July, 2010  -  The Art Center receives support from the Rydell Visual Arts Fund  to support our youth education programs. 

Thanks to the efforts of the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, the Art Center's youth education programming will be supported by a grant from the Rydell Visual Arts Fund.   We are slated to receive $11K each year for the next 2 years, which means we can continue to provide our free teen classes (after school hrs at SLV), support our Art Saturdays, Spring & Summer Art Camp, as well as embark on providing after school art classes at local elementary schools. 

 

We strongly believe in the great value arts education brings to building our community (see Lisa's article below), and appreciate any contributions to help us match this grant. 

To donate on-line

 

June, 2010:   our remodeled garden space! 

Come on in, and take a tour of our new "sculpture garden".  Please click on the thumbnails below for larger images.  Enjoy!  And come visit!

 

Welcome!	A walk down the Alley		"Snow Leopard" Ceramic sculpture by Barbara Kaspian, licks his paw on a bale of straw	Down the Alley, ceramics galore!		"Mermaid with an Attitude" Ceramic Sculpture by Sunny
"Pile of Logs with Nest on Top", Ceramic, granite & steel sculpture by Susana Arias		"High Steppin'" cement sculpture by Susan Rothenburg			"Bird Feeder" Ceramic sculpture by Stephanie Triolo

 

 

April, 2010:  The Value of Arts - Article by Lisa Alexander (PDF)

What do we value?  As a species, we have created wondrous things:  skyscrapers, iPods, satellites, the Mona Lisa, and countless other miraculous works of art and science.  We have also created every problem that exists in our world today.  Through shortsightedness, greed, and intolerance, we have designed overpopulation, poverty, pollution, depletion of natural resources, war, a tanking economy, and a government that spends 10,000 times more money on arms and armed forces than it does on educating its young. 

If we had decided consciously what world to create together, would this be it?  What are we creating today, and how will it look tomorrow?  In this country we claim to value things such as freedom, fairness, intelligence, tolerance, and respect.  The time has come for each of us to take action in a more global, conscious way with regard to these values.

Conscious action begins with whole education for our children.  We must equip them to face the challenges they will inherit.  Now, more than ever, our children need an education that includes more than just information.  It must also provide the creative experience to sharpen the cognitive tools that can build new solutions.  Every advance ever made by humanity, every problem ever solved, sprang from creative minds.  And yet arts programs are being cut from public education almost universally.  Can we really afford to eliminate creative training for our young people?  To ignore it as though it was unimportant?

Higher brain function is facilitated not by particular centers in the brain, but by systems of interaction—like webs—among many areas.  The ability to access many parts of the brain at once allows one to gather numerous bits of information and formulate something completely new.  The arts help to build and strengthen these interconnecting pathways in our brains. 

The correlation between arts education and SAT scores is well established:  more arts exposure equals higher verbal and math test scores.  Higher scores hold not only for standardized testing, but also in the scholastic areas of reading, English, history, citizenship, and geography.  Students who play a musical instrument score up to 34% higher on tests that measure spatial and temporal ability.  Studies show that within two to three years after arts programs are cut in schools, attendance and test scores go down; incidents of vandalism (crime) and disruption go up.

Some of the skills that are developed by arts education are:

·   Abstract reasoning, which is vital in problem solving, forming theories and ideas, understanding subjects on a complex level, and thinking about and combining things symbolically (i.e. adding in your head rather than counting on your fingers)

·    Discipline and focus

·    Self confidence

·    Spatial thinking, which is critical for learning in the areas of complex mathematics, science, and engineering

·    Enhanced communication and expression

Arts education fosters original thinking—and healthy, adaptable, tolerant human beings.  Imagine, for a moment, a world in which individuals and societies were able to:

·    Creatively find peaceful resolutions for conflicts between individuals, groups, and countries.

·    Design homes, buildings, transportation, and lifestyles that are sustainable and symbiotic with the planet (rather than parasitic and resource depleting).

·    Create community, family, and individual health through fair trade, fair wages, fair prices, and universal access to excellent education and healthcare.

·    Design ways to clean up and eliminate environmental toxins.

These are not outlandish ideas.  They are real solutions to devastating problems.  If we value these things, they are possible.  They are simple ideas to be orchestrated and embraced by creative, well-educated minds.  But well-educated minds need to be supported and nurtured. 

In 2009, the U.S. Government spent roughly $1,784,000,000 (that’s Billion) per DAY on defense.  On Education, for the entire YEAR:  $64,882,384 (that’s million). 

What DO we value?

Demand from your representatives that education be made a priority.  That priority needs to be expressed through substantial financial support.  Refuse to allow the arts to be cut from curricula; demand that arts programs be expanded and integrated with other subjects.  Support your local school’s arts department with money, supplies, and/or volunteer time.  At home, expose your children to the arts through attending community classes, galleries, and live performance.

