The Cooperstown Art Association was formed in 1928 by a group of six professional artists to serve and maintain interest in the applied and fine arts as well as provide the means to increase the community’s awareness and participation. The CAA is now entering its 86th year and though many aspects of the organization have changed over the decades, our purpose and dedication to it has not. “Our chief objective has always been to encourage.” Cooper said in 1978 as he recounted the CAA’s first 50 years, “Our thesis was that the world would be a better place if everybody indulged in some form of creative work primarily for what it did to them,” and because of this, “wherever we found a spark we fanned it into a flame.” Now more than ever we wish to nurture the development of both artists and audience in all media and to educate and encourage the youth in the surrounding community.