First-Ever Umbrella for the Arts Event Was a Big Success — an Umbrella Event in More Ways Than One

Umbrella Event photos provided by Hermina Sarkis-Kelly.

On January 21, 2010, the numerous umbrellas that lined the hallway in the Pleasanton Library served two purposes. First, to shield the evening's attendees from the strong winter storms that blew through town, but also to signal the way to the first ever "Umbrella for the Arts" event hosted by The Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council (PCAC).

The monsoon-like winds and driving rain that crashed down outside didn't stop participants from coming out to take part in what drives their passion: the arts. Over 15 arts groups representing Pleasanton, or having a significant arts presence in Pleasanton, filled the room as they exchanged ideas, met fellow arts worshipers and generally had an all-around great time. The Cantabella Children's Chorus was shaking hands with The Shakespeare Festival, while the Tri-Valley Writers Club chatted it up with teachers from The Pleasanton Unified School District. Aside from the colorful attendee-provided umbrellas, the room was made even more festive with multi-colored, creativity-inspired quotes along the walls from luminaries ranging from Picasso to Bart Simpson ("You people have stood in my way long enough! I'm going to clown college!").

PCAC is a big arts supporter in Pleasanton, holding annual events such as the Poetry, Prose & Arts Festival and the Youth Excellence Awards. These awards recognize local young artists in everything from music to visual arts, dance and drama. PCAC recognized a need for local arts groups to better interact and share ideas that could be helpful to all arts organizations, so the Umbrella Event was born.

Spearheaded by PCAC Board Member Claudia Hess, the event was originally planned to kick-off with a tour of the not yet complete, yet highly anticipated Firehouse Arts Center. Soggy conditions made for dangerous conditions that even the best of umbrellas couldn't control. However, that didn't stop The Firehouse from making an appearance as the "tour" was brought inside both physically and digitally. Julie Finegan of the City of Pleasanton Parks & Community Services Department, who will oversee the visual art portion of the center, displayed a 3-D rendering of the floor plan. Debbie Look of the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Foundation gave a video presentation covering the history of The Firehouse, including a virtual walkthrough of the building and a bird's eye view of the surrounding location. Assuming things dry up in time to complete the construction, The Firehouse is slated to open in the middle of September. Programming will start with a Pleasanton Art League visual arts display in the gallery. Tentative plans for The Firehouse Arts Center's theatre include theatre productions, teen events, jazz music, world music, cabaret-style productions and open mic nights.

The evening continued with a very informative discussion moderated by Jill Vellinger of PCAC, who asked attendees to share successful public relations methods used to reach all demographics and inform local residents of their happenings. Many ideas were shared, such as the much-appreciated local newspapers' arts listings, local community television listings and PCAC's website, which includes a quarterly arts newsletter, grant information and an events calendar.

Host for the evening, PCAC President Margene Gerton Rivara, closed the event with a very inspiring story taken from her past experience in the textile industry. Years ago, when the cotton industry noticed that the shirts from some suppliers didn't necessarily match the pants from others, they concluded there must be a better way. Too much product was going to waste simply due to a lack of communication, and The International Colour Association was born. Since that time, this now hugely popular organization is at the forefront of determining the next wave of colors that all industries from clothes to cars can count on as "the next big hit." The story was a perfect analogy for the arts, by taking color associations as the guide, arts organizations working together as one, are sure to be a huge success. Come rain or shine.

Upcoming Events

Visit our Special Events page for information on two upcoming benefit shows in Pleasanton where proceeds support the arts: a concert by fiddler & step dancer April Verch on March 9, 2010 at The Lynnewood Methodist Church, and a concert by the Cantabella Children's Chorus on March 28, 2010 at The Amador Theatre.

Also available there is all the information about the 9th annual Poetry, Prose & Arts Festival which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 17 & 18, 2010. This is an exciting two-day celebration of poetry, prose and visual arts, filled with inspiring and informative events, workshops and people.