THE CARMEL ART ASSOCIATION
The entrance to Carmel Art Association, circa 1940.
The Carmel Art Association is proudly composed of local, living artists who are juried in by their peers.
Founded in 1927, it is the second oldest operating non-profit artist association in the United States.
The Association exists to provide its artist members with a permanent art gallery, to advance knowledge of and interest in the arts, and to create a spirit of cooperation and fellowship among artists and the community.
The FOR THE LOVE OF ART program was inaugurated by the Carmel Art Association in the late 1940s to stimulate interest in high school visual arts education courses and inspire young art students to create and explore their artistic talents. The Carmel Art Association renewed that original goal in the 2013-2014 academic year with FOR THE LOVE OF ART. The program is now a consistent and annual part of the CAA’s calendar.
All high schools - public, private or home-based - in Monterey County are invited to enter artworks from up to 5 junior and/or senior students. The CAA provides wooden cradled panels to the entrants to create an even starting point and eliminate the need for additional framing. Every year in February, Carmel Art Association showcases the efforts of the student artists with a month-long exhibition. For the first time ever, due to COVID-19 restrictions the 2020-2021 exhibition/competition was online only as a virtual gallery.
Each year the student participants’ artworks are critiqued by a panel of three leaders in the local arts community who choose the ribbon awards for Best in Show, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in each of four featured mediums, in addition to Honorable Mentions. All of these award winners receive gift certificates for art supplies. A special, printed calendar is published for the corresponding year featuring the top winning artworks.
The early equivalent of today's "For the Love of Art" program was Statewide versus Countywide in scope. Students from all over California could enter. This photograph shows honorary CAA Artist Member Salvador Dalí assisting in the competition jurying process along with CAA artists Phil Nesbitt, Armin Hansen, and Maxine Albro.