The History of the Wellesley Society of Artists
1933-2023
by Robert Savage, M.D.
This online celebration of 90 years of WSA art was made possible by donations from Lucy Davis of MarketNext Communications and an anonymous donor.
The Early Years
ORIGINS OF THE WELLESLEY SOCIETY OF ARTISTS
The Wellesley Society of Artists (WSA) became an official organization in 1933 as a small group of accomplished artists. The goals of the Society, then as now, were to promote exhibitions of consistent high quality and to encourage the appreciation of art in every way possible to the townspeople and beyond. As outlined by the Wellesley Townsman in 1934, its founding members also appreciated the opportunity for friendly cooperation and competition.
The desire for such an organization began almost a decade earlier. In 1924, the Wellesley Hills Women’s Club established a committee to form an art department. Its first meeting featured a lecture and sketch class delivered by the nationally prominent Wellesley artist, Mary Brewster Hazleton. These beginnings stimulated much enthusiasm for greater things in the future. Their new art department welcomed a diverse mix of activities. In addition to painting and sculpture, ceramics, weaving, jewelry, and other crafts were presented.
In 1929, certain painters and sculptors in the group felt the need to develop a higher standard of accomplishment for their purposes. These individuals were professional artists who had already exhibited at Wellesley College and other important venues during the 1920s. During that same year, they approached the Wellesley College art department with the “nebulous” possibility of having regular exhibitions at the school’s Farnsworth Museum. To their surprise the college staff graciously agreed with enthusiasm, and the first major show of its kind was planned for 1930. These successful exhibitions at the college continued annually until the late 1950s.
ELIZABETH H.T. HUNGTINGTON, PRINCIPAL FOUNDING MEMBER
Although organizing the Society was a major group effort, the enthusiasm and energy supplied by Elizabeth H.T. Huntington deserves the major share of credit. Even before the Wellesley Society of Artists was formed, Elizabeth held multiple events at her home and studio on Worcester Street. These were conducted in the 1920s and early 1930s and continued after the establishment of the Wellesley Society of Artists. Her meetings have been compared to the Parisian salons. In addition to venues where artists could exchange ideas and exhibit their work, the gatherings also included poem and book readings, technical demonstrations, musical concerts, and a sampling of plays and tea parties.
Huntington’s personal and artistic life is a gripping “profile in courage” story. Well trained at the Boston Normal School (now the Massachusetts College of Art), she developed polio as a young adult, leaving her wheelchair-bound and without the use of her right elbow and shoulder. At the time, she was engaged to be married and encouraged her fiancé to drop his offer. Her future husband refused, and after they were wed, he became a major force in encouraging her return to her passion for art. Early on during her partial recovery, he physically supported her right arm such that she could use that hand for painting. His subsequent efforts included creating special drawing tables to accommodate her disabilities in her home, studio, and car. During her career, in addition to being the principal founder of the WSA and its first vice-president, she was its longest running president, serving for approximately twenty years. She became a prominent, award-winning New England artist. It has been estimated that despite her disabilities, she managed to create over five-thousand paintings during her life.
Elizabeth’s daughter, Elizabeth T. Huntington (Betty), also was a significant artist, in addition to being a secretary and major contributor to the WSA. Trained at the Boston Museum School and with Ernest Lee Major, she exhibited widely in many important venues in Boston, its surrounding communities, Newport, New York, and New Hampshire. She was often referred to as Elizabeth Huntington II for press clippings and exhibitions to distinguish her from her mother. Many of Betty’s most admired paintings had a folk-art style. In 1989, she was made an honorary lifetime member of the WSA for her many contributions.
CHARLES AVERY AIKEN, FOUNDING MEMBER AND FIRST PRESIDENT
Charles Avery Aiken (1872–1965) was a founder and the first president of the WSA. In addition to being an important artist in the Wellesley and Boston area, Charles was a major presence in the art world of New York City. He studied at the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts with Frank Benson and Edmund Tarbell. He later became the director of the Allied Artists of America and maintained studios in Wellesley and New York. He exhibited at most of the important exhibition venues of the day. He also established the Fifteen Gallery in New York designed to support fellow artists. His papers are in the Smithsonian Art Archives and, his works can be found in many museums from Brooklyn to Dallas. He was a landscape and portrait artist, in addition to being a muralist and graphic artist. He originated a process for printing from a plaster block and was the first to produce a print using the technique.