We can take conscious action that is aligned with our highest values.  We can provide a better world for our children.  The arts can help to make it happen.  Imagine that.  Create that.  Do that.

Senators

Member                 District Number and Office        Capitol Office

 

Simitian, S. Joseph    11  160 Town & Country Village    State Capitol

                           (650) 688-6384                Sacramento, CA

                                                         94248-0001

                           701 Ocean Street              (916) 651-4011

                           Room 318A

                           Santa Cruz, CA 95060

                           (831) 425-0401

 

Maldonado, Abel        15  1356 Marsh Street             State Capitol

                           (805) 549-3784                Sacramento, CA

                                                         94248-0001

                           100 Paseo de San Antonio      (916) 651-4015

                           Suite 206

                           San Jose, CA 95113

                           (408) 277-9461

 

                           590 Calle Principal

                           Monterey, CA 93940

Assembly Members

Member                     District Number and Office     Capitol Office

 

Monning, William W.    27  701 Ocean Street               State Capitol

                           Room 318B                      Room 6005

                           Santa Cruz, CA  95060          Sacramento, CA

                           (831) 425-1503                 94249-0027

                                                          (916) 319-2027

                           99 Pacific Street

                           Suite 555D

                           Monterey, CA  93940

                           (831) 649-2832

                           (831) 657-6315

 

Contact Congressman Sam Farr:  http://www.farr.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=202

 

 

Local Representatives, Districts below. 

 

If you aren't sure which Supervisor represents your district, or a district in which a specific address is located, click here.

District 1 John Leopold E-Mail

District 2 Ellen Pirie E-Mail

District 3 Neal Coonerty E-Mail

District 4 Tony Campos E-Mail

District 5 Mark W.Stone E-Mail

 

 

March, 2010:   Welcome new Board Members Shahn Spratt and Stephanie Triolo! 

Stephanie Triolo says "I attended Portland State College for 2 years with intention to be a Art History teacher, but ended up getting married and having kids.  I Needed to work and just by chance started working for the Alvin Duskin Co, an apparel manufacturing company.  This started the 32 year journey that was truly exciting, fun and stimulating.  Along the way, I owned and operated a factory, consulted for Wage and Hour for Womens Division for the State of California, and consulted for small apparel firms.  In 1980 I began working for Corporate Apparel Companies (Jessica McClintock, Esprit and Fritzi) as Vice President of Manufacturing and retired in 2002.  I then pursued, planting, and maintaining a Vineyard until 2005 and then moved to Santa Cruz. I would really enjoy the opportunity to be on the Board of  the Santa Cruz Mountain Art Center.  I have the time and energy to do whatever it takes to participate in all aspects of the Gallery and Art Center.  I hope that I could contribute, using the skills that I developed during my many years in business.  I have the ability to work well with everyone.  Last but not least, I really love the place.”

Shahn Spratt has stated he would like to rejoin the Board.  He was our Board President in past years.  His father was artist Fred Spratt, who taught at San Jose State for many years and owned a gallery in downtown San Jose.  Shahn currently works for NASA – as a project manager.  On our Board, he directed facilities development (remodeling) and singlehandedly rewired much of the Center.  Shahn would like to get back into working in clay.

February, 2010:  The Art Center Receives Grant!

The Art Center received a grant award of $7000 from the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County for this year.  This grant is an Operations Support grant, and helps us cover a little bit of everything we do.  We thank the Cultural Council for their continued support!  Information about the Cultural Council can be found at their website.

ART CENTER GETS A FACE LIFT!

May, - June 2009

Jon Wagman and helpers are giving the Art Center a great Face Lift!

Based on Jon's uplifting abstracts, our Center will soon sport a wild new look!

 

COME CELEBRATE OUR "FACE OFF" on Sunday, June 21, 4 - 7 p.m.!

 

After priming, Jon and Michael English have applied the first coat of purple lines.	Jon hamming for the camera...
Blue color added.	WOW! We're stopping traffic!
Getting Close!
SLIDE SHOW OF THE EVENT! JUNE 21, 2009 - "Face-Off" in Ben Lomond!

 

Another successful SODA FIRING took place on 11-28-07

The fabulous results are displayed below:

 

Dan Hennig Bowl	Click on the thumbnails below to view larger images	Dale Bates Vessel
Dan Hennig Bowl	Geoff Nicastro Mugs	Dale Bates Vessel
Dan Hennig Bowl	Jeanine Niehaus Vessels	Dale Bates Vessel
Mattie Leeds Vessel	Mattie Leeds Vessels	Mark Levy Vessel
Class Bowl	Linda Levy Vase & Bowl	Mark Levy Vessel
Paula Prekowitz  Bowl	Paula Prekowitz  Bowls	Paula Prekowitz  Sculpture
Liz Whitaker Pitcher	Geoff Nicastro Sculpture	Geoff Nicastro Mug
Rhea Giroux Mask	Class Bowls	Class Bowl