Paintings depicting scenes of east Sacramento, vintage cars from the 1930s, swing music of the era – and an abundance of community support – were all part of the celebration Sunday at the 75th anniversary of the Clunie Community Center.
The party drew residents from throughout the Sacramento area. Many strolled through the clubhouse at McKinley Park to see the artwork created in the East Sac Paint Out, which featured 17 artists painting sights from the area in only four hours. Previous works also were on display.
"The level of work here is really impressive," said Dawn Shelling, who lives a few blocks from the park. The event was sponsored by the Friends of McKinley Library and the McKinley East Sacramento Neighborhood Association as a fundraiser for the center.
In the morning, artists from throughout the area set out with their canvasses and paintbrushes, asked to paint images from the surrounding community.
Randall Tillery liked the way the light fell on a yellow house and painted that.
Another artist, Deladier Alameda, created "Dancing Up." His portrait of trees in the park was priced at $1,400.
Alameda said he felt no pressure working on a schedule. "Just another day at the office for me," he said.
Marti Walker painted two scenes that were also on display. She wanted to participate in the event to show her support for the center.
"I work in the area and I used to live here, and I wanted to be a part of this," said Walker.
The Clunie Community Center has been hit hard by budget cuts, said Lisa Schmidt, one of the organizers. Hours have been reduced and there is no money to keep the building open past June. Proceeds from the sale of the artwork will be split between the painters and the community center.
"We want to do everything we can to keep this building open," Schmidt said.
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