing support from the Hudson Valley business community and hundreds of individual members and donors enable the vigor and growth of the Guild’s wide-ranging programs. The WBG is a member of the Woodstock Arts Consortium and the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce.