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LJR ARTS ACADEMY: USING ART TO MENTOR AND ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY OF SAN BERNARDINO

Photo credit: Esther J. Lee

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Photo credit: Esther J. Lee

Using the arts to uplift, heal, and empower the community is the mission of LJR Arts Academy, which takes its name from the woman who single handedly runs it– Lynnzora J. Rogers. A compassionate, talented teacher and mentor dedicated to helping at risk youth of San Bernardino County, Ms. Rogers has great aspirations for providing essential art programs to the county.

I had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Rogers at PALS Center about LJR Arts Academy, its beginnings and bright future. Towards the end of our visit she introduced me to Mr. Radden, the CEO of PAL Center, who spoke to me briefly about the collaboration between the school and the burgeoning arts organization.

 

 

Esther: What was the inspiration behind this program? How did you get started?

 

Lynnzora: I started in 2004 when I was a Cal State San Bernardino student. I was very involved there with the student union program board and my sorority. I thought about doing a talent show and having the two organizations that I was a part of collaborate together. So as a liaison between the two groups, we pulled off a huge talent show. It was a perfect collaboration because the sororities were the networkers who brought in the crowd, and the program board had the money to fund it. A professor of mine who I asked to be a judge for the talent show saw me perform (dance), and she knew about my work as a substitute teacher, so she approached me about working for the Home and Neighborly Service; they were looking for a dance teacher at the time.

 

Esther: What is the Home and Neighborly Service?

 

Lynnzora: They are a community service that had a grant at the time to provide health related activity- in this instance dance- to the community. They only had two students, and I took the time to develop a curriculum and promote it on my own. Eventually the two students became fifteen, thirty, sixty– in about a month. It grew so rapidly. We started with hip hop dance, and it just was a hit. Afterwards the kids were so enthused and ready for the next thing, so we decided to perform for the public. The day of the performance it was raining, but it was still packed, and the radio station came down as well. I just don’t believe in doing anything at the minimum. I believe in putting everything you can into what you do. After six months the program ran out of grant money, but at that time they were hooked, and they were calling me about pursuing other opportunities.

 

Esther: So, much like you did with the talent show that you coordinated for the University, you were able to popularize this community program and bring a lot of people together.

 

Lynnzora: Yes, and the thing that changed it from just a job to the idea that “this is something that I’m meant to do” came after a specific incident. I released the kids and locked up the facility after class, and probably about 15 minutes later, I saw one of my students on the side of the road with their family. It was a family of four kids, and they were in their van with their mom just sitting there. I checked up on them and their mom proceeded to break down and explain their situation, which was that their father had recently left them and that they were homeless. I was confused, because they had just come earlier to class where the kids were smiling and having a good time dancing. I was concerned that the mother perhaps didn’t have resources, so I offered her numbers to call and places to go, but she explained to me that “the kids had everything taken away from them that mattered,” and that there was a lot of things they couldn’t do anymore. This program was the one thing that was free, that they enjoyed, and that they could do. She couldn’t take that away from them too.

 

Esther: That is powerful- that the dance class could provide the children with that kind of support. So this experience solidified for you the importance of the arts.

 

Lynnzora: It was one of those moments that you feel needed and you see what it does, (the arts). The kids going through all this- they are hungry and they are homeless, they come to my classes and it gets them through. That is why I started looking at the arts as something bigger than dance, or the act of doing, and as something therapeutic. A lot of my kids are in the center of drama in the community. A few of my students had to deal with their brother getting shot and killed in front of them, and their mother had the same attitude– I have to keep them doing something and involved.I have seen the arts get a lot of my kids through things. I’ve had students write monologues about their experiences, and present them, and it’s healing.

 

Esther: So you realized that you were meant to do this, and you saw how it made a difference. From being a teacher at the Home and Neighborly Service, when and how did LJR form?

