Organizations Filed Purposes:
THE MISSION OF THE CHESTER COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION IS TO BE A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, CREATIVITY AND COMMUNITY BY CONNECTING ARTISTS, STUDENTS, PATRONS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY TO AND THROUGH ART. IN THE OVER 80 YEARS SINCE ITS FOUNDING, CCAA HAS CONTINUED TO FULFILL ITS GOAL OF "MAKING CHESTER COUNTY MORE ACTIVELY AND COURAGEOUSLY ART CONSCIOUS" (FROM CCAA'S ORIGINAL CHARTER).
OVERVIEW FOUNDED IN 1931, THE CHESTER COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION (CCAA) IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO EDUCATING, INSPIRING, AND CONNECTING PEOPLE OF CHESTER COUNTY TO AND THROUGH THE ARTS. AS A SMALL NON-PROFIT ARTS CENTER, OUR GOAL IS TO INSPIRE CREATIVITY AND CREATIVE THINKING. WE BELIEVE THAT ART POSITIVELY IMPACTS EVERYONE; WE HELP DEVELOP INDIVIDUAL ABILITIES, FOSTER ART APPRECIATION, AND CREATE A SENSE OF ARTISTIC COMMUNITY. FINE ARTS AND FINE CRAFTS CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS TEACH FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND ADVANCED TECHNIQUES. OUR MONTHLY ART EXHIBITIONS, LECTURES, AND ARTIST TALKS ALL PROVIDE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND CREATIVE DIALOGUE IN WELCOMING SPACES. WITH ON-GOING CUTS IN FUNDING FOR THE ARTS-IN NOT ONLY PUBLIC EDUCATION BUT ALSO CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AS WELL AS COMMUNITY AND ARTIST PROGRAMS-ACCESS TO ART PROGRAMING IS LIMITED. THIS IS THE COMMUNITY NEED THAT CCAA FILLS. OUR YEAR-ROUND CLASSES, EXHIBITIONS, AND EVENTS PROVIDE ART EXPERIENCES THAT ARE NO LONGER REGULARLY OFFERED IN SCHOOLS OR IN THE COMMUNITY. IN 1931, ARTIST N. C. WYETH, ART CRITIC CHRISTIAN BRINTON, AND ART DIRECTOR WILLIAM PALMER LEAR FOUNDED CCAA. EARLY EXHIBITIONS FEATURED THE WORKS OF CELEBRATED REGIONAL ARTISTS ANDREW WYETH, HORACE PIPPIN, TOM BOSTELLE, BARCLAY RUBINCAM, AND HARRY DUNN. OVER THE PAST 88 YEARS, CCAA HAS EVOLVED, WHILE STILL FULFILLING ITS ORIGINAL CHARTER "OF MAKING CHESTER COUNTY MORE ACTIVELY AND COURAGEOUSLY ART CONSCIOUS." CCAA'S GOALS ARE TO CONTINUALLY INSPIRE CREATIVITY AND CREATIVE THINKING THROUGH QUALITY ART INSTRUCTION, THOUGHT-PROVOKING PUBLIC ART EXHIBITS, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS. WE ASPIRE TO PROVIDE TRANSFORMATIONAL ART EXPERIENCES AND OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT ALL OF CHESTER COUNTY, AS WELL AS LEAD ONGOING COLLABORATION AND PARTNERING WITH OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL GROUPS, AND BUSINESSES TO PROMOTE THE ARTS FOR A VIBRANT AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY. MISSION CHESTER COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION (CCAA) IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO EDUCATING, INSPIRING, AND CONNECTING PEOPLE OF CHESTER COUNTY TO AND THROUGH THE