The Newton Arts Association (NAA) dates back to October 1968, when twenty-seven local artists began painting together. For many years, the group met in the homes of members and in other locations. They also hosted art shows and exhibits in a variety of locations, including the Warkentine House.
The NAA sponsored classes, workshops, demonstrations and shows, including Kansas State Extension Classes, Watercolor USA at Bethel College, two Christmas Art Shows, and the mobile gallery from the Wichita Art Museum.
In 1974, the NAA held the first Newton Art Fair, an annual festival that continued until the NAA combined efforts with the Newton Chamber of Commerce and the Newton Recreation Commission to create the Sand Creek Folk Life Festival.
The NAA was also responsible for purchasing "The Skipper", a sculpture by Wichita artist Babs Mellor. "The Skipper" is located in the courtyard of the Newton Public Library.
In 1983 the Newton Fine Arts Association received a bequest that established a nucleus for growth. Among other things, this bequest allowed the Association to establish a gallery of its own. That gallery is the Carriage Factory Art Gallery.
The Carriage Factory Art Gallery was established at its present location in 1983, with the Association renting the facilities from the Railroad Savings & Loan. Then, in September of 1993, the deed for the building was gifted to the Association.
The Carriage Factory Art Gallery takes its name from the original use of the buildings as a blacksmith shop and carriage factory. The Blacksmith Gift Shop occupies the original brick building built by John Jacob Krehbiel in the late 1800s. The Carriage Factory Art Gallery occupies the larger addition built in 1911 to accommodate Krehbiel's large and growing business.
The J. J. Krehbiel Park adjacent to the gallery is the site of the original Krehbiel family home and was donated to the gallery and the Newton Fine Arts Association by a Krehbiel family member. Much of the wrought iron fence around the park originally surrounded the Krehbiel home. The wrought iron fountain in the park was a 1995 gift from a great nephew of J.J. Krehbiel.
Today, the Carriage Factory Art Gallery remains a privately owned and operated organization. The gallery hosts a regular rotation of six annual member exhibits, as well as a number of special exhibits, classes, workshops and other events such as the Celebration of Sound & Color each July and the World of Small & Miniature Art show each winter.
The Newton Fine Arts Association and the Carriage Factory Art Gallery continues to be supported privately by the generous donations, gifts and volunteerism of local businesses and residents, as well as by memberships and sales.
The Carriage Factory Art Gallery is located at 128 East Sixth Street, half a block east of Midland National Bank. Regular business hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, by appointment and by accident.
Stop in and see us sometime. It will be time well spent.
The purpose of this non-profit association shall be to promote the cultural interests of the people of the Newton area in all fields of creative arts, to promote theory and practice of the principles of the arts, and to provide forums and exhibitions for the stimulation of public interest.
The Newton Fine Arts Association, Inc., located in the historic J. J. Krehbiel Carriage Factory buildings, invites you to support the arts and the gallery by becoming a member.
Owned & operated by the Newton Fine Arts Association and its members.
"This program is presented in part by the Kansas Arts Commission, a state agency,
and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency."
Carriage Factory Gallery -
128 East Sixth Street -
Newton, Kansas 67114
316/284-2749 - Contact Us
HOURS: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday through Saturday
© 2009 Carriage Factory Gallery.
All artwork on this site is copyrighted by the Carriage Factory Gallery and/or
its member artists and may not be reproduced in any manner without express written permission of the artist.
These images should not be downloaded, copied, linked to, or edited in any manner or form for use on any website, image gallery or clipart collection.