The Pacific Art League (PAL), formally known as the Palo Alto Art Club was founded in 1921 in
Palo Alto
Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto.
The city was es ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
and is a membership-run nonprofit arts organization, school, and gallery.
The group is located in a historic building at 668 Ramona Street in downtown Palo Alto.
About
The Pacific Art League employs roughly 35-40 instructors and as of 2017, has over 2,000 students enrolled per quarter.
Classes are on a quarterly system, and additionally they offer workshops and summer camps.
From 2019–2020, director of PAL was Lisa Coscino.
History
The Palo Alto Art Club was founded in 1921.
The initial founders of the club were around 40 artists of
upper class
Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status, usually are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper class is gen ...
and many were connected to Stanford University.
In the beginning the club met at member's houses, later they met at the Palo Alto Library, and by 1926, they moved to 340 Melville Avenue.
In 1952, the group moved to 855 Cowper Street due to the popularity of classes.
Over time the club became more democratic and community-centered, it is now a nonprofit.
In 1965, PAL purchased thebuilding and moved to its current location at 668 Ramona Street, in a historical Spanish Revival building designed by
Birge Clark.
In 2014, the building had a $4 million renovation which included compliance with the
American Disabilities Act and seismic retrofit.
In 1984, the name changed from Palo Alto Art Club to the current, Pacific Art League.
Notable artists
This is a list of notable artists that were members, teachers of the Pacific Art League and/or showed their art work in the exhibitions, listed by last name in alphabetical order.
See also
*
Allied Arts Guild
References
External links
Official website
{{Bay Area Arts Organizations, state=collapsed
1921 establishments in California
Palo Alto, California
Organizations based in Palo Alto, California
Art museums and galleries in California
Arts centers in California
Tourist attractions in Santa Clara County, California
Buildings and structures in Palo Alto, California
American artist groups and collectives
Organizations based in the San Francisco Bay Area
Art in the San Francisco Bay Area