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Huizar, Maria
<br />From: kathie warren <artiskathie@msn.com>
<br />Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 8:54 PM
<br />To: Huizar, Maria
<br />Subject: Regarding DTI
<br />Dear Maria Huizar,
<br />I'm an artist and an 18 year participant in the artist village, and for 10 years I've had my gallery in the basement of the
<br />Santora Building, the Green Door gallery.
<br />I have observed the changes over the years. Vicky and the team of Downtown Inc. has removed the grey film, the
<br />disintegrating aura, over the redevelopment area. The streets are clean, I don't feel like I'm passing through a dump any
<br />more, or attacked with mounds of paper flyers, or smells of urine. The beautiful buildings almost shine in the day
<br />time. The doors smile with an invitation to enter.
<br />I see friendly alert security. I see police on horses, they give a feeling of safety yet family friendly, I see children who
<br />might otherwise be intimidated by officers go up to the horses and talk to the officers.
<br />Where there was no communication before we the artists are embraced and empowered by DTI. They come to the
<br />artwalk they BUY art, they care. They maintain consistency in organizing the art walk. They oversee the bureaucracy in
<br />holding events, handle permits, reach out to other businesses to generate cross promotion. They promote and facilitate,
<br />making the Santa Ana Art Walk the envy of other cities.
<br />The fruit of their efforts is apparent when people come into my gallery. They come from Laguna, Irvine, Fresno, the bay
<br />area, San Diego, Riverside, New York, Texas and so many other places. Local people come back with visiting relatives
<br />and friends. A daughter brought her artist mother visiting from Greece, who purchased a small painting. Some visiting
<br />from other countries. No they don't all buy art, but they go to the restaurants, they tell others, and come back with more
<br />friends. These people come day time and night time, they feel safe, they park and have a full evening of
<br />activities. Now we need to stimulate the BUYING of art.
<br />The art has been the driving force, and DTI has been the fuel to create this vibrate community. The recent DTI May
<br />mixer was a great example of how the community now comes together. Artists, politicians, 4th street businesses, SAC
<br />event planning students, a racial mix. It was a picture of how DTI has brought everyone together to work together.
<br />There is so much more that they do behind the scenes that makes Santa Ana sparkle, of course there is more work to
<br />do. People that I talk to love coming and moving to Santa Ana because it now feels safe, clean and active. They are
<br />stimulated, and inspired, they don't get that in planned communities like Irvine and it's 3 shades of beige, or even in
<br />beautiful Laguna, where the art doesn't change. Santa Ana is historical, it is organic and the art here reflects that. Walk
<br />3-5 blocks in any directions and you experience a cultural trip without getting on a plane. I sit on the 2nd street
<br />promenade, in a one hour, I will see a woman pushing a stroller, 4 laughing students, a couple of suits with briefcases, a
<br />homeless man with his bags, a couple of nicely dressed women of color chatting up a storm, an artist waring torn paint
<br />dripped, jeans; pushing a dolly of paintings, a workman with broom and trash can; a spaced out skinny kid. Black, white,
<br />Hispanic, Asian. This is not only Santa Ana it is America.
<br />So I I'm digressing into what could have been a Steinbeck novel. The bottom line is that DTI makes a big difference for
<br />ALL.
<br />Thank you,
<br />Kathie Warren
<br />Green Door gallery, b-4
<br />Santora/basement
<br />85A-15
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