Friends In Focus – We Talk To The Salmagundi Club

I first stumbled upon the SC last January, two suitcases full of brushes in tow, and snow up to my knees. I was immediately made to feel so welcome; the Salmagundi Club is somewhere I will always make time to visit when I’m in New York.

Back in 1871, a group of art students and friends gathered in the studio of sculptor Jonathan Scott Hartley to form a sketch class. Each week a subject was selected for the following meeting and the sketches would then be critiqued by the group.

The atmosphere was rather casual, some would say bohemian, and where boxing matches would sometimes be staged as a diversion before a repast was shared by the members.

Today, the Salmagundi Club is more than just a venue for their members to exhibit work. The Salmagundi is also a centre where artists can regularly interact in communal artistic activity.

These activities include sketch classes, building camaraderie, and club pride and club spirit in the process. Today the Salmagundi is experiencing a renaissance, remaining a vital force in the growing resurgence of representational art, as can be witnessed in the growth of its membership and the quality of work that hangs in its galleries. As the Club approaches the centennial of its life at 47 Fifth Avenue in 2017 and its 150th anniversary in 2021, it will continue to strive to maintain the highest standards while providing a safe haven for its members to create, exhibit and exchange ideas. We are extremely grateful for the Salmagundi Club making us so welcome when we visit.

Please visit their website at: www.salmagundi.org