The body was originally called the Bega Valley Fine Arts and Crafts Society when it was founded in 1946 by three local artists, Jack Roy Kirkland, Silby McNeil, Charles Deacon and a friend of the society, founder of the Bega District News, WB 'Curly' Annabel.
[1] The first meeting of the society was called by Silby McNeil for November 13, 1946 to discuss holding an exhibition of local paintings the following month.
The meeting went on to resolve the motion of Jack Kirkland, 'to form a society for the encouragement and cultivation of artistic works of a cultural nature'.
1960 it repeatedly requested council to supply signs directing visitors to its gallery, to no avail.
The society also had to approach council requesting representation at civic functions when the local bodies and clubs were automatically included.