The long, shotgun style space in the South East Oak Knolls Center that now houses the Valley Art Gallery is brimming with a variety of art created by the members of the valley’s only community art gallery, which opened at the end of August. Formerly known as the Town Center Gallery, the organization was renamed after finally finding a location, after the last gallery—located at Town Center West—closed down more than two years ago.
“We had everything in storage that whole time,” Gallery Director Hattie Stoddard said. “Valley Van and Storage let us put everything in two containers for two-and-a-half years and they didn’t charge us a penny.”
A number of partitions, tables, and display cases divvy up the space, and showcase the variety of collected talent the nonprofit gallery houses, including various kinds of paintings, photography, sculpture, jewelry, and other three-dimensional works.
The gallery runs on the volunteer support of its artists, explained Stoddard, and several other members of the board present at the gallery on a recent afternoon.
“It seems like we have a lot of meetings lately,” said second vice president to the board Pat Stalter.
“Not only board meetings though, but now we’re bringing the members together and having member meetings also,” added first vice president to the board Beverly Johnson. “I think that’s bringing in our members more, giving them more responsibility and participation in the gallery.”
Member artists get to show and sell their work at the Valley Art Gallery, but they must also pitch in, manning the shop, or rather, acting as “docents,” the board members present clarified. The gallery is open six days a week, and members all commit to regular shifts as docents.
Many members are retired, and in the case of Tom Heslop, he started painting a decade ago at the beginning of his retirement. Now, he sets up his easel and paints at the gallery while he is on shift as a docent, sharing techniques and demonstrating for anyone present.
“What I want to encourage everybody to do that has an art, a hobby, a recreation, music, you name it—don’t stop it,” he said. “Get involved and stay involved.”
The Valley Art Gallery is an art organization with open arms. The gallery’s board holds a monthly ingathering on every second Monday of the month, when local creators can bring in their art and be considered for membership. The gallery has already received an influx of membership thanks to the buzz around the new location, Stoddard said.
The organization elected a new board president as well, Susan Leedom, who is not an artist, Stoddard explained, but is a great, well-organized leader. With solid leadership, the artists get to focus on what they do best, and the gallery meets its mission statement of providing a place for local artists to show and share the fruits of their labor.
“It’s a real inspiration,” Johnson said, “and it’s a place where you can communicate with other artists, get together, and exchange ideas.”
“It feels like we have a new start, and we’re all working together with a common vision,” added the Gallery’s Community Events Director Mike Corob. “I’m really happy for everyone coming in.”
The organization certainly wasn’t asleep for the last two years, providing artwork for displays at the Santa Maria airport and offered art instruction for children at the Santa Maria Public Library. These programs are still going on, the board members explained, and the organization is also working on outreach, so the gallery has a presence at local community events.
Even with all the new members, the Valley Art Gallery still depends on support from the community in the form of donations and patronage, explained board Secretary John Card.
“Historically the gallery has been very dependent on donors and benefactors,” Card said. “We’re a nonprofit, and if the community wants an art facility like this, we really need the help.”
Arts Editor Joe Payne always wants to help get the word out. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 24 – Oct 1, 2015.