SUMMER 2014 Tahoe`s Secret Sunken Treasures The New Art Tool

Tahoe’s Secret Sunken Treasures
Soar from Snapshots to Artwork
The New Art Tool: Social Media
SUMMER 2014
contents
Volume 20, Number 3
features
5 Sunken Secrets Deep Beneath Tahoe Blue
by Janis Dice
‘Ghost Ships’ and ‘Sunken Treasures’ exhibitions reveal
underwater mysteries and beautiful lake-inspired art
10 Every Picture Tells A Story
by Farn Dupre
Two camera clubs in Placer County focus on elevating
members’ photography skills from snapshots to artwork
12 The Artist and Social Media
by Lisa Kopochinski
Wearable Art, an informal fashion show
by Auburn Old Town Gallery artsists,
will feature jewlery, garments and
accessories, August 14.
Courtesy photo.
Creating an ongoing conversation with art fans online
helps artists avoid starvation by selling more art
departments
7 Poets Speak
‘A Little Stressed’ and ‘More Blocks for the Building’
Placer’s Meandering Museum Tour
Hip Hop verse by Natalie Pohley
14 Museum Blog
15 The Score
Dance band and fan favorite Mumbo Gumbo
returns to Royer Park’s longstanding summer
concert series, Music in the Park, Sept. 14.
Courtesy photo.
Roseville Turns Up the Music
By Cheri March
16 Watershed Reflections
A Debris-Free American River
by Janice Kelley
17 Arts News
News about arts and culture in and around Placer County
22 End Paper
ARTour: A Personal Journey for Artists and Art Lovers
By Pam Sutton
About the Cover:
After learning about the ‘Sunken Treasures’ exhibit at the Tahoe
Maritime Museum (TMM), mixed-media artist Lisa Kurt’s creativity got the best of her. “I was searching for an idea for a painting
when I kept coming back to recent stories about large goldfish
found in Lake Tahoe,” says Kurt, who lives and works in Reno.
“My imagination went from there.” This piece, titled “Tahoe Gold,”
uses mixed media including maps and acrylic paint on a wood
panel. Kurt uses maps within much of her work; for this painting,
she used one of the Lake Tahoe region.
2
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 Perspectives on Arts
It’s a challenge to allow the maps to show through the painting, she says, yet not having it distract from the imagery so that
the story can emerge. Through her work, she explores stories
that involve people, animals and creatures in mysterious settings,
often incorporating nature and the unexpected. Her work entails
traces of nostalgia, melancholy, and whimsical facets that allow a
bit of mystery to remain. Lisa’s work focuses on themes surrounding childhood, nature, memory, stories, mythologies, allegory and
dreams. Learn more at www.lisakurt.com.
arts advocate
Summer Scholars and
the Arts Revitalization Act
I
t’s a select group that includes Hollywood
names such as Zac Efron and James Franco,
Pixar animators Mark Walsh and Sanjay Patel,
Broadway star Teal Wicks, TV stars Katherine McPhee and Kirsten Vangsness, and author Margaret Dilloway. All are alumni of the
California State Summer School for the Arts
(CSSSA).
And this year, six artistically talented and
motivated Placer County high-school students
have been accepted into the successful program that provides an intensive four-week
pre-college course.
Drawn from a pool of over 1,600 well-qualified applicants, the select six are among approximately 500 high school-age students from
California – all considered to be some of the
most outstanding students in the arts. Students
hail from all 58 California counties, and have
demonstrated outstanding artistic excellence in
one of the seven CSSSA disciplines: animation,
creative writing, film, dance, music, theatre, or
visual arts. Attending the visual arts disciplines are
Rocklin resident Grace Leonard from Western
Sierra Academy, Colfax resident Ruby Mapa
from Colfax High, and Macie Taylor from Oakmont High in Roseville. Also from Roseville
and Oakmont High is Serena Harris, who
qualified specifically for animation. Two creative writers who attend Colfax High – Haley
Michael of Auburn and Heather Oferman of
Meadow Vista – round out this year’s honorees.
Twenty-eight years ago, it was our own
California 4th District Senator Jim Neilsen
who wrote the bill that initiated the CSSSA
program, which takes place on the campus of
the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in
Valencia. Applications are open to California
students enrolled in grades 9-12. The 2014
Session of the CSSSA will be held July 12 –
August 8.
I congratulated the group in person at a
recognition event June12, along with Supervisor Jim Holmes. Here’s a wish that this cre
ative six-pack enjoys a fun and unforgettable learning experience!
WAY TO GO CALIFORNIA!
Thanks to a contingent of arts patrons and
legislators, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.
signed a state budget that includes a one-time
$5 million increase in general fund support for
the California Arts Council (CAC). This is the
first time in more than 10 years the arts have
seen an increase of general fund monies, after
support for the Arts Council was cut by 94
percent in 2003.
This is an historic occasion for the arts in
California, made possible by Governor Brown,
the legislature, and the arts community who
stepped up in support of increased state arts
funding. Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian
sponsored the original funding bill, known
as the “Creative Industries and Community
Economic Revitalization Act of 2014.” It was
designed to offset the devastating cuts suffered by the CAC in the last decade, which
have drastically impacted local arts programs
in communities statewide.
For the past decade, the CAC received an
average of $1 million in annual general fund
support, only enough to meet the minimum
match of federal funding from the National
Endowment for the Arts. Admirably, approximately $3 million in annual funds, derived
from sales and renewals of California’s Arts
License Plate, helped the budget. This still left
California 49th in state arts funding, with more
artists per capita than any state in the union.
The newly signed increase brings the total fiscal year 2014-15 general fund support for the
CAC to approximately $6 million. Keep your
plates on
I thank all who advocated by writing letters
or phoning state representatives and Governor
Brown.
-— Angela Tahti, Executive Director
PlacerArts
PlacerArts.org
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014
3
Published by PlacerArts, Perspectives on Arts:
provides a forum for communication between artists,
culture and heritage organizations and the public;
promotes public access and participation to residents and visitors;
and increases public advocacy for arts and arts education countywide.
PlacerArts is the Arts Council of Placer County, a nonprofit,
public benefit agency and Catalyst for the Arts and Humanities.
Board of Trustees
Shelby Bullard, Youth Rep, Granite Bay
Rob Cord, Loomis
John Dupre, Secretary, Auburn
Susan Dupre, Chair Emeritus, Christian Valley
Rick Dyess, Auburn
David Kelly, Granite Bay
Steven Lease, Chair, Newcastle
John Marin, Vice-Chair, Carnelian Bay
Jennifer Merino, Roseville
Aldo Pineschi, Roseville
Diana Ruslin, Rocklin
Anu Vuorikoski, Treasurer, Auburn
Robert M. Weygandt, Lincoln
Jenine Windeshausen, Loomis
Advisory Team
Linda Brown, Government Affairs
Penny Crull & Barbara Wauters, Finance Consultants
April Maynard, Chair Emeritus/Risk Management
Charles Miles, Public Education
Program Team
Angela Tahti, Executive Director
Annie Hess, Program Specialist
Anita Eisenman, Special Projects, Linda Green, ARTspace
Community Local Partner
Diana Randolph, Experience Works
Perspectives
Editor: John McCreadie
Design/Production: Blue Cat Studio, Inc.
Printer: Auburn Printers, Inc.
