Community Arts Association, Plans and Planting Committee, 1969 - 1984
Series 1
The Community Arts Association records document about twelve years' worth of board activities of the Association and some of its activities. Most of the records were Higman's copies, but other earlier copies of financial papers, legal documents, and correspondence most likely originated from Pearl Chase or her office.
One might presume that after Pearl Chase's death in 1979 Sue Higman became the caretaker of these records. Many more copies of early legal documents of the Association, such as the first articles of incorporation and bylaws, were contained in the original donation, but these materials had significant water damage and mold and could not be retained.
It is important to note, however, that those records are also part of the Community Development and Conservation Collection (Mss 1) at UCSB Davidson Library Special Collections, and that these papers in the Higman collection are a logical continuation of the Community Arts Association (CAA) records.
Dates
- 1969 - 1984
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers.
Community Arts Association (CAA)
The Community Arts Association (CAA) began in 1920 and was incorporated in 1922 as a non-profit organization with three branches: Drama, Music, and Plans and Planting. In 1923 it reincorporated to include the School of the Arts as a fourth branch. Its office was located at 912 Santa Barbara Street and thanks to a generous Carnegie Corporation grant, several buildings, including the Alhecama Theater and the arts classroom (now the Presidio Research Center) were constructed.
The Higman CAA records document board meetings and activities of the Plans and Planting branch of the organization (its corporate arm) in the 1970s and early 1980s, after its heyday as the main organization responsible for the Spanish style architecture of Santa Barbara and the beautification of the city after the 1925 earthquake. During this period the board was dealing with the organization's loss of its non-profit status in 1975 after it became involved in the El Mirasol high rise development project and its pivotal decision to focus on and merge with the Alternative Comprehensive Community Environmental Study System (ACCESS) project in 1975 and the financial consequences of that decision.
The ACCESS project received funding for a one-year pilot test, coordinated by UCSB through the U.S. Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare and lead by William Ewald, Jr. CAA entered into an agreement with UCSB as a subcontractor to offer office space, make purchases, and prepare reports, among other tasks. Unfortunately, the CAA did not have cash advances or the necessary funds to do its part without an additional loan of working capital from Pearl Chase. By 1984, the organization was down to one officer (Higman) and the members decided to wrap up CAA's business and made the decision to dissolve the corporation.
A small set of folders of correspondence from Pearl Chase and clippings about her round out this series.
Extent
From the Collection: 2 Linear Feet (plus oversize items)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Creator
- From the Collection: Higman, Sue (Collector, Person)
- From the Collection: Community Arts Association of Santa Barbara. Plans and Planting Committee (Actor, Organization)
- From the Collection: Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation (Actor, Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the Presidio Research Center Repository