For Brea Cultural Official, Thinking Up New Exhibits Is an Art

A few years back, Emily Keller wrote a grant paper to the California Arts Council to fund a job position in Brea’s new art gallery and, after it was approved, hired herself.

But that was five years ago. Today, after taking that part-time position in the gallery, Keller, 28, is the city’s community services manager. She is in charge of 12 workers at the cultural arts center who monitor and operate the art gallery, the city’s 62 Art-in-Public-Places sculptures, an audiovisual studio and a performing arts theater.

“I guess it all happened because I’m really inquisitive,” said the Cal State Fullerton graduate, who majored in art.

She decided to be an artist, “but when I came out (of school) to the real world, I said to myself, ‘hmmnn, this isn’t going to work.’ ”

She still has art aspirations, but her current thoughts are geared toward generating new ideas as well as experimental art projects to coincide with other cultural exhibits, such as the Art-in-Public-Places layout, which is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary.

“We’re also holding a nationwide juried art competition to promote Orange County and new working artists,” said Keller, whose mind is already working on theatrical projects for the city and better ways to involve herself.

“Each day I’m becoming less and less attached to programs,” she said, explaining that her role is to motivate others to carry out the programs, leaving her sort of “once-removed” from the action, as she puts it.

“Now I’m going to plays, shows and exhibits to find new ideas,” Keller said, “to involve myself and the community.”

And that, said Ret Wixted, Brea’s community services director and Keller’s supervisor, is what makes Keller tick.

“She has hard drive and lots of initiative,” Wixted said, “and an excellent concept for design. We all tap into her artistic abilities and that makes all of us more creative.”

Keller spends most of her waking hours at the center, part of it renting out vacant facilities in the civic cultural center to such clients as colleges for seminars and extension classes. And to newlyweds for their wedding receptions.

You think new Huntington Beach High School principal Darryl Stucker likes it there?

In a recent principal’s message, he wrote:

“It is so exhilarating to be here at the finest high school campus in the most desirable community on Earth.”

The 35,000 physically handicapped people in Orange County are getting shortchanged, especially in recreation programs, said Gregory Winterbottom, 38, who believes that the private sector, not government, ought to solve the problem.

“For the past 30 years, government has paid for the programs, and now it’s time for the private sector to take it back,” said Winterbottom, who was recently named regional director of the Orange County Easter Seal Society.

And while government is backing away financially, Easter Seal and other helping agencies now face major problems trying to raise funds, he said.

“It’s difficult geting the public used to the idea, and it’s even more difficult to raise funds,” said Winterbottom, a Villa Park resident.

But he had a note of optimism. If the public accepts responsibility for local programs, he said, at least “it will escape the bureaucratic problems of government.”

After being named to a national 1985 Girls’ Tennis Academic All-American Team with her 3.9 grade-point average at La Quinta High School and No. 1 national ranking as a doubles player in her age division, sophomore Deborah A. Graham, 15, of Fountain Valley, said she has two good reasons to keep up her grades and studies:

“I could get hurt as a tennis player and, without a good education, wouldn’t have much of a future.”

“My parents wouldn’t let me play.”

Acknowledgments--Ruth Atwood, Victor McCune and Cynthia Wenz, all of Garden Grove, will have $500 donated to their favorite charity by their employer, Mervyn’s department store, after they and 50 other employees in 10 states were singled out as outstanding community service volunteers.