Claremont Art Community- M. Tudor

The other follow up item relates to a discussion we first had some time ago about  “Where did the Claremont art community go?” I think I got some insight into that at the panel presentation that I went to on Sunday (Millard Sheets Tour and Discussion).  I believe a large factor in the vibrancy of the art community – way back when-  had to do with the personalities involved.  Apparently Millard Sheets (and I suspect Sam Maloof) was a bigger than life personality. He drug people from across the country to join him in Claremont. They socialized (party hardy) and worked with immense intensity. Almost everything he did was collaborative to some degree.

I imagine Frank Lloyed Write probably created a similar entourage around him.

When Sheets retired, he moved to northern California to paint, some other attrition occurred and soon the environment had changed irrevocably.

Now Claremont is too expensive for artsy folks, I doubt even a comparable personality could revive things.  Brian (my boss) assures me that there are still serious artists working in the area, but the cohesiveness and cross influence no longer operate.

Sad- Marsha Tudor