The Woodworkers Guild is one of nine guilds that composes the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society (LexArt). More than just a guild, we are active participants in a larger community of artists and craftspeople.
Founded in 1935, LexArt is a 501(c)(3) non-profit regional education center dedicated to the preservation and promotion of excellence in both the traditional and contemporary arts and crafts.
LexArt holds a variety of year-round exhibits in their Parsons Gallery, providing opportunities for members to exhibit and sell their work.
LexArt also offers a year-round schedule of reasonably priced classes and workshops for Adults and Teens. These are open to the public and to guild members (at a discounted rate).
LexArt also provides continuing support to graduating seniors from Lexington High School, in the form of scholarships.
guilds
woodworkers
The Woodworkers Guild fosters the art and craft of woodworking to build a community of people who love wood and woodworking. Through mentoring and shared projects, members challenge each other to meet ever-higher standards. Members come together in the guild’s well-equipped shop to encourage and learn from each other, and design and build woodwork that is functional, beautiful, and expressive.
ceramics
The Ceramics Guild is a group of experienced potters who work and learn from each other. The guild has a fully-equipped studio including six kilns—three electric kilns, a test kiln, an outdoor raku kiln, and a 28 cu ft gas kiln. Members fire in reduction and oxidation up to cone 10. The guild offers classes and workshops for adults and teens year-round and hosts the bi-annual State of Clay show, a respected juried exhibition of state-wide ceramic artists.
Decorative Arts/Basketry
The work of the Decorative Arts Guild is both ornamental and functional. Members work with wood, glass, metal, ceramic, textile, reed and cane, and experiment with a variety of techniques including decorative painting, basket making, silk flower arranging, stained glass art, upholstery, and more. Members are beginners to expert-level artists who network, learn, teach, take classes, socialize and create together, exploring each member’s individual areas of interest and expertise.
metalworkers
The Metalworkers Guild is a group of experienced artists who work with a range of metals from gold to brass in a variety of metalworking techniques. Artists craft fine jewelry and decorative pieces in a well-equipped studio that includes benches, tools, soldering booths, flex shafts, kilns, polishing equipment and more. Guild members maintain the studio, which also provides meeting space for two other guilds. Classes in jewelry making, enameling, and metal clay are offered year-round. Workshops and guided open studios with expert instructors are also offered. Members have scheduled access to the studio when classes and workshops are not in session and the room is not being used by other guilds.
needle arts
Hand crafters of all skill levels are welcome to join the Needle Arts Guild, whose motto is “Everyone is welcome who creates something with any kind of a needle”. Member interests are wide ranging, including quilting, sewing, cross-stitch, embroidery, needlepoint, knitting, felting, crocheting, mixed-media, rug hooking and braiding. Members meet regularly to work on projects and share ideas, challenges, techniques and inspiration in the Needle Arts room, which contains basic craft supplies and work tables. Meetings take place weekly on Tuesdays 10 am-noon and on 2nd & 4th Thursday evenings from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. The guild welcomes anyone interested to come to meetings to learn more. The guild occasionally goes on field trips to local museums and special exhibits or shopping expeditions for crafting supplies. Donations of yarn, fabric, and other needle art items are accepted throughout the year to prepare for the popular open-to-the-public fiber swap & giveaway proudly hosted by the guild each spring.
painters
The Painters Guild is one of the original Guilds formed when the Society was founded in 1935. Members range from professional and semi-professional artists to beginners all of whom enjoy working and learning together. Artists work in all media including oil, watercolor, acrylic and pastel. The Plummer Studio provides a well-equipped space for hosting a variety of classes taught by professional and nationally known instructors. Classes are offered in all media, for beginners through advanced painters. Weekly studio painting, portrait and figure drawing events are open to Society and Guild members. Free demonstrations by visiting professional artists are scheduled throughout the year and are open to the public.
photography
The Photographers Guild welcomes all photographers. Members practice many types of photography—landscape, close-up, travel, local interest, abstract, nature, and fine art. Meetings include critiques of members' new work and discussions on photographic techniques, composition, selling and presenting one’s work, and other subjects of interest. The Photographers Guild offers classes that are open to the public.
polymer clay/beaders
The Polymer & Beading Guild artists are focused on innovative and high-quality advanced polymer techniques and sophisticated beadwork. The guild’s mission is to promote polymer and beadwork to the public, and support the artistic growth of members in a supportive environment of like-minded artists via the exchange of knowledge and expertise. At meetings, members analyze and critique member work, demonstrate new products and materials, and brainstorm solutions. The guild regularly offers classes and hosts workshops featuring nationally and internationally known instructors.
weavers
The Weaving and Fiber Arts Guild is a community of fiber artists at all levels of skill and knowledge. Through classes, workshops, and informal discussions our mission is to share our expertise and ideas in weaving, spinning, dyeing, basket weaving and related arts with the broader community as well as with each other. Equipped with a wide assortment of weaving looms and fiber as well as an extensive library, the guild studio is a place where we work together as educators, designers and artisans.