ARTS. MEMBERSHIP CCAA'S MEMBERSHIP AT THE END OF 2019 WAS 885. THIS FIGURE FLUCTUATES DURING THE YEAR BETWEEN 850 AND 1,000+, AND INCLUDES 97 ARTIST AND 212 SENIOR MEMBERSHIPS. OUR MAILING LIST IS OVER 2,500 HOUSEHOLDS, AND OUR E-LIST IS OVER 6,000 INDIVIDUALS. NUMBERS SERVED IN 2019 CCAA SERVED OVER 25,000 PEOPLE ANNUALLY THROUGHOUT CHESTER COUNTY. AS STATED ABOVE, WE OPERATE IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS-WEST CHESTER, EXTON, KENNETT SQUARE, WEST GROVE, AND COATESVILLE. OUR TARGET POPULATION IS ALL CHESTER COUNTY RESIDENTS, INCLUDING, TODDLERS, STUDENTS K-12, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, SPECIAL NEEDS ADULTS, VETERANS, AND SENIORS-WITH PROGRAMMING, EVENTS, AND EXHIBITIONS DESIGNED FOR EVERYONE. THIS INCLUDES FEE-BASED PROGRAMS, LOW-COST AND FREE ART CLASSES/CAMPS, ART EXHIBITIONS IN OUR MAIN GALLERIES AND PARTNER GALLERY SITES, COMMUNITY EVENTS, ART TRIPS AND LECTURES, ART SALES, AND SPACE RENTALS. SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019 EVENTS & COLLABORATIONS ADDITIONAL UPDATES TO THE DIGITAL AND PRINTMAKING STUDIOS PLUS ORGANIZING THE NEW LIBRARY IN THE MAIN WEST CHESTER FACILITY; NEW EQUIPMENT PURCHASES FOR METAL JEWELRY MAKING; AND A DONATION OF LIKE-NEW ETCHING PRESS FOR PRINTMAKING. REGULAR ART EXHIBITIONS AND RECEPTIONS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN WEST CHESTER (9 MONTHS OF THE YEAR) AND EXTON (12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR). PLANNED AND POP-UP COMMUNITY ART EXHIBITIONS IN WEST CHESTER AND EXTON INCLUDING BARCLAY FRIENDS PLEIN AIR, TIME LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY, ART GOES TO SCHOOL, AND CCIU TECHNICAL COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL. THE GREAT CCAA 100 ART GRAB FUNDRAISING EVENT WITH 400 PIECES FROM REGIONAL ARTISTS. (OCT., 2019). ANNUAL CCIU STUDENT ART EXHIBIT IN WEST CHESTER FEATURING 18 COUNTY PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS (APRIL, 2019). ANNUAL MEETING WITH OVER 150 PARTICIPATING ARTISTS FOR THE WEST CHESTER STUDIO TOUR (FEBRUARY, 2019). COLLABORATION WITH FRIENDS HOME IN KENNETT ON A MULTIGENERATIONAL MURAL PROJECT. ART SHOWS AT CORPORATE/COMMUNITY PARTNER SITES ROTATING MONTHLY INCLUDING WEST CHESTER STARBUCKS, BRYN MAWR TRUST, PA CAREER LINK/OAKLAND CORPORATE CENTER, CALISTA GRAND, PENN FAMILY MEDICINE, ALIGN, 1ST PRIORITY BANK, AND GREATER WEST CHESTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. POPULAR "DRAW-A-THONS" HELD TWICE A YEAR WITH MULTIPLE LIVE MODELS OVER EXTENDED PERIODS. THE CLAY BOWL JURIED CERAMIC EXHIBITION AND SALE BY REGIONAL ARTISTS (OCTOBER, 2019). GREATLY INCREASED NUMBERS OF WORKSHOPS IN CERAMICS, FIBER ARTS, PAINTING, SCULPTURE, AND JEWELRY. HOST WEEKLY IRISH DANCING AND VOCAL LESSONS FACILITY RENTALS FOR CORPORATE BUSINESS EVENTS, WEDDING CEREMONIES, ANNIVERSARY, ENGAGEMENT AND BIRTHDAY PARTIES, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS. REGULAR