The City of Concord is hosting the 2nd annual Environmental Art Competition for young artists, ages 5-18, to submit sustainability-themed artwork. The winning artists will have their work featured on Big Belly Bins in Todos Santos Plaza, a great opportunity for artists and our environment. All information and the online application form is available at the City of Concord website here. The deadline to apply is August 28, by 5pm! The City will offer assistance to entrants if t

On July 11, 2026, CAA hosted 15 guests at the Concord Public Library for a hands-on presentation by professional watercolorist Samantha McNally. With their own art supplies and a pre-sketched pencil drawing of California poppies on watercolor paper, attendees were ready to learn more about using this medium. Watercolor Tips Samantha began by sharing her experiences with the supplies she uses, such as 140 lb. paperweight watercolor paper. She informed us that watercolor dries

Come to our next meeting, Saturday, July 11, for a hands-on tutorial with professional watercolor artist Samantha McNally. Samantha is an award-winning painter known for her realism and delicacy in capturing floral an nature-inspired subjects. She's an artist member of the Benicia Plein Air Gallery, Main Street Arts Gallery in Martinez, and Valley Art Gallery in Walnut Creek. You can see Samantha's work on her websites: samanthamcnally.com and Samantha-mcnally.pixels.com. For

Occasionally we like to share information about upcoming exhibits that we think will resonate with CAA members. Do you make art that celebrates the "beauty, symbolism and emotion of food?" Our friends at Studio 55 in Martinez have a call for art for their upcoming show, Let's Eat!, featuring all subjects food and food-related. Jill Landeau is the juror and the call is open to emerging and established Bay Area artists. Deadline to submit work is July 5. The exhibit runs from J

Some of our favorite emails arrive throughout the year from MDUSD teachers showing us their students' art work. These teachers received CAA Teacher Grants to fund classroom art supplies, books and arts education materials to create thoughtful and inspiring art projects for their students. Thank you to all the teachers who continue to make art education an important part of your curriculum. We love hearing from you. All our best to teachers and students for the summer and upco

It is with great sadness and a broken heart that your CAA Board shares our grief with you on the passing of our dear friend and board member, Renaye Johnson, on April 6th, 2026. As many of you know, Renaye was an integral part of the Concord Art Association. Throughout the years, Renaye held various CAA board positions and was part of the City of Concord’s Utility Box Committee (including painting utility boxes). She was instrumental in the opening of Gallery CAA at Centre Co

CAA doesn't keep official records of crowd sizes at our art receptions, but we're pretty sure Something Unexpected set a record at its February 13th reception. Close to 70 people came to see new works by CAA members, meet the artists, talk and mingle in the generous Centre Concord gallery space. Something Unexpected is a group show that focuses on surprises, otherworldly visions and mysteries. It's on view until April 10, 2026, so come by Centre Concord, Monday through Frid

Tuesday, March 10th will be our next member meeting. San Francisco-based artist Tom Colcord will present "The Essentials of Art Materials," a hands-on demonstration focusing on art materials and the relationship between paper surfaces and drawing/painting media. Tom will be providing samples of Strathmore and Canson papers, plus drawing, painting and water-soluble materials. We require an RSVP so we have an accurate count of attendees. Use this JotForm link to reserve your

By David Scholz Local artist Nancy Roberts presented a demonstration as part of a talk focused on her approach to en plein air (painting outdoors) when the Concord Art Association gathered January 13th at the Concord Library for its first meeting of 2026. Nancy began her talk by going over two handouts. One spotlights artists (historical and contemporary) that have served as inspiration and resources for her work. That handout also listed books and videos available via YouTub

To start off the new year, CAA made a donation of $500 to the Concord Library. The Library generously provides its meeting room for our bi-monthly member meetings and offers its display cases for CAA exhibitions--a much-appreciated space for members to show work to the public. CAA President Pat McDermont and Treasurer Thea Jue presented the check to head librarian Kimberli Buckley earlier this month. Notable for its large children's and teen books sections, used bookstore, an

"Oh Darn" by Melchia Kutches, recently sold at Visit Concord Have you been to a CAA exhibit and wondered how to purchase art? It's easy: email us at concordartassociation@yahoo.com with the artist's name, the title of the piece, where the art was displayed, and the best way to contact you. We'll forward the message to the artist and they'll get in touch with you. You can also support artists by coming to a reception to meet them or to find out more about their work, or visit

Nancy Roberts at the Art Cottage, Concord The Concord Art Association begins its 2026 slate of presenters with award-winning plein air artist Nancy Roberts. Come to the meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 1pm for a presentation by Roberts, an Oakley resident and acrylic painter, known for her bold color and unique, inventive style. The Library is located at 2900 Salvio St . Roberts thinks of reality as just a jumping-off point and loves allowing each new painting to emerge and tr

By David Scholz As 2025 winds to a close, we want to spotlight the creative spirit going on in area schools thanks to the Teacher Grants made possible through the Concord Art Association. Among this past year’s recipients is Mabel Ventriglia who used the funds to purchase art supplies to organize projects for students in the SDC TK-Grade 2 classroom at Sun Terrace Elementary School, which she noted has made a big difference in her students' creative experiences. In April, the

The CAA Holiday party at Legends at Diablo Creek Sports Bar and Grill was a festive and fun-filled evening that included music, laughter, and conversation. The warm and private room was beautifully decorated and had a wall of windows overlooking the putting green. The art group and friends enjoyed a well-rounded, warm meal with various selections, which even included cookies. Yum! After the meal, there were 13 bountiful baskets put together by our very own, Thea Jue, Pat McDe

Happy Thanksgiving! It's officially holiday season and CAA celebrates by hosting the annual Small Business Saturday Art & Craft Pop-up Show in downtown Concord, this Saturday, November 29th. Come to beautiful Salvio Pacheco Square, 2151 Salvio Street, Concord , from 11am to 5pm. CAA artists will be selling one-of-a-kind artworks, crafts, and unique gift items. Every year the Small Business Saturday Pop-up features returning and new local artists, so you never know what you'll

This fall, CAA members Renaye Johnson, Thea Jue, Janice Davis, and Karen Giorgianni teamed up to create a new mural entitled "Chupcan Village." The mural was unveiled on October 6th at the re-opening of the newly renovated Concord Historical Society Museum at 1928 Clayton Road. Commissioned by the Historical Society, the mural is a scene inspired by the indigenous people who first settled the East Bay region, based on an earlier design from The Utility Box Project, a collabo

The CAA Holiday Party event is fast approaching! The annual Concord Art Association Holiday Party is on Friday, Dec. 12--right around the corner, so members, be sure to sign up. This year the party will be held at Legends at Diablo Creek, 4050 Port Chicago Highway, in Concord, from 5 to 9pm. The cost is $55. Use this JotForm link to RSVP for the party: https://form.jotform.com/253054850845157 A delicious meal will be served with salads, two entrees, side dishes, and desserts.

CAA's last in-person member meeting is Tuesday, November 4th at the Concord Library from 1 to 3pm. Come early, starting at 12:30, to help set up or if you want to participate in the mini-art show to share your latest work with the group. The Concord Library is located at 2900 Salvio St. in Concord, CA. RSVP for the meeting here . Our guest artist will be Martinez-based oil painter John Tullis who will demonstrate line-drawing techniques with ink or charcoal combined with

CAA members, it's a good time to join the Arts Contra Costa County (ARTSCCC) Artist Registry on the ARTSCCC website . The Artist Directory...

There's still time to participate in the CAA Artist Trading Card (ATC) project for this fall. ATCs are 3.5" x 2.5" mini-art cards that...