Twenty-ďŹ ve years of a good idea, with no bounds BY DAVID TEMPLETON
‘
T
he North Bay arts scene, especially here in Sonoma County, is abundant,â€? says Linda Galletta (pictured), executive director of the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. “This is an area that, per capita, has more artists, writers, musicians and poets than anywhere else.â€? For 25 years, the Sebastopol Center for the Arts has been a vibrant and vital source of support and inspiration for those artists, as well as for the wider community in which those artists work, create and dream, making it a perfect Boho Award recipient. Many folks, however, do not remember exactly how humble its beginnings were one quarter of a century ago. “The center actually started out as three ďŹ le folders in my bottom desk drawer at the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce,â€? says Galletta, who worked for the COC at the time as an economic program specialist. “The center for the arts was initially
a program of the chamber of commerce, where the economic development committee thought it would be a very cool idea to create a subcommittee that addressed the needs of artists and musicians and writers—not just for the artists, but as an economic development element for the community.â€? After three years, an offer came from the pastor at the Sebastopol United Methodist Church, which had a large basement area it was interested in making available to local nonproďŹ t organizations. “We thought, oh my goodness, we could actually move out of these desk drawers and into our own physical space,â€? says Galletta. They spent ďŹ ve years there, eventually moving to a 1,500-squarefoot A-frame building next to a lumberyard. “So we moved into the A-frame, and suddenly there was an explosion of growth and activity,â€? she recalls. “We saw many
23 Ftubuf!Kfxfmmfsz XF!CV Z!ZPVS!HPME!'!EJBNPOET
From I Do to I Still Do
Y Psjhjobm!Boujrvf!up!Npefso!Eftjhot Y Xfeejoh!'!Boojwfstbsz!Cboet Y Mpdbmmz!Pxofe
498!Ifbmetcvsh!Bwfovf 2!cmpdl!Opsui!pg!uif!Ifbmetcvsh!Qmb{b 818/4:6/1966 xxx/tipqEFK/dpn ! Tbo!Gsbodjtdp! Ifbmetcvsh!
Fokpz O c\W_cS eW\S Q]c\b`g
gbdjbm caW\U QS`bWTSR ]`UO\WQ ^`]RcQba
Nbsz!Mjb!Tljo!Dbsf 3abVSbWQ AS`dWQSa W\ bVS 1]OabOZ @SRe]]Ra $$$ 8S\\WTS` 2` =QQWRS\bOZ bSfb ]` QOZZ % % "&$ & #% Â’ [O`gZWOaYW\QO`S Q][
NO RTH BAY BO H E M I AN | NOV E M BE R 6 –1 2, 201 3 | BOH EMI A N.COM
Michael Amsler
Sebastopol Center for the Arts
more people coming in, and our programs began expanding.â€? It was obvious that the little arts organization was making a habit of growing and growing. Another move came six years later, to a 9,200-square-foot location on Depot Street, where they remained for another 10 years. After all of this nomadic activity, Galletta says the Sebastopol Community Arts Center—having developed a series of classes, performances and gallery shows featuring international participation from artists of all kinds—needed to settle down into what would be a permanent home. “In 2007 and 2008, we began looking for what would be a sustainable, long-term home for this organization,â€? Galletta says. “We began talking to the county of Sonoma, who at the same time had a building in the heart of the community—the veterans hall—that was aging and underutilized, costing the county hundreds of thousands of dollars to maintain and operate.â€? After two years of negotiating, a deal was struck giving the Sebastopol Center for the Arts a nearly unheard of 30-year-lease on the building at the edge of Ives Park. Last year, Galletta and her team took over operations, beginning work on an ambitious renovating and remodeling plan that will turn the 17,800-square-foot facility into a vital, multifaceted destination for artists, writers, ďŹ lmmakers, musicians and performers of all kinds. “The new building has given us the ability to expand our programming and classes,â€? she explains. “It gives us so much more potential. We gained an auditorium with a real stage. The building also came with two grand pianos—and we already had one of our own, so now we have three. The county has been delighted with the improvements we’ve made to the building, turning it into a facility that can serve all of Sonoma County, both residents and visitors.â€? For Galletta, the real fun comes from working with so many brilliant artists. “I love artists! They are a different breed of person,â€? she laughs. “They are a breed that sees no boundaries. Artists are always looking ahead. It’s inspiring to be around them.â€?