Publisher: Angela Tahti, Arts Council of Placer County
Publication of Perspectives on Arts is made possible with support
from the County of Placer, the California Arts Council StateLocal Partnership Program. Distribution partners include the
Auburn, Colfax, Foresthill, Lincoln, Loomis, Rocklin and Roseville
Chambers of Commerce, North Lake Tahoe Resort Association,
Placer County Visitors Bureau, and Placer Valley Tourism.
Special edition printing of Perspectives on Arts is mailed to members
and distributed via the public library system countywide and regionally.
Perspectives on Arts is available online at PerspectivesOnArts.org.
Opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed are those of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect the views of public partners, the PlacerArts Board of Trustees, or their staff, advertisers, or contributors.
Perspectives on Arts e-zine: Electronically submit your story ideas, arts
news, related high-resolution images, and letters to the
editor to be considered for publication via PerspectivesOnArts.org.
Deadline for the Fall 2014 edition (Oct/Nov/Dec) is: July 15, 2014.
PlacerArts
808 Lincoln Way • Auburn, CA 95603-4807
Phone (530) 885-5670 • Fax (530) 885-0348
[email protected] • PlacerArts.org
artsplate.org
4
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 Perspectives on Arts
Sunken Secrets Deep Beneath Tahoe Blue
‘Ghost Ships’ and ‘Sunken Treasures’ exhibitions reveal
underwater mysteries and beautiful lake-inspired art
By Janis Dice
M
uch of Lake Tahoe’s history lies deep beneath its luminous waters, but the Tahoe Maritime Museum is salvaging that unseen heritage
in an artistic way.
Partnering with PlacerArts and Nevada
County Arts communities for the first time,
the Tahoe Maritime Museum (TMM) in Homewood launched its latest historic exhibit
“Ghost Ships” with an accompanying juried art
show, “Sunken Treasures.” The exhibit imagines the concealed realm that exists in Lake
Tahoe.
“There is no complete survey of how many
boats are down there, but a scan done in 2004
in Emerald Bay found 50 objects that could
be sunken ships,” explains museum curator Christine Shook. “I expect people visiting
the museum to be shocked by the depth of
Tahoe’s maritime history because so much of
it is hidden.”
In the early 1900s, before highways encircled Lake Tahoe, watercraft routinely moved
mail, residents, tourists and supplies across the
water. Mammoth steam ships, dinky dinghies,
handcrafted canoes and sleek excursion boats
navigated the lake, linking homes, resorts and
entertainment venues.
The tracks of the rail line from Truckee
to Tahoe City ran onto the pier, delivering
passengers and freight to the 169-foot-long
steamship Tahoe, dubbed Queen of the Lake.
Replaced by more-efficient speed boats, the
Tahoe was scuttled in 1940, “to honor her
memory instead of selling her for scrap metal,”
Shook says.
Sinking boats was a Tahoe tradition — for
wrecks as well as reusable vessels. Resorts often provided kayaks, rowboats and canoes to
guests. With no place to store small watercraft
during snowy winters, the resorts temporarily
scuttled the boats deep in the lake, where icy
waters preserved them for use the following
season.
Cargo and belongings that fell overboard littered the lake bottom with everyday treasures.
A local diver claimed it was like Christmas
morning as he brought up label-less cans and
ate heartily from the wreckage of a sunken
grocery delivery boat. After a 20-year drought
drastically lowered lake levels, Native American grinding rocks resurfaced.
“The world below the shoreline holds a
treasure trove of objects that tell a long and
unique history of the are a,” Shook says. “It
PlacerArts.org
The Shanghai, an
1890s steamer
salvaged from the
lake near Homewood, was the first
boat in the Tahoe
Maritime Museum’s collection.
Photo courtesy of
the TMM.
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014
5
(Left) An archived
advertisement featuring the steamer
Tahoe, courtesy of
the Tahoe Maritime Museum.
(Below) The mail
steamer,
the Marian B,
now lays 350 feet
below Lake Tahoe’s
surface. Photo
courtesy of the
North Lake Tahoe
Historical Society.
needs to be protected and preserved, and
that’s what we intend to show with this exhibit.”
The Ghost Ships display focuses on boats
that sank in Lake Tahoe and around the United States, featuring a recovered Washoe Indian
canoe and the internationally renowned race
boat “Teaser.” Through oral histories, underwater footage, artifacts, preservation techniques and salvage guidelines, the museum
illuminates the lake’s extensive maritime culture.
Enjoy Shore Leave at TMM
The nonprofit Tahoe
Maritime
Museum,
located at
5205 West
Lake Boulevard in
Homewood,
California,
is open
daily, except
Wednesdays, from
10 a.m. to 5
p.m.; Friday
through Sunday until 4:30 p.m. The museum’s annex in Truckee
displays rare boats that are too large for the Homewood site.
Call ahead for current tour schedules or appointments. For
more information, visit www.tahoemaritimemuseum.org or call
530-525-9253.
6
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 Perspectives on Arts
COMMISSIONED EXHIBIT ART
A native of Lake Tahoe’s Tahoma district who
now lives in the Bay Area, graphic artist Ben
Rodgers was commissioned to produce two
pieces of art, plus all signage, for the Ghost
Ships exhibit. His images of cobalt waves cradling a boat’s sinking carcass evoke both the
beauty of the lake and the intriguing mysteries
it holds.
Rodgers designed the eerie representations
on his computer, printed them on vinyl, die
cut the negative space, then placed them on
thin sheets of Plexiglas. He brushed on acrylic
paint and removed the stencils, producing the
spectral scenes.
Rodgers’ original art unifies the historic
maritime exhibit and the contemporary art
show, broadening the experience for visitors.
“Combining the two brings people together
in a way that might not otherwise happen:
History lovers discover the art; art lovers learn
about boating, and boaters may become art
enthusiasts.”
The museum’s two stairwells host the Sunken Treasures art gallery. One holds the works
of show entrants who competed for cash
awards; the other showcases the commercial
art of Journey Around Happy.
Anchored by scientist Brent von Twistern
and creative designer Chris Hill, this company
creates fine art “sub-scapes” by fusing sonar
images, above-the-waterline photographs and
oil painting into spectacular panoramas. On
www.JourneyAroundHappy.com, views of
Lake Tahoe include its underwater forests,
rock formations, fish and flora.
The museum typically uses only archival
materials to illustrate its historical displays, “so
this was something we had never done before,” Shook says. “This exhibit is about that
element of the unknown; something only art
can express. It wouldn’t be a complete story
without that.”
Shook reports that the addition of art to the
museum’s displays “was very well received at
the show’s opening. It set the mood for the
entire exhibit.”
Former Tahoe resident Susan Watson,
whose show entry “Submerged” received
Best of Show honors, reflects the lake’s chilly
immensity in her large-scale abstract acrylic
painting.
“I don’t really see as I paint; I feel: I feel
the cold temperature of Lake Tahoe. I feel its
depth and its clarity and the unknown of that
great vastness,” she says. “I knew I could capture the depth of the lake and convey the feeling of the water and what could perhaps lie
beneath.”
Melding facts and inventive art seems a
natural fit for the museum: Tahoe’s actual
maritime history ignites imaginations. One
common tale is that Lake Tahoe and Nevada’s
Pyramid Lake connect through ancient volcanic tunnels and what disappears in one may
reappear in the other.
Then there is the true story of the Marian
B, the mail boat carrying the captain, his son
and a mail clerk. A sense of impending doom
hung over the three as they left shore one
day. Halfway through their route, an engine
failed. What happened next is unknown.
