Spotlight on the Pacific Art League

For 90 years, The has been an active voice in the community, encouraging and giving the art experience to Palo Alto and the whole peninsula.

Started in 1921 by Stanford University faculty members who wanted a place to meet and discuss the arts, the league has reinvented itself numerous times, but its motto has remained the same—education, exhibition and community. 

Richard Ambrose, executive director of the Pacific Art League, gave an overview of the league's history and expansion plans at Sunday's meeting of the Palo Alto Historical Association at the .

The Pacific Art League headquarters, a beautiful Spanish-styled building on the corner of Forest Avenue and Romona Street, is almost a piece of art work itself.  The building design encompasses the league—on one side, art is displayed and critiqued; on the other side, the practice of art is taught.  

Part of the building's charm is that it was built in 1921, around the time that the league started. But its age has come with a price: The building does not have an elevator, is not accessible to many with disabilities and is not up to current seismic safety standards. 

"There is more of an effort to do the infrastructure renovations now," Ambrose said. "The organization submitted a plan to the membership a year and a half ago to do the seismic upgrade and to do an expansion of the building to make it three stories."

The nonprofit league has neither the large donor base nor the money to support the upgrade on its own. The only way the league can afford to do the renovation is to lease out its new space for at least 10 years once the renovation is finished. 

"The timeline is that it will take about 1-2 years, and the organization will have to find temporary quarters to continue our programs," Ambrose said. "We hope the space will give us more room to work with new art as well, which will reach younger members of the community. We are hoping that the renovation will help expand the sculpture and print-making programs, as well as the league website."

The league also provides opportunities for new artists to showcase their work around the Palo Alto area. This allows artists to learn how to assemble and promote their work. About 50-60 workshops and classes are offered per quarter, taught by a faculty of about 40 people who have prominent degrees from various institutions and are practicing artists.  

The league offers classes in drawing, painting in oil or water color, print-making and sculpture, for beginners as well as advance artists, in what may be the most comprehensive adult art program in this area outside of a university environment. The building has two galleries to display student work.

"This is really what many people who support the league care about, artists who are young, talented, semi-professional, who are interested in honing their skills in all different medias," Ambrose said. 

The league has lost membership in the economic hard times of the past few years, and is now desperately trying to expand its 500-person membership. The $90 membership fee may seem significant, but benefits include free critique by instructors at the league, free admission to many Bay Area museums and discounts on art classes. The league is looking into offering a cheaper membership with fewer benefits.

The league's most important fundraising event is its annual Carnival ball in February. Many adults go in costumes, and there are opera singers, all types of music, a "fabulous" dinner and, of course, art.

One of the shows coming up in May is a jury exhibition called, Red, which focuses on the symbolism and cultural references of the color red.

To see more information about the classes and events offered at by the league, click here.