History of the Visual Art Society

Prior to 1973 there were two art leagues in Brazos County; one in Bryan, and one in College Station. The Arts council held a meeting of the officers of the two groups and proposed that they join forces and become the Brazos Valley Art League. If the two groups would become one entity, the Arts Council would find a place for the group to meet and have a small gallery.

In April 1975 the Brazos Valley Art League adopted by-laws, elected officers for the purpose of incorporating to become a non-profit organization and filed necessary documents with the state of Texas to become chartered.

Connie Wortham donated the use of a small building, which she and her husband owned, for the use of meetings and as a small gallery. BVAL began meeting and showing artwork in 1975 at this location. By 1977 the group outgrew the space and found another temporary location on Texas Avenue near Manor East Mall.

Phyllis Dozer, then acting Executive Director of the new Brazos Center, contacted then BVAL President, Ruth Bertrand, and set up a meeting with the BVAL Board to discuss the new Brazos Center facility and the possibility of becoming a permanent resident of the center. BVAL membership voted to moved to the Brazos Center, which opened in 1978. The Art League maintained meeting, painting/workshop, storage and office space for 23 years. As the Brazos Center grew and changed, the BVAL strategic planning committee looked into opportunities for a new permanent residence that would furnish BVAL with a gallery, a meeting room, and studio space to rent to local artists.

On September 23,2002 groundbreaking ceremonies took place for the new Arts Center in which the BVAL became an investor. BVAL has had classrooms for art classes, Wednesday Painters, and juried art shows in the Texas Gallery. The first meeting took place at this location in January 2004.

After parting ways with the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley in 2018, the organization rebranded itself, the Visual Art Society of Bryan-College Station and partnered with Degallery for meeting and gallery space.

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