 

Lynnzora: We started to do a lot of activities at that community center and I began getting many requests about starting a non-profit. The community center was doing their own thing and going through a change of management so my program was really standing alone. Eventually in 2008 the board of directors gave me their support to continue to do my work which was engaging the community on an integral level. So, that’s when LJR Arts Academy began.

 

Esther: What challenges have you been met with, either in the past or currently?

 

Lynnzora: Around 2010 when we became an official non profit, the executive director of the board who actually recruited me, she passed, and with that we underwent a lot of changes. A lot of programs were cut. We became homeless. The nonprofit didn’t have a place anymore. Around that time we started looking into a larger capacity building so we could become a stronger organization- I knew the arts side but I needed to know the business side. I started at the Aspire Academy and that’s when I met Linda Peterson, who is with St. John’s Episcopal Church. She immediately offered LJR Arts a home at the church, so since 2010 we have had our base there and we offer classes to that community now.

 

Esther: So LJR is currently mobile.

 

Lynnzora: We have been mobile, and in the past at different locations. St. John’s is our primary location currently, but we have had other locations as well. These are all places that have other purposes, like community centers. One of our goals, in the future, is to have a home base that we can call our own. The availability of a long-term space has been an issue. If a location has another event going on, then we can’t hold class. Having a regular reliable and stable environment for our students is crucial, and we have lost students because of that.

 

Esther: How does The PAL Center fit in with this?

 

Lynnzora: The PAL Center is a charter school, with teens from different backgrounds and stories. They are at risk youth, so this is huge for us! We are reaching the target population. It is the first time we are operating on campus and during the school hours with students getting elective credits. Working with the PAL Center is a huge stepping stone, and, like I mentioned, it is especially exciting for me because the goal was always to reach out to at risk youth- especially teens. So I feel that this was meant to be.

 

Esther: So this is a good segway into talking more about LJR Arts Academy’s biggest goals. What are your goals and how do you hope to achieve some of them?

 

Lynnzora: What I really want for LJR, at the PAL Center, is to bring in more resources in. The PAL Center is great because they recognize the importance of the arts, and it’s really cool because a lot of schools don’t- they are getting rid of the arts. My goal is to build an arts program, through LJR, on this campus. We have to start with the facility. We want to get a modular building that we can use for just the arts program. I would love to have one side to be a studio for our film class, and the other, an area for our dance class. Right now we share a space with another class in this multi-purpose space, and the students really need their own place. Teenagers are at an age when they are vulnerable and self-conscious. They need a safe environment, a safe haven, where they can express themselves without fear or judgement. I want to do it right. I want to make a difference. I want this to be the best, because the city needs it. These are the students that need it the most.

 

Esther: The funding is coming from the school?

 

Lynnzora: I have gotten grants for the PAL Center- the city of San Bernardino block grant- Southern California Edison, Wells Fargo- those are our current supporters. St. John’s Episcopal Church is of course also a big supporter.

 

Esther: Is there a way people can get involved?

 

Lynnzora: We can use donations from the community, our goal for the modular building is $50,000 for the PAL Center. If someone who has access to a big modular building can donate one- that would be amazing. Or, we need a location to call our own, and it’s sad because San Bernardino has so many abandoned buildings that are just not being used. If we had a permanent space, we would be able to have a really strong base for our classes, and students would be able to take root and grow. We could also use more support from the city. The Block Grant was a good start.

 

After my conversation with Ms. Rogers, I spoke with Mr. Radden, CEO of PAL Center. He provided insight into the larger picture for LJR Arts and its new base at the school campus. It is his great hope that the work Ms. Rogers does will be nurtured and grown into a successful model which can be implemented into other arts deprived San Bernardino schools.

 

Esther: What is the PAL Center?

 

Mr. Radden: The PAL Center has been around since 1984 as an institution. This location has been here since 2000. We have two programs operating– Workforce Investment Act, which provides 18-21 year olds with skills and job placements, and a Charter High School. The PAL Center is about challenging minds and changing lives, and there’s a long history of that in the community. We will continue to reach out to the community and other organizations to help us continue that legacy.

