The Valley Watercolor Society’s mission is to promote interest, knowledge, and appreciation of watermedia through meetings, educational programs, instructional workshops and art exhibitions to its members and the public.
Our season runs from September to June each year. We hold monthly meetings, watercolor workshops, and plein air paint-outs (see our event page for dates) and an Annual Exhibit in the spring.
Our monthly meetings are on the 2nd Thursday of each month, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, September through June. (free for members, $5 visitors and guests). Each meeting features a guest artist who speaks and gives a demonstration, meet-and-greet time, our Monthly Society Show, in which members display recent work (and win prizes), snacks, a raffle, and great camaraderie and art. San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center, where our meetings are held, is a gallery in itself, and at the break we can see the exhibit of the month. Everyone is welcome, both members (join) and non-members ($5).
Meetings and workshops are held on zoom until further notice.
Workshops run 1-3 days and are usually on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm with a one-hour break for lunch in the middle. Prices vary on the number of days with a discount for members.
Paint-Outs: Our plein air events are free and open to members and non-members. We go to various locations around town and usually occur on Wednesdays and/or Saturdays at various times of the months, with some variation. All are invited! We will help beginners. Artists are welcome to come out and see what they might need to bring next time.
Our History:
In 1977, a small group of twenty watercolor painters got together to meet in each others’ homes to share their interest in and knowledge of watercolor. For four years they held talks and demonstrations by members and they regularly painted outdoors together. Known as the “Unstructured Watercolor Group,” the membership increased and soon they needed a newsletter to inform members of various activities and meeting arrangements. Garden party shows for selling paintings were held at the home of one of the members.
By 1980, the “Watercolor Group” outgrew the living room space and moved to various community rooms at local banks. In 1983, the group applied for non-profit status and registration in the name of “Valley Watercolor Society”. By-laws, including dues and officers were adopted for the first time. Open membership was changed to Juried membership, and the category of Patron was established for members who do not exhibit or vote. Membership growth brought a big bonus: Valley Watercolor Society could now invite the best watercolor artists in the country for demonstrations and workshops.
In 2016, Juried membership was discontinued, opening full membership to all. Applications for membership are accepted throughout the year.
Membership in Valley Watercolor Society is open to all, especially, but not limited to, residents of cities in the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles County. The San Fernando Valley includes the cities of Burbank, Glendale, San Fernando, Hidden Hills, and Calabasas, as well as many neighborhoods within the city of Los Angeles, such as Northridge, Arleta, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Encino, Granada Hills, Lake View Terrace, Mission Hills, North Hollywood, North Hills, Pacoima, Panorama City, Porter Ranch, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sun Valley, Sunland, Sylmar, Tarzana, Toluca Lake, Tujunga, Van Nuys, Valley Village, West Hills, Winnetka, and Woodland Hills. The San Gabriel Valley region includes the cities of Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Baldwin Park, Covina, Diamond Bar, Duarte, East Los Angeles, El Monte, Industry, Irwindale, La Canada Flintridge, La Puente, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, Pasadena, Pomona, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South El Monte, South Pasadena, Temple City, Walnut and West Covina. Los Angeles County includes Agoura Hills, Alhambra, Arcadia, Artesia, Avalon, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bell, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Beverly Hills, Bradbury, Burbank, Calabasas, Carson, Cerritos, City of Industry, Claremont, Commerce, Compton, Covina, Cudahy, Culver City, Diamond Bar, Downey, Duarte, El Monte, El Segundo, Gardena, Glendale, Glendora, Hawaiian Gardens, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Hidden Hills, Huntington Park, Inglewood, Irwindale, La Cañada, Flintridge, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, La Puente, La Verne, Lakewood, Lancaster, Lawndale, Lomita, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Lynwood, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Maywood, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, Norwalk, Palmdale, Palos Verdes Estates, Paramount, Pasadena, Pico Rivera, Pomona, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rosemead, San Dimas, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Marino, Santa Clarita, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Monica, Sierra Madre, Signal Hill, South El Monte, South Gate, South Pasadena, Temple City, Torrance, Vernon, Walnut, West Covina, West Hollywood, Westlake Village, Whittier, Acton, Agua Dulce, Alondra Par,k Altadena, Avocado Heights, Castaic, Charter Oak, Citrus, Del Aire, Desert View Highlands, East Los Angeles, East Pasadena, East Rancho Dominguez, East San Gabriel, East Whittier, Elizabeth, Lake Florence-Graham Green Valley, Hacienda Heights, Hasley Canyon, La Crescenta-Montrose, Ladera Heights, Lake Hughes, Lake Los Angeles, Lennox, Leona Valley, Littlerock, Marina del Rey, Mayflower Village, North El Monte, Pepperdine University, Quartz Hill, Rose Hills, Rowland Heights, San Pasqual, South Monrovia Island, South San Gabriel, South San Jose Hills, South Whittier, Stevenson Ranch, Sun Village, Topanga, Val Verde, Valinda View, Park-Windsor Hills, Vincent, Walnut Park, West Athens, West Carson, West Puente Valley, West Rancho Dominguez, West Whittier-Los Nietos, Westmont, Willowbrook, Agoura, Alla, Alpine, Alsace, Altacanyada, Andrade Corner, Antelope Acres, Antelope Center, Athens, Bassett, Big Pines, Boiling Point, Castaic Junction, City Terrace, Cornell, Del Sur, Del Valle, El Nido, Firestone Park, Florence, Gorman, Hillgrove, Hi Vista, Indian Springs, Juniper Hills, Kagel Canyon, Kinneloa Mesa, Largo Vista, Llano, Malibu Vista, Monte Nido, Neenach, Ninetynine Oaks, Pearblossom, Rancho Dominguez, Red Box, Sandberg, Seminole Hot Springs, Three Points, Two Harbors, Universal City and Valencia Valyermo.