Year Established: 1909

Club Founding:
Created by the Los Angeles Painters Club, which had been established in 1906 as an informal group of male artists. A significant impetus to form the California Art Club was to allow both sculptors and women artists to participate.

Club Activities

Gold Medal Exhibitions: The Club’s Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibitions, considered to be one of the country’s premier exhibitions of contemporary-traditional fine art, have been held in recent years at the Pasadena Museum of California Art.

Ongoing Exhibitions include:

• Rotating exhibitions of paintings at the Club’s permanent gallery at the historic El Molino Viejo (The Old Mill) in San Marino, Calif.
• A selection of scenic paintings of Northern and Southern California at the historic Maxwell House, the headquarters of the Western Justice Center Foundation.
• Themed exhibitions of artwork at myriad venues throughout California, including the Altadena Town & Country Club (Altadena, CA), Hennessey + Ingalls Art & Architecture Bookstore (Santa Monica, CA), the Pacific Asia Museum (Pasadena, CA), the California Historical Society (San Francisco, CA), the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (San Luis Obispo, CA), Oceanside Art Museum (Oceanside, CA) and Carnegie Art Museum (Oxnard, CA).
• Themed exhibitions of paintings by members of the Club known as the "Pasadena Art Colony" at the famed Marston’s Restaurant in Pasadena, Calif.

Special Events and Exhibitions: The Club collaborates with prominent museums and cultural organizations to present exhibitions and programs that showcase aspects of California’s rich history. Included among these institutions are:

Collectors’ Circle Events: Special activities for this category of membership include the Annual Collectors’ Circle Benefit and Preview of the Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, the Annual Art Dinners at homes of private collectors, and tours of artist studios and other art-related venues.

Corporate 100 Events: Special activities for this category of membership include three Annual Luncheons featuring renowned artists sharing their inspiration as well as their perspective on how to view and value art, as well as invitations to CAC signature events.

Master Artist Workshops: Renowned artists teach and demonstrate traditional fine art skills of painting, sculpture and drawing

Publication of the quarterly California Art Club Newsletter

Membership Meetings: Topics for these meetings range from discussion and demonstrations on traditional fine arts, to lectures on California art history, conservation, framing, and more.

Paint-Outs: These events enable art patrons to watch Club artists at work at different scenic locations throughout the Golden State.

Membership Categories

Artist Member – Professional fine art painter residing in California; selected by the membership jury. Number of Artist Members is limited.

Sculptor Member – Professional fine art sculptor residing in California; selected by the membership jury. Number of Sculptor Members is limited.

Signature Artist Member – Artist or Sculptor Member recognized for outstanding achievement as a fine artist and approved by a majority of the board. Signature Membership is limited.

Mentor Program Member – Art student or professional artist under age of 30 years residing in California; selected by the membership jury.

Out-of-State Artist Member – Nationally renowned fine artists invited to join the Club based on upstanding recognition and reputation for high traditional art standards.

Associate Artist Member – Supporter of the Club recognized as an artist but not an Artist or Sculptor Member.

Honorary Life Member – Designated by the board in recognition for services rendered to the club.

Collectors’ Circle Member – Patrons of the Club interested in providing greater financial support, while receiving exclusive opportunities to learn more about traditional fine and building relationships with artists and others who share their passion for art.

Corporate 100 Member – Corporate patrons of the Club interested in providing greater financial support, while receiving exclusive opportunities to learn more about traditional fine and building relationships with artists and fellow corporate leaders.

Patron Member – Supporter of the Club.

International Patron Member – Supporter of the Club outside the United States.

Club Chapters