THE BOSTON SCHOOL: EDMUND TARBELL (1862–1938) AND FRANK BENSON (1862–1951)
Many of the outstanding early WSA members trained at the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) under the mentorship of two of America's finest artists, Edmund Tarbell and Frank Benson. Many people today are unaware that the MFA and its school were located in Copley Square from 1876–1909.
Benson and Tarbell were both born in 1862 and traveled parallel artistic lives to become great friends and colleagues. After early education, they both became students at the Boston MFA School during its early years in 1879–1880. Both furthered their training at the Académie Julian in Paris, where they were also apartment roommates. While in Europe, they became great admirers of Vermeer and Velazquez. Upon returning to the US, they championed the style and core principles of these masters and passed them down to their students in what became known as "The Boston School." Benson also became a lover of the work by French Impressionist Claude Monet, which led him into his great career as one of the foremost American Impressionists.
In 1889, Tarbell took over the reins of the MFA School from Otto Grundmann. By 1890, Benson became the head of its painting department. The pair of friends ran the prestigious school together for the next 22 years, tripling enrollment almost immediately and establishing it as one of the most important art epicenters in the nation. Benson was beloved by his students, who often addressed him as the "Master." Tarbell similarly had so many loyal followers, they were known as “Tarbellites.” During their tenure running the MFA School, it had been estimated that more of their students won prizes at the major national exhibitions than any other school in the US.
THEO ALICE RUGGLES KITSON, FOUNDING MEMBER
Another internationally renowned founding member was Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson (1871–1932). She was instrumental in the process that separated the WSA from the Women’s Club art department and helped to establish the WSA as a new organization for painters and sculptors. Kitson was a talented child. Her mother attempted to enroll her in all the established Boston art schools of the day. She was rejected by all, ostensibly because she was too young, or possibly because she was a woman. Her mother found noted sculptor Henry Kitson to tutor her daughter. This discovery worked famously in that her art blossomed under his teaching, and later they married.
At nineteen, she became the first American and youngest female to win an award at the Salon des Artistes Français. This accomplishment made her an immediate sensation back in the United States and helped to establish an amazing lifelong career. She produced major public projects throughout New England such as Kosciuscko in the Boston Public Garden. Many other sculptures were designed for Washington, D.C., Illinois, and massive projects in Vicksburg. In Vicksburg alone, she created over fifty pieces produced as an effort for healing and reconciliation following the Civil War. Her well-respected husband, Henry, is best remembered locally for his Minuteman statue in Lexington, Massachusetts. Sadly, she died relatively young, shortly before the WSA became an official organization. Her important contributions nevertheless established her as a founding member.
MARY BREWSTER HAZLETON, FOUNDING MEMBER AND FIRST TREASURER
Arguably, the most important artist to hail from Wellesley was another founding member, and the WSA’s first treasurer, Mary Brewster Hazleton. Mary was born in Milton but moved to Wellesley at an early age with her mother and physician father. She lived there the remainder of her adult life with her two sisters, who became associate members of the WSA. Showing early prowess, Mary graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, completing its rigorous seven-year course in the late nineteenth century. Her work was admired by her teachers, Edmund Tarbell and Frank Benson, who asked her to remain on the faculty. This was a rare honor for a woman of the age. She subsequently won the Museum School’s first ever Paige Traveling Scholarship. This allowed a generous stipend for additional travel and study in the major art centers of Europe. Her other most prestigious coup came when she won the coveted Hallgarten prize from the National Academy of Design presented for the best painting by an artist under the age of thirty-five years. Moreover, this was the first year the award was an open competition for both men and women.
