After first meeting as a study group in members’ homes, membership increased and the Kingsley found a permanent home at the E.B. Crocker Art Gallery in 1927. The club featured an annual program of art lectures, art exhibitions of its members’ work, and sponsored occasional exhibitions by artists outside Sacramento. Responding to a community need, Kingsley instituted an invitational art exhibit that provided an opportunity for emerging artists to show their work to the general public. The show became a juried competition that included cash awards, and a number of artists such as Wayne Thiebaud received their early recognition in the Kingsley’s annual show. Now known as the Crocker-Kingsley Exhibition, the 75th show was held in 2009.

Besides promoting the arts among its members and community artists, Kingsley has also encouraged the teaching of arts and has facilitated educational opportunities. In 1954 the club began a scholarship program for deserving college students. The Kingsley Art Club Merit Awards are presented annually to promising art students selected by faculty from each of the local community colleges. Since 1993, high school art students have been honored by an annual juried art exhibition as well. Kingsley works with school districts and art personnel to present the exhibition and the monetary awards. In an elementary school for at-risk children, Kingsley also sponsors a program of art appreciation and hands-on activities to three grade levels. In addition, bus trips to the Crocker Art Museum and other venues increase art exposure for these students.

Kingsley Art Club members continue to meet for a series of lectures by prominent artists, art historians, and recognized experts in the arts. Lectures often relate to current exhibitions at the Crocker Art Museum and speakers have included artists Ruth Rippon, Darrell Forney, Gregory Kondos, William Allen, and Robert Arneson. Field trips to artists’ studios, museums, and galleries are offered throughout the year. With the completion of the major expansion of the Crocker Art Museum in 2010, the Kingsley Art Club looks forward to enjoying larger exhibitions, new acquisitions, and a state of the art lecture hall for its programs. After more than 100 years, Kingsley has a secure role in the region’s cultural life and continues to inspire the “artistic spirit” in our members and encourage the arts in the community.

Kingsley Board of Directors 2011-2012

President: Susana (Susi) Watson
Vice President: Ann Kerr
Secretary: Barbara Pennington
Treasurer: Nancy Lawrence
Membership: Carolee Goude
Past President: Cathy Cook
Outreach: Mary Linder
Member at Large: Katherine Henderson
Elementary Docents: Barbara Johnson
Awards: Thea Givens, Liz Snyder
Program Committee: Barbara Pepper, Sally Flory O’Neil, Ann Kerr, Nancy Lawrence, Carolyn Marmaduke
Travel Committee: Libby Figeroid, Johanna Sapunor, Dorothy Coats, Sally Towne
Communications: Cathy Cook

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January 2012 Newsletter