In Spring of 1934 the Womans auxilary of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce celebrated it's first Allied Arts Festival. The Whittier Womans Club also took part. A group of artists from this show came together and drew up a constitution and elected a board of directors for what became the Whittier Art Association.

It was their aim to create and maintain a comminity art gallery for the city that would have continuous exhibits and the best availible works of fine arts and crafts, to stimulate and coordinate the expression of local artists and advance the appreciation by the public.

After five years of fund raising the Asscociation moved into its own gallery. Mr. Fred Pease donated the land on Painter Ave. William Harrison designed the quaint, period stylized building that is still the museum today. Many local businesses donated time and materials towards the building of the Art Gallery. The gallery had many fund raisers and teas and paid off their debt but 1945. It has since then been a totally self supporting non-profit organization.

The Whittier Art Association believes that art is a necessity, rather than a luxury, and that it belongs not to an exclusive few, but to everyone. Such noted artists as Milford Zornes, Taro Yashima, James Cooper Wright, Millard Sheets, Ralph Hulett and even Norman Rockwell have exhibited, taught and demonstrated in the association's meetings and shows!

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