Art of Guitar, Santa Cruz Luthiers’ Exposition

Santa Cruz Guitar Company guitar
with custom inlay by Larry Robinson
Celebrating SCGC’s 10,000th guitar

Will you help?

Enter an amount of your choice
and click on the button above
to make a fully tax-deductible donation.

The festival enjoys fiscal oversight from the William James Association, a 501(c)3 organization that provides security and accountability. You can be certain your donation will be used to help make the festival a reality.

Participation of the William James Association is especially fitting. Beginnng in 1977, the William James Association pioneered The Prison Arts Project, a program that selects and hires professional artists to teach in California state prison facilities. Guitar construction has been one of its most successful programs.

Luthiers will show off their creativity in other realms, such as this original woodcut from a children's picture book by Fred Carlson, recently published by the Guild of American Luthiers.

WHO ELSE BENEFITS?

The Santa Cruz County Art of Guitar Exhibit & Festival provides local employment for:

Musicians
Sound engineers
Stagehands
Display, exhibit builders
Advertising agencies, PR firms
and media outlets
Printers
Videographers
Insurance companies
Security personnel
Hospitality industry

A portion of sponsored tee-shirt, CD and book sales from the gallery giftshop will be earmarked to benefit local music and art education programs.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help bring the festival to life.

Weissenborn-style guitar
by Tony Graziano

Santa Cruz, California is home to an extraordinary number of luthiers who have achieved recognition in the art of high-end guitar building. To celebrate these accomplished artists, their work will be displayed for six weeks at the R. Blitzer Gallery, located in the old Wrigley Building, on Santa Cruz's westside. Additionally, six weeks of concerts, lectures and other events associated with the exhibit will highlight this distinctive aspect of Santa Cruz's thriving artistic climate.

WHAT IS LUTHERIE?

A luthier (ˈloo-thee-ər) is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments. The word luthier comes from the French word luth, meaning “lute.” The craft of lutherie is divided between stringed instruments that are plucked or strummed, and stringed instruments that are bowed. The first category includes fretted instruments, such as acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins and banjos. The second encompasses fretless instruments from the violin family.

WHY A GUITAR FESTIVAL?

To provide residents and visitors with an opportunity to more fully experience the art and craft of lutherie and to develop a deeper appreciation for a unique facet of Santa Cruz culture that has been heretofore overlooked by the general public.
To raise additional awareness of Santa Cruz via this unique differentiator
To attract guitar enthusiasts—a highly desirable demographic—to Santa Cruz
To bring additional tourism dollars to the city by means of an extensive national publicity campaign.

WHY COME TO SANTA CRUZ?

In addition to offering some of the most beautiful beaches and visitor attractions in the country, Santa Cruz is a mecca for the craft of lutherie and a must-visit destination for anyone with a serious or passing interest in the art of guitars.
The Atlantic magazine recently named Santa Cruz number five on a list of Most Artistic Cities in America.

“Barikoto” by Fred Carlson

Guitars from each builder are shown “in the round,” in protective glass display cases (vitrines) that allow the instruments to be viewed from all angles.
Wall space will include various ephemera from the luthiers: blueprints, tools and “exploded views” of instruments to illustrate the building process.
A city-wide concert series featuring some of the best guitar players on the planet, demonstrating these fine guitars.
A hands-on exhibit and purchase opportunity will be held at the gallery on Sunday, March 15, from 2:00 to 5:00 P.M.
Tee-shirts, CDs, books and related items will be available for sale at the gallery. A portion of these sales will be earmarked to benefit local music and art education programs.
A full-color program book will include the concert schedule, information about luthiers and performers, and provide advertising opportunities for local businesses.

REACHING OUT TO THE WORLD

Jayme Kelly Curtis is spearheading the project. As both a musician and a professional communications consultant, she brings an unusual combination of business savvy, musical knowledge and art appreciation to the project, including 20-plus years of successful PR for some of Silicon Valley's most visible companies.

The Santa Cruz County Art of Guitar Festival is backed by a national public relations campaign designed to raise awareness of Santa Cruz as a unique musical travel destination. Additionally, a comprehensive paid advertising campaign has been designed to further promote this event.

According to a 2009 survey by Lewis, Clark & Boone Research for Acoustic Guitar magazine:

86% of its readers are college educated homeowners
Average annual income is $115,000
93% are male with an average age of 55

According to Guitar Aficionado magazine:

45% of its readers own more than 10 guitars
68% own collections valued at over $10,000
2.6% own collections valued at over $500,000

According to Vintage Guitar magazine, its readers’:

Average age is 53
Average household income is $118,397
Average spending on musical products over the last 12 months was $12,220.77

Clearly, this is a demographic that enjoys travel, fine dining and shopping, and will benefit Santa Cruz on multiple levels.

A few of Ed Claxton's magnificent instruments.
See them up close at the Santa Cruz County Art of Guitar Festival
Opening February 1, 2014

Jayme has assembled a team of local vendors and individuals from varied backgrounds to advise and assist with sponsorships and grant applications. If you would like to offer assistance, express an opinion or suggest fundraising ideas, please contact her at:

(831) 335-8110
or
E-mail: jayme@purrgirl.com

Jayme's professional resumé can be viewed on LinkedIn

Her musical accomplishments are detailed on her Home Page

Santa Cruz County Art of Guitar Exhibit and Festival