To promote the development of arts in Odessa, in 1864, Odessa decided to found the Association of Fine Arts. To the Chief of Novorossiysk and Bessarabia Count Pavel Evstafievich Kotseb was submitted a draft charter. In addition to the project, a note was submitted stating that industrial and commercial activities for their successful development and prosperity require aesthetic education, which in turn has a beneficial effect on the morals and lifestyle of residents. The aim of the Association was to develop the taste and concept of painting in all classes of citizens, as well as to establish a public picture gallery and drawing school in Odessa. Financially, the founders pinned their hopes only on the works and donations of members of the assocation. The association was founded in Odessa in 1865. Prince Semyon Mikhailovich Vorontsov was elected president, the patron saint - Governor-General Count Kotseba, vice-president - academic architect Franz Osipovich Morandi, chairman. Immediately, in the same 1865, the Drawing School was founded. In addition, the First exhibition of the Association of Fine Arts in Odessa was organized. The exhibition had the main purpose to collect the exposition of the Odessa Art Museum, which was being created, although commercial goals were also pursued (sale of paintings). There were exhibited 261 works, including works by outstanding European artists, but they have not been preserved in the museum's exposition. In addition, a competition for a prize for paintings ordered by the Association for the Picture Gallery was announced. Subsequently, the Association purchased works from other exhibitions.

The association's works were not in vain. Odessa in Russian Empire became the third largest center of painting after St.-Petersburg and Moscow. A characteristic feature of the culture of the painters of that era was their union in various organizations of artists, associations. Moreover, helping artists in the organization of exhibitions and sales of paintings, comradeship pre-Soviet period did not care much about the tastes and manner of artists. In 1890 was organized the largest association of Odessa artists (taking into account the impact on the whole Novorossiya - now South and mostly East parts of Ukraine) – Association of South-Russian Artists (ASRA / TURH). The chairmen of the association at different times were Nikolay Skadovsky (1890-1892), graduate of the Dusseldorf Academy of Arts, Aleksandr Andreevich Popov (1892-1902), graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, Kiriak Konstantinovich Kostandi (since 1902), graduate and later member of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. From the foundation until 1919, an art exhibition was opened every autumn under the auspices of the partnership. In addition to the works of the members, they exhibited their works at the exhibitions Aivazovsky I. , Bogaevsky K. , Lansere E. , Levitan I. I. , Пастернак Л. О. , Pimonenko N. , Pokhitonov I. , Repin I. , Sarian M. , Serov V. , Stanislavskiy I. , Feshin N. Informal evening meetings of artists were held in houses of Feshin N. Петрококиной Е. К. , and Bukovecky E. , in restaurants of the city. They played music, read poems, drew cartoons on each other. Odessa painters and sculptors tried to stay in the narrow provincial world, focused on the artistic life of the largest cultural centers - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Paris, Munich. Most artists, with the exception of a few wealthy ( Bukovecky E. , Skadovsky N. , Kuznetsov N. , Bukovecky E. , Петрококиной Е. К. , Sevastopulo M. ), lived mainly through professional work and teaching activities. Almost all Odessa participants of exhibitions were pupils of the Odessa Drawing School (since 1900 - art school), School of Arts of Ostromensky .