GILROY
– The city’s Arts and Culture Commission is developing a monthly
events guide that can be displayed around town, bolstering its
effort to get the word out that fine and performing arts in Gilroy
are alive and well.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – The city’s Arts and Culture Commission is developing a monthly events guide that can be displayed around town, bolstering its effort to get the word out that fine and performing arts in Gilroy are alive and well.
At its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, the Arts and Culture Commission is planning to select a winning design for the guides which will be showcased on counters all around Gilroy, from City Hall to local shops. Designs are being submitted by art students at Gilroy High School.
“There are so many wonderful programs around town that people should know about,” said Arts and Culture Commissioner Karen LaCorte. “We just don’t want the arts to die.”
The commission has many details still to work out before it can publish the guide, possibly by March. However, the commission has discussed making the guide a roughly 4-inch-wide, 11-inch tall stock card that people can take home with them.
The guide would be updated monthly and would list the gallery showings, musical performances and other art and culture events in Gilroy. The commission will use its discretion regarding which events to list and which to leave out. There has not been talk of expanding the list to Morgan Hill or Hollister.
“We’re trying to start small and do it correctly instead of listing everything we can,” said commission member Dia Hoshida.
The cost of the guide hasn’t been determined yet, but it figures to be more than the $200 general fund allocation the commission receives from the city.
“We’ll have to do our own fund raising for sure,” La Corte said.
The commission recently pleaded with City Council to grant more money to the group which in recent months has become a more high-profile organization.
The commission is the premier advisory group to City Council regarding the development of the downtown arts and cultural center slated for Seventh and Eigleberry streets.
The commission also recently announced it will annually award businesses that support the arts in town. In February, at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards banquet, the commission will recognize Calpine for funding the Monterey Street mural which depicts Gilroy in the past, present and future.
