Graphic Artist Puts His Own View of Malibu Into City’s Logo

Raymond Singer doesn’t fit the stereotype of the Malibu artist. He doesn’t wear pink cowboy boots, fill giant canvases with abstract agony or hang out with the stars.

No, he is a quiet World War II veteran who generally wears suits and illustrates manuals for the Hughes Research Laboratories. He says he was hoping nobody would find out that his design has been chosen for Malibu’s new logo.

“I’d prefer to remain anonymous,” Singer, 66, said during a recent interview. “I don’t need the publicity. I was just trying to do something nice for the city.”

Singer’s computer drawing was one of 32 entries in a logo contest sponsored by the Malibu Cityhood Celebration Committee. The logo decorates memorabilia and commemorative programs that will be distributed Thursday, when Malibu officially becomes an independent city.

“We wanted something that would be long-lasting, and that told the story of Malibu,” said John Merrick, a longtime resident who helped judge the entries.

Singer’s black-and-white design depicts the jagged coastline of Malibu, with Point Dume in the back. It reminds Merrick of when explorers Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and George Vancouver sailed by.

But for Singer, it’s just the view he enjoys from home. “I was being very prosaic. This is what I see from my deck,” he said. “It was the only way I knew how to do it.”

Fay Singer, also an artist, said her husband is a perfectionist who enjoys writing haiku and strolling on the beach in front of their redwood home. He devoted early morning and lunch hours to perfecting the logo.

“He was very giving,” said Joan House, chairwoman of the cityhood committee. House said she had not heard of Singer until he submitted his design.

Singer is a strong backer of Malibu. With little acclaim, he has donated the signs council members flash to let speakers know how much time they have. He hopes the city’s new independence will preserve what he loves best about Malibu--its small-town feel. “We’re creating something monstrous if we allow ourselves to become another Laguna Beach,” Singer said.

But the soft-spoken artist said he is no Betsy Ross. He did not create Malibu’s new symbol for political reasons. He just wanted to capture a timeless view that he loves. “I always look,” he said. “It helps me sleep at night.”

Dr. Birute Anne Vileisis has been appointed director of grants at Loyola Marymount University.

Vileisis, trained as an art historian, has a broad professional background in teaching, museum management and grants administration. She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of Vermont, studied fine arts in Italy and has a Ph.D. from Princeton University in the history of art.

Samuel Genesky, founder of the Center for the Partially Sighted in Santa Monica and chairman of its executive committee, was presented with the American Foundation for the Blind’s Access Award on Feb. 8 in Washington.

The award recognizes his efforts to help the visually impaired benefit from vision-enhancing devices and techniques for access in the classroom and workplace.

Genesky founded the center in Santa Monica in 1976 and served as its executive director until this year.

Mary Walton has been named director of development and community relations for the CLARE Foundation (Community Living for Alcoholics by Rehabilitation and Education) in Santa Monica.

From 1980 to 1990, Walton served as executive director of Interval House in Orange County, a nationally recognized model program for victims of domestic violence.

She has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh and attended USC. She has been a field instructor at the UCLA Graduate School of Social Welfare and at Cal State Long Beach.

Chester Widom has been named recipient of the 1991 Sheldon W. Andelson Award, presented annually by Alternative Living for the Aging, for his commitment to improve the quality of life for people of all ages.

Widom, founding partner of the Santa Monica-based architectural firm Widom Wein Cohen, has been involved with the ALA since its inception in 1978.