A Note from Our Director: At the Heart of Art

By Judith Deem Dupree,
Co-Founder, Director
Pine Valley, CA

At the heart of art . . . that’s where we intend to “plant ourselves!” This smallish venture was raised up out of the rocks and rills of East San Diego County, where art is mostly an individual passion or practice by a relatively few scattered souls. Or so we thought, at the onset. What a pleasure to find out how wrong we were! Artists out here in the boondocks are mostly unknown and under-appreciated, but not rare--simply faced with little outlet for public expression.

It’s been three years since we joined two small nuclei (from Pine Valley and Campo-Lake Morena)- villages out beyond what is deemed civilization. Both little groups were struggling to find expression and draw in warm bodies. It was a marriage of convenience that “took.” After the first year as an entity, we knew we were on to something essential. Full of “essence,” and needed.

Right away, I informed my counterpart from the Campo area that she was the director. And it was a good choice. Denise Morse was a delight to us all, and a dynamo (a very pretty one at that!). Now, Denise has moved to Tucson, and is sure to put forth her extensive passion and energies elsewhere. We miss her greatly yet continue to heartily value her friendship, business acumen, and wise advice.

Now we have done a bit of shape-shifting, as two other stalwarts also tiptoed out for their own mandatory reasons and several new board members newly come aboard. New plans, new directions are forming, along with the prior commitments. We are excited! We note the loss of these first beloved artsies who made it all happen, but the parting was sweet, with nary a dark moment between the lot of us. That is success in anyone’s estimation!

We are now a non-profit, 501 c (3) organization, an affiliate of CA Center for Youth, Nature, & The Arts (CYNA), located in Alpine, halfway "down the hill" toward San Diego. The CYNA director, Stephanie Wells, is a valuable member of our Board as well.

Our purpose and plans? To fill that obvious gap in public art, and to become a bridge for those who know and love the arts, providing both instruction and fellowship. To help those who perhaps don't know much about the arts - "helping them help themselves." Perhaps they lack the means or self-motivation to come out of their respective closets. They’re out there, and we’re finding them. Now, and we hope, increasingly, we’ll be funding them.

The dearest part of our vision, the part we’ve practiced mostly, is working with children. Through the schools, beyond the schools, we’ve reached out with announcements, flyers, ads, word-of-mouth, everything we can think of to tell the children and youth in the back-country that “There’s fun and adventure in art!” They are beginning to believe us!

Our newest venture is theatre arts. We are fortunate to have on board Dianne Holly, emeritus professor of theatre at UCSB. She is a dynamo, and is staging a Christmas play cum carols that will surely be a delight to the local communities.

We’ll keep you posted. We’ve only just begun, as the saying goes. If you live in the [greater] Mountain Empire community, come join the fun - as part of the team, or as someone who wants to explore a bright new dimension in life, or a believer in the art-needs of our children. Or all of the above. We are waiting for you. At the heart of art.