History of the Hanover Area Arts Guild

The First Ten Years (1968-1978)

(Written by Barbara Geesey)

In the summer of 1968, Jane Alcott, Barbara Harris Geesey, Marie Weintraub and Gerry and Jim Campbell were sitting at a table in the YWCA, then located directly across the street from where the Hanover Art Gallery is now situated. were in attendance. They were there to discuss forming an Artists Group that the YWCA would sponsor. The YWCA would allow us to use their facility for meetings and workshops. We were delighted and agreed to do just that. We contacted all the artists we knew that lived in Hanover, and before we knew it, we had about 20 people who were extremely interested in joining our group. We elected Marie Weintraub as our first president and decided that our dues would be $5.00 per year.

Our enthusiasm was overwhelming. We began creating our wonderful paintings, pottery and crafts. We met once a month at the YWCA but more often in our homes, trying to decide what we really wanted to do as far as an Art organization. I think Jane Alcott suggested that we have a show for the town to enjoy.

There was an old barn behind the YWCA (where the parking lot is now) and the owner allowed us to use it for our first show. We called it THE ALLEY GALLERY… burlap was stretched across 2x8 beams that made up the walls and art was hung wherever a nail would make a support. We set up tables covered with burlap to display our crafts and we had our first Art Show! We sold almost all of the art that was exhibited that weekend and the town LOVED us.

We eventually left the YWCA because we wanted to become more independent as an organization and socialize more often with wine and cheese parties. The YWCA could not be part of that but wished us well. We were now on our own! We held meetings in our homes and a few empty rooms in the downtown buildings. The barn was eventually torn down so we moved our shows into buildings that were not occupied. November was picked as the month for the show, with Christmas shopping in mind. The Borough of Hanover was very helpful in finding us space and the owners of the building were more than happy to accommodate us.

We had shows in The Montgomery Ward Building, the GC Murphy Building on Frederick Street, the old Bon Ton building on the Square, The Q Lounge (a pool hall, where M&T parking lot is now located, a dress shop on Broadway called The Brass Tree, and Five Points on Railroad Street.

We realized after a year or two that we needed more money than our dues provided. For instance, we had begun awarding a $50 scholarship to a graduating senior from Hanover area high schools going on to study art. We talked to friends and neighbors about becoming Patrons of the Arts and they were happy to support us. Our Patrons attended all of our shows and purchased the art and crafts that were shown. After a while, we treated our patrons with a preview night and had receptions whenever possible. It was usually wine, cheese and fruit, held the evening before opening day. Our shows lasted four days - beginning on Thursday evening with an opening reception, and ending on Sunday evening. On our opening day people lined up at the doors, anxious to see the show and purchase our art.

We were on our way!!!!

The Second Ten Years (1978-1988)

The Third Ten Years (1988-1998)

Late in 1988 the Arts Guild moved into our new home at 32 Carlisle Street. It was the perfect situation, excellent light and a beautiful exhibit area. A call for help went out to all members. Kirby Heltebridle was the one who answered the call, for instance, making sure the two rear doors were secure. A crew came in to paint walls and install lighting. Desks and display areas were established. Through the hard work of numerous selfless volunteers, as well as monetary donations from patrons and members, we were able to give the gallery a whole new look!

A stunning display of beautiful landscapes and interesting portrait works was the first exhibit in our new space, and was well received by the public.

In 1994, “The Artist of the Month” display was initiated and continues to this day. This separate space gives member artists an opportunity to have their work featured in a unique way, without the commitment of a full-blown show, and was one of the benefits of the new location. The Gerri Keagy Library was also started in 1994, with books from her private collection. Over the years, donations of books and reference materials from many members allowed the library to grow to include hundreds of art books and other related materials. It became a wonderful reference center for our members.

