There is something new in the air throughout downtown Brentwood. The 4th annual Banner Up! program is now underway! Beautiful public art is now flying on lamp posts with 68 colorful vinyl banners.
There are two additional banners on display in Delta Gallery Community Art Center (2485 Sand Creek Rd., Suite 128, Brentwood).
These banners were painted by East Contra Costa County artists including students from local high schools (Liberty, Heritage, Dozier-Libbey Medical) and Los Medanos College as well as a wide range of other talented artists. Come to downtown Brentwood and check out the banners. The banners, all painted with original designs, add a bright and festive touch to the downtown streets (Oak, 1st, 2nd and Chestnut Streets) and City Park. The Banner Up! program is sponsored by City of Brentwood Economic Development, City of Brentwood Arts Commission and Art Guild of the Delta (AGD).
One of the artists is Nathan Chuey who is a local student. Nathan provided the following statement about his banner which is located on Oak Street in front of City Park:
“I chose to paint a park scene since I love going to parks and playing on the play structures and taking pictures of the art murals. This painting is of me at my park drawing, I am the guy at the bottom holding the pencil. One day, I hope to be able to build my park for everyone to enjoy. I am a senior at Liberty High School and I love to draw. I would say I am still a beginner when it comes to art and in fact this is my first major piece of artwork outside of the classroom. I also have autism and I find that drawing is my outlet.”
The Banner Up! program has provided local artists with the opportunity to create public art on large (2’ x 4’) banners that will be hung throughout Brentwood’s beautiful downtown during the months of June, July and August. It is planned that the banners will be displayed on the Brentwood Community Center (35 Oak Street) Public Art Walls during September, offering the public ample opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of artwork created by their friends and neighbors.
A key purpose of the Banner Up! program is to support artists and a local charity. This year the Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble was chosen by AGD for support from the Banner Up! program. At the end of the program, the banners will be auctioned off and the proceeds will be split between the artists whose banner is sold and the Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble.
An online auction for the banners will occur from July 3rd through September 30th (www.32auctions.com/BannerUp2020) to allow pre-bidding on the banners. A Benefit Silent Auction is planned for October 3rd at the Brentwood Community Center from 6-9 pm to complete the banner bidding and sales. If the live auction is not held, then the banners will be sold based on the bidding of the online auction. The most recent information on the Banner Up! program can be found at: artguildofthedelta.org/bannerup .
The Art Guild of the Delta is a local art organization based in East Contra Costa County that was founded in 2013 as a non-profit organization with the purpose of building a network of artists to work together to promote and inspire creative influence amongst themselves and their community. AGD brings together people with a mutual interest in the fine arts while promoting camaraderie and ethical principles and practices, as well as fostering creativity among artists. AGD is of service to the community by providing a cohesive and congenial group who promotes arts and advancement in all areas of artistic endeavors. AGD provides scholarships to art students at local high schools and Los Medanos College, provides art classes to the community through the Delta Gallery, and provides a means for local artists to display their art (Delta Gallery). Delta Gallery also puts on free shows of student art at no cost to the artists.
Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble was launched in March 2018, bringing together a seasoned team of performing artists, business leaders and educators all with the same mission – to entertain, educate and enrich their circle of local communities by offering diverse and quality theatrical experiences. The Ghostlight team was particularly interested in attracting top talent to its auditions, with the goal of motivating those from outside the immediate community to come out to the East County region to see the arts and culture of the area. Through its network of support developed with local government, businesses, schools and non-profit organizations, Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble engages community members in its mission, encouraging local talent, backstage personnel and others to create live theater that may be enjoyed on both sides of the lights.
Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble is a young company, but already its productions have impacted thousands of people who either attended their productions or were involved in putting them on. Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble also offers classes during the summer as part of their Performing Arts Youth Academy (PAYA) and Senior Performing Arts Academy (PASA) for age-55+ participants. For more information about Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble, contact Helen Dixon (Artistic Director) at [email protected], or visit ghostlightte.org.
For more information about the Art Guild of the Delta go to: artguildofthedelta.org
