Built in 1978, the Burlington Art Centre was developed as an ideal home for the many visual art and craft guilds that had been active in Burlington since the 1950s. There are seven guilds that have fully-equipped studios at the Centre. The guilds include Fine Arts , Handweavers and Spinners , Hooking Craft , Photography , Potters , Fibre Arts, and Sculptors and Woodcarvers .

Each guild will run a varied program to promote a greater understanding of their specific art form and to involve people as creators. The guilds represent an important point of access to the Centre as a whole. Typical guild participants will enter as a beginner and through classes, critiques discussion and exhibition they develop themselves to a serious amateur or professional level.

Each guild has an annual Juried Exhibition which is a highlight for their members and provides valuable interaction between the guild and practicing professionals. The demands on the guest juror are heavy. They not only judged quality, creativity, technical expertise and select prizewinners, they also discuss their selection criteria and choices with the participating artists. This provides a vital educational session which raises many issues facing contemporary artists. Our Guild Juried Exhibition attracts a broad and vital audience of practioners from the region.