The bodies of the clerk and boy eventually surfaced, but Lake Tahoe never gave up
the captain. His bones, like the skeletons
of wrecked ships, remain hidden in the icy
depths of the lake.
The Tahoe Maritime Museum’s latest exhibit
will reveal what else waits on the bottom of
the lake.
Former Tahoe resident Susan Watson’s large-scale
abstract acrylic painting, titled “Submerged,” received Best of Show honors in the Sunken Treasures
exhibit. The show was judged by Carla Beebe, Roy E.
Dryer III and Larry Ortiz. Courtesy photo.
PlacerArts.org
Commissioned artwork
for the “Sunken Treasures” art exhibit and
competition by artist Ben Rodgers, who
also did the signage
design for the exhibit..
The show, a partnership between PlacerArts, Nevada County
Arts and the Tahoe
Maritime Museum,
runs through April 19,
2015. Courtesy photo.
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014
7
the score
Roseville Turns Up the Music
By Cheri March
It’s been less than a year
Local jazz musician Derek Thomas will perform
Sept. 5 as part of
Blue Line Arts Music, a new series of
intimate artist-focused concerts at
the Blue Line Arts
gallery on Vernon
St. Photo courtesy
of 23rd Street Photography.
8
since Roseville unveiled
the first phase of its revamped downtown, but
the results are already
music to local ears.
Families looking for
live entertainment this
summer won’t have to
venture much farther
than their own backyards,
thanks to the addition
of two new concert series right in the heart of
downtown and the return
of a classic in nearby Royer Park.
“There’s a lot happening here all of a sudden,” says Roseville Parks
and Rec manager Kathy
Barsotti. “We’re working
on bringing people into
downtown to hang out
and have a good time.
The goal is for them to
really experience the
community with all of our
new revitalization efforts.”
At the center of the
city’s goals is the new Town Square at Vernon
and Grant Streets, which city planners are
touting as the place to get your summer concert fix, minus the inconvenience.
Traditionally, says Barsotti, attending a
summer show could mean dropping big
bucks on tickets and a babysitter, driving to
Sacramento or beyond, squeezing in a quick
meal before the main event – and then getting in the car all over again for the long, late
drive home.
Concerts on the Square have none of
that. They are free, family-friendly and just
around the corner. Kids can play on the lawn,
while adults kick back with a brew from the
nonprofit-hosted beer garden. Everyone can
enjoy a picnic dinner or bite to eat from a
nearby food truck, and the whole family can
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 Perspectives on Arts
be back home in bed at a reasonable hour.
Visitors need only bring lawn chairs, eardrums
and enthusiasm.
Building on the summer concert theme, city
planners designed Town Square with a wide
lawn and 1,000-square-foot stage specifically
to accommodate large-scale performances.
The concert-friendly venue was successfully
put to the test last August, when the square’s
highly publicized grand opening drew more
than 4,000 people to see tribute band Journey
Unauthorized.
But Town Square’s schedule isn’t limited to
concerts. Food and wine events, along with
neighborhood festivals help give the space
broad appeal. The area offers events such as
“Wine Down Wednesdays” and an outdoor
movie night, called “Friday Flicks.”
Of course, the concept of free concerts in
the park isn’t a new one. For generations of
Roseville families, it wouldn’t be summer without Music in the Park, the Royer Park series
organized by the volunteers of the Performing Arts of Roseville. Now in its 24th season,
Music in the Park continues to bring in fan favorites from concert ensemble Capitol Pops to
dance-party jam band Mumbo Gumbo. Blues
artist Shane Dwight and local country artist
Dave Russell will perform in July and August,
respectively.
Classic rock band Dudley and the Doo Rights entertain young concertgoers at Town Square’s opening
festivities in August 2013.
Concerts on the Square
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
Just down Vernon Street, Blue Line Arts is cultivating its own concert series in a decidedly
more intimate setting. Blue Line Arts Music
brings regional and national musicians to the
nonprofit’s museum-quality Coker Family Gallery space for small shows with a casual, jazz
club atmosphere.
The series premiered late last year in association with the Sacramento Guitar Society,
and its popularity led organizers to expand
2014’s program to include six performers ranging from renowned world music and jazz musicians to an original country band.
With its cozy atmosphere, Blue Line Arts
Music “allows both the musician and attendees to relate interactively, sharing stories
and experiences while performing,” says
Blue Line Arts’ Operations Manager Kathleen
Mazzei. Performers will often play Blue Line
Arts before heading to larger Sacramento-area
venues, such as the Mondavi and Harris centers, offering Roseville residents an exclusive
preview with renowned artists in a casual,
low-key environment.
While the quaint gallery performances
stand in stark contrast to large festival-like
shows at Town Square and Royer Park, the
events work together to create a more vibrant
music scene overall, says Mazzei.
“The music in Royer Park and Town
Square is an amazing asset to entertainment
in Roseville,” Mazzei says. “Both venues have
exemplary performance space and can accommodate thousands of attendees to experience
contemporary and rock music. These largescale performances help drive the community
to getting unique entertainment in downtown
Roseville.”
The theory appears to be working, judging
by community reaction.
“I think people are excited by the idea that
stuff is finally happening here in their own
hometown and neighborhoods,” says Kathy
Barsotti. “The feedback we’ve been getting is
very positive.”
Free concerts at the Vernon Street Town Square
Every third Saturday, MayOctober
Gates open at 6:30
June 21: Superlicious (80s
cover band)
July 19: Chicago Tribute
Authority (Chicago salute)
August 16: Element of
Soul (reggae/pop/rock)
Sept. 20: Blaze of Glory (Bon Jovi tribute)
Oct. 18: Chris Gardner Band (rock ‘n’ roll
country)
Music in the Park
Free concert series in Royer Park
Shows begin at 6 p.m. except where otherwise noted.
Cover band ‘Journey
Unauthorized’ entertains a crowd of more
than 4,000 concertgoers at the Vernon
Street Town Square’s
grand-opening celebration in August
2013. Concerts on
the Square are back
this summer with
six scheduled performances. Courtesy
photo.
July 4: Capitol Pops (big band) 11 a.m.-1
p.m.
July 13: Shane Dwight (blues)
x
August 10: Dave Russell (country)
Sept. 14: Mumbo Gumbo (zydeco/Cajun)
Blue Line Arts Music
Blue Line Arts (Coker Family Gallery)
Members: $22, non-members: $28, season discounts available. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
August 8: Cast Country Band (modern hippie country band)
Sept. 5: Derek Thomas (local jazz musician)
Oct. 3: Rachel Lauren (original jazz singer)
Nov. 22: Stephen Holland (acoustic guitarist)
PlacerArts.org
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014
9
Every Picture Tells A Story
Two camera clubs in Placer County focus on elevating
members’ photography skills from snapshots to artwork
By Farn Dupre
P
Placer Camera
Club member
Judy Hooper
captured this
sunbeam of
light in a Native
Round House.
Courtesy photo.
10
icture this: more than 30
years ago, a young artist asks
her family for a camera so
she can capture images to
paint on canvas. Before long,
her photography trumps oil
paintings as her preferred
medium. Or this: a boy who
gets a basic camera in fourth
grade, takes a photography
class in seventh grade, and
gets his first “real” camera in
the Navy in 1967, when he
becomes hooked on photography for life.
While Rhonda Campbell and Mike Schumacher
don’t know each other, each
has channeled a decadeslong passion for photography
into a leadership role in one
of Placer County’s two major
camera clubs. Campbell is the
founding president of the Lincoln Hills Photography Group (LHPG), which
started in 2004 and now boasts 105 members.
