TAAR meeting focuses on art

Provided.

The program at the July 15 meeting of the Tehachapi Area Association of Realtors illustrated that, without a doubt, the arts are alive-and-well in Tehachapi. All four speakers at the meeting were involved in various aspects of art and presented current projects going on in Tehachapi.

Jeanette Pauer introduced the group to Make Art Tehachapi, a committee consisting of Pauer, Tina Dille, Lyn Bennett and Charles White. They will be restoring the murals in Tehachapi one by one starting the the Street Dance on Tehachapi Boulevard that, out of necessity, is being replaced in its entirety. All of Tehachapi's murals are in need of some repair. She thanked BSE Rents for donating the forklift that enabled them to work on the murals that need restoring. They will also be developing a website and future murals. Pauer explained that murals are known to discourage graffiti nationwide and are a source of civic pride. The group has been taken under the wing of the Tehachapi Valley Arts Association, a local 501(c)(3).

Irene Rippy told the TAAR membership that Tehachapi Valley Arts Association was founded in 1945 right after World War II. Their first juried show was in 1963. The group sponsors student art programs, has spring and fall markets, photo contests and Chalk on the Walk among other events. The Tehachapi Arts Foundation provides art scholarships for graduating local high school students. Originally envisioned as a co-op, Galley 'N' Gifts grew out of the association in 1979 and has been in the same location for 45 years.

The Tehachapi Community Theater was represented by Chris Morales. The BeeKay Theatre was originally constructed in 1932 and survived the Tehachapi Earthquake in 1952 only to be destroyed by fire in 1994, leaving only the front wall intact. The City of Tehachapi, with the assistance of TCT, rebuilt the theater and it reopened in 2008 with a production of "Oliver."The next production will be "Deathtrap" by Ira Levin in August.

The Tehachapi Arts Commission was represented by sculptor Dwight Dreyer. The new 501(c)(3) is producing its fourth nationally-recognized art show, Art 2024 Tehachapi, July 19-21 featuring the work of 49 artists from around the country. All had visited Tehachapi in May and returned home to complete the paintings that were juried into the July show. Dreyer said that the show has been named one of the top shows on the West Coast by Western Art Collector and American Art Collector magazines.

With the exception of Dreyer, all presenters at the meeting were also Realtors.