Museum of Northern California Art

About Us

We are a vehicle for communities in the region to experience and create art for the sake of enjoyment, expression, social cohesion, innovation and communication.

Meet The Team

Our Board of Trustees is comprised of local esteemed professionals and respected leaders in a variety of industries who lend their expertise to the continued growth and success of monca. The function of the Board is to support the Museum’s mission to educate, enlighten and inspire a broad audience with Chico’s rich history and culture. As a governing body, they advise the Executive Director, raise funds to support major museum programming and recruit new members.

Pat Kemeny Macias

Executive Director

Education
Masters of Arts, Printmaking - Eastern Michigan University
Bachelor of Arts, Fine/Studio Arts - Eastern Michigan University

Professional Experience 
monca co-founder 2009 - current
Art Education - Piedmont High School
Education Director - Laumeir Sculpture Park

Morgan Perry, DOMP

Board President

Education
Degree of Osteopathy Manual Practice - Collège d'Études Ostéopathiques Master of Arts, English - California State University Sacramento

Professional Experience 
Private Osteopathic Manual Practice 2010 - current Owner/Founder Simple Human Studios 2007 - 2012

Chico Veterans Memorial Hall

Museum History

monca came into being as part of “envisioning workshops” initiated in 2009 when a group of residents gathered to ponder the possibility of repurposing the vacant Veterans Memorial Building at 900 Esplanade in Chico. A small group was allowed a restricted tour with Supervisors Jane Dolan and Maureen Kirk. The building itself seemed to say “museum.”

More and more individuals joined the discussion and moved forward with the idea of forming a nonprofit museum organization. The Museum of Northern California Art was incorporated by the state in August of 2011 with a mission “to make art accessible and promote awareness of Northern California artists through collections, exhibitions and educational programs.”

history continued

The Mobile Museum

Even though there was no permanent museum home, the monca Board of Directors immediately decided to take the art to the community.  Thus in the fall of 2011 the Mobile Museum/Driving Docent Program was created to take museum quality original art to the community. monca purchased and wrapped a mini school bus with its logo to transport art and supplies to various outreach activities. The vehicle has had most of the seating removed, perfect for customized compartments and portable displays. In addition to strengthening the Mobile Museum/Driving Docent Program the bus serves as a mobile billboard, representing monca at fundraising and community events.

As monca continued its long term planning and fundraising for renovation of the 900 Esplanade Building, it provided eight Pop Up Museums in the north state to inspire residents of all ages with exciting exhibitions of wonderful art created by artists of Northern California.

July 2017

Opening The Doors

In July of 2017, monca opened its doors to the North State Community and has since mounted 25 exhibitions, held artists conversations, architectural lectures, educational field trips, rentals for weddings, concerts, proms, and meetings plus held a Summer Camp for Art and Literacy.

Get Social

Follow Us!

Facebook: @monca
Instagram: @moncamuseum

Join Monca

Volunteer

If you are looking for a rewarding way to serve the Chico community we invite you to join our volunteer program. Whether you’re looking for a few hours to fill or a regular position, a range of opportunities are available.

No experience necessary — all volunteer positions feature in-depth training.

Volunteer