ASHFORD AREA ARTS COUNCIL

Charles McCaughtry - Spring Open House 2024
2024-04-27 10:00 - 2024-04-28 18:00, 2024-05-04 10:00 - 2024-05-05 18:00 (America/New_York) | 44 Portland Drive, 44 Portland Drive, Ashford, CT, 06278, United States
Charles McCaughtry will have his Spring Open House on the following dates; Saturday April 27th; Sunday April 28th; Saturday May 4th and Sunday May 5th. Hours for all days are 10am to 6pm. The studio is located at 44 Portland Drive in Ashford. Phone: 860-429-1016. Studio Gallery is open at other times by appointment.

Early American Decoration Talk & Tea, May 11, 2024
2024-05-11 10:00 - 11:30 | Babcock Library, Ashford Ct, 25 Pompey Hollow Road, Ashford, CT, 06278, United States
Valerie Oliver will be giving a talk about her publication The Historical Society of Early American Decoration,
its historical record at the Babcock Library at 10:00 a.m. on May 11th, a Saturday. There will also be a tea, and she will display a few objects decorated using the
historical techniques. She will speak about how she came to write the history and what it revealed about a mostly female led group since its founding in 1946, etc. Valerie was a Society Trustee from 2002-2012 and Pres. 2011 and 2012 and is currently their Historian and asst. editor of their journal The Decorator.
**Pre-registration is requested for this event. Please call Babcock Library # 860-487-4420 to register**

Member's Fun Night!
2024-09-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Westford Hills Distillers, 196 Chatey Rd, Ashford, CT, 06278, United States
This year our yearly get-together will be at the Westford Hill Distillery.

All members and spouses are welcome
Potential new members are also welcome. Come have some fun with your local artist neighbors!
Please bring a piece of your art to display, with easels for wall art. There will be a table for sculptures to be displayed.
Get together is Free
Bring pot luck snacks and cash bar.
Friday, September 13, 6-8 pm.
Westford Hill Distillery, 196 Chatey Rd in Ashford.

Monthly Council Meeting - October 2024
2024-10-09 08:00 - 19:00 | Pompey Hollow Senior Center, 25 Tremko Lane, Ashford, Connecticut, 06278, United States
Our monthly council meeting will be held at the Ashford Senior Center.
The public is always welcome to attend – as are any current or potential members who would like to help out!
This meeting will focus on our annual Holiday Artist Market.

Pen Turning Workshop Feb 15, 2025
2025-02-15 10:00 - 14:00 | Knowlton Memorial Hall, 25 Pompey Hollow RD, Ashford, 06278, United States
The Central Connecticut Woodturners will be holding a free Pen Turning Event on Saturday February 15th, 2025, from 10-2:00 at Knowlton Memorial Hall/Babcock Library, 25 Pompey Hollow Road, Ashford, CT. Mark your Calendars and bring a friend : The club supplies all materials, and will guide you in turning your own pen, which will be yours to keep! There will be a sign-up sheet when you come in. You do not need to be an Arts Council member to participate. A wood carver will also be present to enjoy. Local members of the CCW club Joanne Mann and Dan Merlo of Eastford CT will be leading this event. Kindly offered to us by Dan Merlo, an Arts Council Member.

A Summer's Palette - June 28th, 2025 rain date June 29th
2025-06-28 10:00 - 16:00 | Westford Hills Distillers, 196 Chatey Rd, Ashford, CT, 06278, United States
Our annual Summer’s Palette will again be held at Westford Hill Distillers. Artists, Food Trucks, Drinks and gorgeous flowers in bloom – this event has it all!
Browse through the gardens of this historic property, and talk to more than 30 local artists about their work. Try your hand at painting en plein air or talk with local gardeners about pollinators and plants. A kid’s activity table will be on hand, so bring the family (no pets, please).
Enjoy a craft cocktail from Westford Hill Distillers while you enjoy a snack or lunch while browsing the grounds.
Event is free; donations to the Ashford Area Arts Council are welcome.
List of artists and links to their work, layout of show and more.

Charlie McCaughtry - watercolor
Charlie McCaughtry - watercolor
Kathy Dean Peacock - Quilling
Kathy Dean Sunflowers - Quilling
Kathy Weigold - weaving
Kathy Weigold - weaving closeup
Joe Burger - Watercolor
Joe Burger - Watercolor
Dot Drobney - photography
Dot Drobney - photography
Joan Blade Johnson - Fabric Artist
Joan Blade Johnson - Fabric Artist
Kathy Mittan - painting
Kathy Mittan - painting
Anna Harding - stained glass
Anna Harding - stained glass
John Boiano - ceramics
John Boiano - ceramics
John Boiano - ceramics
Mark Drobney Laser Art
Mark Drobney Laser Art
Mark Drobney Laser Art
Sharon Punty - Paintings
Sharon Punty - painting
Sharon Punty - painting
Chris Pavliscsak - painting
Chris Pavliscsak - painting
Steve Gerling - painting
Steve Gerling - painting
Frank Krasicki - painting
Frank Krasicki - painting
Mike Metsak - soap and lotions
Mike Metsak - soap and lotions

Vanilla Bean Art Show, September 2025
2025-09-01 - 2025-09-30 | vanilla bean, 450 Deerfield Rd, pomfret, 06259, United States
Our members will exhibit in September at the Vanilla Bean Café in Pomfret. The month-long show presents an opportunity to shop ahead for the holiday season. Plan on a treasure for yourself or a beautiful gift to give.

