Chester County Art Association

THE MISSION OF THE CHESTER COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION IS TO BE A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, CREATIVITY AND COMMUNITY BY CONNECTING ARTISTS, STUDENTS, PATRONS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY TO AND THROUGH ART. IN THE OVER 80 YEARS SINCE ITS FOUNDING, CCAA HAS CONTINUED TO FULFILL ITS GOAL OF "MAKING CHESTER COUNTY MORE ACTIVELY AND COURAGEOUSLY ART CONSCIOUS" (FROM CCAA'S ORIGINAL CHARTER).

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW FOUNDED IN 1931, THE CHESTER COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION (CCAA) IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO EDUCATING, INSPIRING, AND CONNECTING THE PEOPLE OF CHESTER COUNTY TO AND THROUGH THE ARTS. AS A SMALL NONPROFIT ARTS CENTER, OUR GOAL IS TO INSPIRE CREATIVITY AND CREATIVE THINKING. WE BELIEVE THAT ART POSITIVELY IMPACTS EVERYONE; WE HELP DEVELOP INDIVIDUAL ABILITIES, FOSTER ART APPRECIATION, AND CREATE A SENSE OF ARTISTIC COMMUNITY. FINE ARTS CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS TEACH FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND ADVANCED TECHNIQUES. OUR MONTHLY ART EXHIBITIONS, LECTURES, AND ARTIST TALKS ALL PROVIDE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND CREATIVE DIALOGUE IN WELCOMING SPACES FOR ALL AGES ALIKE. CCAA WAS FOUNDED BY PROMINENT ARTISTS AND LEADERS IN THE CHESTER COUNTY COMMUNITY, INCLUDING N.C. WYETH, CHRISTIAN BRINTON, AND WILLIAM PALMER LEAR. THE ORIGINAL GROUP MET WEEKLY TO DRAW TOGETHER AND PLAN EXHIBITS. OFTEN THESE EXHIBITS INCLUDED THE WORKS OF ANDREW WYETH, HORACE PIPPIN, TOM BOSTELLE, BARCLAY RUBINCAM, PHILIP JAMISON, PETER SCULTHORPE AND HARRY DUNN. WHILE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A PERMANENT SPACE FOR THE ORGANIZATION, MEMBERS OF CCAA MET IN THE DEHAVEN HOUSE IN EAST FALLOWFIELD, PA, AND SPACES AT WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY. THE PRESENT MAIN FACILITY IN WEST CHESTER WAS BUILT IN 1953. THE GENEROUS GIFT OF LAND FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS, TOTALING OVER FIVE ACRES, MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR CCAA TO HAVE A PERMANENT HOME IN THE WEST CHESTER COMMUNITY. AS A RESULT OF RENOVATIONS COMPLETED IN 2017, THE ORGANIZATION WAS ABLE TO ADD A NEW DARKROOM AND DIGITAL STUDIO, A LIBRARY, NEW OFFICE SPACES, THE SHOPART GIFT STORE, AND UPGRADES TO THE CERAMIC STUDIO AND BOTH GALLERY SPACES. MISSION CHESTER COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION (CCAA) IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO EDUCATING, INSPIRING, AND CONNECTING THE PEOPLE OF CHESTER COUNTY TO AND THROUGH THE ARTS. 2021 HIGHLIGHTS - CCAA REOPENED ITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC IN MAY 2021 WITH THE OPENING RECEPTION OF VIEW: EXPERIENCE THE ART OF THE CHESTER COUNTY STUDIO TOUR. - WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE, CCAA ONCE AGAIN WELCOMED CAMPERS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER TO TAKE PART IN FUN AND EDUCATIONAL ARTS PROGRAMMING. - CCAA'S SHOPART GIFT STORE ONCE AGAIN REOPENED, WELCOMING LOCAL AND REGIONAL ARTISTS SELLING HANDMADE GOODS. - 2021 FEATURED TWO MEMBERS EXHIBITIONS, WITH AWARDS RANGING FROM PRIZE MONEY TO A SOLO SHOW IN 2022. MEMBERSHIP THE CHESTER COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION IS GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF OUR MEMBERS THROUGHOUT 2021. OUR WORK TOWARDS FULFILLING OUR MISSION WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT OUR MEMBERSHIP BASE. IN 2021, MEMBERSHIP DUES WERE 50 FOR ONE FLAT HOUSEHOLD RATE OFFERED. BENEFITS INCLUDED THE ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR OCTOBER MEMBERS SHOW AND 300 AND UNDER MEMBERS SHOW, AS WELL AS DISCOUNTS ON ALL CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS HELD AT CCAA. OUR 2021 MEMBERSHIP WAS AT 315. 