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Photo courtesy of Mountain Brook Art Association
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Photo courtesy of Mountain Brook Art Association
Ron Lewis, whose students founded the Mountain Brook Art Association
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Photo courtesy of Mountain Brook Art Association
The Mountain Brook Art Association has been promoting an interest in the arts for over 40 years.
Starting in 1981, the group came to life when a few students taking lessons from local artist Ron Lewis wanted to publicly display their work. Lewis taught through the Mountain Brook Community Education Program.
In what would later be known as the association’s first art show, they set their paintings against trees along Church Street in Crestline Village and offered them for sale. It was such a success that they officially formed the club, with Cary Baker being the first president.
The bylaws were written so that the association would focus on two-dimensional art in traditional mediums of painting and drawing.
Since then, the MBAA has hosted an annual spring show, traditionally held outdoors in Crestline, but bad weather in 2019 forced the show indoors. The COVID-19 pandemic effectively shut down the 2020 and 2021 shows, but it returned in 2022.
With roughly 150 members and still growing, the current MBAA president, Christi Bunn, said they limit the number of show participants.
Along with the annual event, the MBAA also offers members educational opportunities through demos, and they share tips and information about opportunities for shows or art education happening in the area.
To become a member, you must live within a 25-mile radius of Mountain Brook, and artists who wish to participate in the spring show must come to at least two meetings in the year before the show in order to be eligible.
For more information about MBAA, go to mountainbrookartassociation.com.
