ABOUT US / OUR MISSION/OUR TEAM/our history and our future

Yesterday

For many years, members of Valley Center’s artist community and the Valley Center Library have had a mutually beneficial relationship. 

The Library graciously gives the artist community space to display their works of art, hold art classes, and have art-related auctions as well as other artistic gatherings. The Library patrons have enjoyed the ever-changing array of paintings, photographs and miscellaneous wall hanging art.

While this relationship between the artists and the Library has been mutually beneficial, the available Library space and length of display time is somewhat limited.

A few years ago, local artist Barbara Scharnau, having been involved with setting up a number of shows at the Library, recognized that the time has come for Valley Center to have a dedicated art gallery and classroom space.

Scharnau pulled together a number of local resident artists and encouraged them to champion the idea of creating a Valley Center art gallery and educational space. A number of trips were made by the group to North County art galleries to research ideas about how to establish, organize, manage and sustain a successful local art gallery.

After several months of exploration, the Valley Center Art Gallery was created. 

Today

The organization is a not-for profit corporation, with current board members listed at the top of this page.  Since 2024 the Valley Center Art Gallery Board members have organized close to 30 exhibits, reaching out to all artists of all ages and backgrounds.  The gallery is an ongoing project for San Diego County, and after the completion of a feasibility study, the project is now being evaluated by the County's Real Estate department.

Tomorrow 

The Valley Center Art Gallery (VCAG) envisions a space where local artists from the greater Valley Center community will display their work; host art-related talks, meetings, classes, workshops, social gatherings and more.  The gallery’s offerings will encompass a variety of art mediums including:  painting, photography, drawing, sculpture, pottery, film and video.  This community center will also provide access to other types of art such as: writing, food as art, music, wood carving, floral art, singing, acting/theater, dance, creative thinking, and art inspiration. It will be a multi-media center of and for the arts. No matter what your age or background you will be welcomed to engage, learn and share a multi-faceted list of the arts.

The VCAG space is envisioned as an approximately 4,000 square foot building in line with the Library and History Museum, utilizing the area closest to Cole Grade Road.  The architectural style will be in-keeping with these two buildings. There will be approximately 2,500 SF of actual gallery display space with movable lighting and walls to allow artwork of different sizes and media to be displayed, a student art section, two classroom spaces, one with a restaurant-style sink and drainboard to accommodate “wet” media such as watercolor painting and ceramics, a storeroom and an office area. Plans also include a small gift shop for participating artists’ saleable work offerings that will support VCAG’s fundraising. Directly outside will be a patio area and sculpture garden, taking advantage of the magnificent view of Valley Center to the south and west.  Plans are in the works for VCAG to hold events in common with the Library and Valley Center History Museum, making the site into a full-scale community center.