Abington Arts Center Brings Culture to Community

Abington Art Center

Abington Arts Center sits at the intersection of culture and community. Situated on the grounds of a 27-acre estate in Jenkintown, the Center offers a space for art exhibitions, cultural programs, and events that strive to make communion with art a part of everyday life for the citizens of Montgomery County. The institution doesn’t just do this passively—they walk the walk, with curated events, classes for individuals of all ages, and a welcoming sense of place within the Greater Philadelphia Community.

The roots of the Abington Arts Center date back to 1939, when a group of 26 local women formed the Old York Road Art Guild. Their mission was to create a space for the arts to flourish as an integral part of life. They hosted monthly chats, exhibitions, and classes to expand the worldview and the enjoyment of the local citizenry, welcoming all who were interested. The guild grew into a nonprofit organization in the 1960s, a reflection of the work they had already been doing for decades.

Since 1970, the Abington Arts Center has been in residence at Alverthorpe Manor, 10 miles outside of Center City. As it currently stands, the Manor was built in 1939 for Lessing J. Rosenwald, who offered the property as a gift along with his wife, Edith. The 52-room mansion was home to Rosenwald’s legendary collection of rare books and prints, which are now part of the permanent collections of the Library of Congress and National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Thus, the legacy of Alverthorpe Manor is deeply rooted in art.

Throughout the year, the Abington Arts Center hosts classes, concerts, exhibitions, and public and private events. A full public calendar can be found by scaning QR code on this page.

The Studio School offers classes for children at various age levels. Fall classes include clay work, drawing and painting, cartooning and comic books, ceramics, and jewelry making. Adult classes in painting, drawing, ceramics, jewelry and metal, printmaking, and watercolors are also offered for individuals 16 years or older. The fall semester runs Sept. 18 through Dec. 3 for in-person classes, and information about registration and costs can be found by scaning QR code on this page. A limited number of scholarships are available based on merit and financial need.

The Center also hosts weekly summer camp programs from June 13 through August 22. Students can enroll in camp programs tailors specifically to their interests, including art, clay making, comics and illustration, and acting.

Throughout its 80-year history, Abington Arts Center has brought world-class art to its own backyard, and it has done so in an active, community-focused way. The plethora of events and engaging opportunities that the organization maintains only suggests that the best is yet to come.

Calendar School