Another year is swiftly coming to a close bringing us into the 10th year of the 21st century. Incredible! Despite the dreadful economic climate of 2009, ARTS Obispo is extremely grateful that our dozen programs, activities that support art and culture in San Luis Obispo County, are still in place. In fact, Art After Dark, the monthly first Friday art walk in downtown San Luis Obispo, draws larger crowds than ever; more than 1,600 students in seven county high schools from Paso Robles to Nipomo participated in Poetry Out Loud this year; and we received a commendation from the Mexican Consulate in Oxnard for our El Dia de Los Muertos events in ARTS Space Obispo.

We organized workshops, exhibitions, grants, portrait painting marathons, the massive undertaking that is the countywide Open Studios Art Tour with its more than 220 visual artists. ARTS Obispo guided businesses, governments and artists on the ins and outs of art in public places. We disseminated gobs of information through our website, Online Visual Artists’ Directory, ARTS Obispo News and Artists’ Opportunities. We advocated for the arts on radio, television, in front of city councils, the County Board of Supervisors and we traveled to Sacramento to represent the Central Coast at state meetings.

All ages came through our doors this year, from 95 year old photographer Joe Schwartz to elementary school children from the Santa Lucia School in Templeton; teenagers from South County participated in the Momentus Youth Performances; college students, professors, doctors and computer technicians displayed artwork, played music and gave workshops in ARTS Space Obispo.

Check out the list in this issue of the ARTS Obispo News of our 2009 members, donors and volunteers. It’s long and it’s gratifying.

Why do so many people devote their time, expertise and money to the arts? It’s because the arts give us something that nothing else does. Not only do the arts provide us with unbridled joy, but they also develop critical-thinking skills, improve focus and boost confidence in what one is capable of doing in life.  The arts touch the core of what it means to be human.

Marcy Adams, Janet Aijian, Sylvia Alcon, Julia Alexis, Adrienne Allebe, Janet Allenspach, Allen Alonzo, Jr., Chet & Guyla Amyx, Katherine and Steve Anderson, Stephany Andrews, Cheryl & Michael Apfel, Kari Appleton, Elaine Apsit, Frank Armitage, John Armstrong, Daniela Arnon, George & Kathie Asdel, Linda Ashworth, Mark Asmus, Brian Aunger, Elie Axelroth, Nancy Ayres

Darcy Badiali, Rodney Baker, John Barnard, John & Diana Barnhart, Susan Barrett, Karen R. Bates, Jeanne Bauer, Priscilla Beadle, Katheryn Beaton, Gwynne Beatty, Nancy Becker, Joy & Howard Becker, Belsher & Becker, Nellie & Bud Beecher, Jayne Behman, Kay Bergman, Mark Biedinger, Jack & Sumac Biesek, George Birk, David Blaemire, Berk Blake of Blake Land Surveys, Helen Blythe, Douglas Bond, Ann & Jay Bonestell, Toni Bouman, Nan Bowman, Karen Boyack, Lisa Boyer, Len Boyle, Gerald Bradford, Jackie Bradley, Carolyn & John Braun, Lani Briceland, Bonnie & Mac Brinton, Rebecca Brockway, Christi Brown, Teri Sanders Brown, Linda Brownson, Michael Bullas, Seaside Gallery, David Butz

Alice Cahill, Melissa Campbell, Renoda Campbell, Annie Cappelli, Jane Jennifer & Jeff Carey, Laurel Carlisle, Cheryl Carlsen, Anne Carpenter Fitzpatric, Sharon Carro, Jeri Carroll, Jan Carsel, Deborah Cash, Nonie Chaffin, Glynis Chaffin-Tinglof, Judith Chapel, Ken Christensen, Brian Claverie, Betty Clemens, Richard Cohan, Harvey Cohon, Katrin & Len Colamarino, Myla Collier, Roger Combs, Shelley Concannon, Lorraine Conlen, Kelly Connors, Julie Conway, Rabbi Scott Corngold & Congregation Beth David, David Coronel, Christine Cortese, Marguerite Costigan, Morris Cotkin, George Cotkin & Marta Peluso, Beverly Cox, Josephine Crawford, Neeltje Crossland, Anne Cruikshanks, Patricia & William Cullinan

