At their Aug. 8 meeting, Tehachapi Rotary hosted local artist Dwight Dreyer. Dreyer is president of the newly formed Tehachapi Arts Commission, an affiliate of the Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council. Their mission is to bring representational fine art and art collectors to Tehachapi.

To that end, they have planned Art 2020, inviting nationally known artists and locals to paint "en plein air" throughout Tehachapi from May 16-22, 2020. The artists will be encouraged to paint throughout the community from the hills, to the vineyards and our picturesque downtown.

"The camera only captures about 20 percent of shades and colors," said Dreyer, "that is why they like to begin their work in the landscape."

The artists will then return home to complete their work. The results of this "paint out" will be a public juried art show to be held at Aspen Builders Activity Center from July 10-12, 2020 where the artwork will be available for purchase by locals and collectors alike. Dreyer said that the artists will receive an unprecedented 80 percent of the sale proceeds.

Dreyer told the group that pricing fine art paintings is not an arbitrary process; they are normally priced by the "running inch" and based on resale prices from the year before. In 2018, fine art sales amounted to around $147 million nationally.

The goal of the Tehachapi Arts Commission is to raise funds for the purchase of new artwork to be displayed at the new AHTV hospital. A nationally known sculptor, Dreyer was chosen to design and make the sculptured angel that will hang on the wall of the entry waiting area of the hospital. A fundraiser has been planned for later this month to kick-off Art 2020.

Dreyer spent many years as a contractor in Los Angeles. He had always had an interest in art but it was an encounter with painter and sculptor Vic Riesau that put him on the path of an artist. He and his wife Laura have, in the past, sponsored plein air events at such locations as Tejon Ranch, Rankin Ranch and Three Peaks Ranch. His sculptures have been juried into many museum art shows like the Pasadena Museum of California Art, the Autry National Center, the USC Fisher Museum of Art, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the Phippen Museum and the Cattleman's Art Show. He is also a long-time artist member of the California Art Club.

Tehachapi Rotary meets on Thursday at noon at The Shed restaurant, 333 E. Tehachapi Blvd. For more information contact Tim Trujillo at (661) 821-0086.