Humber Valley Art Club sprang into vibrant life in 1951 when a group of eight women with art school backgrounds decided to organize themselves into a club dedicated to artistic pursuits.

They carried their easels to paint en plein air in the Humber Valley area of west Toronto. By the end of the summer this loosely structured group included over 40 artists and the Humber Valley Art Club sprang into being.

Originally meeting in each-other’s homes, members soon painted together in larger facilities including the Pavilion in High Park, Kingsway Lambton United Church and Humber Valley United Church.

Throughout the years juried exhibitions were held regularly in various locations, including the O’Keefe Centre (juried by well-known Toronto landscape painter Doris McCarthy) and the Women’s Building at the Canadian National Exhibition.

In the late 1980s HVAC was one of the five founding Resident Groups to be instrumental in the fundraising effort to build Neilson Park Creative Centre in the 6.6 hectare Neilson Park. Architecturally designed studios and galleries were tailored to the requests of these founding groups.

The Centre officially opened in 1993, providing a home for a large variety of artists and artisans. As HVAC embarked on this new and exciting chapter, it hosted over 300 enthusiastic members who filled Studio A to overflowing for many years.

Studio A continues to be our home and provides us with wonderful opportunities to meet with fellow artists and to benefit from a wide variety of excellent classes and workshops as well as social activities.