Augustana Art Association records, 1927-1960 | Augustana College

The Augustana Art Association was founded October 26, 1927, at an evening meeting of art enthusiasts in the home of Dr. G. A. Andreen, then president of Augustana College. The founders included Andreen, his wife, and Alma Johnson, an instructor in the art department. The group's purpose, as stated in its constitution, was "to promote art education and aesthetic appreciation by means of exhibits and lectures, and to collect works of art for the beautification of Augustana and for a permanent art collection." The Association consisted primarily of Augustana College faculty and staff but was open to anyone willing to pay dues. At its peak, the group had upwards of 200 members.

The Augustana Art Association can be credited with initiating the Augustana College art collection as well as raising awareness of art on the campus and in the community. The group's major activities included mounting exhibitions, bringing in lecturers, and procuring works of art to add to the Augustana College collection. One of the initial projects of the Association was placing works of art in buildings on campus. The group also maintained a rental library of art reproductions.

In May 1959, due to decreasing interest, the election of officers and Executive Board for the Association was ended, and the leadership of the group fell to the appointment of Board members by the head of the art department. This action put the Association under the de facto control of the College art department, which apparently saw the group's activities as insignificant. By 1966, the group had vanished completely, with no mention of its existence in college publications.