pocket doors connect
a street-front gallery with
the new dining hall. The
sun-filled space is also
used for receptions; its
walls provide additional
exhibition space for
paintings from the club’s
collection previously
kept in storage.
A few years ago, architects and club members Angela and Lance Bay
of Bay + Bay Architects in Providence volunteered to craft a master plan.
They argued that while the club’s quirky ambience was endearing, an
overall vision was essential if it were to function efficiently. Instead of the
occasional repainting or responding to a structural emergency, the Bays
orchestrated a masterful reallocation of space.
“Planning for the recent renovations took a long time,” says Emlen,
“and construction went on for years after that. I think the results of this
deliberate approach demonstrate that the architect and the Art Club
managed to find the right balance between creating an efficient, effective
physical plant and being responsible stewards of historic buildings.”
The beloved dining rooms and main gallery in the 1791 Seril Dodge
House, the club’s first building, were considered sacrosanct, but the archi-
tects managed to restore both while retaining their medieval tavern-like
charm. A bar with the style and warmth of a London gentlemen’s club was
added to the gallery. With timbered ceilings, tile floors, and silhouettes of