After her travels, she obtained space at the famous Fenway Studios, which she maintained for approximately thirty-five years, working next to many of America’s greatest painters of the early twentieth century. Mary became a charter member of the Guild of Boston Artists, in addition to the WSA. Her work is still admired throughout Wellesley today (e.g., Horatio Hunnewell’s portrait in the Wellesley Free Library, Isaac Sprague V at the Wellesley Historical Society, and the Four Virtues Mural in the Wellesley Hills First Congregational Church.)
EARLY MODERNISTS: CARL GORDAN CUTLER AND CHARLES HOVEY PEPPER
As expressed by Elizabeth H. T. Huntington in 1939, the Society had no code of favoritism, nor an established formula for any one school of art. Its scope was liberal in initiative. Its objective was humanitarian, and its goal was to bring to youth an artistic consciousness of beauty and human achievement. In this spirit, some of the area’s most important, early modernists were welcome and were among the first exhibitors with the Society. Such artists included Carl Gordan Cutler and Charles Hovey Pepper. This pair was part of the “Four Boston Painters” which also included the important artists Maurice Prendergast and E. Ambrose Webster. The group became some of the America’s first, notable modernists. During this time, modernism was fought tooth-and-nail by the traditionalists of the “Boston School” of the Museum of Fine Arts. These four men became friends while studying in Paris at the Académie Julien. They also exhibited at the famous 1913 Armory Show in New York, where the American art audience was first exposed to the groundbreaking artistic changes happening in Europe.
Carl Gordan Cutler, born in Newtonville, earlier had trained at the Boston Museum School. A renowned colorist, he also wrote a book in 1923 on color theory. He fell in love with painting the Maine coast shortly after the Armory Show. The watercolors he created over a thirty-year period around Penobscot Bay are an important part of the American art tradition alongside the works of John Marin, the Wyeths, and Winslow Homer.
Cutler’s friend, Charles Hovey Pepper, also an early exhibitor with the WSA, attended Colby College. He lived and worked in Brookline and in Concord. He was well-trained at the Art Students League with William Merritt Chase before studying in Paris. He became only the second American to have a watercolor made into a Japanese woodblock print. Pepper was an important figure at the Boston Art and St. Botolph’s Clubs as a director of exhibitions. In this position, he strived to develop an equal playing field, where newer works were exhibited alongside traditional, realism paintings.
OTHER ARTISTS IN THE FIRST DECADES OF THE WSA
Several additional major artists were deeply involved during the first decades of the Society. They included Agnes Abbot, an admired artist and teacher who became a professor and director of the Wellesley College art department. Earl Edwards Sanborn (1890–1937), a talented painter, trained at the Museum of Fine Arts School. However, his major fame came in creating elaborate, gothic style, stained glass for the Washington National Cathedral, Boston College, and Trinity College. He trained to paint with Frank Benson and Edmund Tarbell, and his glasswork education was with the illustrious Charles Jay Connick. Sanborn was a prime example of the diverse skills possessed by the members of the WSA.
THE WSA DURING WORLD WAR II
The first annual meeting of the WSA was at Elizabeth Huntington’s home and was attended by twelve people. By 1940, the Society had expanded to fifty-five exhibiting members. During World War II, for obvious reasons, exhibitions were more difficult and fewer in number. During the War, its members participated in philanthropic efforts with the American Red Cross and in supporting orphaned children in China who had been displaced by the fighting.
Scholarship funds were established during the 1940s and 1950s to help worthy Wellesley High School students pursue their artistic goals on a collegiate level. Exhibitions for young people sponsored by the WSA started as early as 1936 at the Dana Hall School. Today, the WSA continues to sponsor an annual art achievement cash award to a Wellesley High School student.
The Late Twentieth Century
ARTIST LEADERS WHO PAVED THE WAY
In addition to Wellesley College, many early exhibits were held at Elizabeth Huntington’s studio and the homes of other members. Over subsequent years, the Society partnered with numerous local organizations for their exhibitions including the Maugus Club, Babson College, Massachusetts Bay College, several of the town’s banks, all branches of Wellesley Free Library, and bookstores.
In the 1960s, Harold Lindergreen and Helen Sherman helped to expand the WSA’s visibility with exhibits and meetings at the new sites, and also reorganized the group’s board and bylaws.
