• WHAT: San Joaquin Delta College
• WHERE: 5151 Pacific Avenue, Stockton
• THINGS YOU’LL FIND: The Warren Atherton Auditorium (concerts and special events), the Tillie Lewis Theater (productions and smaller concerts) and the L.H. Horton Art Gallery (showcasing the work of students and both local and national artists.)
• TO GET THERE: Take I-5 North to the Pershing Avenue exit. Head north. Continue on until you reach March Lane, where you can either go straight and enter the campus on the right or turn right onto March Lane and then left on Pacific Avenue – reaching the campus by the main entrance, located on the left.
• FOR MORE INFO: Call (209) 954-5151 or visit www.deltacollege.edu.
STOCKTON – The sound of a symphony playing some of Broadway’s biggest hits.
A jazz pianist carrying on in the proud local tradition that spawned legendary composer and performer Dave Brubeck.
Thespians showing their chops in productions like “Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are Dead” and Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.”
Sound like something you’d find in San Francisco right?
Wrong. Try San Joaquin Delta College’s Center for the Arts and its robust lineup of events that help provide an extra dose of culture to both Stockton and the surrounding communities – providing a lot-cost alternative to the art galleries and performance spaces in the Bay Area and Sacramento.
But low-cost doesn’t have to mean low quality.
For the last several weeks the L.H. Horton Gallery has been showcasing the work of a variety of artists in conjunction with The San Francisco Foundation and SOMARTS – bringing the art of Bay Area to the Central Valley.
Starting next month the gallery will focus the “The Art of Jazz” – a multi-medium exhibit that will include paintings, ceramics, sculpture, bronze sculptures and prints.
And that’s not even taking into account the stage performances by the Delta College Drama Department. The group is currently gearing up for a rendition of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” – a Tony-winning Broadway musical sure that puts a unique spin on theater performances by inviting four people from the audience to participate in the spelling bee alongside the six actors.
Then there’s the symphony.
Next weekend the Stockton Symphony will host a “Valentine Pops” concert that will showcase three tenors performing popular Broadway hits. Concerts in March and April are scheduled as well, including the “Pops and Picnic” show on April 27 that will feature the music of The Rolling Stones from the production of Satisfaction.
The blend of music and visual arts, in the eyes of resident Christian DeWitt, adds an additional layer to not only Stockton but San Joaquin County as a whole – a chance to provide something that people can enjoy without having to drive to San Francisco or Oakland or Sacramento.
“It’s something that I should take advantage of more often, but knowing that it’s there makes you appreciate that you live somewhere that the arts are alive and well,” he said. “They’re taking it away in schools so it’s good that the kids have something to look at and strive for.”
— JASON CAMPBELL
209 staff reporter
