GILROY
– Gilroyans who want to find out about upcoming local arts
events need look no further than local coffee shops, book stores
and other attractions.
GILROY – Gilroyans who want to find out about upcoming local arts events need look no further than local coffee shops, book stores and other attractions.
The city’s Arts and Culture Commission printed its first round of take-home cards advertising local arts events – from plays to concerts to a fun run benefiting the arts – for the next three months.
“We tried to hit the restaurants and the places that people go for information, like the visitor’s bureau,” said Commissioner Carol Peters. “Hopefully, we’re going to get it on CMAP, too. We want to actually get more visibility to what’s going on in the arts and in our community because we have a lot of stuff and people don’t actually realize how much there is.”
The Art Seen calendar, roughly 4 inches wide by 8 inches tall, currently lists 10 events for the summer months.
Copies of the bright red paper calendar were distributed last week to 27 Gilroy locations, including Happy Dog Pizza, Gilroy High, It’s a Grind Coffee House, Bonfante Gardens and the Gilroy Unified School District office.
The commission wanted to start small, Peters said, but hopes to expand the listings the next time the cards are printed, which will likely be in August.
“As a result of people seeing this, they’ll hopefully call and give us more events so we can post more,” Peters said.
The calendar is also representative of the Arts and Culture Commission’s partnership with Gilroy High School students. Young artists were recruited to submit ideas for the Art Seen logo. After looking at about 30 different designs, Peters said, the commission chose one from Randy O’Connor, a senior who will graduate later this month.
A GHS student is also invited to sit as on the commission as a non-voting member. Peters said students have done an “awesome” job facilitating communication between the school and the commission members. Plus, the student reports back to the Student Council and, eventually, parents, who get copies of the council meeting minutes.
“That way, we’re communicating not only with the student body but with the parents,” Peters said. “There’s so much energy at the high school anyway, it’s just an amazing resources when you tap into the young people.”
With plans for the downtown arts and cultural center getting underway, she said, it’s important for students to feel a part of the arts community.
“I see a room or gallery space for the school in the (arts center),” she said. “If the school is already connected with the commission, they’ll have a buy-in and it’ll be easier for them to feel like it’s their home, too.”
Lori Stuenkel covers education for The Dispatch. She can be reached at 842-6400 x277 or ls*******@************ch.com.