By Marie-Elena Schembri
This article originally appeared in the Calaveras Enterprise August 2, 2022

The grand opening of the art path featured a guided tour by BMCYF executive director Terra Easton Forgette, which began at the library in front of West Point Elementary, where a new wooden bench perched on stacks of old books marks the beginning of the path. Photo: Marie-Elena Schembri/Calaveras Enterprise

The grand opening of the art path featured a guided tour by BMCYF executive director Terra Easton Forgette, which began at the library in front of West Point Elementary, where a new wooden bench perched on stacks of old books marks the beginning of the path.

Marie-Elena Schembri/Calaveras Enterprise

Crowds made their way down Pine and Main Street in West Point on Sept. 10 for the unveiling of the brand-new West Point Art Path, a public art project sponsored by the West Point-based non-profit, Blue Mountain Coalition for Youth and Families (BMCYF).

As many as 125 townspeople and visitors descended on downtown West Point to see the art and celebrate the opening, according to event organizers.

In a press release, BMCYF executive director Terra Easton Forgette stated, “This community art project celebrates the unique character of our small town with a safe, vibrant path from our school and library to the heart of our community.”

The grand opening of the art path featured a guided tour by Forgette, which began at the library in front of West Point Elementary, where a new wooden bench perched on stacks of old books marks the beginning of the path.

West Point resident Maryann Gravitt created the functional art using books donated by the county library in San Andreas. A laminated sign posted near the bench gave an artist’s statement which read, “This project may look fairly simple. I thought it was when I had the idea, BUT, never has one project given me so many challenges. One after another. It was a huge learning experience challenge.”

Gravitt thanked Ted Toren for donating the cedar planks for the bench, Patrick Waters for “technical assistance,” and John Jeleti “for help with installation.”

Later, Gravitt commented, “This town has community and we’re very diverse, but we all pull together when we need to.”

With volunteers holding up signs that said “slow for art,” the crowd of dozens followed the path across Highway 26 to Pine street, passing by hand-painted puzzle pieces attached to the fencing along the school and a sign sporting a bright red shoe made out of styrofoam and an arrow directing foot traffic down to Main Street.

The sign was created by West Point resident Randy Carlins, and reads, “West Point, Calif. Follow the path to the heart of our community.”

Pathtakers traveled the newly painted crosswalks, which feature blue wavy lines painted by local teenagers and volunteers, toward the BMCYF center on Main Street where a large community mural, designed and led by artist-in-residence Nedra Russ, pops from the side of the bright blue building. At the center, an art piece by Bonita Gill hangs in one of the windows, light catching the feathers and oak leaves that radiate out from a hand-painted heart.

Across Pine street, a mural painted by Delilah Garcia adorns the side of the West Point Market.

On the lawn of Sam Sneed Realty, at the corner of Pine and Main Streets, stands another sculpture created by artist Suzanne Smith, a former art instructor at both Argonaut High School in Jackson and Calaveras High School in San Andreas.

Smith’s piece addresses both the devastation and resilience found in the community after a brush with wildfire. The kinetic sculpture, titled “West Point Strong,” features a rotating wheel made from an old fire truck reel, with paintings between the spokes on both sides. Smith explained how her piece touches on the issue of wildfire while highlighting the themes of “resilience, love, and hope.”

Large rocks that were donated and installed by Steve Rose marked the path, drawing walkers toward the center of town. On them were metal plaques engraved with stanzas of a poem, penned by West Point resident and Calaveras County Poet Laureate Linda Torren.

The opening stanza reads, “Our town is lost/in the mountain reaches/of a lightly populated county,” and is followed by a second, “We don’t belong anywhere/but to ourselves/ a hideaway of artists/and other loners/ taking care of each other.”

The entire poem, titled “At the Confluence,” was on a display in the West Point Community Garden, where the path converged with a pop-up art show, musical performances, and interactive art stations where visitors could paint their own rocks to add to the path or make poems out of words written on stones.

Just outside of the garden, West Point artist Susan Preece’s sculpture was displayed, titled “River and Pines.” The 3D artwork is made from wood, rock, and metal, an abstract representation of the landscape. A plaque attached to the piece reads, “A tribute to the natural wonders of our area, and to the people that make it home.”

Also nearby was Donna Guadagni’s “Indigenous Life” ceramic-based sculpture that features various trees and wildlife suspended from a metal frame.

Locals and visitors gathered at the garden to talk, cool off with refreshments, and listen to music, performed by NJR, Susan Preece, and Brad Hoshaw. Linda Torren also recited her poem for the crowd, saying, “I’m honored to be among so many artists. Our community is amazing.”

Wilseyville resident Sabrina Speroni was at the event, and said, “It’s really great to have a small town community event to happen and for it to happen around art, it’s so beautiful. There’s so much talent here.”

Amidst the performances, Forgette took the mic to give out “Team Magic” awards to Kurt Von Puttkammer and teen Selenya Pfalzgraf for their volunteer service to BMCYF and the community. Pfalzgraf has spent the last two years volunteering at the center’s community dinners, alongside her mother and chef Melissa Pfalzgraf, where as many as 50 freshly cooked meals are served for free twice a week.

Forgette also thanked the community members and artists who worked on the months-long art project. In an emotional speech, Forgette recounted the support the project received with gratitude, saying, “from Facebook to Main Street, people were there cheering us on, and I think that’s who we are, so thank you.”

“It’s just what West Point needed...this gathering of artists who call West Point home was inspiring, heartfelt, and genuine,” said local resident Jared “Zee.”