Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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There once was a little girl whose mother let her wear Pippi Longstocking braids to school whenever she asked. This mother encouraged her daughter to "march to the beat of her own drum." She let her little girl be herself, even when it was weird. What a beautiful gift to give a child. The world is full of pressures, stressing one to tow the line, be acceptable. Expectations that do not necessarily "one size fits all." Some of the most creative and heroic people in this world were a bit out of pl...
Fused glass class, Oct. 5 Join Leila Klieman, our resident glass artist, and create a beautiful, fused glass bowl. The class starts at 10:30 a.m. Be sure to wear closed toed shoes. Cat adoption event, Oct. 12 Last month's cat adoption was a huge success, and we are repeating it again this month. Come adopt a cat or kitten or learn about getting a local non-domestic cat spayed. Downtown Trick or Treat Trail, Oct 31 The Arts Center is proud to join with the city and other businesses here in town...
Episode #24....
Many people think back upon their school days with nostalgia, especially those who grew up in the "Leave it to Beaver" world that emerged after the world wars. The 1950s brought forth a kinder, gentler national image. Beaver ran home to his mom who cleaned their middle class house wearing a pretty dress and a string of pearls. She calmed her world. Father knew best in those days and Donna Reed managed to feed and nurture her family through any storm. Children's books of that era displayed...
Episode #23....
On Sept. 14, Make Art Tehachapi, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Tehachapi Valley Arts Association, gathered a group of artists to restore four murals. The participating artists were members of the Tehachapi Valley Arts Association, Tehachapi Arts Association, Tehachapi Community Theatre and Tehachapi Signs. They dedicated their efforts to preserving four historic murals by clearing debris, removing vegetation and cleaning the three Centennial Murals located on Tehachapi Blvd....
Slice of Life Enrichment School is proud to partner with the Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Association for their inaugural Youth Art Contest, open to young artists ages 5-18. Youth from Tehachapi and surrounding Kern County areas are invited to showcase their creativity in any flat media, such as oil, acrylics, watercolor, colored pencil, pen/ink, graphite, charcoal, mixed, etc. Please no photographs or digital art. Key details: • Entry deadline: Friday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. • Age cat...
Book Signing with Mel, Sept. 21 Our founder Mel White is conducting a book signing event to introduce her newest effort under her pen name Mel Makaw. Visit the Center between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. You've read her stories in The Loop newspaper, now you can have a signed copy of her newest book. September classes at the Arts Center Geo's Joy of Painting On Saturday, Sept. 21 and Friday, Sept. 27. Create a beautiful painting using Acrylic paints with our resident instructor Geo. He incorporates a Bob...
Daydreaming and fishing are a perfect fit for many 8 year old boys. A diverse forest to explore is a nice addition. Measuring approximately 50,000 square miles, the Ozarks spread across four states and 93 counties. Plenty of room for one small boy without boundaries. It becomes apparent within the first few paragraphs in J Lee Bagan's novel "Billy Dee of the Ozarks," that this 8 year old deserves a set of loving and doting parents. But with a father in prison and a mother on drugs, he is...
Episode #22....
In most every school there is a mysterious room hidden from view from the students, a place of great and sometimes wild speculation. The faculty lounge. A place where most students never dare to enter or get invited in. In eighth grade, I took a course in Practical Business. I was plunged into the workings of the student store, learning how to deal with customers while gaining cash and change skills. The counting of money included feeding the large machine that separated all the coins at the...
Did you feel it? We experienced an earthquake in Tehachapi this past week. It was a moderate quake and broke some glassware but did not bring devastation. The next time could. We live in a very active zone where the earth is stretching and pushing itself in all directions. This quake was a good reminder to be prepared for the ever rattling of the earth beneath our feet in California. Families have checked their evacuation kits and talked to their children again about earthquake safety and emerge...
This year's Chalk on the Walk was a sight to behold! The 85 artists of all ages and talent levels gathered along Tehachapi Blvd. and S. Green Street to turn the downtown sidewalks into a bright festive gallery of art. Wind turbines, flaming volleyballs, country scenery and even pickle pancakes came to life at the 24th annual event held Aug. 10. "We had a spectacular show of support from local sponsors this year, and all the proceeds go directly toward buying art supplies for local area classroom...
September is cat & kitten month Next month the Arts Center is celebrating felines with artwork and a Fixin' Feral Felines event. With that, the Arts Center is calling all area artists to show their feline-centered artwork here at the center for the month of September. You may offer it for sale or set it out for display only. All mediums accepted: paintings, photography, sculpture, etc. Please submit your work by Aug. 31. Additionally, on Saturday, Sept. 7 there will be a Fixin' Feral Felines eve...
