A dramatic burglary occurred on Feb. 5, 1909. A professional thief stole paintings, including oils, watercolors and pastels, worth $3000 from the library. Three paintings by and the property of Charles A. Fries, two by Mary Belle Williams, three by other artists, and one by Albert R. Valentine, all the property of Albert R. Valentine, and several pieces belonging to Nora V. Sullivan and W.H.C. Pierce, were the pieces taken.
     The burglar, John R. Keene was caught robbing a store in Santa Ana and was sent to San Quentin. The paintings he stole were discovered by accident by Sheriff Lacey of Santa Ana, while searching Keene's effects. He found a receipt for a bundle stored in Los Angeles. He went with Sheriff Hammell of Los Angeles to the warehouse and found the stolen San Diego paintings. San Diego Police Chief Neely was notified and he instructed the Sheriffs to take charge of the paintings as a reward had been offered for the return of some of the paintings. Charles Fries offered $50 and others had offered smaller rewards. Sheriff Lacey was a recipient of the monetary rewards. On July 8, 1909, A.M. Davis, district attorney of Orange County, wrote to Daniel Cleveland that a Mr. H.J. Miller was instrumental in apprehending John R. Keene. Mr. Miller received a twenty-dollar reward from the association in appreciation. The association used the theft in its arguments for the necessity of a night watchman at the site.
     In 1909-10 the membership roster of the San Diego Art Association lists over 100 names. The membership was seventy-five percent female, although not all practicing artists.
     Among the many lectures given at association meetings were talks and discussions on Velasquez by Alice Klauber in December 0f 1909, Joaquin Sorolla y Basrida by Henry Mills in April of 1910, Van Dyke by Ernest E. White in December of 1910, Rembrandt in February of 1911, and Jacob Ruisdael by Don Norris in May of 1911.

     In November 1909 at the monthly meeting of the Art Association at the studio of Mrs. L.L. Rowan, a resolution was drawn by Mrs. Davidson and M. German and then adopted:
"Whereas, an Art Exhibit should be a prominent feature of the Panama Canal Exposition in 1915; and whereas further such Art Exhibit should more immediately under the charge of the San Diego Art Association;
     Now therefore be it resolved by the San Diego Art Association that the plans for the Panama Exposition ought to include as one of its most important features, an Art Exhibit; that this exhibit should be placed in charge of the San Diego Art Association, and further, that, as essential to the success of such an exhibit, a permanent art building ought to be secured for such association, as soon as practicable.
     That we pledge the faithful and earnest work and co-operation of this association in securing such building and in making such a proposed art exhibit a success; and we ask hearty support and aid of the people of San Diego in our efforts."

     At the association's monthly meeting in March, 1910 a discussion was held about improvements to the city. An article printed in the San Diego Sun 3/15/10 describes their proposal: "On a motion from Mrs. German it was decided to ask civic improvement clubs and individuals who have plans for beautifying of the city in any way to submit said plans to the men's civic improvement committee, which is appointed jointly by the chamber of commerce and the art association. In this way it will be possible to arrange all parks, street decorations, etc., along lines that will tend towards uniformity and beauty."

     In 1910 the Art League or Art Student's League was formed. Its purpose was the maintenance of sketching classes. Art League officers included future Guild members L.C. Sherwood - President, Annie Pierce - Vice-president, Miss E.M. Scofield - Secretary. Classes were held three times a week and night classes were also held, and critiques set up. The public was invited to their meetings to view the art. Meetings were held at private homes and then at the B Street School, although they could study from a living model, no nudes were allowed.

     A milestone event for the art community occurred in June 1910. It is described in this article from the San Diego Sun 6/16/10:

ART ASSOCIATION GETS CLUB ROOM IN A B STREET SCHOOL

Insures Permanent Meeting Place and Gallery for Exhibitions - Art League May Also Have Home There - Collection Growing.

