Hats off to ‘Hats On!’ It’s time for a Garden Party
September is coming and there’s no better way to enjoy the weather on a lovely pre-autumn evening than a garden party, especially one that’s a well-deserved celebration of two local arts nonprofits and the two creative and courageous women who started them 20 years ago.
If you love art-making, music, dancing, delicious food, funky headgear and the spacious six-acre setting of ICA San Diego North in Encinitas, you’ll want to circle September 16 on your calendar. And you’ll have a chance to meet the women behind the celebration.
Naomi Nussbaum, founder of Synergy Arts Foundation (SAF), took a circuitous route to the local art scene. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, she left at the height of civil war and went to Capetown to get an MA in education and join protests against apartheid. Eager to move to the U.S., she spent several years teaching high school and waiting for her papers to come through. In 1980, she arrived in San Francisco, took an office job, and then headed south for warmer weather, gradually working her way up in the world of marketing and PR. She finally made it to San Diego, found a position as public art coordinator for the City of Carlsbad and a home in Solana Beach, and became a sought-after arts consultant.
In 2003, after losing an artist friend in the deadly firestorms and seeing others she knew left with homes and studios destroyed, she founded Synergy to provide financial aid to local artists, musicians, performers and writers in times of crisis and give needed support to arts organizations.
Patricia Frischer, an artist and self-styled art activist, was born in the Midwest, educated in the Bay Area, and spent many years in London as a teacher, gallery director, and author of a guidebook for artists on the art of marketing. In 1998, she came to San Diego with her husband and settled into an ocean-view home in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Several years later, seeing a need to connect local artists and art-lovers, she founded San Diego Visual Arts Network (SDVAN), an online directory of artists and events. Then she met Nussbaum, who was happy to share the experience of starting a nonprofit.
“It was kismet,” Frischer said. “Both our organizations are 100% volunteer, we’re both passionate arts lovers, and for the past 20 years we’ve worked closely together like sisters. Together, we’ve poured almost a million dollars into local arts and international art causes that have connections to our region. It’s time to celebrate!”
This promises to be quite a party, and attendees are encouraged to wear their most imaginative hats, participate in a collaborative artwork, watch performances by dancers and street theater players, and try their own moves to the music of a live Latin dance band. Of course there will be plenty of fine food and drink plus a number of artful surprises.
The “Hats On!” Synergy Arts Foundation & San Diego Visual Arts Network 20th Anniversary Party will be held Saturday, Sept. 16, 6-10 p.m. at ICA North, 1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas.
The event is adults only, tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door. Valet parking is $10, and if you want to buy tickets for friends and/or struggling artists, you can get 10 for $475. To buy now, go to https://shorturl.at/ahkAP
But if you’re interested in volunteering to help at the event, admission is free. You can see what is needed and sign up here: https://shorturl.at/gosM8
Want to know more? Contact Naomi Nussbaum nnartd1@gmail.com or Patricia Frischer patricia@sdvisualarts.net
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