The Guild of Boston Artists has occupied its 136-year-old building, listed on the Massachusetts Register of Historic Places as the Silas Merrill House, since it's founding in 1914. This year, the Guild will be embarking upon a massive preservation project to provide essential structural repairs to the historic building that has served as our home for over a century.
OUR FUNDRAISING STORY
Constructed in 1884 by prominent Boston builder Silas Whiton Merrill (1816-1890) and located at 162 Newbury Street in the Back Bay Architectural District, the Silas Merrill House, which is listed on the Massachusetts State Register of Historic Places, was purchased by the Guild of Boston Artists at the time of its founding in 1914. For over a century, the building has provided a home to the Guild's non-profit artist-run gallery, which is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of New England's tradition of representational painting and sculpture through its exhibitions and educational programs.
The Guild's Historical Preservation Project will focus on the following improvements:
Repointing the masonry and replacing deteriorated bricks
Restoring the limestone façade
Repairing the front windows
Installing invisible storm windows
Repairing the building's copper flashing
This project has been approved by the Back Bay Architectural Commission.
Funding for these projects has been provided by the City of Boston Community Preservation Act Fund. Additional funding for these and other interior renovations has been provided by the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, a program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, administered through a collaborative arrangement between MassDevelopment and the Mass Cultural Council.
The Guild of Boston Artists is a century-old fixture of the Back Bay Historic District, a commercial and residential neighborhood recognized for its architecture, art, tourism, commerce, and social history. Maintaining Newbury Street's historic integrity and the cohesion of its aesthetic beauty is a worthy and vital cause that can be achieved through the recognition of Silas Whiton Merrill's architectural legacy and the preservation of the building from which the Guild has operated as an essential champion of the city's artistic traditions. From its home at 162 Newbury Street, the Guild continues to contribute to the identity, sense of place, and quality of life for the neighborhood's residents and enhance the experience of domestic and international visitors to Boston's landmark historic district.
Beyond and above this, the value of Newbury Street is increased by the presence of non-profit institutions that are connected to Boston’s history and whose missions are committed to the cultural enrichment of the community. Called a “Hidden Treasure” by WCVB’s Chronicle, the Guild of Boston Artists remains the city's only nonprofit art gallery that is solely devoted to representational painting and sculpture. From its founding, the Guild has served as a center for the interchange of ideas between artists and the community. Its members, many of them founders of training studios and dedicated to the education of future generations, feature prominently in the history of American Art and continue to this day to provide essential learning opportunities for artists and art-lovers alike.
Help us to Preserve our Historic Home
We would like to invite you to be a part of this major project that will benefit not only the Guild but also the Back Bay Architectural District and the greater Boston arts community.
The Guild of Boston Artists is a tax exempt organization pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 501 ( c ) (3). Donations to this organization are tax deductible for income, gifts and estate tax purposes under Internal Revenue Code 170. Please click here to visit our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile.
We appreciate your support!
The Guild is a 501(c)(3) Non- Profit, Private Foundation.