Sleepy Hollow Artists Showcased in New Chino Hills Art Gallery

Following on the heels of the recent Sleepy Hollow centennial celebration, in which art from neighborhood residents Hillary Miller and Lena Sekine, as well as the late Vic (Joachim) Smith, were shared to show the diversity of the history of Chino Hills' oldest neighborhood, the recognition of the trio continued at the opening this past Wednesday evening of the new art gallery developed by the Chino Hills Community Foundation.

That organization, which does so much great work in raising and distributing funds for all kinds of projects to benefit the city, has a chARTS, or Chino Hills Arts Committee, established a decade ago, which "works to create an enriching environment for culture and the arts . . . through events, workshops and other activities.

In addition to presentations by authors, theatrical productions, art shows and others, including quarterly art installations at the Chino Hills Community Center, the committee and foundation launched the art gallery initiative.  A site was provided at the Shoppes center at the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Peyton Drive, but another and larger one became available.

Some three dozen artists were represented, some professional but most so-called "amateurs" and a few who'd never publicly exhibited their work.  One created some remarkable wood-carved pieces, including a Craftsman-style lamp with stained glass and the oak tree that is the city logo, while others contributed amazing quilts—these are just a couple of examples of the many types of works displayed at the gallery.

Then, there was a corner the featured our Sleepy Hollow artists, including a couple of pieces each by Hillary and Vic/Joachim (sadly, almost all of the works he created were destroyed in a 1990 Carbon Canyon fire that consumed a storage unit where he kept his pieces), as well as Lena's design for the community centennial.

It was certainly great to see the community represented at the opening and in the gallery, which will be opened on Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m., during the Heritage Farmers Market held at the center, and Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m.  Kudos to the Chino Hills Arts Committee and the Chino Hills Community Foundation for putting all the effort, money and time into the gallery and for sharing the work of these Sleepy Hollow artists. 

Sleepy Hollow Artist Exhibits at Chino Hills Community Center

A wall in the Chino Hills Community Center displays a half-dozen paintings by Sleepy Hollow-based artist Hillary Miller and the showing will continue through April.

Since its opening, the Chino Hills Community Center has had displays of artwork from local artists on the walls in the hallway next to the multipurpose room, sponsored by chARTS, a committee of the Chino Hills Community Foundation that has also staged theatrical presentations and musical performances.

Through April, the current exhibit includes the work of three Chino Hills artists, including Hillary Miller, a neighbor here in Sleepy Hollow.  Hillary, who works in oil, pastel, watercolor, and, more recently, silk, and also paints murals and does ceramics, has several beautiful paintings in her exhibit.

A detail of a brightly-colored and highly-expressive still life by Hillary Miller of Sleepy Hollow, titled "Artichokes in the Garden" is a fanciful rendering of a plant from the artist's garden.

While much of her art consists of portraits, still lifes and Judaica, a favorite is the landscape in Carbon Canyon, which is well represented in the display.  The depictions range widely in terms of their emotive characteristics, with some heavily symbolic and more abstract and others more realistic and true-to-life.

This watercolor, called "Misty Canyon" is reflective of the landscape in and around Carbon Canyon.

Hillary began her career as a working artist some thirty-five years ago and she has a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts and a master's in drawing and painting.  This year marks her thirtieth as an exhibitor of her work and she has taught at local colleges as well as at her Sleepy Hollow studio.

For more information, please check out her Web site and blog here.

The chARTS page on the City of Chino Hills Web site can be found here.

And, the Web site of the Chino Hills Community Foundation may be accessed here.

"Carbon Canyon Summer II" is a beautiful pastel with rich colors and strong contrasts, evoking the diverse beauty of Carbon Canyon.

There are other artists in the Carbon Canyon area and a post coming soon will showcase a striking mural by another Sleepy Hollow artist, so look for that in a short while.