History of Rome Art Coterie

Rome Art Coterie traces its roots to about 1990, when a group of local artists and art lovers created the Arts Center, a gallery and teaching space in an empty store on Broad Street in downtown Rome. With very little funding and run mostly by volunteers, the center was warmly received by the public, but struggled to stay open. After several years, it was reluctantly closed.

In 1993, many of those involved in the Arts Center founded Rome Art Coterie, a support organization for the Shorter College of Art, where some of them had first met in an art class. During its association with Shorter, Coterie's membership grew, and in order to reach an even bigger audience, Coterie left Shorter and affiliated with Rome Area Council for the Arts, or RACA. RACA has been an established arts support organization in Rome for many years.

In 2003, Coterie and RACA joined forces to host their first National Juried Art Exhibition, with cash awards now totaling $2,000. Entries, which come from all over the country, have increased significantly every year.

Coterie welcomes anyone with an interest in art, whether you create art or just love it, to join us.