The History of the California Art Club
est. 1909

Curious to know who the founding members of the Painters' Club were, or who held the office of CAC President the most? Where were the early Gold Medal Exhibitions held? Click the links below to find out more about the colorful and fascinating history of the California Art Club.

	The Painters' Club of Los Angeles (1906-1909) Includes the full membership roster for the Painters' Club of Los Angeles as well as notes from their handwritten minutes and exhibitions; explains how and why the Painters' Club reformed as the CAC.
	The Founding of the California Art Club Includes chronological notes about the early meetings and exhibitions.
	The Presidents of the California Art Club Comprehensive listings including photos, samples of their work, bios, memberships and more.
Photo courtesy Jean Stern/The Irvine Museum	Historical Membership of the California Art Club [A-Z] An on-going project to document all of the Club's past members since its inception in 1909.
	The Annual Gold Medal Exhibitions Over half of our Annual Exhibitions are listed completely including exhibiting artists and works, as well as awards given; more recent years include images of the works.
Reproduced by kind permission of Mr. Winston S. Churchill	The Gold Medal The history of the medals and the artists who created them.
	The CAC Bulletins: 1925 - 1994 A listing of all of the bulletins that the CAC produced, including details from each issue.
	Early Los Angeles Art Galleries, Clubs, Museums, Art Schools and Teachers An on-going project that explores the early Los Angeles art world, including clubs, museums, local art galleries, art schools and more.
	The Annual Plein Air Painting Events at Mission San Juan Capistrano: 1995-2003 A total of nine week-long paint-outs and exhibitions were held by the CAC in conjunction with the mission. Details include participating artists, jurors, and award winners.
	The Annual Sights and Sounds of Santa Ana Exhibitions: 1997-2003 Seven consecutive exhibitions were held at the Bowers Museum. Initially focusing on Santa Ana, they later broadened to include all of Southern California. Details include participating artists, jurors, and award winners.
	Special CAC Exhibitions Includes all other exhibitions held at different venues - from the Weisman Museum at Pepperdine in recent years, to the Hollyhock House Opening in 1927, and back to the Spring Exhibitions held within the first decade of the club's existence.
	CAC Chronology 100 years of the California Art Club, 1909-2009.
Articles covering CAC History
	A Brief History of the CAC by Elaine Adams
	Memoirs of the California Art Club 1993-2006 [PDF, 6.26 MB] by Peter Adams; from the 95th Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition catalogue
	The California Art Club: A History (1909-1995) by Susan Landauer, Ph. D.; American Art Review, March 1996
	Three Creators of Artists' Alley by David T. Leary, Ph.D.
	California Art Club in Search of a Home: The Hollyhock Years, 1927-1942 by Eric Merrell; Winter 2010 CAC Newsletter
	The First Black American Art Exhibit in Los Angeles, 1929 by Eric Merrell; Summer 2009 CAC Newsletter
	The Birth of the California Art Club: Its Founding and First Annual Exhibition by Eric Merrell; Spring 2009 CAC Newsletter
	Bischoff's Bright Idea by Eric Merrell; Winter 2009 CAC Newsletter
	World Leaders Honor the California Art Club by Eric Merrell; Fall 2008 CAC Newsletter
	Traditional Fine Arts Organization, Inc. (TFAOI) Contains further details about CAC Exhibitions, essays and more.

This historical section has been researched and compiled by Eric Merrell.