Some of its founding members were Roderic Barrett, Edward Bawden, Henry Collins, Reg Hazel, Cedric Morris, John Nash, Joyce Pallot, Rowland Suddaby,[2] and Sylvia St.

Following this initial meeting Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines who ran the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing joined the group alongside Joyce Pallot, Sylvia St George and others.

The selection committee decided that the criteria to choose the works would be based purely on merit, regardless of the background, experience or popularity of the artist, a policy which remains.

[10] Since the early years of the foundation of the Colchester Art Society the President, the Chairman of Selectors, and the members of the Panel select works from the exhibitions in order to purchase them and keep them as part of their Permanent Collection.

[11] The Permanent Collection includes a number of works produced by renowned East Anglian artists from the past half century,[12] including: Roderic Barrett, Arthur Lett-Haines, Lucy Harwood (who also belonged to the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing), Blair Hughes-Stanton, John Nash (who was the first president of the Colchester Art Society), Cedric Morris, Bernard Reynolds and Valerie Thornton.