Santa Cruz County Arts Commission
Mission Statement
The mission of the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission is to promote, expand and plan for the cultural life of Santa Cruz County and to bring artists and arts organizations together with government for the benefit of all the citizens of the County.
Meeting Schedule Meeting Minutes Meeting Agendas
Arts Commission Members
| James Nee, (VACANCY) | District 1 |
| Dana Werdmuller, Cynthia Kilian | District 2 |
| Bobbi Todaro, Joanna Phillips | District 3 |
| Melinda Rambo, Judy Stabile | District 4 |
| Bruce Arnold, Shirlee Byrd | District 5 |
Meets 1st Monday, 4:30 P.M.
Simpkins Family Swim Center
979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz
Dana Werdmuller
Background / Arts Experience:
BA in Studio Art, San Jose State University, emphasis in Pictorial Arts, 2006. I only recently returned to painting after several years, inspired by a return to SJSU to complete my bachelor's degree. Personal works are mainly oils on canvas, expressive figurative work being a favorite subject. I also enjoy screenprinting, collage and photography.
Resume:
- Director of Marketing & PR, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, January 2007 – present
- Owner/ Creative Director, Dana Werdmuller Advertising + Design, 2001-2006
- Marketing Consultant, Small Business Development Center, Cabrillo College, 1999-2006
- Managing Partner / Creative Director, Primary PrintServices, 1997-2001
- Business Manager, The Advertising Company, 1993-1997
- Former Board Member, Aptos Chamber of Commerce, 1999-2006
- Member, Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Library
Lifelong Santa Cruz County resident
My love for art in all forms has been a life-long interest and passion. I feel that the arts are not simply an optional luxury in our social, cultural and educational systems. On the contrary, they are a societal necessity. They teach us how to communicate, how to express ourselves, how to solve problems, how to see an alternate point of view, and how to express and appreciate beauty. A well-rounded society and individual is exposed to art on all levels: creation, process and appreciation. Anything that I can do as an individual to guarantee my community has access to and is exposed to the arts is a privilege. My role on the County Arts Commission is a small one but I see it as a vital piece of the larger arts picture in Santa Cruz County and it is my honor to serve.
Bruce Arnold
I come to the Commission with an extensive background in the arts/psychology, holding a BFA, MFA, MTA, MACP and a
PhD respectively.
I formally taught fine arts at a Midwest prep college in Chicago, as well as having taught in Hawaii. I returned thereafter to the mainland to complete a Master's in Art Therapy. As a board- certified art therapist, my career has afforded me opportunities to guest lecture and provide workshops to colleges, universities and other professional institutions. For the past 23 years I have been counseling in public school venues in the bay area.
My affiliations are varied but have included: Trustee for the Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz Film Festival Advisory Committee, boards served/serving Cultural Council, County Symphony, Santa Cruz Mountain Arts Center, New Music Works, Full Spectrum Chorus.
My passion for the arts is all encompassing, so when approached to be on the Arts Commission, I said yes without question. I have enjoyed serving on the Commission for these eight years.
James Nee
James was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He has one adult daughter, one adult son, and two grandchildren. He has been a resident of Santa Cruz County since 1989. His hobbies include backpacking, creating visual art, long-distance bicycle riding, and classical music. James joined the Commission to increase the Commission's role in showcasing the high quality arts and artists in the County and to help make Santa Cruz County an essential destination for people seeking excellence in visual and performing arts.
Education:
- B.S. Mich. State U., Wildlife Management, 1959
- MPA Wayne State U., Public Admin. 1962
- MA Univ. of Calif., Berkeley, Zoology 1968
- AA Cabrillo College, History 2007
- AA Cabrillo College, Studio Art 2008
Employment: Volunteering:
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 20 yrs., retired 1989 Calif. Grey Bears, Board Of Directors, 2006-7
- Santa Cruz Co. Agric. Comm. Office, 13 yrs., retired 2003 Casa La Familia HOA, President, 2006-7
- County Arts Commission, member since Aug., 2007
Melinda Rambo
I am a dedicated local artist working in acrylic, pastel and oil, participating in Open Studios when possible. Five years ago I relocated to Watsonville where I originally attended high school. I have worked as a CFO/Office Manager for Weber, Hayes & Associates, an environmental engineering/consulting company for 13 years.
My schedule allows me time for my art and to participate as an arts advocate for my community as Arts Commissioner for the 4th District. I am also a member of the Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery Committee, a member of the Santa Cruz Arts League and the Pacific Grove Arts Council and various other art associations around the state. I blend the artistic and business worlds to help facilitate the ongoing development of art in our county.
Joanna Phillips
Joanna was born and raised in Fresno, California. She graduated from Cal State University Fresno, majoring in Speech Communication. She went back to school to do graduate work in Education of the Deaf, working in the local school district as a teacher.
In 1972 Joanna moved to San Jose and began a new career in Real Estate. After successfully owning a Century 21 franchise from 1980 – 1986, she began her training career by becoming the Director of Recruiting and Training for Better Homes and Gardens in San Jose until 2000. When she got a call from Robert Bailey, the CEO of Bailey Properties in Santa Cruz, CA to inquire if she would like the same job in Santa Cruz, and live in her beach house, the answer was YES! Power Training was born and Bailey Properties continues to be the field-testing facility for all updates to this course.
Joanna is a mother and the grandmother of Sara, who is 4 yrs old. Joanna enjoys spending time at the beach, playing with Sara and traveling. Joanna served on the City of San Jose Art Commission from 1996-2002. This experience gave her a great deal of background on the arts programs in the City of San Jose. She also has performed both in theater and as a motivational speaker. She joined the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission in the hopes her past experience would be of benefit to the residents of Santa Cruz County.
Judy Stabile
I have been an artist for 22 years, and enjoy working in a variety of media and processes including sculpting in stone, casting in bronze and glass; printmaking; fabric collage; and painting with acrylic, oil and encaustics. As a volunteer, I have curated and co-curated twelve visual art exhibits for the Pajaro Valley Arts Council: served as a mentor to other curators; and have served as a Gallery Committee member for PVAC for nine years. For the past three years, I have co-curated (for PVAC) exhibitions of sculpture for an outdoor venue at Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens. This exhibit was pivotal to my interest in public art. As a result, I applied to be a member of the Public Arts Commission.
Bobbi Todaro
Cynthia Kilian
Shirlee Byrd
I grew up in Hollywood, California and worked as a dancer and went to Chounards Art School where I studied painting. After marriage and raising four children, I went back to school to study art history. After getting a master's degree, I taught art history at San Jose State University, San Jose City College and the San Jose Museum of Art for about twenty years. My specialty was early modern, European art.
After moving to the San Lorenzo Valley, I commuted to San Jose but also helped found the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center in Ben Lomond where we had exhibits of local artists and initiated a summer art camp for children. Because of my interest in local arts, I was invited to be on the Board of the Cultural Council where I served for six years and joined the Open Studios' Committee. After retiring from San Jose, I became interested in local issues in art as well as the environment. Art advocacy and public art have always been of great interest to me. I think a society without art is a dead society.
I have served for four years in my second term as a County Arts Commissioner, after I moved from the San Lorenzo Valley to the City of Santa Cruz). Before that I served about five years from the Valley, including two years as President.
Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County
City of Santa Cruz Arts Commission