 

Esther: How did you become in contact with LJR Arts Academy?

 

Mr. Radden: I met Lynnzora, Ms. Rogers, through another organization that we are mutually involved in, and I saw that she was very talented and had some things that we could use at our school. I invited her to come work here and share her talents with our students, so that is how it all started.

 

Esther: What do you hope that students would take away from LJR Arts?

 

Mr. Radden: I hope students will take away a newfound appreciation for the arts, and understand how important it is to have arts in our society and culture. I think that Ms. Rogers is able to bring that to our students so that when they go out there they will have that understanding.

 

Esther: What are the goals you see for LJR Arts in terms of incorporating it into the PAL Center?

 

Mr. Radden: We’re looking down the road and we are hoping that the combination of what we have here, and what she is doing, grows to the point where we need to expand this whole project. Either to create a bigger facility, or provide an off site facility for our students– to offer them the full range of what LJR Arts can offer.

 

Esther: How can the community get involved?

 

Mr. Radden: When we have fundraisers- if the community can help through those mean to spread awareness and donate what they can. It’s important that we connect the dots between PAL, LJR Arts, and the parents. That would be the key thing.

 

Esther: It seems there are few non-profit organizations in the county that operate with the same mission as LJR Arts, which has a focus on at risk youth, or the youth in general.

 

Mr. Radden: There has been a lot of funding cut throughout the Inland Empire, all arts, schools, and after school programs. I think we miss and have gotten away from understanding how important the arts are to students and growth. That is why it’s important to have a program like LJR Arts where really there are none right now. The program is helping us change the culture for our campus.

 

Esther: Since she is the sole person behind this program and project, it would seem that down the road, if she can expand to other schools and other neighborhoods- that would be ideal.

 

Mr. Radden: I think that would be the key, to get herself set up here to the point where we can create a modular that we can drop into other schools and be able to say “Hey, this worked at the PAL Center, let’s try it out here.” I’m in support of that. We need different types of support, grants, and funding, so that her program is not just nestled here in Muscoy, it needs to be nestled all over San Bernardino.

 

 

 

For more Information about LJR Arts Academy and PAL Center check out:

 

http://www.ljrartsacademy.org/

 

https://www.facebook.com/LJRArtsAcademySanBernardino

 

http://www.palcenter.org/

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WHEN IS AN ART GALLERY A WORK OF ART? WHEN IT’S THE “GLASS OUTHOUSE”

Laurel Seidel, owner of the Glass Outhouse, is a witty, humble woman with a wicked and sometimes self-deprecating sense of humor. Her handyman, friend, and fellow artist Frank Mezget is more than half the reason the gallery is what it is today.

All of this is important to know when considering the Glass Outhouse. The three-room gallery that started as a rabbit hutch in one of Seidel’s past incarnations has become a gallery where people line up to show, and art lovers are willing to travel to. The gallery, located at the east end of 29 Palms, is in a neighborhood known as Wonder Valley. Wonder Valley is approximately 147 square miles with a population of 433. The area, known for its abandoned homesteads and its proximity to the 29 Palms Marine Base is vast, stark, and oddly beautiful. It is the perfect place for a gallery that defies all gallery traditions.

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“It’s halfway to falling off the earth,” says Seidel. “I wanted a place that would make people feel comfortable. I didn’t want anything snobby. I wanted this to be a gallery that people come to and feel joy. I want them to stand around and talk. I want them to walk around the sculpture gallery and relax.”

The gallery that has recently grown to three rooms has shown a long list of local artists. Seidel never screens her artists or their work. She asks them if they want to show and when they say, “Yes,” she puts them on the schedule. The gallery doesn’t take a commission. The artists are responsible for all of their advertising and the opening reception.

Seidel isn’t in the business for the money. She loves art, and artists, and wants both around her. She explains to visitors that this is the best way to have a constant changing show and a monthly party.