Karla Dare, Dr. Pamela Dassenko, Laurel Davar, Elsie Deitz, Steven deLuque, Morgan & Diane Demeter, Kelly Demorest, Stuart & Stephanie Denker, Jayne Devencenzi, Tracy Di Vita Baas, James & Andrea Dietze, Stacie Dilg, Lois Dirkes, Margaret Bertrand & Rob Dodge, Pamela Dooley, Dorsi Law Office, Cindy Dubbers, Marsha Duenas-Ackerman, Sharon Duncan, Jan Dungan, Susan Dunker, Julie Dunn, Carlen Eckford, Mark Ellery, Bruce Everett

Francesca Fairbrother, Richard Farwell, Annamarie Fella, Deb Festa, Stephen Foehner, Melinda Forbes, Mike Francis, Cathy Francis of Patterson Realty, Phyllis Frank, Heidi & Matthew Franscioni, Diana Frey, Kate Froman, Ken Frye, Ken Fuller, Patricia Gagala, Beverly Gammill, John E. & Diana Acevedo Garcia, Fox & Lois Garney of FOXLO Pottery & Design Works, Maria Junco & Gary Keith, Anne Gentilucci, John & Marian Gilbert, Vanessa Goldeen, Marlene Goodman, Sharon Gove, Peg Grady, Kelsie Greer, Theresa Griswold, Susie Gross, Diane Gross-Giese, Victoria Grostick, Melissa Guise, Abigail Gumbiner & Peter Holmes, Sherren Guthrie-McMath

Gina & David Hafemeister, Hamari Art Consulting, John Hampsey, Joy & Ralph Hanson, Jane Harker-Gersten, Craig & Sallie Harlan, Connie Harris, Marion Hasbrouck, Jan & Ronald Haynes, Sara Heinrichs, Sandra Heller, Yvonne Helms, Nathan Hemenway, Linda Hendler, Jackie-Jade Herrera, Crissa Hewitt, Jackie Hickman, Linda Hill, Janice Hilton, Deborah Hintergardt, Rev. C. Hite, Catherine Hobgood, Russell Hodin, Sue Hogan, Christina Horton, Torre Houlgate-West, Dennis Howland

Duane & Ingrid Inglish, Blake & Carol Irving, Edna Little Irving, Gail Jacobson, Millie James, Margaret Jansson, George Jercich, Elizabeth Johnson, Donna Johnson, Carol Silva Johnson, Sue Johnson, Justin Johnson, Nancy Joy, Jed Joyce, Stephen Juel, Debra & Mark Jurey, Evy Justesen, Riad Kaoud, George Karamitsos, Greer Kelsie, Shelley Kenny, Joan, Willy & William Kenyon, Sr., Bart Kerwin, Betsy Kiser, Bobette Kleiger, Jan Kline, Patricia Kohlen, Nancy Kolliner & Ned Long, Nancy Koren & Dr. Jack Barsman, Margaret & Wachtang Korisheli, Greg & Connie Korn, Susan Krout

Michael & Karren La Puma, Martin Lang, Barbara Lapp & Claudia Leighton, Kersti & Richard Lasiewski, Larry & Ronda Le Brane, Starr Lee, Nancy Lehman, Catherine Lemoine, Melanie & Loren Lemons, Penny Lentz, Linda Lewis, Sherry Lewis, Deanna Libbon, Ted & Jeanette Locker, The Loft Gallery at the Firefly, Donna M. Long, Cle Longden, Carol Lopes, James & Marian Lopes, Barry Lundgren, Rosemary Lusardi

