From "The Redwood Coast Review" Winter 2001 GROUP SHOW the people of Point Arena CITYART by Willa Marten

The ghost of Annie Palmer may well be the guiding spirit at 284 Main Street Point Arena, current home of Point Arena CITYART. A prim young lady at the turn of the nineteenth century, housed fashionably, yet modestly in this small Greek Revival, Annie ended her teaching career at the Methodist School on the Point Arena Rancheria by murdering her lover in "spectacular fashion."

Today, as then, the unexpected may be discovered at 284 Main Street. Restored to historic specifications by volunteers from the community, The Annie Palmer House maintains the innocent demeanor of its former owner and company. Once inside the door, however, experiences range from the idyllic serenity of local landscapes to the jolting intrigue of Art in The Dark. At a recent event, the sedate work of local artists was momentarily upstaged by "Sweet" and "Savory", apparitions identified by attire: fruit leather skirt and halter with M & M accessories; round loaf French bread bikini top with kale and spinach dip trim and color-coordinated Romaine lettuce culottes. (And the food was great!)

The consensus at CITYART - which is run by a large committee of volunteers – is to keep up the punch. The list of monthly shows since the gallery opened in September of 1997 is a testimony to the diversity of participating artists and the imagination of the committee. The show calendar is booked into the year 2003 – one member said her husband would like to book a show now and plans to go to art school in the interim to learn how to paint! The application of precise dates, however, allows for spontaneous additions of short-term events and "happenings." An ongoing example is the Third Thursday Poets who meet and read at the gallery each month. Spring and fall garden shows give those so inclined a weekend to exercise their own special creative urges.

In a nutshell, CITYART is this community called Point Arena, and has been since the "git go". Following are some of the voices from within. - Willa Marten, artist, CITYART committee member.

Peter and Anna Dobbins – photographer, painter / dressage mistress - original project organizers of CITYART: The gallery started with Warren Jones and Richie Wasserman discussing what to do with the building at 284 Main Street, and Dusty Smith suggested a community art gallery. Warren presented the idea to ARC (Arena Renaissance Company), and so it goes from there. Richard Perkins did the original remodel plans for the needed permits. The gallery shines because of the support and involvement of the creative folks that live here. It isn’t just a gallery, it’s a place to run into old friends and make new friends. It’s a place that draws together many folks who otherwise "hide out" in the woods. Not only does the gallery provide a site for displaying and observing lots of good art, it inspires and shares new ideas of the community.

Deborah Turner - dancer, poet, guardian of the ARC: Another rainy foggy night in Point Arena. Another ARC Board Meeting. Another absurd idea. Warren Jones and Richie Wasserman presented to our little band of Live Art Warriors: Restore the little shack – historical nonetheless – and in exchange get a 20-year lease on the building for a dollar a year. Hey – why not? Signed the lease – and there it sat for at least a precious year of the lease – inching forward, not much happening, stuck in crankiness – great idea, but not much forward movement. Then magically, the pump was primed – Great Spirits – Willa, never wavering, Leon relentlessly hammering, Randy – against all odds – then the floodgates opened, and we were all there – stealing extra concrete from the theater redo to make the flagstones for the front, pilfering materials from other building projects and making it work – Mitch McFarland with an "of course I will lend you eight thousand dollars, Deborah – pay me back when you can…" Arguing over the Chinese Lacquer Red Front Door and just doing it anyway – the river flowed, the building got done, we had an opening, and now we have Great Spirit Art.

Randy Morris - finish carpenter, builder, artist: All attention was on the restoration of the theater. The little art building, gutted by fire, was like the neglected red headed stepchild. As I tore out charred wood on the inner walls, I came across the insulation they had used when first building the little house - sheets and sheets of newspaper from the late 1800s. Smiling now. Reading the news from 1889. The building had a life way before us and it will go on way after us. A sense of knowing that fresh new art, fresh new perspectives would fill the place. It was suddenly a lot easier hoisting those 20 foot beams into place by hand. Continuity but with a sense of putting into the building what was our time.

David Carlin - carver, CITYART meeting manager: Perhaps the enthusiasm and talent that have marked the progress of the CITYART project will indeed carry it into the future. There is a time limit to the use of the property, and it is rapidly expiring. It is not a timeless classic but rather a fleeting period to be replaced by another form just like the spontaneous arts it has encouraged.