DR. HARRY SENGER
Wellesley resident Dr. Harry Senger was a beloved physician and notable watercolorist. He was elected a signature member of the American Watercolor Society in Manhattan and served as president of the Wellesley Society of Artists from 1968–71. Over the years, he won numerous awards from various organizations for his paintings, including the gold medal from the New England Watercolor Society where he also served on its executive committee.
MARGARET FITZWILLIAM
One of the most important artist leaders of this era was Margaret Fitzwilliam (1920–2013). She served as the Society’s president from 1973–1975 and again from 1990–2002. Margaret was instrumental in keeping the WSA running smoothly for many years.
Born in Ohio, she graduated from Case Western Reserve and the Cleveland Institute of Art. She went on to earn a master’s degree in art at Yale on a Carnegie Foundation Fellowship. She later moved to Wellesley where she lived and painted for sixty years. She was an associate at the St. Botolph Club, a Silver Medal winner at the Copley Society, in addition to being a member of the Cambridge Art Association and the New England Watercolor Society.
She exhibited at the DeCordova Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Federal Reserve Bank, and the Guild of Boston Artists, and continued to present with the WSA into the twenty-first century. She received high praise for her Massachusetts and New Hampshire watercolors but is equally remembered for being a most caring and compassionate person. An award was established in her honor by her family, the Margaret Fitzwilliam Award for Excellence in Watercolor, which is given annually at the WSA’s library show.
FREDERICK “FRITZ” KUBITZ
Another notable WSA member is Frederick “Fritz” Kubitz, who joined the WSA in the early 1970s. Although trained as an architect, Fritz’s lifelong love of drawing and painting afforded him a second career as a nationally recognized artist. He is best known for his marine paintings, cityscapes, and New England scenes.
He has also been a longtime member of the prestigious Guild of Boston Artists and is a former president of the New England Watercolor Society and the Wellesley Society of Artists (1974–1976). He is a Signature Member of the American Watercolor Society and the American Society of Marine Artists. In 2021, he was voted by the board of directors to be a WSA honorary lifetime member. Fritz credits the WSA with his early development as an artist. The artist demos and opportunities to talk with fellow artists were important in his creative growth. His impressive body of work was highlighted at a major retrospective at the Wellesley Free Library in 2022.
MARGARET FEARNSIDE
Margaret Fearnside not only served as president, but is remembered for her tireless efforts to sustain the mission of the WSA for many, many years. Her warmth and kindness to members and willingness to teach and share ideas are remembered by those who knew her. A fund in her name was established by family and friends to support WSA programs.
JOAN GRISWOLD
Joan Griswold is another very prominent member of this time period. Joan studied at the University of Wooster in Ohio and later with Nicholas Reale, Tom Hill, Ruth Wynn, and George Shedd. Before moving to Wellesley, she taught art in the Philadelphia area, then managed a gallery in Chatham, New Jersey, where she continued to study art, concentrating exclusively in watercolors. Joan and her husband Peter spent eight years living in Latin America, where she managed an art gallery, taught painting classes, and yet was still able to enter and win awards in national and regional U.S. shows.
Upon her return to the Boston area, Joan exhibited with the Copley Society, New England Watercolor Society (where she is a Signature Member), Concord Art Association, and galleries in Maine and on the Cape. She joined the Wellesley Society of Artists in 1980, where she continued to exhibit her award-winning watercolors. From the moment she joined the WSA, she devoted her time to serving on the board taking on any job that needed filling, including its Presidency from 1984–86. She gave selflessly of her time and always fought for what was in the best interests of our organization. She was also the treasurer for many years. Her work and devotion to the WSA had an enormous impact, and she was recognized in 2022 as one of the WSA’s honorary lifetime members.
EXHIBITING ART NEAR AND FAR
During the second half of the twentieth century, an annual Wellesley Art Festival was held and organized by the Chamber of Commerce and the WSA. Starting in the 1980s, the Wellesley Community Center became a major location for WSA exhibitions and programs for many years. During its 90-year history, WSA exhibitions have been held as far away as Kansas, and by individual members around the world.