PARTICIPATION IN SEASONAL COMMUNITY EVENTS INCLUDING WEST CHESTER STUDIO TOUR, GALLERY WALKS, CHESTER COUNTY KIDS CAMP FAIR AND KIDS FEST, WEST CHESTER CHILI FEST AND KENNETT FARMER'S MARKET. LUNCH & LEARN SESSIONS BY ARTISTS AND GUEST LECTURERS AS WELL AS BUS TRIPS TO REGIONAL ART MUSEUMS FOR SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS. EXPANDED EDUCATIONAL LECTURE SERIES FOR WORKING ARTISTS CALLED "THE BUSINESS OF ART-; SESSIONS INCLUDE PRICING, FRAMING, ONLINE APPLICATIONS FOR JURIED SHOWS, MARKETING TIPS, SOCIAL MEDIA, ETC. EXHIBITIONS OFFERED IN 2019 70+ UNIQUE EXHIBITIONS STAGED: 8 LARGE GROUP SHOWS- WEST CHESTER 8 SOLO AND CURATED SHOWS- WEST CHESTER 10 FEATURED SOLO ARTIST SHOWS- EXTON 2 GROUP SHOWS- EXTON 6 COMMUNITY EXHIBITIONS AND POP-UP SHOWS 35+ SOLO AND SMALL GROUP SHOWS AT 8 PARTNER SITES (ROTATING MONTHLY, BI- MONTHLY AND QUARTERLY) ART INSTRUCTION FEE-BASED INSTRUCTION IS OFFERED FOR ALL AGES IN OIL PAINTING, WATERCOLOR, ACRYLIC, DRAWING, SCULPTURE, CERAMICS, JEWELRY, PHOTOGRAPHY, PRINTMAKING, MIXED MEDIA, DIGITAL ART AND FIBER ARTS. TRADITIONAL 8-TO-10-WEEK CLASSES ARE OFFERED, AND SHORTER WORKSHOPS ALLOW STUDENTS TO "TRY ON- OR IMMERSE IN A SPECIFIC MEDIUM. OPEN STUDIO TIME IS OFFERED IN CERAMICS, PHOTOGRAPHY AND SCULPTURE. WITH A CURRENT MAILING LIST OF OVER 2,500 AND AN E-LIST OF 6,000+, QUARTERLY CATALOGS (DIGITAL AND PRINTED) INVITE ALL AGES TO ENGAGE THE ARTIST WITHIN. PROGRAMS ARE CONTINUALLY DEVELOPED FOR AGES 3 TO 93 IN PAINTING, DRAWING, SCULPTURE, CERAMICS, PHOTOGRAPHY, DIGITAL ART, PRINTMAKING/MIXED MEDIA, FIBER ARTS AND JEWELRY. COMMUNITY OUTREACH HAS INCREASED EACH YEAR AS WELL, WITH LOW-COST/FREE ART CLASSES FOR TODDLERS, STUDENTS K-12, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, SPECIAL-NEEDS CHILDREN AND ADULTS, VETERANS, AND SENIORS. LOW-COST & FREE OUTREACH PROGRAMS LOW-COST AND FREE ART CLASSES/SUMMER ART CAMPS ARE OFFERED FOR UNDERSERVED AND AT-RISK AUDIENCES. PROGRAMS HELD IN WEST CHESTER, EXTON, KENNETT SQUARE, WEST GROVE, AND COATESVILLE, INCLUDE SEASONAL ART PROGRAMS, DROP-IN CLASSES FOR VETERANS, AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS ART CLASSES. REDUCED OR ELIMINATED ART PROGRAMMING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALLOWS US TO THE FILL THE NEED FOR ART CLASSES THAT UNDERSERVED YOUTH CAN NO LONGER ACCESS IN TRADITIONAL SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS. STUDENTS DESERVE EXPOSURE THE ARTS, AND CCAA PROVIDES QUALITY PROGRAMMING AND ARTS EDUCATION AT ALL SCHOOL LEVELS. CCAA ALSO PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR THOSE WITH INTEREST IN EXPLORING NEW MEDIUMS AND ACQUIRING NEW TECHNIQUES, RESULTING IN THE POPULARITY OF OUR WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS. THE NEED TO CONNECT WITH A LARGER COMMUNITY OF LIKE- MINDED ART APPRECIATORS FUELS HIGH ATTENDANCE AT ALL ART EXHIBITIONS, ARTIST TALKS AND