Before the gallery was even a thought, Seidel, who was then married to her second husband, found herself moving to the high desert from San Jose. She and her husband had planned to travel around the country selling collectibles at local swap meets. One day her husband traded a shotgun for two goats, and their home became a working farm that evolved into a Rabbit Hutch. The bigger of the two wood shacks was the rabbit pen, and the shack that is now the gallery was the nursery. After six years, unavoidable setbacks, and the demise of her marriage, Seidel found herself alone and working a number of different jobs. When things got tough, she turned to making arts and crafts. Through the encouragement of her niece and an unexpected suggestion from her mother to sell her paintings, she began to exhibit at art fairs and arts and crafts shows. Her work, painting with acrylic on rocks, shells, saw blades, wood – anything she could find, sold very well.

When her health declined, and she could no longer continue painting or working, she met a 6 foot tall cowboy with “a voice that came from the bottom of his feet.” She rented him the trailer on her property and with the extra money hired a local handyman to build her gallery. Her initial impulse was to put her work on the walls, but her handyman exhibited his work at the first exhibit. 125 people showed up. As they came in Seidel would ask them if they wanted to do a show. When they said yes, she had them sign up immediately.

At first, the public never believed she would open the gallery and then they didn’t believe she would stay in business. Five years later, the gallery is booked three years in advance and is drawing visitors from across the country and around the world. Its reputation is all word of mouth.

The name of the gallery and the glass outhouse that stands on the property came from the need for a bathroom and glass doors that had been left unclaimed. “We need a bathroom, Seidel told one of the handymen, “can you do anything with these glass doors?” The Glass Outhouse got everything it needed.

Whether sitting in the outhouse looking out toward the mountains or walking around the property it becomes quite clear that the area is something special, and people are drawn to it.

After some time, Mezget, who came to 29 Palms from the mid-west, rented the trailer and took on the position of handyman. It was Mezget who suggested they make a trail around the property.

The trail started as a pathway from the gallery to the cement pond, that Seidel says, is the “exotic fish” pond. “Some (of the fish) come from Italy, China, Taiwan.” She says this with a slight grin as her bright eyes explore the person she’s talking to for a reaction. It takes a trip to the pond to discover that there is no water, and the fish are ceramic, aluminum, plastic and other assorted materials. The fish are fanciful bits of yard sale collectibles, the same as all the other items in the sculpture garden. These items include gym equipment with skeletons exercising, a wooden Tiki, a well-planned maze of colored glass bottles, and a row of bicycles at the entrance. Everything is deliberately placed along the stone edged path that now covers an extensive part of the two acre property. In addition, there are metal sculptures from other artists, a Zen garden and the chapel which Mezget recently built.

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As I sat and talked to Frank and Laurel in the gallery one afternoon, they both expressed the ease they share with each other. They both said they have no trouble coming up with ideas and making them happen. (Like the chapel that now sits on the property a short distance from the gallery.)

“I wasn’t thinking of a thing and all of a sudden… I turned to Frank and said we have to build a church.” says Laurel. Frank nods in agreement but admits he’s a bit confused at the moment.

In the gallery are several glass sculpture stands that Frank made from found glass. The piece Frank is struggling with will be a “glass piece”. At the moment, neither Laurel nor Frank have any idea what it will look like. They only know it will be made out of rescued glass, and when they get “a whole bunch of it,” they will set it out and see what happens.

I walk around the gallery as the sun is setting. The maze of bottles are catching the last of the light and the beautiful wood Chapel with stained glass windows beacons anyone to stop and spend a quiet moment. The sign on the door reads – open 24/7. The “Church,” as Laurel calls it, has its own parking lot separate from the gallery, and the door is always unlocked.

It’s all a work of art – the gallery, the artists that show there, the quirky vignettes of found objects and the Church/Chapel without locks. People who come here keep coming back. The shows are getting bigger, and this is good for the artists.

The sculpture garden…well, who knows what or who will show up next…

The Glass Outhouse is located at 77575 Twenty Nine Palms Highway, 29 Palms, CA. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 1:00 – 5:00. There is a new show every month and a reception the first Saturday of the month.