Artists for Asheville Fundraiser
2025-09-13 11:00 - 16:00 | Jillson Square, 533 Main St, Willimantic, 06226, United States
Jillson Square Park & Shaboo Stage, Willimantic, CT
Sept. 13th, 11am-4pm – Rain or Shine
Floods are impacting lives everywhere this year, and help has been limited.
Come support a vital art community of Asheville, NC, as it continues to recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene. More than 300 artists, suffered catastrophic damage—many lost their studios, equipment, and years of original work. Months after Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina, parts of Asheville still look like disaster zones. Business owners are struggling to rebuild as infrastructure remains stalled, and FEMA aid has been reduced.
Public Donations:
Supporters can donate directly through the website or in-person at the event. 100% of these contributions will go toward relief efforts. The free event will have artists, food trucks and live bands and is kid-friendly. The AAAC will have a booth as will various local artists. Artists can register for booths online.

Holiday Artist Market - Nov. 15th-16th, 2025
2025-11-15 10:00 - 2025-11-16 16:00 | Knowlton Memorial Hall, 25 Pompey Hollow RD, Ashford, 06278, United States
The very popular Ashford Area Arts Council’s “Holiday Artist Market” event will be in its 9th year, with more than 20 local artisans both days. With joyful with upbeat acoustic music on the stage, enjoy a holiday shopping experience and see what our ample community of artists and craftsmen has been creating. So much variety and all of it inspired, well-made, beautiful, and unique. Shop local & support our arts community.

Pen Turning Workshop, Feb. 7, 2026
2026-02-07 10:00 - 14:00 | Knowlton Memorial Hall, 25 Pompey Hollow RD, Ashford, 06278, United States
Woodturning with Central Connecticut Woodturners
Kayla and Bailey
February 7th 10am to 2 pm. 25 Pompey Hollow Road, Ashford CT. Learn about the art of woodturning. Members from Central Connecticut Woodturners will help guide you with turning your own beautiful wooden pen. This is a FREE event for ages 10 and up. Donations are welcome.

Come to Knowlton Hall February 7th to sign up on the list.
You will be given an approximate time when you will turn your pen.
This is first come/first serve.
Everything you need will be provided. This is a FREE event

With guidance, you will turn your own pen. Connecticut Woodcarvers Club will be joining us displaying many carved items and demonstrating wood carving.

Art Opening February 28- Steve Gerling
2026-02-28 18:00 - 20:00 | Silver Circle Gallery, 134 Main Street, Putnam, CT
NEW EXHIBIT OPENING 2/28/26, 6-8PM WITH ARTIST STEVE GERLING
Show runs 2/726-3/29/26.

Steve Gerling has been irresistibly drawn to nature for as long as he can remember. A walk across his yard is never just a walk—it’s an opportunity to notice a leaf uncurling in spring, a bumblebee burrowing into a blossom, or morning light settling into mist. While he appreciates the spectacular, Gerling is most deeply inspired by the ordinary—the quiet, everyday moments of nature that we often move past without seeing.

His paintings invite viewers to pause and recognize the subtle beauty woven into familiar landscapes: a small brook glimpsed from a roadside bridge, the color of shadows dissolving into the woods at dusk. These are not grand gestures, but intimate observations, rendered with sensitivity and care. For Gerling, the enjoyment of the everyday is richer and more meaningful than the heroic, and if his work encourages someone to notice something they’ve overlooked for years, he considers it a success.

Gerling’s artistic path began in relief woodcarving and fine woodworking, where functional objects became frames for his nature-based imagery. He later spent nearly two decades as a LEGO Master Designer before returning fully to his own studio practice. Today, working primarily in watercolor along with drawing and other media, he continues to explore the quiet rhythms of the natural world—celebrating the beauty that surrounds us every day, once we slow down enough to see it.

Based in Ashford, Connecticut, Gerling lives and works alongside his wife Martha, sharing their studio space with an ever-changing cast of dogs and cats.

Last Day - Call to Artists for A Summer's Palette
2026-05-16
Last Day to enter for our A Summer’s Palette show.

A Summer's Palette Art Show June 27, 2026, Rain date 6/28
2026-06-27 10:00 - 16:00 | Westford Hills Distillers, 196 Chatey Rd, Ashford, CT, 06278, United States
A SUMMERS’ PALETTE is the Ashford Area Arts Council’s annual art and craft show on the grounds of the Westford Hill Distillers in Ashford CT. The show is a well attended event, and has become a yearly destination for guests, many travelling in excess of 50 miles to enjoy it. This year we are increasing the number of vendors and greatly expanding our advertising and marketing efforts with the expectation of becoming a 2-day show in 2027.
Browse through the gardens of this historic property, and talk to more than 30 local artists about their work. Try your hand at painting en plein air or talk with local gardeners about pollinators and plants. A kid’s activity table will be on hand, so bring the family (no pets, please).
Enjoy a craft cocktail from Westford Hill Distillers while you enjoy a snack or lunch while browsing the grounds.
Event is free; donations to the Ashford Area Arts Council are welcome. More info and see a slideshow of participating artists.

Group Show at the Vanilla Bean 7/28-8/24 2026
2026-07-28 - 2026-08-24 | vanilla bean, 450 Deerfield Rd, pomfret, 06259, United States
Our 5th annual AAAC members show at the Vanilla Bean Café 2926!
We’ll be bringing 2-4 of our art pieces to hang starting at around 2:00 on July 28th and then taking down same time ish on August 24th.

The Vanilla Bean has both indoor and outdoor breakfast and lunch dining.
450 Deerfield Rd, Pomfret, CT
(860) 928-1562
click for hours and directions
