Roaring back in time

Suzie Harrison

Community Art Project is looking forward to putting a feather in its

cap with yet another lucrative fundraiser, “Speakeasy: A Night at the

Bank,” starting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at Wells Fargo Bank.

Carole Reynolds and Julita Jones co-founded Community Art Project.

They nonprofit organization has had four fundraisers since its

inception in ‘95, all successful.

Reynolds and Jones, board president, both were serving on the

city’s art commission when the idea to form Community Art Project

came to fruition.

“We felt we needed a way to have public art on private property,”

Jones said. “We needed a special non-city group to do it.” Jones

said.

A similar program in Palm Desert inspired Reynolds.

“CAP is fulfilling a need in our community because the arts

commission and the city can place art on public land,” Community Art

Project, vice-president, Rebecca Meekma said. “CAP comes in and can

place art on privately owned land that’s on public view.”

The organization has eight pieces on display. The first

installation was in ‘96, Ralph Tarzian’s “Reclining Lady” sculpture

on the Festival of Arts grounds. The arts organization collaborates

with many of the other art organizations in town.

Two rotating sculpture sites that change every 18 months are part

of its works at Wells Fargo Bank and Bank of America.

“CAP does a search to look for sites recommended from members,”

Meekma said. “We did a survey to find out what our members were

interested in and everyone is interested in seeing every medium.”

Three public murals Downtown are part of the collection.

“One mural is at the end of Forest Lane that was done by the art

students at the college, also ‘Postcards from Laguna’ at the bus

station and ‘Adventure’ behind the Bookstore on Ocean Ave,” Jones

said.

The fundraiser will support two new programs. On Tuesday, the

organization installed a sculpture by James Koch at First Team Real

Estate Inc. on Glenneyre St. initiating its desire to find sites

outside the Downtown area.

“Our newest venture is the gallery on the second floor of Wells

Fargo Bank,” Jones said. “We’re now the curators of ‘Banking on Art,’

looking for local artists and art groups for shows.”

With the speak-easy theme, the bank will be transformed to look,

sound and feel like a party scene from the pages of F. Scott

Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” capturing the mood of the “Jazz

Age.”

“We came up with the theme as a committee going over the space; it

lent itself to a speak-easy, the ‘20s and ‘30s,” Meekma said. “The

whole look will be period themed with cars from that era at the

entrance. It will be like something secret in the bank.”

“Most important is the fabulous artwork, 77 pieces donated from

really well-known artists available for auction,” event co-chair

Warren Cook said. “Works have been donated by Ken Auster, Cheryl

Ekstrom, Tom Swimm, John Barber, Paul Darrow, John Seeman and Gil

Dellenger from LA.”

Pieces for auction run the art media spectrum including sculpture,

glasswork, plein air, watercolors, mixed media and acrylics.

“Community Art Project stages art events, education programs and

visits to artists’ studios and collectors homes,” Jones said.

“Speakeasy: A Night at the Bank” is on the second floor at Wells

Fargo Bank, 260 Ocean Ave. The art is on display to preview before

the auction. Tickets are $65. The fundraiser will also feature

gourmet catering, a martini bar, premium wines and live jazz

entertainment. For information, call (949) 598-9844.