The Twenty-First Century
DEMONSTRATIONS AND EXHIBITIONS
The beginning of this century heralded in many changes that were due in part to new leadership and a changing world. During the early years of this period of time, exhibitions and artist demonstrations continued at the Wellesley Community Center and the Wellesley Free Library, and educational programs including artist demonstrations continued within the WSA and the community.
THE EVOLUTION OF ARTIST DEMOS AND TALKS
During the early years when the group was quite small, WSA artist demonstrations and talks were given by and for WSA members only. Over many decades, this tradition evolved as the WSA membership grew and the organization prioritized the benefits of inviting the community to share in the joys of fine art.
By the late 20th century, the WSA looked beyond its membership for artists to do demos and talks and took care to ensure that these events were free and open to the public. This community service continues today as part of the WSA’s nonprofit mission.
In the 21st century, the WSA looks to well recognized professional artists throughout the New England area for its programs providing ongoing education and inspiration for artists and non-artists alike.
Some of the past demos have included a live portrait demonstration with Richard Whitney, painting the landscape with John McDonald, a live pet portrait with JoAnne Mangi, and a seascape demo with Michelle Jung, to name a few.
In addition to “live” painting demonstrations, artist talks and art-related talks have drawn interested crowds, including one with Wellesley artist Roy Perkinson, who gave an illustrated lecture, “Secrets from the French Pastels Revealed- Treasures from the Vault,” at the Wellesley Free Library. This program gave the audience things to look for when visiting the exhibit “French Pastels: Treasures from the Vault” on view at the MFA. Artist Leslie Graff’s lecture, “Translating Thoughts and Meaning into Art,” included a discussion about her series of works, artistic process, research, and photoshoots of various techniques and mediums. Graff also shared the meaning and ideas in her work and what prompt her creative decision-making. Carol O’Malia gave an inspiring talk about her artist journey which included both projected images of her large paintings as well as many finished works she brought for the audience to see. Whenever possible, the WSA records programs with the support of Wellesley Media/Wellesley Free Library and archives them for viewing on the WSA website.
EXHIBITIONS
WSA exhibitions continue to be one of its most important activities, usually hosting four shows a year. Since its early days the WSA has promoted “friendly competition” as an important element in exhibitions, which are judged by well-established professional artists, gallery directors, and art educators. Cash awards are given for first, second, and third place. At the judge’s discretion up to four honorable mentions (non-cash) are also awarded. Two additional awards are given annually at the Library Show: the Margaret Fitzwilliam Award for Excellence in Watercolor and the Yale Nicolls Award for Best Interpretation of the Natural World. Awards are presented at show receptions and posted on the WSA website along with the judge’s comments. Only judges who are comfortable looking at all styles of art and genres are asked.
NON-PROFIT DESIGNATION, NEW WEBSITE, AND ONLINE MEMBERSHIP CONVENIENCES
In 2015, the Wellesley Society of Artists officially became a 501 c (3) non-profit. This designation was an important milestone for the organization and allowed the WSA to begin efforts to solicit donations to support artist demonstrations and educational programs for both members and the community. Largely funded by member donations, the WSA website was completely rebuilt in 2017 by MarketNext Communications and became the WSA’s virtual home. The website added many new features including a member gallery with individual artist pages for all exhibiting members and comprehensive information to share with the community. These included news, events, demos, lectures, and other art-related offerings.
The new website also streamlined membership renewal and artwork registration and added many additional conveniences. At this time, the WSA board voted to change the bi-annual, in-person jury membership process to online, which allowed for “rolling admissions.” All prospective members who wish to be an Exhibiting Member now submit examples of their work and an artist statement online for review by the WSA jury committee. Once accepted, this juried membership status allows them to participate in WSA exhibitions and compete for WSA cash prizes as judged by respected independent professionals. This new system successfully facilitated the membership process and resulted in an increase in membership allowing for more members from surrounding communities and diverse painting styles.
All members benefit from a supportive environment which aids in stimulating personal and collective creativity. In an effort to encourage newer artists who may not be ready for judged shows, an “Associate Member” category was established. Historically, this membership category was usually comprised of spouses or family members, but now it includes budding artists and anyone who wishes to support the WSA’s efforts to spread the importance of art in people’s lives.