Diane Cochran – sculptor, CITYART committee member: CITYART seems to operate from serendipity as much as from hard work and clear vision. There are so many fine artists in this area, back in the woods as well as very much out in the open, and it is no simple task to bring them together. I credit Willa with the hard work and clear vision which keeps us on track and functioning at such a high level. It was she who invited me to become a part of the CITYART team, to come to the board meeting potlucks at her house (always lively and delicious!) and to get involved. The serendipity is in the artists themselves, what brought each of us to this beautiful area, how each has something different to contribute, and how, together, we form a loose and free-flowing organization. There is nothing quite like a meeting of artists sharing ideas and working together helping each other. It’s one of the things I love best about Point Arena!

Nick Lamb – carver, CITYART committee: A building generously loaned for a peppercorn rent frees the committee to concentrate on producing shows rather than agonizing over revenues. It allows us to take chances with "off the wall" ideas and not worry if enough sales are generated to justify their inclusion in our calendar of events. It allows us to have a less rigid structure, to make decisions rapidly and do it all in a friendly, nonconfrontational atmosphere.

Philip Giles Marrinan - painter, CITYART committee advisor: I had met Willa Marten once, before moving to the coast from Sonoma County. I arrived with a renewed interest in my art. In 1997, CITYART was a brand new jewel-in-the-rough which provided me with a much needed haven of creativity. It had been many years since I’d had so much close association with so many artists. It’s a privilege to be a part of the local art community. Initially, it was like I’d stepped into oblivion by leaving my life behind in the greater Bay Area. Now I believe it to be the opposite.

Blake More – performance artist, poet, CITYART committee adviser: All I can say is that it is a joy to have a freethinking, free standing venue for community expression - be it fine arts, radio, performance, poetry. Because of its grass roots structure, CITYART is willing to take risks that many other galleries either will not or cannot. It isn’t really about how accomplished you are per se (although that helps), but about how much of yourself you are willing to give; if you give it all, it comes back in kind.

Miriam Owen – fiber and ceramic artist, former gallery owner and CITYART committee member: I came to CITYART after the initial community of artists that call Point Arena home organized themselves to renovate a forgotten, neglected, actually dilapidated building. What they saw was a historically significant structure, a piece of the past that shouldn’t have been left to rot. What they created was a miracle of community and artistic vision – an art space with so much character and presence that I am continuously amazed at each show, by how well, how exceptionally well, the space shows off the art. It’s a real all-for-one and one-for-all venue. It’s not rigid or fixed – anything goes. In that spirit, we’ve had many varied and superb shows. We are artists first. That keeps our priority less commercial than most galleries. I’ve seen several fun and spirited galleries come and go – What’s Afoot in Caspar, This is Not Art in Mendocino to name my favorite. Some art just isn’t commercially inspired, yet it needs to be visible. CITYART provides that visibility.

Goija Rose Post – artist, secretary, CITYART, guardian angel of the gallery: Every five/ten years or so Point Arena goes through a mini Renaissance period. It seems we are in the middle of one now which doesn’t seem to be fading. CITYART, the Theater and the Library are all supported by volunteers allowing us to celebrate our creativity together for the community. CITYART was once a vision. Many made it a reality. I believe creativity must be a part of all our lives. It is to be shared. Our gallery is a reflection of our community, and it is of the utmost importance we keep it rolling along, support our artists and our community and celebrate the good will of all the volunteers. CITYART is a jewel!

Carol Williams – artist, performer, CITYART committee member: The CITYART gallery is such a success, because it is run by artists! Artists, of course, know what artists need. And all that artistic creativity provides a continuous stream of new ideas. Our meetings are envied by all. Our potluck fare, mythologized at ARC meetings, only goes to exemplify the diversity of the group. Meetings that are seldom boring, full of humor and grace, attended by the most interesting people, certainly help to encourage further greatness. Our shows and ideas for shows abound. Artists clamor for a spot on our burgeoning calendar. Why? ‘Cause we’re cool, we’re inventive, and you never know what’s coming next. Our consistently high quality and sense of fun seldom disappoint our audience. In other words, our events, as well as our work are art. All life is art, and some of us know that.

Copyright (c) 2002 All rights reserved.