October is eagerly anticipated for tricks, treats, spooks, and scares. However, October is also “National Arts and Humanities Month.” This nationwide celebration recognizes the importance of culture in the U.S. In Santa Clarita, ARTober packs all 31 days with opportunities to discover, create and enjoy art.
To make the most of ARTober, take a moment and explore the dozens of art galleries located throughout the city, as well as the public art pieces that are at the city’s parks, painted on walls and stamped into the sidewalks. Some highlights, that shouldn’t be missed, are the Santa Clarita Photographers Association’s Spring Print Competition, exhibited in the First Floor Gallery located at city hall. This exhibit will showcase winners and those receiving merit in the group’s 2018 and 2019 annual competition. Another art piece not to miss, is called “Imag_ne” by Australian artist Emma Anna and is shown at the Valencia Library. The art piece challenges its visitors to fill in the blank space and become the second “I” in imagine.
Art meets action sports on October 19, at 10 a.m. as the new mural “Inertia” is unveiled at the Santa Clarita Skatepark. Painted by Chicago artist Miguel A. Del Real, the colorful and abstract piece will completely cover the office building at the skatepark. In addition to the art dedication, the event will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the skatepark with skating demonstrations, a DJ, vendors, and food trucks. That evening Halloween meets creativity with with the always popular Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest at the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center at 6 p.m.
There are also nine poems to discover, which are stamped into sidewalks at different locations throughout the city. They are part of the Sidewalk Poetry Project, where residents have a chance to submit original poems. Aspiring poets and writers of all ages can submit a poem to the 2020 Sidewalk Poetry Project. The theme is Poetry of Place and poems should reflect the cultural, natural, and shared spaces in our community. Poems can be entered at www.santaclaritaarts.com before the October 31 deadline.
ARTober will wrap up with the second annual Arts Symposium on Saturday, October 26, from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. at The Centre, located at 20880 Centre Pointe Parkway. The day-long educational conference focuses on helping artists of all skill levels reach new heights. For more information please check the calendar of events on the previously mentioned website.