The Arts Guild rented the new gallery until 1995, when the board felt it was the right time to purchase the property. Because the property included both business and residential rental spaces, the Arts Guild wouldn’t need to rely on just membership fees and sales for income to pay mortgage payments, a critical consideration in the decision to purchase. We secured a mortgage, and suddenly became landlords instead of tenants! In 1996, the first new roof was installed, adding to the value of the building. A matching grant from Downtown Hanover Inc. allowed us to have the zinc façade above the entrance to the gallery restored in March of 1998. Ongoing upkeep of what was now “our” building would require periodic capital investments. Next, a “rug fund” was established to allow for the purchase of new carpeting in the gallery.

A system of hooks and chains was installed for flexibility in displaying hanging artwork. It was later upgraded to the rod system used today for hanging shows.

Throughout this time, an increasing variety of shows and events were held to try to appeal to a changing community. We continued to offer classes to members and the community. We enjoyed a lot of support from the local media, which helped keep the Art Guild in the public eye. In May of 1996, the Arts Guild offered the public an “Artist Home Studio Tour.” Tickets were sold and maps were printed directing the public to various members’ home studios. This was a very successful event for the Arts Guild, with both studio visitors and member artists providing positive feedback about the experience. A Wildlife Show, a Railroad Show, Demo Days and shows at Wirt Park were big hits with the public, but the Fall Show in November remained our biggest and most successful show each year.

The Fourth Ten Years (1998-2008)

Our fourth decade had a rocky start. The Arts Guild faced the possibility of closing its doors in 1998 due to slow sales. Our annual budget was only around $15,000. A fundraiser and an increase in dues helped us to get over the deficit. We continued to promote art classes to the community, and continued to exhibit our members’ artwork.

During this period, the annual Scholarship Award grew to $1,000, in recognition of the increasing cost of higher education and in an effort to make the award truly worthwhile for students to pursue.

There were other highlights for the organization during our fourth decade:

In 2000, 26 pieces of art from Arts Guild members were sold during the WITF-TV on-air Art Auction, which was a fantastic way to promote both our organization and our members.
The Arts Guild hosted a mixer for the Chamber of Commerce to help promote our
The gallery hosted the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society Membership Show, primarily through the efforts of Ron Schloyer, who was a member of both This was a significant show for our gallery and was a very big success.
Three members known as the “Watercolor Divas,” Ann Baron, Jean Dole and Suzanne Mancha, had a three-member show that was a big hit for the Attendance was very encouraging for all members.
A bus trip to Washington DC to visit the National Gallery was filled to
A trip to New York City in October of 2000 to see “Kiss Me Kate” was organized and everyone had a very good time. The trip was an overnighter … something new for the members to enjoy!
Jim Margroum, owner of “ Mr. Groum Custom Pipes” had a huge show of his carved pipes… prices ranged from $40.00 to $1000.00. Customers came all the way from England and
A cookbook was started by Donna Wolfe and Mary Garrett. They put together 112 pages of recipes from artists who like to eat as much as they like to The cookbook was used as a fundraiser and was very successful. It might be a good idea to try it again!

Our 40^th anniversary was celebrated in 2008 with Nancy Bittinger and Deb Nell as Co-Chairs. Charlotte Yealy, Sarah Fuss, Kim Asper and Catherine Ditko also served on the committee. We celebrated with a host of activities that enhanced the presence of the Arts Guild in Hanover. Members of the Hanover Symphony Orchestra played at the November celebration. Door prizes and original works of art were given away weekly during November as well. No purchase necessary - just an entry form filled out any time during the month of November and you were eligible to win a unique piece of art.

Although we ended our fourth decade as the country entered a deep recession, we remained a strong anchor in downtown Hanover. The Arts Guild had grown in our 40 years. We gave our members a stable home in which to exhibit and sell their work. But perhaps most importantly, we gave our community - our children, students and adults - an opportunity to try their talents at drawing, painting, sculpting, photography and many other crafts.

The Fifth Ten Years (2008-2018)

Throughout our history, the Guild has participated in many community and civic events. Over the last decade, our involvement with schools, other arts organizations, and downtown businesses and initiatives has only grown. Over this time we also started increasing the variety and scope of the shows and exhibits in the gallery. The gallery itself is changing, too, with maintenance and improvements that keep us ready for the future.

