Sixty-five years ago, the Barbie doll debuted, President Dwight D. Eisenhower was finishing his second term, Bobby Darin’s song “Mack the Knife” topped the charts and “Gigi” won a record nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Vincente Minnelli.
That same year, the Northfield Arts Guild opened its doors.
According to Bruce William Colwell’s book, “Celebrating Arts and Community: The History of the Northfield Arts Guild,” 60 residents attended a meeting to approve of the name.
The name signified the new organization was all-inclusive of fine arts programs that included the visual arts, theater, music, literature and dance.
“Although the Northfield Arts Guild was founded relatively early on in the 20th century American community-based arts center movement, it followed two historic American community art movements — the lyceum and the Chautauqua,” wrote Colwell.
The lyceum provided adults with civic education in the form of lectures and debates, while Chautauqua was another popular adult education movement that bought entertainment and culture to the whole community with speakers, musicians and specialists of the day.
“Strong arts organizations can be great community builders,” said Patsy Dew.
Dew, who took over the theater program at the Guild when Myrna Johnson retired, said long lasting friends develop, as well as trust among neighbors and connections across generations, when people work together on a project like putting on a play, singing in a choir, playing in an orchestra or a band, serving on a committee that plans a series of art exhibitions, or hanging a show in the gallery.
“The performing arts are, by nature, group activities. We tend to think of visual arts or writing as solo activities, but these are never done solely for that one person,” said Dew. “Artists need an audience for their creations, and artists need ways to share ideas with/to learn from each other.”
Susan Carlson said she remembers when the additions to the Northfield Arts Guild Theater extended the lobby to include handicapped access and a restroom to the front and a scene shop and costume area to the back of the Third Street W. building.
Although most of her participation in the Guild has been in the theater as an actor, stage manager, a set and costume designer, as well as the director of at least 12 plays, Carlson is serving as the Guild’s board president.
“We help make art happen by supporting all areas of art creation,” she said. “In each area are committed artists of all kinds who want to share and to teach. As a board and as an organization, we try to make room for more people by collaborating together.”
As the director of “The Matchmaker” at the Guild Theater in April, Carlson said she’s also directed many Guild productions outdoors in Memorial Park.
“You work with the space you’ve got and make the most out of it,” she said.
Despite the Guild Theater’s economical space, Carlson said the acoustics are solidly spot on.
“We’re happy to be fully staffed and to have Michael on board,” she said, referring to new executive director Michael Johnson. “He’s been making a lot of important connections with other city organizations.”
Johnson, who was handing out programs at Sunday’s performance of “Shakespeare’s Will” at the Guild Theater, said he knows he’s the most recent addition to a long, rich history of arts supporters in Northfield.
“My anniversary with the Northfield Arts Guild may be far shorter than the thousands of supporters who continue to help build this incredible arts institution, but every day my appreciation for their selfless contributions grows deeper,” said Michael Johnson, executive director.
Johnson said he’s I’m thrilled to be the executive director at the Guild and eager to find even more ways for the Guild to welcome even more people into our creative community.
“When all people in our community have a supportive place like the Guild to express themselves and create meaningful connections, we all benefit,” he said.
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