     "Members of the art association are rejoicing today. The permission given them by the board of education to use one of the rooms in the old B street school building 'insures' a permanent meeting place as well as a room in which the association's own collection of paintings can be hung.
     The room is situated on the second floor, at the northwest corner of the building, affording a good light for work. It is a large room, with a big closet where materials can be stored.
It is expected that the Art Students' league may also use the room next year for their sketch classes and monthly exhibition of work.
     A single room for these purposes is considered by artists of this city to be of immense value to the artistic life here, as it forms a central point for the gathering of art workers and those who are simply interested in art from an esthetic standpoint. It is expected that the general interest in art will be increased.

Permanent Exhibit

     Each year the addition of at least one valuable painting to the small collection, which it is, hopes will form the nucleus of a public art gallery for San Diego.
This is one of the aims of the San Diego Art association. Free annual and semi-annual exhibitions have been held at the public library, but a permanent exhibit has never been established.
     The art association hopes in time to be able to erect suitable buildings for an art museum and gallery, for the proper and safe housing of pictures belonging to the association, and valuable canvasses, which may be; loaned for exhibition purposes.

Present Collection

     The present small collection was gathered by gift and purchase. The first efforts were made by the art committee of the San Diego club….

Civic Federation

     At the last meeting of the association a resolution was passed to the effect that the civic committee should be asked to take immediate steps toward the federation of all the organizations of the city, which are formed for the purpose of city improvement.

     The Art association will begin its meetings again in October, but the Art league will meet during the summer."

     San Diego Sun 2/22/11: "Julius Wangenheim was selected Art Association President. Future Guild members, who were elected as the new directors included, L.C. Sherwood, A.M. Farnham, A.R. Valentien." San Diego Sun 5/20/11: "Mr. Wangenheim resigns as president letting Vice-president E.H. White succeed him." These are the last records of the activity of the association.
There are no further records, and the San Diego Art Association ceased to be active after 1915. It was then that many of the association's former members came together and created the San Diego Art Guild. (Chapter II)

     In 1916 Rebecca Rogers, Secretary of the Art Guild wrote to Mr. Cleveland, President of the old Art Association, in an effort to call a meeting of the old association. The purpose was to create a union between the two organizations. Mr. Louis Blochman, the Association's Treasurer, still had funds on the books, but other officers could not be located. Consequently, later that year, the Art Guild dropped its efforts either to unite with the association or incorporate.

     On January 6, 1928, a special meeting of some members of the old San Diego Art Association was held, for the purpose of closing the accounts. This group, representing the now defunct organization, voted to dissolve the corporation and donate the $300 balance of the old treasury, left in the care of Mr. L.A. Bochman, to the Fine Arts Society as a start for a permanent endowment Library fund. Charles A. Fries made a motion, and it was adopted, that all properties be transferred to the Fine Arts Gallery.

     Janet Brody Esser wrote later about the association's origins:

     "The spirit of a new century and a sense of lofty purpose motivated a group of artists in 1904 to incorporate themselves as the San Diego Art Association and dedicate themselves to '...the study and encouragement of art in all its higher branches.' Local artists were increasing in number and importance - in a still young, still small (about 35,000 inhabitants) San Diego, an obscure port city that had previously attracted only the occasional itinerant portrait painter. Career artists, many of them trained in Eastern and European academies and ateliers, took up residence in San Diego at the turn of the century, establishing guilds, galleries, and associations dedicated to the creation, exhibition, and collection of art."

     There is still a bit of a mystery as to what actually happened to the association. It appears that there was a great synergy between the artists and the community in the beginning. However, it seems that after Daniel Cleveland resigned from the presidency, the spark went out. There is also the formation of the Art League and seemed to be a split in the associations membership along gender lines. At a tally of votes by the officers of the association for their new board in 1910, the men got the vast majority of all the votes, leaving the women, Alice Klauber with two and Edna Scofield with only one. Also the community may not have responded as the artists and their supporters had hoped for, as described in their playlet. The newspapers abandoned the group and there is little or no record of anything happening from June 1911 - September 1915. Then during the Panama Pacific Exposition the momentum grew for another try at getting the art community together again. That was the beginning of our San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild. (There is an oral tradition that was passed on to me by Kay Whitcomb, saying that the artists came back together in 1912 and that was the actual beginning of the Guild.)