COLLABORATIONS
The WSA has participated in numerous joint ventures that have strengthened relationships and helped to promote the arts in the community.
The WSA and the Needham Art Association sponsor a joint artist demonstration in the spring, alternating the responsibility of planning and hosting the event.
For many years the WSA enjoyed collaborating with the Wellesley Garden Club in hosting a mini Art in Bloom at the Wellesley Community Center. Horticultural enthusiasts joined together to create floral pieces that reflected/interpreted the paintings done by WSA artists. This annual event brought together WSA artists and flower arrangers to mark the beginning of spring.
Another event the WSA gladly supports is the Wellesley Rotary Club’s annual “Taste of Wellesley” at Elm Bank. Member artists donate paintings for their silent auction that supports food insecurity in the community.
In 2019, the WSA participated in what was a first-of-its-kind juried joint exhibition with four other neighboring art associations at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown. The Five Stars Regional Exhibition combined artwork from the art associations of Dedham, Needham, Newton, Watertown, and Wellesley in a narrative that presented a unique perspective on the artistic voices of our region.
This union of artistic associations provided local artists access to a professional juried and judged exhibition along with the opportunity to collaborate with other talented artists. Juried by Kimberly Thompson Panay, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the exhibit included 100 pieces of visual art (twenty from each art association) in a variety of media including painting, drawing, and printmaking.
In 2019, Michelle Jung (Guild of Boston Artists) invited WSA members to join other Guild of Boston Artists for a day of plein air painting at the Elm Bank Gardens.
The Pandemic Years
The Covid-19 pandemic of the early 2020s presented many challenges for the WSA. The revitalized website and Zoom offerings enabled the WSA to continue its mission during these difficult times. With public spaces closed, and eager to find a way to bring people together through art, the WSA decided to exhibit the Spring 2020 show exclusively on its website. It proved to be an enormous success both in terms of participation and access to the public, with well over a thousand visitors to this online show. To add an international flair, the show was judged online by Ben Mowall, Past President of the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA), and Jonathan Barnard, brother of WSA member Bev Barnard and a member of the Chelsea Arts Club in the U.K. The pandemic not only changed exhibitions, but also educational programs such as artist demonstrations, which had been held three to four times a year. Efforts were made to present some of these teaching opportunities online via Zoom. The teaching and demo landscape changed for everyone during the pandemic, and the newly created online offerings continue to be an important addition to the new WSA.
One casualty of the pandemic was the Wellesley Community Center. The WSA had used this venue for the Fall and Spring shows, artist demos, and member meetings since the latter part of the 20th century. As the pandemic restrictions slowly lifted in 2022, the WSA sought new venues for shows including the Webster Bank in Wellesley, Natick’s Morse Institute Library, and the Weston Library.
EXAMPLES OF CREATIVE EXCELLENCE
In the modern era, the creative excellence developed by the original organization has continued and the WSA membership has included many notable artists.
For example, in 2004 past president and plein air artist extraordinaire, Janet Hugenberger, was honored for her forty years of distinguished service to the WSA. She studied with many of New England’s greatest artists, such as Emile Gruppe. She belonged to the Copley Society along with twelve other notable art associations and was the winner of over one hundred and twenty-five juried awards.
In 2018, the Yale Nicolls Award for the Best Interpretation of the Natural World was established by Yale’s WSA friends in recognition of her years of service to the WSA, including being its past president and secretary, as well as her innumerous contributions and leadership as an artist. Ironically, Yale was the first recipient of the award in her name, which is awarded annually at the Library Show. In addition, Yale has served as the Vice President of the New England Watercolor Society, whose past members included such names as Sargent, Wyeth, Hassam, and Benson.
Elizabeth Fawcett (1943–2021) won numerous awards during her time as a WSA member, including the Margaret Fitzwilliam Award for Excellence in Watercolor. She was also a member of the New England Watercolor Society, which now offers an award in her name in recognition of her talent and love of painting.
