About The Guild

The Southern Oregon Guild is a 501c3 nonpofit membership organization dedicated to supporting artists and the arts in the Southern Oregon region. Our Guild Gallery and Art Center, located in the Historic Kerby Belt Building, is a hub of creative activity. Our calendar includes quarterly juried shows of members’ work in the co-op gallery that provides opportunities to enjoy, buy, and sell art. Classes and workshops in both art technique and business skills — taught by members and visitors — enable professional growth for artists and experiences of their own creativity for community members. Special events explore exciting careers, unusual creative adventures, and avenues for self-expression. We are active members of: The Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce, Southern Oregon Society of Artists (SOSA), and the Southern Oregon Artists Resource (SOAR).

Our Mission

The Guild’s mission is to strengthen the economic and cultural well being of southern Oregon, especially Josephine County and the Illinois Valley community, by 1) supporting local and regional artists in their professional growth; 2) providing art and culture programs for the community, and 3) encouraging the growth of the arts economy in the Southern Oregon region. We are a community of artists, craftspeople, literary, and performing artists engaged at all levels of artistic and professional development.

The Guild Gallery & Art Center

Our Guild Gallery & Art Center, located in the historic Kerby Belt Building, is headquarters for the Southern Oregon Guild. We offer classes, special events, and curate quarterly themed juried art exhibits of Guild members’ work, displaying an amazing array of art and fine crafts. We are located in the Illinois Valley, 26 miles SW of Grants Pass on the Redwood Hwy 199 and 17 miles from the Oregon Caves National Monument. We serve as a bridge for travelers to and from the Oregon Coast and the Three Rivers Region of Southern Oregon. The Gallery can be rented for special events, meetings, gatherings, workshops, and performances. 

Guild Classes & Workshops

Through our Growing Creative Community Program, we produce a variety of educational classes and workshops that can be attended online or in-person at our Gallery & Art Center. We strive to showcase how creative expression in its innumerable forms threads throughout our community. We offer both Guild Members and regional artists paid opportunities to share their skills, as anyone can submit a class proposal for an offering that supports the development and recognition of creative thinking or artistic skills. All classes are open to the public, offered at a sliding scale rate, and feature 1-2 scholarships.