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The Visual Art Library (VAL) is a non-circulating collection that archives artists’ monographs and biographies, rare books, art journals, auction catalogs, and ephemera located in the Historic Arts District of New London, CT. Its scope includes writings, criticism, and history from diverse perspectives on art movements and international exhibitions. The library’s mission is the preservation of these extraordinary resources and to inspire future generations of artists and scholars. This gathering of art-related materials continues to grow and now consists of more than 80,000 books and more than 100,000 pieces of Contemporary Visual Art ephemera. George Waterman III, the founder of the library, believes that art can change young lives, as it changed his. Our mission is to preserve this archive and to introduce visual arts to young minds, develop interest in arts learning, and support art scholarship to inform a boundless future.

Currently, the VAL is a growing community resource for arts-based learning and design thinking that enriches the lives of New London residents and reaches arts communities throughout the Eastern CT shoreline. The VAL is a unique space of inspiration that fits into New London’s vibrant creative community. Through partnerships with a growing number of artists and arts organizations the VAL is creating a depth of community connections.