Since 2006, Schumacher has been president
of the Placer Camera Club (PCC), which was
founded in 1952 and now has 70 members
from all over Placer County.
Photography is a hobby that can complement and enhance many interests in life. With
a camera in hand, sports fans can capture the
action of a favorite team or parents can record
the growth of their babies. For LHPG Vice
President Carole Haskell, a backyard interest
in butterflies and flowers as a child led to her
current role as a birdwatcher and a wildlife
photographer. For PCC member Jim Bennett,
an avid interest in travel honed a shrewd eye
for taking striking images of urban landscapes.
With the advent of camera-ready smartphones and point-and-shoot digital cameras,
which make it easier than ever to capture the
small moments of everyday life, anyone can
take photos. But joining a club with like-mind-
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 Perspectives on Arts
ed members can elevate photography skills
to the next level, ultimately helping members
move from taking snapshots to creating artwork.
Both the LHPG and PCC hold monthly
meetings that give members the chance improve their art by sharing their photos and
receiving feedback during “Show and Tell”
(LHPG) or “Image Evaluations” (PCC). Sharing photos is always optional, but talking
about them “really stimulates discussion on
what makes a good image and what could be
improved,” says Schumacher. “Our club is a
gathering of photographers looking to improve
their craft through learning and sharing ideas,
tips and techniques,” he says.
Yet, taking that step and sharing photos for
critique by others can be intimidating. Carole
Haskell said it took her an entire year after
learning about the LHPG to attend a meeting. “I felt intimidated and I felt my skills were
not that great,” she says. “But one day I just
thought: ‘I can do better than this,’ and I finally got the courage to go to a meeting. Once
there, I felt comfortable right away.”
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
In addition to discussions of specific images,
the benefits of club membership include presentations from equipment manufacturers
such as Sony, Nikon and Canon; conversations
about process, technique and printing photos;
and group field trips to locations as far away
as Yosemite or as close to home as downtown
Auburn at night.
Then, of course, there are the annual challenges and competitions that get the creative
and artistic juices flowing. This year, for example, Campbell has proposed a challenge
to members of the LHPG to submit photos of
anything and everything along scenic Highway 49. She has issued a new challenge every
year since 2011, when that year’s “36 Views of
the Golden Gate Bridge” was so successful the
photos went on display at the Crocker Art Mu-
(Left) This Sierra
Valley hay barn was
taken by Lincoln
Hills Photography
Group member Phil
Robertson. Courtesy
photo.
seum in Sacramento.
For those interested in learning more about
either camera club, stop by one of the general
meetings. The PCC (www.placercamerclub.
org) gathers at the Auburn Library at 350 Nevada St. in Auburn the third Tuesday of every
month (except August) at 6:30 p.m. General
meetings of the LHPG (www.sclhphoto.com)
are held the second Wednesday of every
month at 8:30 a.m. at the Sun City Lincoln
Hills Kilaga Springs Presentation Hall. (While
this group is closed to membership outside of
the retirement community, anyone may attend
general meetings.)
Other venues in the county also provide
photography classes. The Placer School for
Adults (www.placeronline.org) will hold three
open-house photography class demonstrations
at the end of August. During the fall semester, at least eight classes are offered on topics
ranging from how to use a digital camera to
landscape nature photography and how use
Photoshop software to edit photos.
Kids, too, have a passion for taking photos. Photography instructor Ferrell Scott will
provide a weeklong class for young photographers ages 7-11 at the Blue Line Gallery in
downtown Roseville titled “Photograph Your
Summer Memories.” It runs July 7-11 from 10
a.m. to 12 noon with a $75 charge for mem
bers and $90 for non-members.
Both Campbell and Schumacher say they
love introducing photography to beginners
almost as much as they love taking photographs. When amateur club members hang
their work for display the first time, notes
Campbell, “You should see their faces! It’s a
real thrill.” Says Schumacher: “We feel we’re
a good club for new members.” Being with
other photographers and learning from them
“is a great way to improve.”
(Right) Lincoln Hills
Photography Group
member Mel Switzer took this shot of
an historic building
in Downieville that
stands as a church
today. It’s part of
the group’s focus on
capturing images
along Highway 49.
Courtesy photo.
Worth a Thousand Words
See the photography of camera club members firsthand during
these summer exhibits:
• The Lincoln Hills Photography Group (LHPG) displays the work
of its members on a rotating basis at Simple Pleasures Restaurant (648 5th St.). The next show begins July 22.
• See an annual exhibit of Placer Camera Club (PCC) members’
work at the Auburn Library at 350 Nevada St. August 29-Sept.
29.
• Photos from the LHPG will hang in the Needle Arts Showcase
at the Orchard Creek Lodge at 965 Orchard Creek Ln. in Sun
City Lincoln Hills August 12-Sept.16; the public is welcome.
PlacerArts.org
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014
11
The Artist and Social Media
Creating an ongoing conversation with art fans online helps artists avoid starvation by se
By Lisa Kopochinski
Like it or not,
(Above) Auburn
artist Candace
Bohannon disliked
the chore of social
media at first, but
credits it for helping
give her international visibility. Courtesy
photo
(Right) artist Sheila
Cameron finds it
liberating to explore
what her traditional
marketing materials
can do in the digital
realm. Courtesy
photo.
12
social media
is here to stay.
And if you want
to build a marketing base —
especially in the
arts profession
— social media
and all that it
entails is an excellent way to
get started.
“For many artists, this can be
daunting,” says
Coryon Redd,
a Grass Valley
internet marketing expert who
offers presentations, classes and resources through his website at www.coryon.com.
“They may say, ‘I want to create art. I don’t
want to be a marketer.’ The bottom line is if
you are taking this seriously as a profession,
then you have to eat. Therefore, learning
something like this is a way you can do that.”
Redd knows what he’s talking about. He
is an Internet marketing expert and CEO of
www.batteries4less.com, a company he started
in 1999 that sells top-quality batteries over the
Internet. Through online marketing and social
media he has grown his business into a multimillion dollar success, says Redd.
Earlier this year, he presented to about 15
members of the Gold Country Writers Group
on the importance of social networking and
how to market themselves online. Whether
you are a writer, painter or sculptor, Redd
says, social media and blogging is all about
creating a conversation with your market.
“You want to create enough interest so that
others will share your website, blog or video.
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 Perspectives on Arts
For the artist, it’s about putting themselves out
there in such a way that is promoting their
brand.” For artists, they are the brand, he says.
It’s also about deciding who and where
your market is by creating a solid plan.
“It takes a while to learn this and to decide
which tools are going to save you the most
time,” he explains. “That’s the goal — to get
people to trust you so they will come out to
an opening or event, and make the effort to
come back to your website.”
Cheryl Anderson, president of the Gold
Country Writers and a short story writer, organized Redd’s presentation for the group.
“His whole focus was that an author is a
business and we need to work toward build-
ing a following and, therefore, a deep connection with our readers,” she said. “He talked
about using video on your site as a book
trailer to create interest in your work. I also
liked Coryon’s suggestion of reserving a website with your book’s name and to tie your email account and Facebook page to the same
name.”
Redd emphasizes the different aspects of
social media that writers and artists can use
to drive traffic to their website. These include
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and
blogging.
“Think about it from the perspective of
content marketing,” he says. “What is the con-
elling more art
tent that you — as an
artist —can put out
there that is most interesting to the people
you want to reach?”
