With a new display at Ropewalk Shops and Cafe and another exhibit in September, the Mattapoisett Area Artists are getting their name and their art out to the public.

The group is also on its way to becoming a nonprofit organization and hopes to one day get funding to do more art shows and even have a gallery in town, say founding members Christine Bertram and David Englund.

“It’s the only way we can really go forward and get grants,” said Bertram, a painter. “Mattapoisett doesn’t really have a real gallery anymore ­– a group of artists.”

Graduate students from UMass Dartmouth have been working with the Mattapoisett Area Artists to help them gain nonprofit status.

“They’ve just been wonderful,” said Englund, a sculptor.

The artists first began meeting five years ago, and between 12 and 20 people continue to gather once a month to discuss their work as well as opportunities that arise.

Bertram said the group is open to all artists and draws a variety of people.

“It’s not just painters,” she said. “There are graphic designers, photographers, etc. Some people show in New York and other places. It’s pretty diverse.”

As they move forward, the artists would like to find more places to exhibit their work. In the meantime, almost 20 pieces are on display at the Ropewalk, and there will be another show in September at Tinkhamtown Helping Hands Society.

The group is always open to more folks, too.

“There’s a lot of artists in this town and we keep finding more and more,” said Bertram.

To learn more about the Mattapoisett Area Artists and find out when they will next meet, call Becky McCann, acting secretary, at 508-783-0023.