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RANCHO SANTA FE – Members of the nonprofit Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild are ready to expand with new programs and show venues.
The new gallery director, Pat Savarese, established show spaces in the past year at La Costa Resort & Spa and the polo fields in Del Mar, where she said artists successfully displayed and sold their work.
Members hope to find more venues to bring art into the community.
Art is important because it offers a means for self-expression, Savarese said.
"It's thrilling to be able to express yourself through whatever medium you're using," she said.
For many members, art is a "second career" and they count themselves fortunate to be able to practice what they love every day, she said.
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What: Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild Gallery
Hours: 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
Where: 6004 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe
Admission: Free
Information: (858) 759-3545
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Currently, the guild has shows at its gallery in the Union Bank building in the center of Rancho Santa Fe, as well as inside the Wells Fargo bank branch in Rancho Santa Fe.
Art Fair in the Park, the guild's annual outdoor show, grew last year to feature approximately 115 artists, including 30 who were new to the show, said member Peter Faye.
Earlier this year, for the first time, members were invited to present a show at the annual Fourth of July event in the center of town, they said.
Although the guild has operated almost 10 years, it is still relatively new compared to other community organizations. Members say they are often surprised that many people in Rancho Santa Fe are unaware of their gallery, where receptions are open to the public and shows change about every two months.
The guild also sponsors programs in the community. The largest is the summer art program for children, held at Rancho Santa Fe branch library. Volunteers lead the classes, which are free to children and their parents.
Guild volunteers also lead workshops in watercolor and oil painting at the Rancho Santa Fe Senior Center, where an upcoming show is being planned. And they participate in the community's annual Rancho Days celebration.
Traditionally, guild members have been painters, but new members include sculptors, jewelers and glass artists.
Residents of Rancho Santa Fe are encouraged to apply for membership. Nonresident members must be sponsored by a current member and juried in by the group.
A show of miniature paintings will run through Saturday in the main gallery, with larger paintings next door at Wells Fargo Bank.