SHARING ONLINE
Blogging, he says, is
an excellent way for
artists to connect with
their target market
because it’s relatively
easy to do.
“Your blog should
be frequent,” he says. “At least once a week
or every two weeks. A blog doesn’t have to be
a literary work of art. Often it can be sharing
some content, video or article that someone
else has created.”
Artist Sheila Cameron, who has a heavy
presence on social media, including Facebook,
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and
Pinterest, says by sharing her work and connecting with other artists, she finds it liberating
to explore what her traditional materials can
do in the digital realm.
“While I value the traditional gallery setup,
I believe as the gallery model struggles and
changes, it often leaves artists afraid and confused,” says Cameron. “By being out in front
of work, talking to collectors and sharing my
life, the marketing takes care of itself. People
want to feel like they understand the art they
are buying, and by understanding the artist,
they can do that.”
Cameron, based in Nevada City, is also an
avid blogger and likes how it allows her to illustrate what it means to be an artist.
Candace Bohannon, an Auburn-based
painter and sculptor, agrees. At first she was
not a fan of social media because of the time
commitment involved, but says it has been
incredibly helpful for promoting her artwork
(Left) Coryon Redd,
and connecting with a worldwide art
CEO of
community.
www.batteries4less.
“It is one of the reasons that I can live
com, is an internet
in a charming rural area and have a sucmarketing expert
cessful art career with international viswho offers presenibility,” she says.
tations, classes and
“Facebook is a huge online commuresources through
nity where artists, art lovers, collectors,
his website at
gallery directors, magazine editors and
www.coryon.com.
your next door neighbor all interact and
Courtesy photo.
share what is going on in their lives and
careers on a daily basis.”
Bohannon also
enjoys blogging
and says, “They
The Language of
can be more time consuming to write and
Social Media
read, but are a more
substantial way to share
While the world of social media can
information and presbe daunting to the beginner, interent yourself. Your posts
net marketing expert Coryon Redd
are presented as a kind
breaks down some of the terms
of online journal. Each
on his website www.coryon.com.
entry is search engine
Here is a sampling:
friendly and your photos
and your words can be
Blog: (short for weblog) An online
found many years after
journal that can be maintained by a
you posted them by anyperson or company. Blog entries are
one doing a web search
called “posts.”
or visiting your blog.” Adds Cameron, “The
Domain: Part of your website
way people buy art is
URL.
not the same way they
buy anything else. As an
Link: Also called a hyperlink, this
artist, you are the brand,
is text or a graphic that a user can
so anything you can do
click on to navigate to another page
develop your authentic
or place within a page. voice online, will help
sell your work. The best
SEO: Search Engine Optimization
social media for selling
is the process of driving more traffic
your work is the one
to a website.
that makes you feel most
human, complete with
imperfections.”
PlacerArts.org
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014
13
museum moments
Placer County’s
Meandering Museum Tour
There are many
Colfax Area Historical Society Member
Helen Wayland
provides visitors to
the Colfax Heritage
Museum with a
first-hand account
of its collection of
pharmaceutical
bottles and equipment (circa 1865).
She and her late
husband, Richard,
took over the Colfax
Pharmacy in 1955
and later donated
the pristine relics to
the museum. See
them for yourself
during the Heritage
Trail Museum Tour
August 2 & 3. Photo
by John McCreadie.
notable routes that
brought pioneers
west through the
Sierra Nevada and
it’s on some of those
same paths that
visitors can enjoy free
access to 20 museums in Placer County,
along with demonstrations that bring
the past alive, during
The Heritage Trail museum tour August 2 & 3.
It’s an ideal day or weekend trip for the entire
family. Bring a brown-bag lunch or plan a
stop at one of the county’s restaurants.
The seventh annual tour offers visitors the
chance to see history come alive in ways not
seen during regular museum days. Historical
recreations include a granite-splitting history
Placer’s Top 20
Take a journey on this year’s Heritage Trail to get free access to 20 Placer County museums August 2 & 3.
Learn more at http://theheritagetrail.blogspot.com.
Valley Museums
1. Maidu Museum & Historical Site
2. Roseville Historical Society Carnegie Museum
3. Roseville Telephone Museum
4. Roseville Fire Museum
5. Rocklin History Museum
6. Griffith Quarry Museum
7. Lincoln Area Archives Museum
Gold Country Museums
8. Placer County Museum
9. Gold Country Medical History Museum
14
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 museum; railroad regulators in Tahoe City
who settle disputes with gun play; and the infamous Alma Bell, under lock and key in the
women’s jail beneath the steps of the historic
Courthouse in Auburn – just as she was that
Saturday night in 1909 after killing her “alleged” fiancé in Newcastle when he proposed
they part ways. This story has a crazy ending.
The tour includes museums that are often
difficult to visit at other times of the year, including the Benton Welty Schoolroom (built in
1915), the Gold Country Medical History Museum (the first hospital in Auburn established
in 1855) and the Joss House Chinese Museum,
all located in Auburn. Also, learn about local
native history and the big roles agriculture,
mining and the railroad industry had on Placer
County’s development.
Bus service is available for tours of the high
country museums on Saturday and valley museums on Sunday. The bus charge is $10 daily.
Perspectives on Arts
10. Auburn Joss House Museum
11. Bernhard Museum Complex
12. Gold Country Museum
13. The Benton Welty Schoolroom
High-Country Museums
14. Forest Hill Divide Museum
15. Colfax Heritage Museum
16. Golden Drift Museum
17. Donner Summit Historical Society Museum
18. Western SkiSport Museum
19. Gatekeeper’s Museum
20. Watson Cabin
poets speak
Hip Hop Congress Convenes
A Little Stressed
by Natalie Pohley
concepts and conceptualizing curse,
puzzling puzzles with mixed and missing pieces are the
worst.
meditation focuses on no thing…
always felt that, that was time a wasting …
sitting dizzy in the middle
sometimes wishing for boring…
maybe I should change my stance and silence the dance…
go from everything to nothing…just for a second
to catch a breath…and hopefully catch up after rest…
back to the merry-go-round and round and round
to the merry-go-round I’m bound…
More Blocks for the Building
by Natalie Pohley
Each trial in life is a test
You’ve got to stay focused and remember
Life is a gift and you’re blessed
After the broken pieces of a tragedy fall
There is a new underneath and a chance
To change it all
Sometimes one roadblock will save us from another
A blessing undercover
But you have to have faith that all is okay
And works out as it should
These hard times give you more blocks for the building
Then a life of no pain ever would.
PlacerArts.org
The Hip Hop Congress is an international grassroots organization with a
mission to evolve hip-hop culture by
inspiring social action and creativity
within the communities it serves. The
organization is headquartered in San
Jose, California, and currently includes
30 chapters. The Auburn Hip Hop
Congress, which is now a program of
PlacerArts, was launched in 2009. Here
is the work of a founding member,
Natalie Pohley.
About the Poet:
Born and raised
in Auburn,
Natalie Pohley has always
found it difficult
to resist helping
her community. Currently
she runs the
Auburn Hip Hop Congress with her
boyfriend Rocky Zapata. She and Zapata launched the Auburn program
in 2009 after working with the Sacramento Hip Hop Congress for two
years. Pohley finds inspiration during
life’s more stressful times, she says,
and by being near bodies of water.
She has three beautiful daughters, and
loves to read and write when she can
find the time.
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014
15
watershed reflections
Removing American River Debris
By Janice Kelley
“From a distance, the world looks blue
and green,
and the snow-capped mountains
white…”
Photo courtesy
David Burns.
