Santa Clarita is home to many unique art pieces that one may encounter when out for a leisurely stroll, bike ride or hike. Our city is also fortunate to have entertainment venues like The MAIN, the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons and countless others for individuals to enjoy artistic, musical and cultural performances. Art, in all mediums, is an amazing form of expression and an intriguing area of enjoyment for many of our residents. Although we may not be able to enjoy all of Santa Clarita’s art galleries, plays and public artwork in person due to these unprecedented times, I encourage you to take advantage of our vast virtual art and culture opportunities.
Beginning at SantaClaritaArts.com, you are sure to find answers for all your art interests and needs. If you are unable to access Santa Clarita’s public art installations in person, consider launching a virtual tour at SantaClaritaArts.com/PublicArt. On the virtual public art website, you can search for a specific piece or browse through existing categories, including sculptures, paintings/murals and sidewalk poetry. View sculptures like the Santa Clarita Cycling bear on the Chuck Pontius Commuter-Rail Trail. Look at the amazing colors of the Community Mosaic Mural along South Fork Trail. Lastly, read through 2019 sidewalk poetry winners like “Small Town Remembered” on Soledad Canyon Road in Canyon Country or “Rooted” on Rockwell Canyon Road in Valencia.
Once you are up to date on our community’s public artwork, turn your attention to SantaClaritaArts.com/Galleries. On the Arts and Events Division’s gallery page, you have the opportunity to launch virtual galleries on varying topics from artists of all ages and experience levels. A recent favorite was the “2020 Graduation Caps” showcase, which allows you to virtually stroll through a simulated gallery and view wonderfully designed caps from our recent graduates.
In the virtual exhibit, you will find colorful, inspiring caps like recent Hart High School graduate Julie Estrada’s “Seize Your Moment” design. Another design was Saugus High School graduate Myah Lefebvre’s butterfly decorated cap. View them all at tiny.cc/SCV2020GradCap! Other virtual galleries that are currently available for viewing include “Art in Isolation,” “Sweets,” the “Youth Arts Showcase,” “Gathering” and “National Identity.” The exhibitions are a fantastic blend of solo works and curated galleries from the city and the Santa Clarita Artists’ Association Gallery. Take a moment to indulge in all of these talented art pieces from around our community!
Art in other forms
Other forms of art can be displayed through theatrical plays, music and other performances. Along with the city’s Arts and Events Division, the staff at The MAIN are also showing their creativity by continuing performances virtually! The MAIN recently completed eight weeks of LIVE virtual performances through its Stage On Screen (SOS) Theatre Festival. Audience members were able to enjoy “MAINcast” interviews and performances of works such as H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” and Mark Twain’s “The Diaries of Adam and Eve.” If you missed out on the fun this time around, stay tuned for the next edition of the SOS Theatre Festival later this fall. In the meantime, you can witness local art and talent in The MAIN’s monthly “You’re The Best” virtual talent show and “10 by 10 Variety Night.” Learn more about these upcoming shows and updates from The MAIN at Facebook.com/TheMAINNewhall or AtTheMain.org.
Let’s continue to support the works and efforts of our talented local artists and performers in Santa Clarita through virtual opportunities. With all that is occurring in our nation at the moment, I hope that the artwork and performances mentioned here bring you joy and inspiration. The fantastic artists and production teams behind all of our current virtual art offerings have worked so hard, so I hope that each of you takes a moment to view their completed works.
Marsha McLean is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at [email protected].
