Arts Center Reveals Piedmont's Creative Side

Without any other dedicated arts venues within Piedmont's city limits, of the new Piedmont Center for the Arts (PCA) this Sunday, Aug. 28, have brought local artists and arts enthusiasts out of the woodwork.

Not only have lots of people donated money and chipped in to help, the venue is completely booked for its first three months with local musical acts and art exhibitions from Piedmont painters, sculptors and photographers.

“What’s fascinating is how many musicians live in Piedmont and how many artists live in Piedmont that don’t have an exhibition space,” said Ray Perman, one of center’s board members. “The Piedmont Center for the Art’s is basically designed to promote a low-cost space for people to perform. It’s almost like a farmers market for creativity.”

Colleen Gallagher, a Piedmont-based photographer who has donated to the center, says that the more she learned about the plans for the center over the past year, the more she wanted to support it. She is raising two young children in Piedmont and believes it’s important they be exposed to art.

“I’ve just learned so much by getting a full arts education,” she said. “Any opportunity to support the arts in Piedmont—I’m all for it.”

The building at 801 Magnolia Ave was formerly a Christian Science church, but it hasn’t been fully utilized since 2003.

“It sat in a derelict state for years,” Perman said. “It was an eye-sore.”

The renovations began the first weekend in June when a team of volunteers helped rip up the old musty carpet.

“Piedmont is famous for a lot of nice people coming and chipping in," said Perman. "Things have happened almost magically."

Piedmont-owned restorer donated the doors to the center.

“Originally, I was asked to be involved on some construction issues, building the doors for the main hall,” said Bill Essert, president of the company, but now the trumpeter is hoping to play there too.

A classically trained musician, Essert has played with the San Francisco Ballet and the Oakland and San Jose Symphonies and currently performs with a local jazz and blues outfit called the .

“Several guys write in the band, they’re influenced by Charlie Mingus or Miles Davis or Wayne Shorter,” he said. “Sometimes we’ll take a standard and twist it around so it has our own signature on it but with the same beautiful notes that the composer intended.”

Gallagher plans to be exhibiting her large black and white photographs at PCA sometime soon.

“I think that the work I’d show there is from different places I’ve been in the world,” she said. “They’re kind of lonely and they work together.”

The Cypress String Quartet is already on PCA's schedule for a performance of masterpieces by Haydn, Beethoven and Samuel Barber, and other Sept. 17.

The group is well-known in San Francisco where they're based and plays about 90 concerts a year all around the world, but cellist Jennifer Kloetzel says they're looking forward to the gig in Piedmont.

“We love playing in new spaces that are in our backyard,” she said. “I’m excited that there are new art spaces where people can experience art. When it happens in communities that will support it, that’s great.”

For the , music will be played by Shades of Gray and there will be an art exhibit of local artists; at 4:30 p.m. there will be a short performance of “Count Dracula” with the Promusica Quartet. 

“We have so many talented artists and performers in this town,” said Nancy Lehrkind, president of the new arts center. “I hope it will be a place that will coalesce all of these artists.”

For more information on upcoming events visit the Piedmont Center for the Arts website or the Piedmont Patch calendar.