16
S
ongwriter, Julie Gold, believed her song,
“From a Distance,” is about the difference
between how things appear to be and how
they really are. Bette Midler recorded these internationally recognized lyrics and received a
Grammy for Song of the Year in 1991.
Many who enjoy recreational opportunities along the North or Middle Forks of the
American River are unaware of the hidden
dangers unseen below the surface. As the
song suggests, things are not always what they
appear to be. The American River is actually a
vessel containing equipment from abandoned
mines of the Gold Rush era, and concrete and
broken steel girders from the old Highway 49
Bridge washed out in 1964 during a severe
flood.
“All along the river I have seen cable leftover from mining, flat iron, car bodies and
other rusting and sharp metal objects,” said
David Burns, who is leading the effort to clean
up the American River. Debris is often located
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 Perspectives on Arts
in places where there are no trails or access
roads.
Burns says submerged metal and lengths of
cable have injured people over the years. He
believes debris from the Highway 49 Bridge
poses the highest risk. Swimmers, fisherman
and those who navigate the river in kayaks,
rafts and canoes are all at risk.
“I have known people whose injuries were
so severe, they were treated at local hospitals,”
he says. “The river and the gravel at its floor
moves around and the debris moves with it.
Creating an inventory of the debris and where
it is located becomes difficult because the materials shift.”
Volunteer groups interested in cleaning up
and protecting the river have sponsored numerous yearly cleanup days to remove some
of the debris. Given the volume of debris that
still remains, the work is far more than can
be completed by any group during a single
weekend. Much more work remains to be
done to restore both the safety and health of
the river.
Burns contacted the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) to secure a grant to begin a
more complete clean up effort. The SNC supports the Sierra Nevada Region by providing
funding for local projects and offer technical
assistance and other support for collaborative
projects. Partnering with Burns to support the
American River cleanup project aligns with the
stewardship goals of the Conservancy.
Burns is currently developing a plan in
partnership with the SNC to seek funding to
inventory the debris, identify how it can be
accessed and removed from the river. The first
area targeted for debris inventory and removal
is the Auburn State Recreation Area and about
10 miles upstream.
This planning phase is an important first
step to restore the integrity of the American
River. The ultimate goal is the opportunity for
all visitors to enjoy the American River from
a distance and close up, with the experience
being the same for each: a healthy, safe and
clean river.
arts news
BIG DAY FOR GIVING
The Big Day of Giving May 6 was
just that for regional nonprofit
organizations, a big day. In all,
18,915 gifts were received for a
total of more than $3 million in
donations and matching funds that
surpassed the goal of collecting $1
million. The donations benefit the
394 nonprofits that participated in
the 24-hour online event in Placer,
Sacramento, El Dorado and Yolo
counties.
Local organizations such as
PlacerArts, Auburn Symphony,
Blue Line Arts, Placer Community
Foundation, Seniors First, Friends
of the Auburn and Granite Bay
Libraries and Placer Land Trust participated.
Several groups, including PlacerArts, scheduled live events during the 24-hour period.
The arts council, located in The Arts Building in downtown Auburn, held an interactive art-a-thon and pajama party on the Big
Day that included 24 hours of music and
light shows, an interactive puppeteer theater,
storytelling time and a paint-by-music event
with local artists, to name a few. PlacerArts received 54 gifts totaling $4,975.
But it was the Placer Land Trust that received the highest value of contributions in
Placer County with $54,896 raised, humbling
the trust’s Executive Director Jeff Darlington.
He credits the organization’s broad charter for
protecting important local natural and agricultural lands for current and future generations
for its strong community support.
Other ‘Big Day’ participants benefited from
generous donations. Sierra Forever Families
raised $40,133; the Auburn Symphony received $13,000; the Auburn Placer Performing
Arts Center (APPAC) brought in $8,105; and
the Placer County Historical Foundation added
$1,200 to its coffers.
365,000 POETRY WINNERS
The 2014 state champion for the ninth Poetry Out Loud recitation competition, held at
the senate chamber at the State Capitol, was
Shayna Maci Warner, a senior at Marin School
xof the Arts in Marin County. The successful
poetry recitation contest is a national event
sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and the
National Endowment for the Arts to introduce
high school students to classic and contemporary poetry and recitation. Maya Thomas, a
senior at Placer High School, won the regional
title and represented Placer County at the state
finals.
From a competitive field of 365,000 students nationwide, Anita Norman, a student
at Arlington High School in Arlington, Tennessee, won the title of 2014 Poetry Out Loud National Champion at the National Finals held in
Washington, D.C. Norman received a $20,000
award and her high school received a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. Hear
a conversation with this year’s champion at
www.1.usa.gov/1jlFK6i.
HISTORY IN UNEXPECTED PLACES
Visitors to the Placer Herald office in Rocklin
get an unexpected surprise these days with
a simple exhibit of two chairs that once belonged to W.A. Shepard, a longtime editor of
the Placer Herald, along with photographs
and interpretive text that tell his story. It’s all
part of a Placer County Museums’ conspiracy
to exhibit objects from its large collection at
“offsite” locations to reach a broader audience.
“Offsite exhibits are a good way for us to
showcase objects that might not fit in a regular
museum exhibit,” says Ralph Gibson, who was
recently named the new Placer County Museums Administrator. “It’s also a great marketing
tool.”
PlacerArts.org
(Left), Liz
Honeycut, one of
Auburn’s Sugar
Plump Faries,
stopped by the art
center during the
Big Day of Giving.
The faries’ fund
raise to provide
young people with
better access to
the arts.
(Right) Barbara
Hofmann, Rebecca
Martinez and
Nancy Hakala
“orchestrated”
the Big Paint Out,
which provided
music and supplies
for five teams to
each create an
eight by four foot
painting to music.
Photos by John McCreadie
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014
17
arts news
An “offsite” exhibit at
the Larry Oddo Building, which houses
Placer County’s finance administration,
features various office
equipment for processing and
storing data.
Cooking demonstrations are a hallmark
of the Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine
Festival, which runs August 31-Sept. 7. Photo
courtesy of the North
Lake Tahoe Chamber
of Commerce and Jeff
Lamppert Photography.
18
The Placer Herald exhibit was
the first. The Placer County
Planning Office in Tahoe City
now houses an exhibit on
mountain sports and recreation.
And the Finance Administration
Building at Dewitt Center in Auburn showcases exhibits on two
floors: one with an automatic
voting machine last used in the
Placer County election of 1906
and another a display of office
equipment used to process and
store information from the late
19th century through the 1980s. More offsite
exhibits are in the works, says Gibson, including one at the Auburn Library featuring dolls
such as the Storybook Dolls from the 1940s
and 50s.
LAKE TAHOE SUMMER FESTS
The seventh annual Beerfest & Bluegrass Festival will take place in the Village at Northstar
July 5. The festival includes beer tastings from
dozens of breweries and live music
from two premier
bluegrass bands:
Snap Jackson &
the Knock on
Wood Players and
Lindsay Lou & the
Flatbellys. Guests
who purchase a
ticket will receive
a commemorative
pint glass for sampling the range of
brews. There will
also be non-alcoholic beverages
and a barbequed
delights available for purchase.” Learn more at
www.northstarcalifornia.com.
The 29th Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and
Wine Festival, long considered one of the region’s premier gourmet events, offers a range
of activities, including classes, demonstrations
and tastings throughout the North Lake Tahoe
area August 31-Sept. 7.