Photography captures the moment, inspires creativity and invokes dreams and memories. The photographers in the 2024 Take Your Best Shot certainly did just that. Gallery 'N' Gifts celebrated that creativity at their First Friday Artist Reception and handed out over two dozen ribbons and cash prizes. This semiannual event has taken place every February and August for the last 19 years. If you'd like to take part in the next event, mark your calendars for submission week, Jan. 26-Feb. 2, 2025. Be s...
We are offering two fused glass art workshops with Leila Kleiman, our resident fused glass expert. On Saturday, Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. they will be making a Mandala and on Saturday, Aug. 24, also at 10 a.m., they will craft a beautiful glass bowl. Leila wants everyone to remember to wear closed toe shoes as you will be cutting glass. Runamuk Ceramics Runamuk has workshops every Tuesday and Thursday for artists to work on their own projects. Including most of the things in their product catalog. On...
When looking for a good read, I don't necessarily reach for a literary tome full of weighty revelations and ponderous journeys. Depending on the moment, I might search for a reckless adventure or be tempted with something softer, letting a story wrap around me like a warm summer breeze. It can be lightly written, with characters not deeply carved but rather sketched in soft pastels, people that would fit into my own life. That is what I found in "The Hotel at Beach and Forgotten" by Nellie...
On the evening of July 19, the Tehachapi Arts Commission celebrated their fourth annual show with the opening of Art 2024 Tehachapi, held again at the Aspen Builders Inc. Activity Center on D Street. All proceeds from the VIP event ticket sales will go toward the Commission's Art in the Parks program with Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Park District. Guests were treated to open bars and hors d'oeuvres while viewing the exhibition and talking with the 44 participating artists and show sponsors....
Commencing on July 8, Lyn Bennet initiated painting a replica of the 1915 Green Street Dance mural. The original mural, positioned on 118 E. Tehachapi Blvd., was created in 2004 by Phil Slager. In early spring 2024, the original mural began showing signs of wear, such as cracking and spalling, prompting the need for replacement. To oversee mural protection and creation in Tehachapi, the Tehachapi Valley Arts Association established a dedicated committee called Make Art Tehachapi in May 2024....
Mail delivery used to be the highlight of the day. The mailman would drive up to the box by the road or drop mail through the slot in the door, and the sound would have everyone running to see if perhaps they "got mail." My grandmother wrote often and profusely about both the growth and bloom of each flower in her garden, and the death of every person in her community, whether we were acquainted or not. It didn't matter. It was a connection. In early America, letters with family news and importa...
Hey T-Town. Thank you to those of you that have reached and gave me positive feedback. Much appreciated! So, enough about me. I now want to get into a little history of Tehachapi's local music scene. And what I'm talking about, specifically, is Rock & Roll, cover band, bar band stuff. I am no aficionado on Folk, Classical, etc. I reached out to my old friends Dave Bouldin and Dennis Collins and had a wonderful chat with both! Dave is a singer/guitarist and Dennis ran sound for many bands. Dave...
Have you ever been in a bragging contest? Trying to one up the other guy with something like, "my fish was so big the boat started to sink." Swearing that a series of incredible events really happened in relation to subjects like ghosts, aliens or time travel? A tall tale is an account that is fanciful and difficult to believe. Perhaps exaggerating in order to make a story more enticing while creating an incredible visual for the entertainment of an audience of one or a roomful. The difference...
By the looks of all those photos floating around on the internet, it's already been a busy summer for Tehachapi residents. So many fun adventures, family get-togethers and just crazy, creative photos are being splashed around. Tehachapi Valley Arts Association and Gallery 'N' Gifts invites you all to show off those amazing photos for a chance to win ribbons, one of seven $25 first place category prizes, or who knows, you could be the one to take home the $100 best of show prize! Photo...
The Tehachapi Arts Center is a staple in the community that gives local artists a space to sell handmade gifts, supplies and teach classes to the community. Runamuk Ceramics is joining the Tehachapi Arts Center Co-op and has taken the town by storm. Runamuk Ceramics is run by Sandi and Heather Popejoy, a grandmother-granddaughter duet. This year, Runamuk Ceramics is hosting its first "Kids Craft Camp" at the Arts Center. Runamuk aims to provide a safe, fun and creative environment for children...
I was looking out at the crazy winds, having their way with everything in their path, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a large brown something twisting around. It could have been just the wind whipping free a banner attached to the baseball fencing behind home plate. But I have to say, my first impression was a dragon. It honestly looked like a dragon. Not a big one – rather small in size, but a dragon nonetheless. With a large enough wing span to be mighty and some spiky things on its b...