Darien Historical Society Announces Darien 1925-1950 ~ Golden Age of Art and Design

The Darien Historical Society will soon be taking visitors on a trip back in time, to an era in Darien’s history rich with the arts and creativity. Their exhibit, Darien 1925-1950 ~ Golden Age of Art and Design, opening on April 22, will showcase the work of a wide variety of artists and their influence on the town. The exhibit will run through September 11, 2016, with a champagne reception on April 22 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Society will also host several evening receptions featuring talks by the key curators, and a souvenir program booklet.

The exhibit begins with the story of how Darien formed New England’s second earliest art colony, the Guild of the Seven Arts, and how the new world of radios, slick magazines and Victrolas created a huge demand for artists in the New York metropolitan area; many flocking to live and work in Darien. Significant contributions were made by artists like Robert Pallesen, co-founder of the Guild, who painted the murals in the lobby of the Darien Town Hall (then Darien High School).

The influence of the Guild of the Seven Arts was notably marked by the Darien Review in an October 1930 article stating, “Probably nothing that has ever come into the life of the people of Darien, from the far-off days when it was known as Middlesex and was part of the township of Stamford, to the present time, has exerted so great a cultural influence as the Guild of the Seven Arts.”

Creativity and talent thrived during this Golden Age and historical works of a multitude of Darien’s cultural icons are included in the exhibit. The town’s rich heritage includes a world famous photojournalist, a three-time America’s Cup winning yacht designer, a renowned muralist, designers of the Electrolux canister vacuum, Macy’s holiday decorations, and America’s best basic wooden boats. It also includes cartoonists, a Mt. Rushmore visionary and sculptor, a nationally known watercolorist, illustrator, portraitist, stained glass designer and Art Deco painter, one of America’s greatest pianists and composers, a Metropolitan Opera star and a Broadway writer and producer.

According to Ken Reiss, historian for the Historical Society, “The show is not so much about art as it is about the exciting adolescence of this evolving town. Picture if you will, a much smaller Darien, with only a third as many residents as there are today, at least half of whom were relative newcomers to town. A good number of those residents had a connection with the New York art scene, as artists, publishers, or in the new world of glossy magazines and radio. Others pursued art for pleasure, or just liked to hang around that creative and slightly exotic world. The birth of the Darien Guild of the Seven Arts gave that world some organization at a time that was both exciting and fun.”

The hours of the exhibit are from noon to 5 p.m. from Tuesdays through Thursdays, and on Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. A non-member donation of $5 is suggested. The Darien Historical Society is located at 45 Old Kings Highway North. To find out about sponsorship opportunities, contact executive director Jack Gault at (203) 655-9233. To find out more about Darien 1925-1950, Golden Age of Art and Design, please visit, darienhistorical.org.

Photos: Committee members prepare for the Darien Historical Society’s upcoming exhibit. Pictured are Lynn Sheppard, Ken Reiss, executive director Jack Gault, Elissa Hylton, Pat Atkin and Carole Johnson.

Article in Darien Review from October of 1930, reflecting on the cultural influence of the Guild of the Seven Arts in Darien.

Artwork circa 1925 on silver leaf paper by Robert Pallesen, artist and co-founder of the Darien Guild of the Seven Arts.