Chaffey Community Art Association Museum of Art

Our Mission

The mission of the Chaffey Community Art Association is to maintain, converse, display and restore the CCAA art collection; operate the CCAA Museum of Art; preserve the history and traditions of CCAA; and to stimulate and foster art interest, education and enjoyment for the general public by conducting, maintaining and establishing art exhibitions, programs and classes.

The Chaffey Community Art Association (CCAA) was founded in the spring of 1941 by Francis and Helen Line of Ontario, California in memory of their daughter Barbara who died of leukemia at the age of eight. At that time, the Chaffey Community was roughly defined as the western portion of San Bernardino County and the eastern part of Los Angeles County. Much of this geographic area had been influenced by the work of early pioneer George W. Chaffey.

The nucleus of what became CCAA's permanent collection is the Barbara Line Memorial Collection which consists of nine paintings. Among these is is Desert River by Conrad Buff; Storm at Sequoia by Emil Kosa Jr., and Louise by Thomas Craig.

The Lines established an annual Purchase Prize Exhibit beginning in 1941 in order to stimulate interest in and enjoyment of art in the Chaffey Community/ Purchase Prizes were also added to the growing permanent collection. The annual exhibits continued from 1941 to 1963 in the Girl's Gymnasium on the campus of Chaffey high School in Ontario until the high school could no longer host the exhibit.

CCAA exhibited in several community locations from 1963 to 1979. In that year, the organization was invited to provide the art program at the newly opened Museum of History and Art in Ontario. For twenty years CCAA was responsible for high quality exhibits and programs at the museum.

Exhibiting artists contributed more works, adding to the permanent collection. Artists included Millard Sheets, Rex Brandt, Milford Zornes, Robert E. Wood, Jose Clemente Orozco and Veloy Vigil.

In 2000, CCAA moved to the historic Joseph Filippi Winery in Rancho Cucamonga and now resides in a beautifully remodeled tasting room. Portions of the permanent collection are on view at all times.

Recent shows at the winery location have included Betty Davenport Ford, Marc Muench, Tom Fong, and Robert Lyn Nelson. An annual Salute to the Artist exhibit has honored Milford Zornes and John Svenson (in conjunction with the dedication of his statue of George Chaffey at Upland City Hall). Diversity for local artists has been represented by the Inland Empire Latino Artist Association, the Night Owl Quilters Guild, shows for local high school students, and an Association members exhibit.