Boulder Art Association History
From Boulder Art Guild to Boulder Art Association
In 1923, art patron Jean Sherwood and CU Dean F.B.R. Hellems founded the Boulder Art Guild to bring great art to Boulder. With gallery space in the CU library, the Guild quickly grew to 200 members, hosting traveling exhibitions, student and local artist shows, Sunday talks, and community art classes for adults and children.
After CU reclaimed its gallery space, the Guild became transient until opening the Sherwood Gallery downtown in 1937. The gallery housed exhibits, an art library, county juried shows, workshops, and even the early Boulder Historical Society, welcoming 5,000 visitors a year. Following Sherwood’s death and rising costs, the gallery closed and the Guild disbanded in 1939.
For two decades, Boulder artists gathered informally as the Creative Interest Group, meeting in homes and with support from CU Fine Arts faculty. By 1958 the community was strong enough to formally reorganize as the Boulder Art Association, celebrating its return with a Beaux Arts Ball at the Boulder Country Club.
The renewed BAA focused on outreach, exhibitions, and artist community rather than touring museum shows. In 1961 it launched its annual regional art show; in 1963 it helped found the Boulder Art Center, now BMoCA; and later supported what is now The Dairy Arts Center. BAA continues to connect, exhibit, and champion artists across Boulder and beyond.