Artists and Community Come Together

Steampunk, Johnny Depp, silk paintings, and abstract art came together in Moreno Valley for the first Art Walk. The event was held at the Stoneridge Towne Centre on Saturday June 21st, bringing out local artists and Moreno Valley residents. The Art Walk is being sponsored by the Moreno Valley Cultural Arts Foundation and will be held on the third Saturday of every month from 12 - 5 p.m. and for the months of July and August, it will be held from 3 - 8 p.m. Debby Johnson was with her son, Christopher and was showcasing her art at a booth. She has been an artist for over 25 years and works with the medium of acrylics, water color, and some oil. Johnson shared, “I’ve been doing a little steampunk lately and that’s been a lot of fun.” Johnson is on the board for the Moreno Valley Cultural Arts Foundation and currently on the City Arts Commission as the Vice Chairperson, a position she has been on for a year and a half. Richard Archer with his wife, Barbara Archer are involved with the Vanguard Community Art Gallery. Archer is the Director of the Vanguard Community Art Gallery and Chairman of the Moreno Valley Arts Commission. He shared, “We just really want to promote the artists in Moreno Valley and get some artists involved and make the arts expo into a big event which is good for the city. We would like to bring in between 500-1000 residents and the businesses will benefit from the people coming in who don’t know about the businesses here.” The purpose Archer said is, “to create a symbiotic relationship between faith based organizations, businesses and artists, creating partnerships and a much stronger community.” The Vanguard Community Art Gallery will be hosting live music and Archer’s aim is to promote artists of all levels and create an environment where artists can grow. Archer would eventually like to have a beverage service and free wireless internet where patrons can come to work and enjoy art. Antionette Hanson is a Moreno Valley resident and came to share her artwork with the community of Moreno Valley. She has been an artist for seven years and focuses on silk art. She is involved with Art2000 with Charles Bibbs, Redlands Art Association, and the Palm Springs Desert Art Center. She shared, “I can’t stop, I fell in love with the medium and I just can’t quit, especially when you realize it sells and it touches other people. When they step up and buy your artwork, it’s the greatest compliment an artist can receive.” Her grandson was visiting from Las Vegas and was working on his own piece of artwork during the Art Walk. Calvin Payne was visiting with his wife, Renee Payne and children, Calvin Payne (5) and Myung Payne (6). They were perusing the art in the art gallery and live in the surrounding neighborhood. Myung said she enjoyed the artwork Hanson was working on inside the gallery. Crystal Lauren and Viveca Mays each had a booth and had several of their art pieces on display. Lauren’s focus is abstract painting and using textures/different mediums. She lives in Moreno Valley and is on the advisory board for the Moreno Valley Cultural Arts Foundation. Lauren spends her time volunteering at the art gallery on Sundays. Mays had several oil paintings on display, with two portraits of the actor, Johnny Depp. Mays says, “I like to paint in oils and specialize in African American art, but I like everything, whatever inspires me at the moment. My specialty is adding dimension to my artwork.” Several of the paintings had beads on them or hair added to the painting.