Our relationship with area schools has been particularly rewarding. In addition to the continuing scholarship competition and the now 37^th annual school student show, we’ve welcomed a number of new exhibits and programs in partnership with the schools. Notably, last year’s very special exhibit of the “hidden child” artwork of Dr. Nelly Toll painted during the Holocaust was made possible through coordination with Hanover High School. For the past two years, South Western High School advanced level art students have planned and produced an exhibit as their final exam. In an effort to reach out to the homeschooled population, we teamed with the YMCA to provide art instruction to home schoolers at the Y. In 2018 we connected with Harrisburg Area Community College in Gettysburg to display Arts Guild members’ artwork, and are hoping to expand that relationship.

As a member of the downtown, the Arts Guild increased participation in Main Street Hanover and Chamber of Commerce activities, such as the Sip & Strolls, Chalk It Up, mini-golf and other Second Saturday events.

In our gallery, special exhibits and themed monthly exhibits were highlights. Long-term members may remember the very successful memorial exhibit of Ron Schloyer’s paintings or Keith Stambaugh’s one- man show. The monthly themed shows helped give ideas and inspiration to our members, and brought in new kinds of work such as in our Trash to Treasure show in 2017. Juried and open exhibits involved nonmembers too, increasing the volume of traffic through the gallery.

The building, gallery and classrooms have gone through improvements and upgrades as well over the past decade. New flooring gave the galleries a much-needed facelift. Donations in memory of Ron Schloyer enabled the lower classroom to be greatly improved, and named after Ron. Memorial donations honoring JoAnn Baum funded new carpet in the entranceway and front show windows. Improvements using other memorial contributions, such as those honoring Barry Bittinger, are still in the works. A capital campaign helped replace the roof.

Our members have found success both within our own gallery and through connections in the greater art world. These connections have helped bring greater awareness of our Arts Guild to other regional arts organizations, and have led to stronger ties between and among those organizations. The Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, for example, held their board meetings in our facility for several years and awarded two grants for kids programming.

Our Most Recent Years (2019-2023)

Our more recent past – the last five years – has had its share of challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant hurdles to overcome, some of which continue. The board decided to hire a gallery manager right before the country essentially shutdown for most of 2020; the manager position didn’t survive the pandemic. Our educational programming took a severe hit, from which we are still slowly recovering. More recently, 2023 saw the passing of a number of members whose loss will be felt for a long time. Our building was also hit by a fire on the third floor that has taken much time and effort to resolve (the perils of property ownership!).

But it wasn’t all bad!

The Guild’s logo had an overhaul; the new image is now emblazoned across the front of the
Significant effort put into obtaining grants has allowed upgrades to technology, an overhaul of the classroom, kickstart of educational programming, award of operational funds, and anticipated installation of lighting on the front of the building. Participation in county-wide fundraising Give Local York also contributed to our income.
Our gallery was visited by both the governor and our state senator in addition to local elected and borough officials.
Several “field trips” to local venues gave members photo and sketch opportunities they wouldn’t have had anywhere else.
New accounting software and the introduction of the Square System at the front desk help keep our financial records in good We also now accept membership payments online, with more online options in the planning stage.
Annual show schedules were designed to keep the gallery interesting for both our artists and gallery Popular miniatures, an active plein air group, special invitational shows such as a diversity exhibit, as well as the traditional Fall and Spring Shows continually keep the gallery looking new and different.
An active marketing committee is helping to get the word out about the Guild through published materials such as rack cards distributed around the county and beyond, and activities such as the Hanover Diversity Festival and Snack Town Street Fair.

The Arts Guild has thrived and grown over our first 55 years. Our continued success, and our continued existence, is because of the hard work and continued support of all of our dedicated members, volunteers, staff, patrons, and art lovers.

Our membership numbers remain strong – more than 160 active adult and youth members – and we will continue to support the community with our involvement in and enthusiasm for the Arts.

Hanover Area Arts Guild