​The Arts Society was previously known as the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts (NADFAS) the origin of which was the brainchild of Patricia Fay who started the first society, Chiltern Antiques Group, with her friends in 1965, later to become Chiltern DFAS. Within two years there were seven societies.

In 1968 the first eleven formed the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies, holding the first meeting at the Victoria and Albert Museum in the presence of HRH The Duchess of Kent, who became the first patron. Sadly, Patricia Fay died in 1979, aged 46, but by the time of her death there were already one hundred societies in existence.

Today that figure is closer to four hundred with societies in Europe, Australia and New Zealand and worldwide membership exceeding 90,000.  In May 2017 the decision was taken to change the name of the national organisation to ​THE ARTS SOCIETY.