The first inhabitants of Diablo Valley were part of a small group of Chupcan (Bay Miwok) Indians. The Chupcan lived to the north of Mt. Diablo, along the valley's streams. In 1772, Spanish explorers, led by Captain Pedro Fages and Father Juan Crespi, became the first outsiders to cross this area. For the next 50 to 60 years, the Spanish would venture into, but not settle the Diablo Valley. In 1828, Don Salvio Pacheco petitioned the Mexican government for lands in the valley and received the "Monte del Diablo" land grant in 1834. The 17,921 acre grant covered Diablo valley from the Walnut Creek channel east to the hills and generally from the Mt. Diablo foothills north to the Bay. The name "Monte del Diablo" originally had been used by Spanish soldiers to describe a dense thicket (monte) of willows at the north end of Diablo valley. The soldiers believed the thicket was possessed by evil, devilish Man spirits, hence the name "Monte del Diablo," thicket of the devil.
Don Salvio's son, Fernando Pacheco, was sent immediately to occupy the grant and begin cattle operations on the Pacheco family's new Rancho. The family joined him in 1846. Don Salvio's adobe, which is still located in downtown Concord, became the business, social and cultural center of the region. Don Fernando's adobe, now a nationally registered historical landmark, was built several miles north on low hills overlooking the Bay.
In 1868, Don Salvio Pacheco, his son Fernando, and his son-in-law Francisco Galindo created a new town at the center of their Rancho. They called their 20-acre new town Todos Santos (All Saints), and, in 1869, offered lots free to the merchants and residents of Pacheco. Its perimeter was marked by Bonifacio Street on the northwest, East Street on the northeast, Contra Costa Street on the southeast, and Galindo Street on the southwest. Nineteen blocks were plotted around a central plaza. Don Salvio dedicated the plaza to the people of his new town for use as a park. Today, Todos Santos Plaza continues to be the site for numerous community festivals and celebrations.
Within months after Todos Santos had been recorded as the official name, Concord was heralded by the Contra Costa Gazette as the actual name. In May 1869, the new town residents held a party in a local store to celebrate the founding of Concord. Despite later published reminders and protests by Fernando Pacheco, Concord became the name of the new town.
The Masonic Temple was constructed in 1927 by L.V. Perry for $31,550. The temple was dedicated on October 6, 1928. Built with 20-room rooms, the building incorporates approximately 9,600 sq. ft. on two levels. The Temple provided the ceremonial meeting room and social hall for Mt. Diablo Lodge #448, Free and Accepted Masons.
In 1939 Concord had a population of approximately 1,370. The war years brought exposure and the postwar years began a population boom. By 1948, Concord’s population had grown to 6,500. From 1956 to 1959 public dances, called “Highsteppers, were held in the Masonic Hall. The Masonic Hall is one of the historically significant buildings in downtown Concord.
California Watercolor Association, formerly known as Eastbay Wateracolor Society, was founded in 1967 and incorporated in 1974 as a non-profit corporation engaged in the promotion of watermedia painting. It exists to create, foster, and sustain interest in the art of watermedia painting, to sponsor educational programs, displays and exhibitions, to increase the skill of its members and to further the understanding and appreciation of watermedia art on the part of its members and the general public. General meetings, open to the public, are generally held on the third Wednesday of the month except for the months of June and December. Meetings are held in the Walnut Creek Civic Arts Building at Wiget and Ygnacio Valley Road at 7:30 p.m. in Walnut Creek.
In 1967, a small group of Jade Fon’s watercolor students at Diablo Valley College (DVC), Pleasant Hill, decided to form the East Bay Watercolor Society (EWS). There were 66 members by 1968. Currently, there are approximately 900 members, and the Association has grown to become the largest regional water media organization in California.
Some of the first meetings were held near the old smokestack at “The Crossings” in Concord. Some of the first Annual shows were held at Sun Valley Shopping Center. CWA also opened a gallery annex at The Shops in Blackhawk, in an unrented 2,000 sq. ft. space. It has now closed.
In 1996, the EWS Board decided to adopt the name California Watercolor Association and to make the annual show into a national show. The first Annual National show was held in the one of the SF Academy of Arts galleries.
CWA community outreach has expanded in the last twelve years and includes member artist visits into Contra Costa County school classrooms. In addition, CWA student art awards are given at the Contra Costa County Fair, the Alameda County Fair, the California State Fair, Junior Center for Art and Science, and the Sun Valley Shopping Center student show.
Gallery Concord has existed for approximately 18 years. When the City of Concord stopped mandatory art fees for developers, the City cut funding for the gallery. When funding was cut, several City council people (Bill McManigal and Mike Pastrick), formed the Visual Arts Benefactors. Dave Fry, Warren Taylor and Scott Singley joined them. The VAB had annual "Bill McManigal St. Patrick's Day Golf Tournaments" at a local golf course to raise funding for the gallery. Tournament participation declined each year, and the last year the tournament was held was 2005.
When Concord ceased funding Gallery Concord, the new VAB contacted CWA to see if they would be interested in taking over the gallery operation. CWA operated Gallery Concord a couple of years in the Willows. After a couple of years, we lost our space in the Willows to a restaurant, but the VAB found the Masonic Temple as a potential location for the gallery. With the help of the VAB,member artists, and friends, the building was refurbished and repainted; and new display walls were built.
Gallery Concord is a cooperative gallery of watercolor artists from the California Watercolor Association. Gallery Concord has been showcasing the works of California artists for approximately 18 years in various buildings within the City of Concord. Originally located in the Gateway Building on Willow Pass Road, the gallery moved to Salvio Street near Todos Santos Plaza, and then to The Willows shopping mall on Diamond Blvd. After a year of retrofitting and refurbishing, the gallery held its Opening Night Gala on March 15, 2003 at the Masonic Lodge.
The gallery is staffed with artist volunteers from CWA who manage the day to day operation of the gallery. One of the organization’s artists is present during business hours to speak with visitors about the exhibits. Community volunteers help with gallery staffing. The gallery makes water media materials available to gallery volunteers during their volunteer staffing time. In addition, the sitting gallery artist is on hand to help volunteers with learning the fine points of water media. During their gallery sitting, volunteers may view any or all of videos made about gallery artists.
The work of from 26-32 members of California Watercolor Association is on display each quarter. All artists whose work is displayed in the gallery must be “juried” in. Other media besides watercolor is also shown in the gallery. Quarterly the gallery displays the work of different guest artists.
Plans have been made to further utilize the gallery with painting groups of CWA artists, workshops, and other shows. Periodically there are “red hat” groups, school age groups, or classes of adults touring the gallery. Public receptions with live music are held quarterly at which time new works are displayed. An additional holiday reception is held in December. CWA and member artist workshops are also held in the gallery currently.
CWA, in conjunction with Gallery Concord, is involved with community outreach programs, conducting workshops at local schools for both students and teachers. In the past, CWA Outreach has received grants from Diablo Regional Art Association and Kaiser Permanente. Docent tours are available at the gallery upon request. An artist will lead groups on an educational tour of the gallery and its current works. CWA Outreach holds an annual Teacher Workshop in June.
The gallery continues to serve as one of Concord’s cultural hot spots.