Lodi Arts Commission reports on its activity

The Lodi Arts Commission updated the Lodi City Council on its activity throughout the past year during their joint meeting Tuesday evening.

According to Commission Chair Sandi Walker-Tansley, the mission of the arts commission is to advance the art in Lodi by partnering with the entire community to provide quality programs and events that foster creative expression.

“We are proud to have partnered with various organizations businesses and community groups in the past year to successfully bring the arts in a variety of mediums to the residents of Lodi,” Walker-Tansley said.

For the past 10 years, on the first Friday of each month, the commission as hosted the First Friday Art Hop, Walker-Tansley said. The art hop includes a variety of venues, including Hutchins Street Square, the Lodi Public Library, the School Street Gallery and Boxwood Finch.

“It illustrates a steadfast example of partnerships with local businesses and provides an ongoing venue for local artists to get their work out and get seen by people,” he said

In addition to the art hops, the commission also makes recommendations for the City of Lodi arts grants. Changing Faces Theater Company, Valley Community Orchestra, the Sand Hill Crane Festival, the Breakthrough Project, the Centrally Valley Orchestra and Lodi Community Arts Center are a few organizations the commission recommended for grants in the past year, Walker-Tansley said. Their recommendations are based on eligibility, goals, impact, planning and implementation, outreach, community partnerships and evaluation tools.

“We also take a look at what they’re promoting, and if it’s going to reach underserved populations, if it’s going to be a free event so folks can bring their kids and come do those kinds of things. That’s always a bonus,” Walker -Tansley said.

Applicants for the grants must also volunteer for at least one of the events that the commission hosts.

The commission’s annual taco truck cook-off is set for June 3 this year. Walker-Tansley said the cook-off continues to be a successful event, with attendance reaching 750 people in 2016. The addition of the beer garden last year was very successful and helped offset costs of the event. Last year, the event included a free children’s art booth, mariachi dancing and folklore dancing. The event even received coverage from Good Day Sacramento, Walker- Tansley said.

This year, the commission plans to do things a little different. The cookoff will be held at Hale Park instead of on the street. They will also be adding Aztec dancers, and there will be an expanded beer garden along with the addition of new trucks.

The commission is involved in other events, as well.

For two years in a row, the commission has hosted the Blues and Brews Festival in partnership with the City of Lodi Parks and Recreation Department. The a third annual Blues and Brews festival is set for Aug. 11 at Hutchins Street Square. The event includes craft beers from 30 plus craft brewers along with blues music from four bands and two soloists. A variety of beers are available along with a few ciders for those who may not be into beer.

Each year, the commission also sponsors a poster contest for the Arbor Day Celebration. Posters are submitted from a fifth grade class in Lodi and the first, second and third place winners receive cash prizes.

Walker-Tansley said the commission is always looking for more partnerships, volunteers and ways to enhance art in the community.

According to Cathy Metcalf, a member of the art commission and its Arts in Public Places advisory board, the advisory board has had at least 34 utility boxes painted across the city. They also have a call to artists out to the public for more boxes, she said. The board is also working on the repair of the fountain statue at Legion Park. Other projects the advisory board has in the works include a sculpture at the Lodi Library and bike racks at the Grape Bowl. Pending projects include a kinetic sculpture at the corner of Cherokee Lane and Lodi Avenue, touching up the paint on the water tower and the addition of another gateway mosaic.

Walker -Tansley said everything the commission does would not be possible without the backing of the Art Foundation and its efforts to generate funds so the commission can do the things that they want to do. She said the commission also values the support of the council.

“We feel like art in the lives of city citizens is a valued and important thing, and we appreciate the fact that our city council supports that and makes it an important thing, so we thank you,” Walker-Tansley said to the council.