"Colors of China:" new show opening next week at the Bakersfield Museum of Art

Heads up on what appears to be an interesting new opening over at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Titled "Colors of China: Paintings, Calligraphy and Children's Art," the show will run from Sept. 17 through Nov. 11, long enough to give it good exposure to the community. I'm constantly impressed with the way our local arts community is using a blend of old and new media to promote its shows, on Twitter and Facebook, in e-mail blasts and of course in newspapers and local TV. Thanks to Beth Brookhart Pandol, the museum marketing director, for passing along this video of curator Emily Falke talking about the new show. Make sure to check it out. The museum is located at 1930 R. Street downtown near the Mexicali restaurant.

Local agriculture and business leaders to host federal regulators: teach these folks about Kern ag!

If you work in a regulated industry, how many times to get to sit down with the regulators to teach them about your business? That's exactly what is happening this week when a bunch of federal regulators (think EPA, USDA, OMB) show up to get a first hand view of California farming and agriculture. According to Beth Brookhart Pandol, some local alumni from the California Agriculture Leadership program will be hosting these regulators, including Mike Young, Kevin Andrew, Mike Turnipseed, Greg Wegis, Jaime Nickel, John Lake, Steve Murray, Edwin Camp, Rob Geis, Gary and Cynthia Icardo, Adam Icardo Marcia Wolf, Mona and Pete Pankey and of course Beth. In her words:

"The goal is to acquaint these people with California farming since they are deeply involved in regulations, decisions, opinions and legislation that affect California farming. The thinking is that if they get a first hand view of the way California farming operates, they will be better enabled to make decisions that sometimes have horrendous effects on farming," she said.



Beth said the schedule starts with dinner at Woolgrowers tomorrow and then the regulators split up with their host family. There will be tours of Grimmway Farms, the Kern County Water Agency and the Nickel Ranch. Let's hope they leave with a better appreciation of what it takes to run a business in the breadbasket of America. My bet is they will.

Museum of Art goes podcasting: shrewd marketing in a digital world and why it matters

It's nice to see when our local non-profits start to understand the power of digital marketing and what it can mean in building an audience and talking to the most loyal members of your tribe. Which was why I was pleased to hear from Beth Pandol, the creative marketing director over at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, who posted an email on the museum's Facebook page reading simply: "Here's our first podcast." That was followed by a second posting for a second podcast, this one devoted to Liz Sherwyn, winner of the museum's recent Visual Arts Festival. The second is posted below and this is terrific stuff. The wonderful thing about this kind of technology (hand held cameras and videos done by amateurs) is that they don't need to be professionally done. This is not about slick production but rather about spreading your message, and the museum has done a terrific job so far. Think about it: they shoot the video, post it to the museum Facebook page (check it out here), and simply send out a message to their fans telling them it's there. As simple as that. Not sure if the museum is on Twitter posting the same, but it should be. If you're running a company and you're not fluent in this technology, it's your loss.

Short shots around town: a weekend of jazz and wine, kids heading off to college, the arts

Another day of cleaning out my cupboard of odds and ends. I continue to hear of more kids heading off to school (or staying here) and they all make us proud. It's May in Bako, so that means good weather and jazz and fine wine. Enjoy the weekend.
* WINE FEST: Don't forget the Party in the Park wine tasting tomorrow night (Friday) over at Cal State, hosted by the CSUB Alumni Association. This is always a fun event and kicks off the Jazz Festival weekend, which is one of the school's premier events each year. Check out today's Californian for a full lineup for the Jazz Festival. For last minute tickets to the wine tasting, call 661-654-3211.
* VISUAL ARTS FESTIVAL: The Bakersfield Museum of Art presents its annual "Visual Arts Festival" next Thursday, May 14. Curator Emily Falke say the festival is expected to draw hundreds of artists from around California who have submitted works for the juried competition. The exhibit opens with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and awards at 6:45 p.m. The opening is free to members, $10 for non-members. Light appetizers and a no-host bar will be available. The exhibit runs through August 30. For more information call 661-323-7219.

* YOUNG ARTIST: Speaking of art, check out the painting by Stockdale High senior Stephanie Linn (above) who won a young artists contest sponsored by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield). As the overall winner of the art competition, Stephanie’s piece will represent the 22nd Congressional District in Washington DC, and hang in the capitol tunnel leading to the United States Capitol for a year. Stephanie and two guests will be provided airline tickets courtesy of Southwest Airlines to travel to Washington for the exhibit opening on Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Stephanie is the daughter of Victor and Connie Linn and her art teacher is Art Sherwyn at Stockdale. She said her piece was influenced by the work of Paul Cadmus, specifically his oil painting, Coney Island. Stephanie went to River Walk Park and studied and photographed children playing on a jungle gym. She then compiled all the different photographs into one piece that includes 25 children.
* DOGS GONE WILD: While we are on the arts, Beth Pandol over at the Bakersfield Museum of Art told me their first "Doggone Morning" this week was a success. (See pictures below.) Folks brought their dogs for talks on obedience, breeds and other topics. Let's hope this continues and evolves into something bigger.


* GUNS AND ABORTION: Interesting recent survey by the Pew Center shows attitudes toward gun ownership are becoming more conservative, as in defending Second Amendment rights. (Check it out here)
* NON-PROFIT MOVEMENT: Meanwhile I hear that Jan Lemucchi has been hired as the new communication specialist over at the Kern Community Foundation, working for CEO Fred Drew and foundation chair Judi McCarthy. Jan has been around and previously worked at KGET TV, Mercy Hospital, the Bakersfield Assn. of Retarded Citizens, the Saba Agency and The Californian.
* AND OFF THEY GO: Rounded up a few more names of kids heading off to colleges, some going far and others staying closer to home. These are all Stockdale kids:
..... EAST COAST BOUND: Michele Keathley heads to Fordham University in New York on a volleyball scholarship. She's the daughter of Corey and Duane Keathley. Her sister Kim is attending Point Loma University in San Diego.
..... STAYING CLOSE: Julie Hutton, one of the stalwarts of the defending Central Section girls tennis team at Stockdale, will attend CSUB on a tennis scholarship.
.... DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS: K.C. Hobson has signed with Texas A&M to play baseball even though he likely will be a high draft pick to play pro ball. Stay tuned for more on his future.
..... GO RENEGADES: Brooke Williford, daughter of Tara and Steve Williford, will be attending Bakersfield College in the fall.