The Art League of New Britain is set to open its third gallery this Saturday, naming the space after Paul Baylock, its longtime president. The free, public ribbon-cutting ceremony runs from 2 to 4 p.m. at the League's historic building, a former stable and carriage house at 30 Cedar Street.
The event, reported by newbritainprogressive.com on October 14, 2026, will mark the formal debut of the Paul Baylock Gallery in the League's historic building, a former stable and carriage house. Residents can RSVP by emailing [email protected]. Confirmation of the November 7 date and the 2 to 4 p.m. window also appeared in a separate preview from newbritainprogressive.com, which described the gathering as the League's third gallery within its building and emphasized that it is free and open to everyone.
Honoring a Teacher Turned League President
The gallery is named for Baylock, who served as president of the Art League.
Baylock's ties to the organization go back well over a decade. The New Britain Museum of American Art notes that he had been involved with the New Britain Art League for more than ten years and had served as its president since 2008. The museum also records that Baylock taught art in New Britain public schools at the middle and high school level for 38 years, until retiring in 2012 — a career that puts his classroom experience and his League leadership on parallel, decades-long tracks.
Baylock’s art also draws on the city’s industrial past. In a profile accompanying his New Britain Museum of American Art exhibition, the museum described his “Hardware City” series as part of a body of work exploring New Britain’s changing landscape and history. The exhibition also included sculptures made with original windows from the Landers, Frary & Clark factory, which Baylock had acquired while renting a studio there. The museum’s profile of Baylock connects that artistic interest in salvaged industrial materials with his long-standing civic role.
A Carriage House With a Long History
The building itself carries its own backstory. The property originally served as a stable and carriage house for local industrialist George Post, and it still retains original features, including horse names displayed above the stall doors.
Ownership passed through several hands over the following decades. Post's daughter sold the barn to A.J. Sloper, who in turn sold it to William C. Hungerford. Hungerford allowed the Art League to use the stable, and after his death, his widow deeded the property and the surrounding land to the League. The barn has been the League's home since its founding in 1928.
The League’s Cedar Street home is in the Walnut Hill Historic District.
Preserving the Barn While Building for Artists
Preserving the Barn While Building for Artists The League combines stewardship of the historic building with arts activities. The addition of the Paul Baylock Gallery gives the organization a third exhibition space inside the same Cedar Street building that has housed it for nearly a century.
The League’s role has changed since its founding, while its educational roots remain part of its story. It began in 1928 as an art school offering daytime and evening sessions, then shifted in 1934 into an art club where artists could work and gather. Today, the organization describes its activities as including classes, lectures, presentations and exhibitions. That history and mission show how the Cedar Street building has served both as a place for artists to meet and as a venue for community art education.
Saturday's ceremony is open to the public at no cost. Residents can RSVP by emailing [email protected].
