Meet artist David Rivas Spring Art Show

This is a great community with many talented people. It is frequently amazing to find someone with such great talent hiding in some corner of Tehachapi. Well, an amazing new talent has become known to me. His name is David Rivas. He is a well-known photographer in the Ventura-Oxnard area. His credits include city banners with his photographs on them, exhibitions at many galleries and even a couple of them at a Boxing Gym.

Yes, in the first one, he was a solo artist, with photographs hung on the walls and inside the boxing ring! He has been included in a special magazine titled Art-Life. The novel aspect of this magazine is that only original pieces of art could be included, so each magazine contained gallery quality photos, and other works of art. David has had his art on the front and back covers of four different editions, including the last edition ever made.

Interestingly, he has had a segment of a PBS show hosted by Val Zavala. It is an interesting YouTube video available to those with computers. Here is a brief description of how to get to it:

1.Go to youtube.com

2.Search for Boilerman David Rivas

It should come right up. It is fun to view how David got his start.

We get to meet David in a different phase of his life. While he was still a "boilerman", he became intrigued with working with metals, specifically titanium that was being trashed at his job. He taught himself to weld, polish, and design varied knives, masks and kinetic sculptures that move with the wind. It is one of these kinetic sculptures that David has offered for our opportunity drawing. It is called "Bits". It has a titanium top, a Belgian marble center, and a white marble base.

David's history includes being a U.S. Marine, a boilerman, photographer, welder, metal artist/sculptor, father of five children, loving husband and caregiver for his wife, Penny. She is his inspiration.

We hope to see you at the Spring Art Show Opening at the Oak Tree Country Club in Bear Valley Springs. It runs from April 8 at 4 p.m. until April 16. Saturday the 8 of April at 4 p.m. is the gala Opening Reception of the art exhibit. The opening offers an opportunity to meet many of the artists, buy raffle tickets to get a chance to win a piece of original art or a door prize of $50 toward a piece of art that is for sale, have an appetizer or two, a glass of wine or other beverage, and a chat with old or new friends. The raffle drawing will be held at 6 p.m., so come early and get your tickets.

Or visit the Art Show any time that the Oak Tree Country Club is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is a great time to join the Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Association. It helps to promote the visual and performing arts programs that enhance the quality of life here in the greater Tehachapi Valley. Membership is $15 for individuals or $30 for family memberships. To attend the Opening Reception is free for members, or $10 adults $5 age 12 and younger.

Get to the Oak Tree Country Club!