The Company educated its craftsmen by apprenticeship from its earliest days and in 1872 the Company was represented at the Founding Committee that eventually established the City & Guilds of London institute.
The Painter-Stainers' Arts Society (PSAS) comprises of members of the Company who carry forward the traditions which shaped the Company by hosting exhibitions of its members work and promoting the legacy of important fine artists and decorative craftsmen in our Company's history.
The forerunner to the PSAS, the Painters' Decorative and Fine Art Society, was established in 1988 and showcased annually, 'Art in the City', a three day exhibition of Members' works. Some of our Fine Art Scholars and Decorative Surfaces Fellows also exhibit at these shows. Through our links with London art schools we continue to encourage these artists through our Charity and Education Committee.
In Spring 2024 we participated in London Craft Week for the first time, showcasing our Decorative Surfaces Fellows alongside decorative craftsmen and ornamental artists in the Company over two days. The event included an exhibition (The Gilded City), demonstrations, workshops and tours of Painters' Hall. In the Autumn our Art In The City exhibition returned in sparkling new format. Illusion - the Inquisitive Eye featured a collection of outstanding selected works highlighting an eclectic mix of painters, sculptors, designers, decorators and craftspeople in the Company, whose works range across a wide variety of contemporary practice and traditional discipline.
In May 2025 we marked London Craft Week with a Craft Celebration event showcasing the remarkable talents of our members demonstrating gilding, marbling, stencilling, bookbinding, trompe l’oeil, gilding, making watercolour paints, illumination, fine art frame making, and wallpaper / historic panel restoration.
Our Art In The City exhibition London’s Dreaming will return on October 8-11.