The organization, now known as Artists of the High Desert, started out as the Hesperia Art Club in September 1965, when five ladies, Eloise Boyer, Estelle Homes, Evelyn Kenny, Beth Lanegan and Mary Phillips met at an oil painting class at Victor Valley College.

So they could devote more time to their art they started meeting at each other's homes and invited other to join them. Needing more room, they began to meet at Lime Street Park. With the help of Evelyn Kenny and other teachers, membership continued to grow.

In 1973, Bill Smith joined the group and was elected president. He helped them incorporate as the Hesperia Art Club, Inc., as a non-profit organization and started the search for a permanent place to offer classes, a studio and gallery.

The organization has been involved in many projects and has been located in several different locations and is currently located at 9648 9th Ave. Ste 8 in Hesperia.

To provide our community a pleasant place to come together, learn and share our love of art, involve our youth in classes that enhance their abilities, and to provide a place to display art and participate in activities that involve the community at large, is still our goal.