REORGANIZATION

The California Art Club: The First Two Years
The Painters' Club of Los Angeles disbanded in mid-December of 1909 after its members felt it had outgrown its usefulness. Practically the next week, a small group of artists, some whom had belonged to the former association, regrouped to create the California Art Club. They felt there was still a need for artists living in the Southern California area to meet and share their ideas, and to exhibit together. Frank Rennsselear Liddell, a businessman and part time painter, was elected as their first president and Charles Percy Austin was named as corresponding secretary. No longer limited to male painters, the Club opened its membership to women, sculptors and artists living as far away as New York.
(L.A. Times Dec. 12, 1909, III17)

(PC) signifies a member who was previously a member of the Painters' Club of Los Angeles.

December, 1909: The California Art Club is founded. (L.A.Times, Dec. 12, 1909)

January 5, 1910: First monthly meeting presumably held, unknown location or attendees.

February 5, 1910: Second monthly meeting held on Saturday evening at the home of Franz Bischoff, 320 Pasadena Avenue, South Pasadena. A constitution similar to that of the Society of Western Artists was adopted, "so that the club can send its exhibitions over a circuit of cities in California." A permanent Exhibition Committee was established, consisting of Wendt, Wagner, Bischoff, Borg and Austin; they were to secure a space for an upcoming exhibition (later postponed). Wagner and Rich became Active Members; Matern, DeHaaff, Miner, Welles and Durand joined as Associates. (L.A.Times, Feb. 13, 1910)

March 5, 1910: Third monthly meeting held on Saturday evening at the home of Aaron E. Kilpatrick, No. 1307 East Twenty-Eighth Street. (L.A.Times, Feb. 13 & Mar. 6, 1910)

The CAC postponed its first exhibition until the end of October, when members would have been back from summer sketching trips. (L.A.Times, Mar. 13, 1910)

April 2, 1910: Fourth monthly meeting - "The California Art Club will meet at the Art Students' League next Saturday evening."
(L.A. Times, Mar. 27, 1910)

Gallery owner J. F. Kanst was the guest speaker at the April 2 meeting, giving a thorough talk on the expectations and problems of artist/gallery relationships. (Lengthy coverage, L.A. Times, April l0, 1910)

April 30, 1910: Fifth monthly meeting - "The California Art Club met at the San Pedro studio of Ralph Fullerton Mocine last night." (L.A. Times, May 1, 1910)

June 4, 1910: "The California Art Club met at the home of its president, Frank R. Liddell, No. 1323 South Burlington Avenue, last night." (L.A. Times, Jun. 5, 1910)

July 2, 1910: "The California Art Club will meet at the Art Students' League, Blanchard Hall, on Saturday, July 2, at 8 o'clock." (L.A. Times, June 26, 1910)

First exhibition by members of the newly formed CAC
July 16 - September 15, 1910: The California Art Club was a part of the First Annual Art Exhibit of the Chautauqua Association of Southern California, which opened in the galleries of the public library at Long Beach through September 13 with free admission. Weekdays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sundays, 2 - 9 p.m. This multi-group exhibition consisted of 63 pictures, with one wall containing work by CAC members; the CAC had their own jury.
(L.A. Times, July 24, 1910)

August 6, 1910: "The California Art Club met last night at the studio of Putnam & Valentine, No. 208 North Spring Street. Mr. Putnam is a member of the club." (L.A. Times, Aug. 7, 1910)

August 13, 1910: was "California Art Club" night at the Long Beach public library, and the rooms were thrown open to the public, the artists, and their friends. Charles P. Austin recounted many of his student days in New York City, London and Paris for the attendants. (L.A. Times, Aug. 14, 1910)

September 3, 1910: "The California Art Club met last night at the home of Val Costello, No. 518 West Fifty-third Street. " (L.A. Times, Sept. 4, 1910)

November 12, 1910: "The California Art Club gave a "Bohemian dinner" last night at one of the French restaurants near the river. There were speeches, toasts... " (L.A. Times, Nov. 13, 1910)

First Annual Exhibition [See exhibition details, First Annual Gold Medal Exhibition]
January 30 - Feburary 25, 1911: "An exhibition looked forward to with eager anticipation by all who are interested in the progress of art in Southern California is the first annual exhibition of the California Art Club, which will open in Hotel Ivins, Figueroa and Tenth streets, on January 31, to continue for three weeks, possibly longer.

The California Art Club, which was organized about a year ago, has just come into possession of a permanent gallery in Hotel Ivins. This gallery, 40 x 40 feet in dimensions, will also be the club room and meeting place. It is a handsome room, in the basement of the hotel, with wall spaces judiciously tinted, which will hold more than sixty pictures without crowding. It may also be used for other exhibitions than those of the California Art Club. It will be managed by Frank R. Liddell, president of the club, who is also manager of the hotel.

All pictures for exhibition must be in before January 25, when the art jury, selected by the club, will meet for its decision.

The probabilities are that pictures by the California Art Club will be shown at the new gallery throughout the year." (L.A. Times, Jan. 22, 1911)

"The new gallery, which is also the club-room of the California Art Club, is commodious and attractive, and its lighting is exceptionally good. Some fifty or sixty pictures will be shown..." Nineteen exhibiting CAC members named in the article: Julia Bracken Wendt, Kenneth Newell Avery, Jean Mannheim, Antony Anderson, Frederick Johnson, Arion Putnam, Charles Percy Austin, William Wendt, Carl Oscar Borg, Hanson Puthuff, Franz A. Bischoff, Frank R. Liddell, Ralph Fullerton Mocine, Aaron E. Kilpatrick, Jack W. Smith, Albert Clinton Conner, Val Costello, R. B. Manbert, Frederick R. Miner, and others.
(L.A. Times, Jan. 29, 1911)

April 1, 1911: "The California Art Club held its regular monthly meeting last night at the home of M. (Maurice) de Haaff, No. 2601 Santa Monica Boulevard." (L.A. Times, April 2, 1911)

June, 1911: "Gardner Symons and J. H. Sharp have both been made active members of the California Art Club."

"The California Art Club has decided to publish in folder form the article on the methods of fake picture dealers, printed two weeks ago in the Times. The article will be reprinted almost exactly as it stands, with perhaps a few excisions, and will be distributed among clubs, friends and patrons of art." (L.A. Times, June 18, 1911)

Second Annual Exhibition [See exhibition details, Second Annual Gold Medal Exhibition]
November 22 - December 6 , 1911: "For the first time in the history of Los Angeles, a local art exhibition will be sent on tour. At the close of the forthcoming exhibition of the California Art Club to be held in Blanchard Hall, 'the last end' of this ..., the exhibit will be packed in toto and shipped to San Francisco, where it will be shown at the San Francisco Institute of Art. In what other cities the pictures will be shown has not as yet been fully determined, but it is probable that they will make other stops before reaching home."
(L.A. Times, November 19, 1911, 3, 18, 2-3)

At the time of the Second Annual Exhibition, two years into the CAC's existence, it had twenty-six Active Members (three female), fifteen Associate Members, and fifteen Honorary Members (seven female); A.C. Conner is listed as both Active and Honorary.
(Second Annual Exhibition Pamphlet, 1911)

January 6, 1912: "The regular monthly meeting of the California Art Club was held last night at the quarters of the Sketch Club, No. 109 Temple Block." (L.A. Times, Jan. 7, 1912)

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