Thoughtful practice, learning skills, and sharing knowledge is our currency. The Guild is a
catalyst for the arts, where anyone can come for a day—or stay for a lifetime. New Harmony is
the base camp for the Artists Guild. Residents of Posey County and neighboring counties make
up our general watershed. With arts education under pressure, we continue to provide a
familiar place where art making is welcomed for both local residents and visitors.
The Guild Today
This past year, the New Harmony Artists Guild has entered a new era. John Jeffery has
graciously invited the Guild to take up residence at Elliott Farm, fulfilling the dream Claudia
Elliot had to make the place a Foundation for the Arts. The reenergized Board, consisting of Ben
Nicholson, Liz Mumford, Jean Hadley, Stephen Lucas, Lenny Dowhie, Michelle Peterlin, and Paul
Moser, are committed to creating a place to incubate, practice, and welcome every aspect of
art making.
Always respectful of the messy and unpredictable process of creativity, we now have our house
in order. A proper home, banking, insurance, state compliance, ramp accessibility, and new
locks & lighting are all in place. In short, our doors are open, and we are good to go.
Guild as Incubator
Over its 20+ year history, the Guild has been the incubator for nascent projects that go on to
form their own 501c3, such as Under the Beams. In 2023 The New Harmony Music Festival &
School graduated from the Guild’s 501c3 to become its own organization. The New Harmony
Clay Project remains under the Guild’s umbrella, with plans for the future.
The Vision for our Future
Erik Arneberg bequeathed a significant sum that is the cornerstone of our Endowment. With
the Guild’s 20+ year history, we are now taking stock of how we can best fit into the fabric of
New Harmony, working alongside the several organizations that nurture the arts. Our town
includes an outsize community of creatives and we have compiled a list of over 100 artists and
makers living in New Harmony and its hinterland. We know that we are a place for artists and
musicians of every stripe. We also have in our midst people working in crafts, ceramics,
performance, textiles, writing, cuisine, design, horticulture, body & spirit arts, and arts
administration. These are the disciplines that New Harmony already does on a daily basis—and
the Guild is here to encourage fellowship and share our collective talents with the world.