Salmagundi Club facts for kids

Salmagundi Club
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in New York City Show map of New York City Location in New York Show map of New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	47 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York
Built	1853
Architectural style	Italianate
NRHP reference No.	74001275
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	July 25, 1974

The Salmagundi Club is an art center in New York City. It was started in 1871 in Greenwich Village, a neighborhood in Manhattan. Since 1917, it has been at 47 Fifth Avenue. As of 2021^[update], about 1,250 people are members of the club.

The Salmagundi Club is a place for fine arts, artists, and art collectors. It holds art exhibitions, art classes, and demonstrations by artists. The club also hosts art auctions and many other events. It helps support the United States Coast Guard Art Program (COGAP).

History of the Salmagundi Club

The Salmagundi Club began in 1871. It was first called the New York Sketch Class. Later, it was known as the New York Sketch Club. The club started in the Broadway studio of sculptor Jonathan Scott Hartley. This was in the eastern part of Greenwich Village.

A group of artists, students, and friends met there weekly. They were from the National Academy of Design. The club officially changed its name to The Salmagundi Sketch Club in January 1877. The name might come from "salmagundi," a type of stew the group often served. It could also be from Washington Irving's Salmagundi Papers.

The club grew quickly and moved several times. In April 1917, the club bought a building at 47 Fifth Avenue. This building was a brownstone townhouse built in 1853. It cost $75,000.00. The club also added a two-story annex to the back. This new part held its main art gallery and a billiard room. More than 500 people came to a party to celebrate the new building on February 5, 1918.

In 1918, the club helped with a national effort. They created special paintings to train military gunners for World War I. The club gave the artists the canvases and painting supplies.

In 1969, the building was named a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. In 1975, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a historically important place.

Club Membership

For its first 100 years, only men could be members of the Salmagundi Club. However, artworks by women were still shown and praised. A club for women artists, the Pen and Brush Club, was started nearby in 1894. The Salmagundi Club began allowing women to join in 1973.

Many famous artists have been members of the Salmagundi Club. These include William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, Norman Rockwell, and N.C. Wyeth.

Some honorary members have been Winston Churchill and Buckminster Fuller.

In 1894, to raise money for the growing club's library, artist members were invited to decorate ceramic mugs, which were then fired by Charles Volkmar, the club potter. The club would host a dinner followed by an auction of the finished mugs ... Over the years, many decorated mugs have been returned to the club and are on exhibit in the library along with the largest collection of used artists' palettes in America.

—Dubuque Museum of Art

The Salmagundi Club has a special committee that takes care of its art collection. This collection has about 1,800 artworks. They are from the 1840s to today. The collection includes paintings, sculptures, and works on paper. All these pieces are by past and present club members.

The collection grows through prizes from exhibitions and competitions. Artists also donate works, and sometimes art is left to the club in wills.

The artworks are regularly moved around and displayed in the clubhouse. They are also shown in live and online exhibitions throughout the year.

Club Presidents

See also

In Spanish: Salmagundi Club para niños