The association's inaugural meeting elected Xu Beihong as its first chairman, with Jiang Feng and Ye Qianyu as vice chairmen.
[2] After Xu's death in 1953, a special meeting was held on 4 October, which elected Qi Baishi as the new chairman, and Wu Zuoren and Cai Ruohong 蔡若虹 as vice chairmen, in addition to Jiang and Ye.
The meeting elected He Xiangning as chairwoman (Qi Baishi had died in 1957), with Cai Ruohong, Liu Kaiqu 刘开渠, Ye Qianyu, Wu Zuoren, Pan Tianshou and Fu Baoshi as vice chairmen.
Jiang Feng was elected chairman, with Wang Chaowen 王朝闻, Ye Qianyu, Hua Junwu, Liu Kaiqu, Guan Shanyue 关山月, Li Shaoyan 李少言, Li Keran, Wu Zuoren, Huang Xinbo 黄新波 and Cai Ruohong as vice chairmen.
Wu Zuoren was elected chairman, and Wang Chaowen, Ye Qianyu, Gu Yuan 古元, Guan Shanyue, Liu Kaiqu, Hua Junwu, Li Shaoyan, Li Keran, Zhou Sicong 周思聪, Qin Zheng 秦征, Huang Yongyu 黄永玉 and Cai Ruohong as vice chairmen.
Jin Shangyi was re-elected chairman, with Liu Dawei (executive), Wang Mingzhi 王明旨, Wang Mingming 王明明, Wei Ershen 韦尔申, Feng Yuan 冯远, Nima Zeren 尼玛泽仁, Xu Jiang 许江, Wu Changjiang 吴长江, Yang Lizhou, Yang Xiaoyang 杨晓阳, Lin Yong, Zeng Chenggang 曾成钢 and Pan Gongkai as vice-chairs.
Liu Dawei was elected chairman, with Wang Mingming, Wei Ershen, Feng Yuan, Xu Jiang, Xu Qinsong 许钦松, Yang Xiaoyang, Wu Changjiang, He Jiaying 何家英, Fan Di'an 范迪安, Luo Zhongli, Shi Dawei, Huang Gesheng 黄格胜, Zeng Chenggang and Pan Gongkai as vice-chairs.