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The Permanent Collection of the CCAA Museum of Art represents some of the most prominent artists of the Western United States in the period from 1920 to date. The Collection is also representative of the development of a distinctive school of California art inspiried by the unique quality of light and geographic features to be found in the costal, mountain and desert areas of the Far West and Mexico. Salient examples of this school are to be found in the watercolor paintings of Millard Sheets, Rex Brandt, and Milford Zornes.

Some of the finest works of regional artists are also represented in the Permanent Collection, most importantly the works of Anders Aldrin, Leon Amyx, Loren Barton, Conrad Buff, Emil Kosa, Jr., Thomas Craig, Phil Paradise, John Svenson, Anna Wilson, and Robert Wood. At present, there are over one hundred works in the Permanent Collection. There are also a number of paintings we hold in our Auxiliary Collection.

The Permanent Collection began with nine paintings in the Barbara Line Memorial Collection.

Several of these paintings are currently on display in the museum area. Three paintings at the front of the museum paintings depict our founders Francis and Helen Line, and their daughter for whom the memorial collection is named. Barbara passed away at a very young age from leukemia, but her spirit lives on in our collection.

The Permanent Collection continued to grow with annual prizes at CCAA exhibits established by our founding family, the Lines. donations by artists and art supporters have added to our holdings over the years.

New works and other styles have been added in recent years. While the California School remains at the core of the collection we have recognized that art is a growing and ever changing medium.