In the year 1951, under thee
sponsorship of the Rotary Club Fine Arts Committee, the Studio Club, with a
membership of five or six people who liked to paint pictures for pleasure was
formed. The members met in the basement of CKTB, where they set up their
easels, mixed their oil colours and under the guidance of David Partridge,
proceeded to paint seriously. As the membership grew, they rented an old
coach house and renovated it for a studio. It housed the club for the next
two seasons.
In
1953 through the efforts of our members and with the co-operation of the Public
Library Board, and Art Gallery was opened in the Public Library where the group
held many interesting and exciting exhibitions. Lectures on art were also
sponsored by the Studio Club in which various leading Canadian painters came to
the Gallery to lecture on various subjects including paintings, drawings and
sand prints.
The club was incorporated in 1956 under the name of the St. Catharines Art Association with Gordon Goodwin as President. Under his guidance, the Association rapidly grew to its present membership of one hundred members of whom forty were active painting members. Art instruction classes were offered to both adults and children. Regular exhibitions were held, together with many other events. There was a Masked Ball, lectures, an art rental program and scholarships for promising artists. Artwork was purchased which in time became the foundation of Rodman Hall's permanent collection. At about this time Ridley College loaned us the use of their painting room and for the next two seasons the classes were held in this room.
The Art Association moved to Rodman Hall in 1960 as part of the St. Catharines District Arts Council. At that time Rodman Hall housed the Mary Schmon Singers, the Art Association, Arachne Weavers, the Civic Orchestra, the Lincoln Historical Society and the Community Theatre. Interestingly, the actual purchase of Rodman Hall was executed through the St. Catharines Art Association. The St. Catharines Art Council was later absorbed into what eventually became today's Rodman Hall Arts Centre, now the property of Brock University. In the Fall of 2003, in an effort to secure our future and upgrade our accommodations, the Art Association members voted unanimously to "return to our roots", the St. Catharines Centennial Public Library.