Many weeks have passed and I have not read any news or information about the “Master Plan for the Arts in Santa Clarita”. What is happening? Has the city decided not to support the idea of an art center to be created in SCV? An art center is the creation of getting the ‘arts’ into people’s lives… To provide an environment where all of the arts can be enjoyed in one building for seven days of the week.
This does not exist in Santa Clarita. In fact there is very little that exists for all the arts to be enjoyed in one building in Santa Clarita. We do not have an art museum. We do not have any art galleries at this time.Sometimes the Westfield Valencia Town mall provides a space for the Santa Clarita Artist Association to exhibit their member’s art. The importance of the place for art in our lives, our economy, our city, homes, buildings malls, streets, and business are seen as the highest achievements of human experience and are vital to economic development.
Visual art offers experiences that use the sensory systems of everyone. As we look at our environments that surround us we see hundreds of shapes and colors that are part of our visual world. The city needs to give residents opportunities to appreciate visual art and learn how culture plays a central role in creating and sustaining prosperous communities which are vital to economic development. The question is when is this going to happen? The Master Plan for the Arts…. should be giving the city officials the answer of how to make the importance of art known and seen in Santa Clarita.
Jaylene Armtrong is a retired Art Teacher from Madison, Wisconsin, a former National Art Education Association Western Region Vice President and President of Wisconsin Art Education Association. For more information contact Jaylene at 661-255-3050.