2021 EXHIBITIONS MAY 2021 VIEW: EXPERIENCE THE ART OF THE CHESTER COUNTY STUDIO TOUR SEPTEMBER 2021 CHARLES EMLEN SOLO EXHIBITION CARNIVAL OF RUIN OCTOBER 2021 MEMBERS SHOW NANCY FUHRMAN SOLO EXHIBITION NOVEMBER 2021 FIVE POINT TURN MERRILL WEBER SOLO EXHIBITION DECEMBER 2021 300 AND UNDER COCKTAILS AND COLLECTORS 2021 GRANT ACTIVITY AWARDED CHESTER COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HARPER FAMILY FOUNDATION PA COUNCIL ON THE ARTS (AOAP TRACK) THE PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION SUN EAST CHARITABLE FOUNDATION WEST CHESTER DOWNTOWN FOUNDATION SUBMITTED DETWILER FAMILY FOUNDATION DOLFINGER-MCMAHON FOUNDATION NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN PA COUNCIL OF THE ARTS CREATIVE COMMUNITIES WINDGATE FOUNDATION YEAR ROUND ART INSTRUCTION FEE-BASED INSTRUCTION IS OFFERED FOR ALL AGES IN OIL PAINTING, WATERCOLOR, ACRYLIC, DRAWING, SCULPTURE, CERAMICS, JEWELRY, PHOTOGRAPHY, PRINTMAKING, MIXED MEDIA, AND MUCH MORE. IN 2021, 40 PERSON CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS RAN SAFELY BETWEEN JULY 2021-DECEMBER 2021. 167 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN THESE CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS. ADDITIONALLY, 119 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN CCAA'S OPEN CERAMICS STUDIO BETWEEN JUNE 2021-DECEMBER 2021. 2021 SUMMER CAMP THE CHESTER COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION WAS THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO ONCE AGAIN OFFER OUR SIGNATURE SUMMER CAMP IN 2021. WITH SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE TO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OUR INSTRUCTORS AND PARTICIPANTS, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE A FUN AND CREATIVE SUMMER CCAA WAS ABLE TO OFFER 67 EDUCATIONAL ART CAMP OPTIONS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS AGED 4-17. DURING THE 11-WEEK CAMP PERIOD, 494 CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS PARTICIPATED, MANY RETURNING FOR MULTIPLE WEEKS. COMMUNITY BASED WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT 2021, CCAA HOSTED FOUR DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FOR WORKSHOPS IN OUR STUDIOS. CENTER FOR FAMILIES WEST CHESTER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT ART DEPARTMENTS GIRL SCOUTS OF THE USA OWEN J. ROBERTS SCHOOL DISTRICT EVENTS AND FUNDRAISERS -CHESTER COUNTY ART WALK THE 1ST ANNUAL CHESTER COUNTY ART WALK WAS HELD ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2021, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EAST GOSHEN PARKS DEPARTMENT. AN ESTIMATED 1000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ATTENDED THE EVENT TO SUPPORT THE 25 + ARTISTS EXHIBITING THEIR WORK. -CHRISTKINDLMARKT CCAA'S 2ND ANNUAL CHRISTKINDLMARKT TOOK PLACE ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021 AND SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2021. THIS FUN HOLIDAY MARKET BROUGHT OVER 1000 VISITORS TO CCAA AND FEATURED 30 + ARTIST VENDORS. -COCKTAILS AND COLLECTORS COCKTAILS AND COLLECTORS WAS CCAA'S 2021 FUNDRAISING EVENT. TAKING PLACE IN DECEMBER, THIS FUNDRAISER WAS AN EXHIBITION AND SALE OF NUMEROUS WORKS FROM PRIVATE COLLECTIONS TO SUPPORT THE CHESTER COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION. MANY LOCAL ARTISTS WERE REPRESENTED, INCLUDING TOM BOSTELLE, DENNIS HAGGERTY, JANET SULLIVAN TURNER, JAMES BURKE, WALT HUGHES, EDUARD RESNIK, EDWARD LIS, AND MANY MORE. IT WAS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW AND SEASONED COLLECTORS TO ENHANCE THEIR COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL ART.