dA Center marks quarter-century

Staff report


Cake with an artistic twist will be served tonight at the dA Center in downtown Pomona, celebrating 25 years of serving the art community.

To commemorate the milestone, the dA Center will reprise its successful dAzert fundraiser, with pieces of cake served on hand-painted plates.

Located in the center of Pomona Arts Colony, the dA Center for the Arts was established in a vacant dance studio in 1984. The old studio's deteriorated sign, which had only the letters "DA" still on display, gave the center its unique name. The program was developed by a group of artists as a part of an organized push for community arts programs.

"The gallery would be a place that artists at any level would bring work to hang and get feedback and have dialogue with fellow artists and other interested parties," said Chris Toovey, president and co-founder of the dA center.

For the past 25 years the dA Center has housed many exhibits and classes of cultural arts including art shows, poetry readings, drawing, ceramics, film festivals and open mic nights. Most of the exhibits exercise the center's motto of "Art should be accessible to everyone" by keeping several of the displays open to local talent.
"We are celebrating the essence of this place," said Terry Castillo, executive director of the center. "People all ages and different walks of life come here for art."

The dAzert event, from 6-10 p.m., will include cake plates painted by artists of all ages, which will be sold for $20 each. The funds raised by the auction will go to support the nonprofit center. With the help of donations of paint and plates from Dee Cole and David Armstrong and the involvement of many plate painting artists, the fundraiser will help commemorate the dA Center's impact on the Pomona art community.

"We just want people to come have fun and celebrate," said Castillo.