Carol MacCurdy, Alissa & Jesse Maddren, Jack Maher, Verena Maier, Robert Maja, Mary Ellen Marcy, Frank & Lois Martinez, Lynn Matheney, Susan Mathiesen, Judy Maynard of Saiku Gallery, Sarah Mayo, Jay & Ann McDermott, Mike McGuire, Amy McKay, Pat & Diane McKeague, Susan McKee, Pam McKenna, Shannon McNamara, Donna Mehlschau, Karen Merriam, Marilyn Miller, Kathy Miller, Jean Moelter, Mission Community Bank, Susan & Daniel Mrotek, Jean Neas, Naomi Neilson, Jayma Newland, Patricia Newton, Barbara Nilan

Lara Oliva, Lori Oliver, Sue Olt, Abbey Onikoyi, Ina-Mae Overman, Aileen Parmenter, Fayrene Parrish, Fred & Donnell Pasion/Passiflora Mosaics, Carol Paulsen & Stephen Plowman, L Tracy Paz, Sam Peck, Tom Peck, Louis Peluso, Meryl Perloff, Erin Perry, Sharon & Richard Pescatore, Heidi Petersen, Robert Peterson, Pewter Plough Playhouse, Judy & D.K. Philbin, John & Roz Philips, Peter Phillips, Jorn Piesnack, Nancy Ann Piver, Evelyn Plemons, Virgina Polin, Susan Preheim, Joan Primm, Eileen Pritchard, Susan Pyburn

Andrea Raft, Dale & Marie Ramey, Leigh Ramirez, Loretta Ramseyer & Vanishingwolf, Rebecca Reibel, Curtis Reinhardt, Dot Ringer, Jean Rittenberg, Shirley Ritter, Bridget Ritterbush, Robbie & Patti Robbins, Elizabeth Roberts-Bates, Tish Rogers, Rose & Stone Pottery Works, Rosey Rosenthal, Jerome Ross, Sandra Rude, Phil & Joanne Ruggles, Lena Rushing, Lucie Ryan

David Saari, Michelle Saber, Theresa Sage, Thomas Sage &  Lori Logan, Miss Lindy of Sam Hill Photography, Mark & Elisabeth Sarrow, Dennis & Sharon Schneider of Biokinetic Engineering, Eric Schofield, Tony & Sheila Schraub, Ken Schwartz, Joan Scott, Barbara Scott, Rosanne Seitz, Cynthia Semel, Alice Joan Sennett, Sue Sevier, Kristiana May Sharcross, Jennifer Shepard-Moerman, Laurel Sherrie, Donna Shook, Maryellen Simkins, Gregory Simmons, Birgit Simmons, Jay Slean, SLO Blues Society, John Snetsinger, Andy Snyder, Sharon Sobraske, D.J. Sorensen, Richard Soundy & Roseann Church, Susie Spotts, Linda Stanley, Mary Ann Statler, Anna Steffenauer, Jamie Stehula, Peter Steynberg, Lisa & Randy Stromsoe, Leslie Sutcliffe, Connie Sutter, Ardella Swanberg

Paula Teplitz, Bill & Ed Thoma, John Thomas & Cynthia Green, Carol Timson Ball, Sally & Gunther Tippman, Elizabeth & David Tolley, Ginger Toomer, Lori Traylor, Lorri Trogdon, Benjamin Trogdon, Barbara Troyan, Mary Turnbull, Jim Tyler & Sheri Klein, Sheila Underwood, August Van Der Stad, Chris & Kaiah Van Goethem, Hilda Vandergriff, Phil & Tara Vanderlei, Charles Varni, Edward Veit, Fred & Marne Ventura, Carla Veronica, Nancy Vest, Jim Vincolisi of B-W Gallery, Vicki Vontz, R. Margot Vrana, Peg & Mike Vrana-Miller of Earthsea Pottery

Karen & Bob Wagoner, Jeremy Wakefield, John & Cindy Wallace, Rebecca Wamsley, Randee Ward, Brittoni Ward, Grace Washer, Mandy Weathers, Clarence Weiss, Emily West, Mimi Whitney Haft, Karen Wilkins, Paula Willoughby of Unique Lapidary Designs, David Wilson, Dottie Wilson, Sarah Winkler, Ellyn Winslow, Janice Wolf, Jeannette Wolff, Mary Wood & Douglas Pillsbury, Georgette Zraikat