“Travelers have a healthy appetite for culinary tourism,” says Chief Marketing Officer
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 Perspectives on Arts
Andy Chapman of the North Lake Tahoe
Chamber/CVB/Resort Association. “They are
eager to experience the food and wine of a
particular region as part of their vacation and
weekend getaways.”
Visit www.TahoeFoodandWine.com for
info.
PRIMING THE ARTS ECONOMY
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
is awarding $74.85 million in 971 grants to
nonprofit organizations nationwide as part of
the second half of its fiscal year 2014 funding.
For every dollar invested by the NEA, grantee
organizations raise an additional $9 in support
from other, non-federal sources.
“We know that arts and culture play an important role in our nation’s economy with the
most recent numbers showing the sector comprising more than 3.2 percent – or $504 billion
– of GDP,” says NEA Acting Chairman Joan
Shigekawa. These NEA-funded projects will
help local economies “become more vibrant,”
in addition to spurring participation in the arts
for people of all ages, she says.
In addition to direct grants through the Art
Works category, this round of funding also
supports the state arts agencies and regional
arts organizations – the NEA’s partners in
bringing the arts to all parts of the nation – as
well as grants for research projects that build
evidence on the value and impact of the arts. SUMMER ART WALKS
Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of summer and
a pleasant walk through local downtown areas
for the love of art, food and shopping at several art walk events in Placer County. Summer
art walks in Auburn, Colfax and Roseville provide an opportunity for local artists to partner
with local businesses to exhibit their art and
meet with art patrons and shoppers.
The Auburn Art Walks showcase original
artworks displayed in dozens of downtown
and Old Town Auburn venues. There is a free
shuttle for those who don’t want to walk the
route. Street musicians perform and free maps
are available. Art Walks are held on Thursday
evenings from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Catch one on
Aug. 14 or Oct. 9. Visit www.PlacerArts.org to
get more information.
MOUNTAIN ART TOUR & MORE
The restaurants and businesses in historic
downtown Colfax set the backdrop for viewing original art and conversing with artists
during its Friday night art walks, which will
be held on July 11, Aug. 8 and Sept. 12. Call
916.806.3519 for more information.
The streets of downtown Roseville fill with
art walkers each month for the ongoing “Third
Saturday Art Walks.” It’s a free year-round
event with venues featuring local artists and
musicians every 3rd Saturday from 7 p.m.10 p.m. on both sides of the rail tracks. Visit
www.3rdsatartwalk.com/About-Us.html to
learn more.
INSIGHTS ON ART
Award-winning local artist and instructor
Gayle Rappaport-Weiland has added new
“mini interviews” to her “The Arts Revealed”
website that features Northern California artists and those who influence art regionally.
Her latest addition is an interview with artist
Scott Mattlin, whose vibrant, impressionistic
style reflects his deep appreciation for beauty
in the natural world and within the human
spirit. “His enthusiastic work is reminiscent of
master painters of long ago,” says RappaportWeiland. Indeed the quickest show on Earth,
each on-location episode runs approximately
3 minutes. The site also holds mini-interviews
with iconic “painter of blue” Gregory Kondos;
founder and clothing designer for Trumpette
Jon Stevenson; and PlacerArts’ Executive Director Angela Tahti. Visit www.theartrevealedshow.com to see it all.
North Tahoe Arts’ annual open-studio tour –
known as North Tahoe ARTour – celebrates
21 years of local high-country artists opening their studios to visitors and art patrons
amongst the backdrop of the North Lake
Tahoe-Truckee area’s statuesque pine trees
and sweeping meadows. The self-driven tour
is free of charge and starts by getting the ARTour Studio Guide (available online at www.
northtahoearts.com).
This year’s tour features 28 diverse and talented artists demonstrating their techniques in
20 studio-tour locations. It will be held over
two three-day weekends: July 12-14 and July
19-21. ARTour 2014 brings together a mix of
well-established and up-and-coming artists
that will delight visitors. Learn more in this
edition of Perspectives on Arts on Page 22.
During the tour weekend,
visitors also can check out
other event taking place in
the area, including:
• July 12-13: Squaw Valley’s
Art, Wine & Music Festival
(www.squaw.com).
• July 11- Aug. 25: Shakespeare Festival at Sand
Harbor State Park: As You
Like It.
(www.laketahoeshakespeare.com).
• July 17-20: Squaw Valley’s
Wanderlust Festival: Yoga, music and nature.
(www.WanderlustFestival.com).
ENCORE FOR DRAMA TEACHER
To the delight of audiences, Colfax High
School presented its first completely original
musical as its spring production at the end of
the 2013/2014 school year. “The Trial of Juanita,” which was written and directed by veteran
actor, director and educator John Deaderick
with musical composition and direction by
Todd Wilkinson, wooed audiences in May.
The story is loosely based on the ill-fated
story of Juanita, a 20-year-old Mexican woman
accused of murder in the mining town of
Downieville during the summer of 1851. The
compelling musical highlights one woman’s
PlacerArts.org
(Left) Artist Linda
Nunes displayed
her work in Auburn
during one of last
year’s art walks.
Photo by John McCreadie.
While she has exhibited work throughout the area, Betty
Holder is one of the
newest artists to join
North Tahoe ARTour.
She works in a multitude of mediums,
often combining paint
and photography.
Meet North Tahoe
ARTour artists at
www.northtahoearts.
com/arttour.html.
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014
19
arts news
fight to overcome the social injustices of the
era.
For Deaderick, who instructs more than 250
students in four drama classes each day, “The
Trial of Juanita” was meant to be his swan
song – a final production of an incredible 40year career. But once again students and colleagues at Colfax High School were delighted
to hear Deaderick has agreed to return for the
2014/2015 school year.
DOWN COMES THE WALL
Auburn’s State Theater renovation hit a critical
milestone in May in its ongoing transition to
becoming a first-class performing arts center.
That’s when the 1970s-era wall built to divide
the theater in half came crashing down. Now
work is under way through summer to inThe wall that was
built in the 1970s
to add a second
screen to the State
Theater was torn
down to the studs
recently as work to
expand the evolving performing arts
theater continues.
Photo courtesy of
APPAC.
BRIEFLY NOTED
Join in June & Celebrate!
Join the June membership
drive & receive an Autumn
Art Studio Tour passport free!
Donate to PlacerArts or renew in
June, at the $35 dollar level or
more to receive a complimentary
passport.
www.PlacerArts.org
530.885.5670
20
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 crease theater seating from 130 to 350 seats,
which will close the theater during renovations. Doris Viera, who co-founded the State
Theatre preservation organization in 1999, was
the first to swing a sledgehammer at the wall
during the ceremonial start to this important
phase.
It’s all part of the $300,000 project that
will move the theater closer to becoming the
Auburn-Placer Performing Arts Center (APPAC) and will enable the theater to increase
revenues through increased capacity for major
events. The effort will include expanding the
size of the stage and other interior changes,
including construction of an offstage “green
room” for performers.
The theater was originally opened in 1930
with 1,325 seats on two levels. Performing Arts
Center President Paul Ogden commended the
hard work and generous donations from many
volunteers and contributors who have enabled
the project to reach this major milestone.
Tell a friend!
Perspectives on Arts
NEW FALL STUDIO TOUR: Auburn artists now
offer a studio tour event in the fall. The North
Auburn Art Studios Tour
will be held Sept. 20-21
with several well-known
California artists participating, including Jennifer
Riley, Sonja Hamilton and
Nicholson Blown Glass.
