The original members of this group began exhibiting together about 1975 in a Cinco de Mayo celebration at San Joaquin Delta College.  Later on, they continued to exhibit their work for the 16th of September, and Dia de Muertos in October.  Some of the artistas had been friends, colleagues, or students of one another.  Because mainstream venues were often inaccessible to Latino artists, these exhibits allowed them to reflect their cultural heritage and socio-political view of the world.  As the notoriety of the group grew throughout the San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area, new members were added and the group took on the title:  Artistas del Valle.  About 1997 the group helped form The Mexican Heritage Center in Stockton, California through which they continue to exhibit and encourage the arts and culture in the community.

Moreover, it is their love for the Mexican culture, its language, art, traditions, and color that unites them.  They share similar origins:  immigration, poverty, farm labor, and parents and grandparents who left Mexico during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) because of economic reasons.  Most of them are first in their family to graduate from high school or college.

Several members were directly or indirectly part of the farm workers struggle headed by Cesar Chavez in the 1960s and 1970s, and continue to share similar concerns for contemporary issues of education, immigration, and politics through their art.  In the end, it is their love for art that binds them.  Since many of the artistas are educators, they seek to educate the community to the importance of art and culture, and to serve as mentors to a new generation of Latino artists.