EVENTS. CCAA OFFERS 7 DIFFERENT LOW-COST AND FREE ART PROGRAMS, AND 5 OF THE 7 ARE EITC-APPROVED. CCAA AT EXTON SQUARE STUDIO GALLERY, EXTON-YEAR-ROUND (EITC-APPROVED PROGRAM) IN 2019, 25 LOW-COST DROP-IN ART CLASSES WERE OFFERED EVERY MONTH AT THE EXTON SQUARE STUDIO GALLERY AT THE EXTON SQUARE MALL. TODDLERS, YOUTH, TEENS, SPECIAL-NEEDS ADULTS, ADULTS OF ALL AGES, AND SENIORS EXPLORED ART IN VARIOUS MEDIUMS IN CLASSES HELD 4 DAYS PER WEEK - WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. 1-HOUR CLASSES AND 2-HOUR SPECIALTY WORKSHOPS BRING IN OVER 3,000 STUDENTS FOR 300 CLASSES. CCAA AT THE GARAGE COMMUNITY & YOUTH CENTER, KENNETT SQUARE-SATURDAYS (EITC-APPROVED PROGRAM) TWO FREE 1-HOUR DROP-IN ART CLASSES WERE OFFERED TO YOUTH AND TEENS ON SATURDAYS IN 2019. THE MORNING SESSIONS PROVIDED THEMED PROJECT FOR CHILDREN 10 AND UNDER AS WELL AS FOR PRE-TEENS AND TEENS 11+.THE 2019 ATTENDANCE WAS OVER 200 STUDENTS WITH AN ADDITIONAL 25+ FAMILY MEMBERS WATCHING THE PROCESS AND SHARING IN THE LEARNINGS. CCAA AT THE GARAGE COMMUNITY & YOUTH CENTER, KENNETT SQUARE-SUMMER (EITC- APPROVED PROGRAM) ELEVEN WEEKS OF FREE DROP-IN 1-HOUR SUMMER MINI ART CAMPS WERE HELD MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNINGS, ENGAGING OVER 250 PARTICIPANTS IN 2019. STUDENTS AGE 4-TO-15 ENJOYED EXPLORING VARIOUS MEDIUMS AND TECHNIQUES TIED TO THEMED PROJECTS EACH DAY. CCAA AT THE COATESVILLE VETERANS' HOSPITAL, COATESVILLE-YEAR-ROUND EACH WEEK, 6-TO-10 VETERANS COME TOGETHER TO RECEIVE FREE ART INSTRUCTION DURING AN INFORMAL 75-MINUTE DROP-IN CLASS ON WEDNESDAYS. ALTHOUGH INITIALLY STARTED AS AN ADJUNCT TO THE HOSPITAL'S PSYCHIATRIC
Executives Listed on Filing
Total Salary includes financial earnings, benefits, and all related organization earnings listed on tax filing
Name | Title | Hours Per Week | Total Salary |
Wendy Kershner | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $83,654 |
Daria Porreca | SECRETARY | 1.4 | $0 |
Chris Foley | VICE PRESIDE | 1.4 | $0 |
John Delaney | TREASURER | 1.4 | $0 |
John Baker | PRESIDENT | 1.4 | $0 |
Dane Tilghman | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $0 |
Lin Tan | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $0 |
John Spangler | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $0 |
Christopher Scholl | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $0 |
Jeff Schaller | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $0 |
Mary Manning | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $0 |
Stuart Lacy | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $0 |
Gwenn Knapp | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $0 |
Jane Donze | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $0 |
Andrea Dellavecchio | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $0 |
Richard Chalfant | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $0 |
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