The tour features about 16
artists from the area. Learn
more at www.northauburnartists.com.
San Francisco native Sonja Hamilton, an award winning artist, teacher and art-show judge, will show off
her watercolor landscapes, seascapes and floral paintings during the North Auburn Art Studios Tour Sept.
20-21. Photo by John McCreadie.
MOVIES IN THE PARK: Rocklin Parks and
Recreation have installed a giant screen at
Johnson-Springview Park and will show six
family-friendly films, such as The Nut Job (Aug.
8). Six local residents with a flare for making
videos also will have their work shown before
each of the featured films.
PEAK INNOVATION: The Sierra Business Council will
present three-day business conference Oct. 8-10 in
Tahoe City – called “Peak Innovation” – that promises
extraordinary conversations, new ways of thinking
about old issues and creative models for bringing
about large-scale social, economic and environmental change in the Sierra Nevada. To learn more, visit
www.sierrabusiness.org or call 530.582.4800.
POETRY CONTEST DEADLINE: The deadline for the
annual Voices of Lincoln poetry contest is July 26.
The five categories this year are: Once Upon A Time,
Ten Years From Now, It’s A Miracle, A Journey Worth
Taking, and People Are Funny. Learn more at www.
libraryatlincoln.org.
HIP HOP HELP: The Auburn Hip Hop Congress will
host a writing and recitation class, called “Writing
and Reciting – Healing Through Written and Spoken
Words” beginning in July. The two-hour class targets young people, ages 15-25, and will gather each
Thursday from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. at the Auburn Library
(350 Nevada St.). The class is free of charge. Send an
email to [email protected] for more info.
Colfax Railroad Days
September 13th & 14th
Come see these
FREE attractions
•Union Pacific’s rotary
snowplow (as seen on
PBS television)
•Model train layouts
•Live steam garden railway
•Antique Gas Engine
and Tractor Show
•Antique Auto Show
•Kids Zone with arts, crafts, and attractions
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PlacerArts.org
Jul/Aug/Sep 2014
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end paper
North Tahoe ARTour: A Personal Journ
By Pam Sutton
Fused glass is
the perfect playground for creative
expression with
color and light for
ARTour artist Catherine Strand. Her
creations include
colorful plates and
bowls. Courtesy
photo.
Creating art is an intensive and highly in-
dividualized undertaking, and it’s often the
artist’s studio that best reflects the way they
work.
For some, their studio is a spacious environment with bright lights and plenty of storage space. Others find an intimate painting
alcove in the corner of their home, small and
tidy with tools and materials neatly stored
when not in use. Or perhaps it’s on the messy
side – like mine often is – where only the artist knows how
to find that
pallet knife.
For others, it’s
a field easel
and paint box
tucked in the
car waiting for
the next outdoor adventure
or a woodworking shop
filled with that
great smell of
freshly sanded
wood. Regardless of the
medium, every
About the Author
Artist Pam Sutton has been a glassmaker
for 10 years. Her stylish and colorful art
glass can be seen at North Tahoe Arts’
ARTisan Shop. She is currently president
of North Tahoe Arts’ Board of Directors, where she has served since 2011
in various positions. She is coordinator
for the 2014 ARTour. Previously, Sutton
spent more than 20 years in marketing
high-technology products and services.
She holds an MBA from San Jose State
University.
22 Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 Perspectives on Arts
studio evolves to fit the needs of the artist,
their creative processes and their workflow.
Each summer, the doors to these very personal spaces fly open to let others peek inside
to witness demonstrations of technique and
style, and to watch as the work evolves. Now
in its 21st year, North Tahoe Arts’ ARTour is
one of the standout open-studio events in
Placer County. This year’s tour takes place on
two back-to-back weekends: July 11-13 and
July 18-20. Many of the studios are located
along the shores of Lake Tahoe from Incline
Village to Kings Beach, through Tahoe City
and out the West Shore. Additional studios are
just a quick drive away in Truckee.
For the artist, ARTour is as exhilarating as
it is scary. There’s a lot to get done before
those doors open – from creating new pieces
that will catch the eye of art enthusiasts to doing the promotion necessary to notify loyal
customers and friends about the tour. Most of
us work right up to the time the doors open
that first day. As a glass artist who has participated in three past tours, I’ve experienced the
heightened creativity that comes from working
towards a deadline. I also know the joy that
comes from getting to meet the people who
most appreciate my work. This year, however,
I’m closing the studio doors and coordinating
the 2014 ARTour.
Even after 20 years, I’ve discovered there
‘s room to improve the experience for both
artists and their visitors. This year we’ve upgraded the directional road signs to make it
easier to find each location. We also enhanced
our Facebook and website support. The North
Tahoe Arts’ website (www.northtahoearts.
com) includes location listings on where to
get a copy of our free Tour Guide publication.
There are also profiles of participating artists
and a Google map for each location makes it
easy to find the studios (and can also be used
on smartphones). ARTour’s Facebook page
provides in-depth interviews with the artists
and up-to-the-minute details about the tour.
Works from all ARTour artists will be on
ey for Artists and Art Lovers
display from July 8-August 4 at the North
Tahoe Arts galleries at 380 North Lake Blvd. in
Tahoe City. An opening reception will be held
July 9 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. This is a great opportunity to preview work, chat with the artists and plan your tour itinerary while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, wine and craft beer.
Twenty-eight artists in 20 studios will participate in the tour this year. ARTour veterans
will be on hand, including photographers William Cooper and JoAnn Lippert, acrylic painter
Don Eagling, pastel and watercolorist Heidi
Reeves, mixed-media artist Carole Sesko and
oil painter Andy Skaff. Others, like watercolorist Bill Clausen, mixed-media artist Elaine
Jason and glass artist Lynn McGeever are returning after a several year hiatus. Three new
artists are joining us for the first time this year
– all in Incline Village. They are ceramicist
Dale Pappas, multimedia artist Betty Holder
and a recent transplant from San Diego, ceramic and bronze sculptor Carolyn Guerra.
Some artists will share studio space. They
will still give demonstrations and answer questions so visitors will have the opportunity to
learn about their techniques. One of my favorite experiences on ARTour happened a couple
years ago when I was sharing space at Tom
Beebe’s wood working studio. We were five
North Tahoe ARTour
artist Don Britton of
Incline Village is an
award-winning oil
painter known for
his landscapes of the
American West. Courtesy photo.
artists in five separate mediums, working together, teaching each other and sharing ideas.
The synergy was amazing.
While I’m going to miss being in the studio
during this tour, I know our visitors will have
a grand experience enjoying our mild summer
days and outstanding Tahoe scenery while
touring. It’s an experience you won’t want to
pass up.
(Below) Award-winning watercolor artist
Eva Stramer Nichols
will exhibit her newest
paintings during ARTour. Nichols is known
for the vibrant watercolors in her paintings.
Courtesy photo.
Tips for Great Studio Touring
Find artists: Choose the must-see artists you don’t want to miss
on the tour. There’s a detailed profile of each artist at www.
northtahoearts.com and updates on the ARTour Facebook page
(NorthTahoeArts).
Choose your route: Use the map in the free tour guide to
choose your route. NTA’s website has Google map directions for
each artist. The guide notes studios that are handicap accessible.
You might want to plan a lunch stop or bring a picnic lunch.
Look for the Signs: ARTour signs will lead you to each studio.
Please do not: Bring pets or take photographs without getting
the artist’s permission.
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