Roger Kastel joined the WSA later in his career after he had retired from working as an internationally respected commercial artist. Roger’s commercial work included numerous high-profile movie posters and book covers such at the Empire Strikes Back and Jaws. He now paints subjects of his own choosing, frequently birds and nature exquisitely rendered and full of life.
In addition to members previously mentioned, recent artists whose work is frequently recognized by show judges include Deborah Friedman, Maria Babb, Lori Mehta, and Sally Meding. The WSA’s membership continues to include professionals, amateurs, and emerging artists. Although most of the art is representational, there is a growing number of diverse genres and styles. The WSA continues to encourage and welcome artists with all styles of two dimensional art. The special membership category of “Honorary Lifetime Members” has existed throughout the WSA history, and it has been a way to both honor and thank members whose contributions to the WSA and artistic accomplishments merit special recognition. The WSA board voted to give Frederick “Fritz” Kubitz (2021), Joan Griswold (2022), and Suzanne Lingeman (2022) this special membership status.
The WSA Today
As the Wellesley Society of Artists celebrates its ninetieth anniversary in 2023, it is clear most of the WSA’s founding principles remain. Throughout the decades of the WSA’s 90-year history, it is the collective talent of many that have supported the WSA’s mission and cultivated art and creativity in our community. It continues to share quality fine art exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations, critiques, and other educational opportunities to its members and the community at large.
The Wellesley Free Library graciously hosts the WSA’s annual premier exhibition, as the Society expands to include other area libraries, banks, and other venues. In 2022, the WSA hosted its largest show ever at the Wellesley Library. Efforts to engage Wellesley and surrounding communities through art are ongoing and continue to be part of the mission.
The WSA believes that art education can and should be a lifetime endeavor that helps to promote joy, express feelings, and adds meaning to lives. In that spirit, the WSA’s educational programs are free and open to the public. The website also posts recordings of previous programs for those unable to attend the events in person.
In 2017, the WSA reinstituted the Annual Art Achievement Award, which is a cash prize that is given to a Wellesley High School student who demonstrates both merit and dedication to their art studies. The WSA also strives to support community needs by donating to organizations such as the Wellesley Food Pantry, Stray Pets in Need, Common Art, Pay it Forward Backpack Project, and Ukrainian War Relief with the Red Cross.
Today, the WSA has over 100 members, more than double its membership in 1940. It remains a vital community of artists dedicated to honing their craft and sharing their visual impressions of the world. The WSA promotes art as a universal language for self- expression and shared experience, with the hope that it can serve as a catalyst to bring people together.
WSA Past Presidents
Charles A. Aiken — 1933–1941
Elizabeth H. T. Huntington — 1941–1960
Harold Lindergreen — 1960–1964
Helen Sherman — 1964–1966
Joseph B. Havens — 1966–1968
Harry L. Senger — 1968–1971
Rosalie Wentworth — 1971–1973
Margaret Fitzwilliam — 1973–1975
Frederick Kubitz — 1975–1977
Maxine S. Hedsted — 1977–1978
Janet Hugenberger — 1978–1980
Margaret Fearnside — 1980–1982
Sandra Iagatta — 1982–1984
Marcia McManus & Joan Griswold — 1984–1986
Jo Anne Hungate — 1986–1988
Lee Gorman Smith — 1988–1990
Margaret Fitzwilliam — 1990–2002
Paula DeMarco — 2002–2006
Cecelia Judge — 2006–2007
Yale Nicolls — 2007–2013
Yale Nicolls & Bobbie Suratt — 2013–2014
Bobbie Suratt — 2014–2015
Bobbie Suratt and Dottie Laughlin — 2015–2018
Dottie Laughlin — 2018–2020
Nancy Treves — 2020–current
Special Thanks
The author and the entire Wellesley Society of Artists wish to express their deep gratitude for assistance in the research and use of images for this project. These sincere thanks include the Wellesley Historical Society, the Wellesley Free Library, the Peabody Essex Museum and Library, and especially the WSA’s current President, Nancy Treves.
We extend our profound thanks and gratitude to Lucy Davis of MarketNext Communications for her website design of this 90-year history and for donating editorial services, both of which were instrumental in bringing this project to life.