Our History

Women's Caucus for Art is a national organization dedicated to supporting women artists, art historians, students, educators and museum professionals. Come join us for shows, lectures, artist talks and mentorship opportunities!

This chapter serves the San Francisco South Bay & Peninsula area of California.

The mission of the Women's Caucus for Art is to create community through art, education and social activism. WCA is committed to recognizing the contribution of women in the arts, providing women with leadership opportunities and professional development, expanding networking and exhibition opportunities for women, supporting local, national and global art activism, and advocating for equity in the arts for all.

More than 30 years ago, the female members of the College Art Association formed the Women's Caucus for Art during the 1972 CAA National Conference in San Francisco, Ca. The women of CAA, mostly academics, had had it with systematic exclusion from CAA programs and activities: no women on panels, no women moderators, no women board members, etc.

The Northern California Chapter of WCA formed soon after, and before long there were thirty-plus Chapters across the country.

In 1989 the CAA/WCA National Conferences were again in San Francisco, and the Northern California Chapter was responsible for programming, logistics, exhibitions, and hospitality for the WCA conference.

Considering the Bay Area geography, the Chapter decided to assign tasks by region, recognizing the obvious need to split the membership into separate chapters. The South Bay Area Chapter organized first, followed by the Peninsula (1991) and Monterey Bay Chapters. The Northern California Chapter continues to serve San Francisco and the East Bay.

The artists of the Peninsula Chapter employ a wide range of media and demonstrate a remarkable diversity in style and content. Visit our gallery page to see photos from some of our shows.