The California Art Club (CAC) is mounting the 115th edition of its Annual Gold Medal Exhibition at the Hilbert Museum of California Art, located on the campus of Chapman University. This show of more than 200 paintings and sculptures created by 170 artists encompasses everything from landscapes, cityscapes, and seascapes to still lifes and figures. Admission is free and everything is for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the CAC’s many educational programs.
Established in 1909 by a circle of California impressionists who painted outdoors, the CAC is one of the country’s oldest, largest, and most active professional art organizations. Its members call their art “contemporary-traditional” and emphasize the time-honored techniques they employ. Although the Gold Medal Exhibition has no overarching theme, this year marks a special convergence: the 175th anniversary of California’s statehood, the 250th anniversary of the United States, and the Hilbert Museum’s tenth anniversary.
This is the fourth time the CAC and Hilbert have collaborated. Founded in 2016 by collectors Mark and Janet Hilbert, it is the only museum dedicated to tracing the state’s history from the late 1800s to the present through works by leading California artists, as well as Hollywood studio artists and animators. On view this summer will be works by early CAC members, including Millard Sheets’s 1969 mosaic mural Pleasures Along the Beach, which graces the museum’s entrance.
Most Saturdays will feature artist meet-and-greets, and visitors should check the website for details on various artists’ demonstrations and activities for families.
DETAILS AT A GLANCE:
California Art Club at the Hilbert
Orange, California
californiaartclub.org/goldmedal, hilbertmuseum.org
June 14 – September 13, 2026
Looking ahead: Attend Realism Live ~ a multi-day virtual art conference led by 20+ world class artists. (No tech skills? No problem! If you can click a link, you can join our event!) Learn more at RealismLive.com!
Story prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Fine Art Today
