MACT

In 1959 a visionary group of artists and patrons saw that what Northfield needed most was a gathering space for the arts, where everyone is welcome and included.

Meeting around a kitchen table, these founders planned the Guild’s first ever production, Ah Wilderness, which opened on August 20, 1959 at a former church on West Third Street. The Guild continued to program at the site, acquiring it in 1961 as our permanent first home. Over the next two decades, the Guild grew to offer programming in theater, visual arts, arts education and more.

In 1979, the Guild expanded with the addition of our downtown building, continuing the building’s rich civic history – first built as a YMCA in 1885. Our downtown site provided the Guild with space for a large gallery, dedicated studio/classroom space, a gift shop, and offices. In 1988 the Guild purchased the building, and we continue to present abundant programming in theater, music, visual arts and arts education within these two historic buildings. In 2017 we expanded programming to provide free and collaborative arts outreach activities throughout Northfield. It is thanks to the efforts of our community that the Guild was created and continues to thrive.

Today, it is hard to imagine Northfield without the Guild. Thousands of people visit the Guild annually, enjoying nearly 100 annual arts events and 30 or more weekly art classes. The Guild is also very active in developing Northfield as an arts tourism destination, acting as fiscal agent and business consultant for several projects.

The Guild’s next theater production will be Lerner and Loew’s “My Fair Lady“, running October 18 through November 3.