West Hartford Art League

08/31/2026

🎨💥 Calling All Young Cartoonists! 💥🎨

Does your child love to draw, make up characters, or tell funny stories? Let their imagination take center stage in Sunday Comics for Young Cartoonists! ✏️📚

Over 10 weeks, young artists ages 7–10 will learn how to:
✨ Create their own unique characters
😂 Give characters personality and emotion
🏙️ Build scenes and imaginative worlds
💬 Show characters interacting with each other
📖 Turn drawings into engaging stories and finished comics

Taught by working cartoonist Sam Ferri, whose work has appeared in MAD Magazine, Time Out NY, The NY Observer, Funny Times, and more, this class combines playful exercises, group drawing activities, and plenty of opportunities for kids to develop their own creative voice.

🗓️ Sundays, September 13–November 15
⏰ 9:00–10:15 AM
🎂 Ages 7–10
✏️ 10 weeks

Whether they’re already drawing comics nonstop or just discovering their love of cartoons, this is a fun place to draw, laugh, create, and tell stories!

08/14/2026

Members Juried Exhibition 2026 Accepted List Available Now!

The accepted list can be found here:
https://www.westhartfordart.org/call-for-artists

On view September 12th - October 4th, 2026 | Clubhouse and Saltbox Galleries

Accepted artists, please save the following dates:

Accepted work drop-off:  Tuesday, September 1st & Wednesday September 2nd, 10 am - 12 pm, 6-7 pm
A - M drop off at Clubhouse, N - Z drop off at Saltbox

Opening reception: Saturday, September 12th, 2 - 4 pm

Art Pick Up: Sunday October 4th, 4-5 pm or Monday October 5, 10 am - 12 pm.

08/14/2026

🐾🎨 Ever wanted to capture the personality behind an animal’s eyes? Join artist and instructor Mike Laiuppa for Painting Animals in Oil or Acrylic!

Over 10 weeks, you’ll explore traditional and non-traditional painting techniques to create expressive, lifelike animal portraits—from soulful eyes and soft noses to paws, whiskers, feathers, and fur.

📅 Mondays, September 14–November 16 (10 weeks)
⏰ 1–4 PM
🎨 Mike Laiuppa
🖌️ Oil or acrylic

Whether you love dogs, cats, wildlife, or everything in between, this class will help you discover the techniques to capture the soul and personality of your subject.

Register:
https://reg130.imperisoft.com/WestHartfordArt/ProgramDetail/313330363633/Registration.aspx

08/13/2026

📸 Calling All Photographers! Volunteers needed!

Help us capture the energy, creativity, and community of our Fine Arts Festival on Saturday, September 26, from 10 AM–4 PM! 🎨

We’re looking for volunteer photographers to document artists, artwork, visitors, and all the fun throughout the day. You don’t have to commit to the entire event—choose a chunk of time that works for you!

Interested in helping us capture the day? Please email [email protected] 📷

🚚 Food Truck Wanted! 🌮🍕🍔

We’re looking for a family-friendly food truck to join us for our Fine Arts Festival on Saturday, September 26th!

We’re especially looking for a truck with availability around lunchtime to help keep our festival-goers fueled while they enjoy a day of art, shopping, and community.

Know a food truck that might be interested? Tag them below.

Food Trucks may email [email protected] or call 860-231-8019.

08/10/2026

🎨 Gallery Talk with Andrés Montiel 🍷

Want to experience Third Nature after hours?

Join us Thursday, August 20, from 5:30–8:00 PM for an evening in the gallery with artist Andrés Montiel. Andrés will share stories and insights about some of his favorite paintings in the exhibition and answer questions from visitors. Stroll through the gallery, enjoy a glass of wine, and meet the artist behind the work.

Discover Third Nature from the artist’s perspective. You don’t want to miss it!

📅 Thursday, August 20
🕠 5:30–8:00 PM
📍 37 Buena Vista Road, Clubhouse Gallery

08/07/2026

Call for Artists! Interwoven: Connections in Fiber

Interwoven: Connections in Fiber explores the ways artists use fiber to create meaningful connections between materials, traditions, and personal experiences. Through mediums like weaving, stitching, quilting, embroidery, sculpture, and mixed-media approaches, this exhibition celebrates the artistry of fiber while highlighting the relationships between texture, pattern, memory, and storytelling. Each work invites viewers to discover the intricate connections—both visible and unseen—that bring fiber art to life.

Entry Deadline: September 21st at NOON

On View October 18 – November 15, 2026 | Saltbox Gallery

This exhibition is open to original fiber-based artwork created by artists working in traditional, contemporary, and experimental fiber practices. You do not need to be a member of West Hartford Art League to participate.

Opening Reception: Sunday, October 18, 2-4 pm
Awards announced: 3 pm at the Saltbox building

For more info: westhartfordart.org/call-for-artists

08/06/2026

The Clubhouse Gallery will be closed Saturday August 8th.

We look forward to welcoming you on Sunday August 9th.

08/05/2026

We are saddened by the passing of longtime West Hartford Art League member and past President, Nancy Hoffman. After retiring, Nancy devoted herself to painting and became a passionate advocate for the arts. She co-founded the Back Room Collective, a painters group that still meets at WHAL, served on the Town of West Hartford Arts Council, and generously shared her time and talents to strengthen our creative community. Her kindness, leadership, and dedication will be deeply missed, and her legacy will continue to inspire us all.

View Nancy Jo "Merrick" Hoffman's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

08/01/2026

West Hartford Art League is pleased to present Third Nature, an exhibition by artist Andrés Montiel, on August 2 through August 30, 2026, in the Clubhouse Gallery.

The public is invited to attend the free opening reception on Saturday, August 1, from 2–4 p.m. in the Clubhouse Gallery at 37 Buena Vista Road, West Hartford. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

This special summer pop-up exhibit features Montiel’s vibrant recent work. In an age of instant connection, endless convenience, and constant stimulation, we are surrounded by more comfort and possibility than ever before—yet many of us feel increasingly disconnected from ourselves and the world around us.

This exhibition invites viewers to pause and reconnect with wonder, reflection, and imagination. Through painting, Montiel explores the space between the visible and the unseen, creating works that act as gateways beyond ordinary experience and into deeper contemplation. Rooted in the belief that art can bridge the material and the infinite, these paintings encourage audiences to move beyond passive observation and engage in a personal journey of discovery. Whether inspired by nature, memory, or intuition, each work offers an opportunity to awaken the senses and rediscover what it means to truly experience life.

About Andrés Montiel

Andrés Montiel was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His style developed from his attempt to break from his academic background into a more personal form of representation. His paintings blend traditional techniques with contemporary subjects. He lives and works in West Hartford, Connecticut.

07/31/2026

📣 We’re Hiring! Join our Team!

Registrar - Part Time - $20 - 22/hour - 12 -15 hours per week

The West Hartford Art League is looking for a Registrar to join our team and help keep our vibrant education programs running smoothly! This position plays an important role in coordinating our classes and workshops, including scheduling, registration, communication with instructors and students, and other education related administrative tasks.

If you’re organized, detail-oriented, personable, and passionate about the arts and arts education, we’d love to hear from you! 🎨

Visit our website for the full job description: https://www.westhartfordart.org/contact.

To apply, email a cover letter and resume to: Kristina Oschmann, Executive Director, at [email protected]. No phone calls please.