It is no secret that Ellen Browning Scripps was a huge proponent of the arts in La Jolla. Not only was she an avid collector and advocate, she placed endowments to fund early forms of what we would call a “collective” today through fully-funded art programs. Few may realize that one such institution was the La Jolla Art Association, which was founded in 1918. Now, after 99 years of existence in the area, the association holds fundraisers to cover their once-endowed program.
On Sept. 23, from 2 to 5 p.m., they will be hosting a fundraiser to help pay their costly rent (roughly $3,000 per month) at their location at 8100 Paseo del Ocaso, Ste. B.
“We were in existence before the Athenaeum,” said Ray Anne Marks, fundraiser chairman. “Up until 1968, we’ve been fortunate enough in the funding of the program from Ms. Scripps, always having a gallery space for the novel price of $1.”
Marks is referencing the fact that, in 1968, the library needed more space and wanted to buy the existing property to build a new library or find another site. The local community wanted to keep the old library at the same centrally-located site. The La Jolla Art Association then agreed to move to the adjacent Parker Building, owned by the Library Association of La Jolla, to enable the public library to stay at the existing site and use the extra room. The La Jolla Art Association’s lease for rooms in the adjacent building specified the same $1 rent and 2005 termination date as the old lease.
In February 2002, Dottie Stanley, President of the La Jolla Art Association, approached the Athenaeum about the impending end of the lease. “We were basically ‘kicked out on the street’,” said Marks. “So about six years ago, we started hosting these fundraisers to solely cover rent at our ‘new’ location.”
The fundraiser, of which art will be available for purchase for as little as $200 per piece, will be open to the public from Sept. 11 to 23. That, in itself, is a fantastic way to buy world-class oil, abstract, photography or other curated works. “The fundraiser works rather differently than most are used to,” said Marks. “Prospective buyers are encouraged to select their favorite 50 pieces out of 65 total, and if they are chosen to purchase a particular piece on their list, they may do so. Participants need not be present for the auction, however, as they can have someone by proxy hold it for them.”
All works being sold are created by La Jolla and San Diego-based artists. For more information on the event, or to bid on artwork, visit www.lajollaartassociation.org. If buyers are not going to be present, they can contact Ray Anne Marks at [email protected].