“The Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center is offering classes!”
That is an announcement the Program Team was not certain it could make when we met in early Spring as the COVID-19 Pandemic grew. Thanks to the brain-storming of creative thinkers, capable artists and generous volunteers and sponsors, we have been able to offer our popular “Arts by the Sea” Summer Camp in an on-line format and free of charge to youngsters 6 to 12 years old. We have had enthusiastic responses and many “happy campers” as the seven-week program of visual and performing arts comes to an end.
The Teen Mural Project usually takes place in June. It finds scores of teens working together at the Arts Center to create a large, colorful mural with inspiration from John Wullbrandt. This year the inspiration was there in abundance, but the teens could not be there. The mural was made by joining individual panels that the teens painted separately and then brought to the Arts Center. The title of the work was TOGETHER/apART. The mural is on display on our Linden Avenue fence, complete with a legend to identify the artists and the titles of the panels. You may watch a video about it on our website, but it is just wonderful to see it in living color; in person! Take a walk down Linden.
Tammy Gilkey provided two really fun guided painting experiences, allowing participants to paint local scenes around Carpinteria. Sponsorships have made it possible to offer classes without charge. There are several examples of finished products posted on the Arts Center website. Although everyone paints the same scene, individual style is evident.
Our “Postcards from the Pandemic” Project continues to evolve as cards arrive daily and are displayed. The cards have the sentence starter, “ I am thankful for...” The responses are personal, artistic and inspirational. It has been a wonderful way for the community to connect to one another in this time of physical distancing. We invite you to come by the Arts Center and view the Postcards on our gallery windows.
The hope of the Program Team is to continue to provide creative experiences and opportunities to connect with others. Thank you to the generous sponsors and to the artists who have been willing to change their classes in order to make the new, on-line format work. The class offerings for the Fall will be listed on our website on https://carpinteriaartscenter.org/pro/w. Please take a look and then take a class!
Marty Selfridge and Gary Campopiano
Program Chairs
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” -Thomas Merton
