Current Exhibitions
Generations of Creativity: the Art of the Svenson Family
January 24 – March 22, 2026
Reception: February 1, 2 PM -4 PM
This exhibition presents a wealth of rarely seen works of art by sculptor John Edward Svenson and his family – David and Kazumi + John and Sharon. The works are created in a wide variety of media from traditional carved wooden sculpture to mixed media and neon. The scale ranges from a 9’ totem pole newly carved by David to diminutive glass works by Kazumi. Curated by David Svenson, this exhibition is a unique opportunity to view the legacy of renowned Pomona Valley sculptor John Edward Svenson and his artistic progeny.
Celebrating Our 85th Anniversary
February 6 – March 22
The Chaffey Community Art Association was founded in1941 by creative filmmakers, art collectors and Ontario residents Francis and Helen Line. The Lines established the museum’s art collection by donating nine outstanding paintings and inaugurating the first of 22 annual Purchase Prize exhibits which expanded the collection.
This exhibit includes a selection of works from The Barbara Line Memorial Collection, a few works exhibited in 1943 in the Portrait of a Community exhibit and another group of paintings acquired via the Purchase Prize exhibitions between 1949 and 1958.
This exhibit honors the legacy of Francis and Helen Line and all the volunteers, sustaining members, donors and sponsors whose combined efforts have propelled CCMA forward for 85 years.
From Rancho to the River: A Photographic Essay of Route 66 by Michael Graves
February 6 – March 22
As a celebration of its 100th birthday, this group of black and white photographs documents the famous Route 66 through San Bernardino County. Old motels, weathered signs, abandoned buildings, bridges, and the painted “66” shields are visual records of a century of travel to and from California. Graves captures the beauty in the ephemeral markers of passage through time and space.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Man One, Grill Face, 1994 (assisted by Vyal) 1607 César Chavez Avenue, Boyle Heights, spray paint on garage door, mural ©Man One. Photo courtesy of the Artist.
Walls that Speak: New Work by Man One, Cosmé Cordova and Joe Ded
April 8 – July 26, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday April 11, 1-4 PM
This exhibit highlights recent work not previously exhibited in a museum setting by three local mid-career Chicano artists. Each has used his expressive style to both create important works of art and to build community engagement in their hometowns.
Ontario artist Man One’s career as a muralist engages communities of the Pomona Valley and greater Los Angeles by addressing an engaged public on outdoor murals. He is creating an original site-specific mural for Walls That Speak.
In addition to his art practice, Cosmé Cordova has been an inspirational leader in Riverside as the owner of Division 9 gallery. He developed community engagement in the arts as the co-founder of the Riverside Arts Walk and an annual citywide celebration of the arts on Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). His own art is a unique synthesis of graffiti, abstract forms and imagery.
Joe Ded is a versatile artist who is steeped in the Chicana/o mural movement of East Los Angeles of the1970s. Largely self-taught, he is based in Montclair. His iconography draws from a wide range of popular and art historical sources. His art and talent continue to develop as opportunities for large scale works emerge.
These three uniquely talented artists are living evidence of the power of art to be an influential method of individual expression and community engagement.
Walls that Speak: Chicana/o Mural Art, 1970s -1990s
April 8 – July 12, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday April 11, 1-4 PM
The Chicano Mural Movement created by an immensely talented group of Chicana and Chicano artists is an essential chapter in the history of contemporary art in Southern California. Well-researched by art historians, it is estimated that over 1,500 murals were created in California during the 1970s alone.
By fearlessly appropriating public spaces, Chicano and Chicana artists invented a new style and iconography which addressed the artists’ heritage and identities.
This educational exhibit presents reproductions and descriptive texts of some of the best-known works of the Southern California Chicano Mural Movement. Themes encompass religious subjects, Indigenous motifs, political and social commentaries, modern portraiture and urban culture.
The Southern California Chicano Mural Movement provides an essential background to appreciate the art created by Man One and Cosmé Cordova that is being exhibited in the museum’s Main Gallery. It will help museum visitors better understand the roots of art being made in the 21st century by contemporary Chicano and Chicana artists as well as the outstanding murals painted during October 2025 in downtown Ontario.
The Southern California Chicano Mural Movement provides an essential background to appreciate the art created by Man One, Cosmé Cordova and Joe Ded that is being exhibited in the museum’s Main Gallery.
Cosmé Cordova, Untitled 4
Past Exhibitions
Karl Benjamin (1925-2012), #5, 1975 , oil on canvas
30 x 60 inches; 76.2 x 152.4 centimeters
©Estate of Karl Benjamin, reproduced by permission
Photo: Gerard Vuilleumier
The Hard-Edged Genius of Karl Benjamin: Selections from the Family Collection
October 11, 2025 – January 11, 2026
Reception: Sunday, October 12, 2 PM – 4 PM
This exhibit celebrates the diversity and creativity of Karl Benjamin, noted Claremont painter on his 100th birthday. Drawn from rarely-seen private family collection, these magnificent abstract paintings were executed between 1969 and 1992. Collectively they demonstrate the diversity and range of his compositional creativity and gorgeous color sensibility.
This exhibition is generously sponsored by: The Brulte Family
Mark Rush, Reflections2a, Acrylic on canvas
Contemporary Hard Edge Explorations: Paintings by Mark Rush and Timothy Haerens
November 1 – January 25 , 2026
Reception: Sunday, November 2, 2 PM – 4 PM
These two artists from the Pomona Valley have developed sophisticated abstract styles using the precision of clean lines and precisely defined forms. They are innovators whose works display movement in exciting and dynamic compositions. The art of both Rush and Haerens is evidence of the legacy of Karl Benjamin on contemporary painters.
Florence Arnold, Theme in a Square No. 2, 1977
Florence Arnold: Hard-Edge Innovator
November 1 – January 25 , 2026
Reception: Sunday, November 2, 2 PM – 4 PM
Florence Arnold (1900-1994) embraced hard-edge abstraction later in life around age 50. Mentored by Karl Benjamin, Arnold was a committed and original painter who employed a style of severe geometric abstraction. The CCMA is delighted to exhibit Arnold’s series, Theme in a Square from our permanent collection as evidence of the rich and varied legacy of Benjamin.