California Murals Website A 'Must' Visit

Excellent Murals Website Goes Live in California

Bill Drennen and his colleagues at CalPAMS [California Public Art and Mural Society] have worked very hard since the outstanding 3rd California Symposium in Bishop last October, and the Society's website is a 'must visit' location.

More than that, if you are a Californian town or city with mural interests or aspirations membership services are a bargain!

Check their website at www.calpams.org


The CalPAMS Profile

The California Public Art and Mural Society already boasts a membership of 26 members and we expect that number to double in the near future. After checking out the web site please read on:

"Dear Mural Enthusiast,

At the 2005 California Mural Symposium in Bishop, California, a new Public Art Organization was unveiled!

The California Public Art & Mural Society, CalPAMS, was introduced as a nonprofit organization formed to foster appreciation and development of public art. The mission of CalPAMS is to serve as a web-based electronic clearinghouse to facilitate and promote public art programs. Using the opportunities presented by the internet, CalPAMS strives to identify and provide access to administrative data, marketing concepts,and professional standards that will serve its membership of artists, and public art communities.

These opportunities include:

* Identification of electronic links for artists, art media experts and community public art programs,
* Library of administrative tools to facilitate organization and funding of quality public art programs,
* Monthly E-Newsletter to provide notice of public announcements, events and "calls for artists,"
* Mural Routes web site to visually identify and link active mural communities and facilitate tourism,
* References for artists to public art communities,
* Sponsorship of Public Art Symposia.

The formation of this organization is the culmination of five years of work by several public art facilitators. The preliminary stage of this effort can be appreciated by strong success of the California Mural Symposium Program, which enjoyed acclaimed events in Lompoc 2001, Lindsay 2003 and Bishop 2005. Now these same facilitators are expanding the program to include all forms of public art and are using features afforded by the internet.

While this organization is in its formative stages, interested parties are encouraged to sign up and play a role in its development.

Be sure to check out the Mural Routes page of the web site as it will provide a visual perspective of each community along with a link to the community's web site. We encourage each community to have a dynamic web site and will provide access to affordable web site design. We are convinced that the opportunity for tourism, as supported by public art, is greatly underutilized and that the Mural Routes page will prove to be a very useful tool in expanding these opportunities.

We are still accepting Founding Memberships from interested parties.

At the Bishop Mural Symposium a deal was struck to have all of the communities subscribing to CalPAMS, by the end of 2005, included in a book that is being written by Kevin Bruce and published by Ten Speed Press. Under the agreement CalPAMS will work with all of the Founder Artists and Founder Communities to get their mural photos together for the book. Needless to say this is a FANTASTIC opportunity for great exposure for your community. If you would like to talk with someone about this organization, please call Bill Drennen [1] 559-647-1352.

Sincerely,

Bill Drennen, Lindsay Mural Society
Gene Stevens, Lompoc Mural Public Arts Coalition
Ray Kinsman, 29 Palms Action Council

Correspondence should be sent to:
Bill Drennen
915-N South Strathmore Ave.
Lindsay, CA, USA 93247


[CalPAMS is a web based clearinghouse established to assist artists, public art communities and public art aficionados in promoting appreciation and awareness of public art in California - GO www.calpams.org]