Artistic talents on display at Contra Costa Fair

By Roni Gehlke
For the Contra Costa Times

The talent of Oakley residents never ceases to amaze me.

For such a small community, Oakley has its fair share of talented artists, whether they do their work as a profession or as a hobby.

At the recent Contra Costa County Fair, several Oakley residents entered their work, and if you had a chance to check it out, you know what I mean when I say what an excellent job these people did on their entries.

Generally, when you think of the fair, you think of the youth exhibits, and while there were a lot of creative pieces that the youths of our communities put together, the fine art selection this year also held some true treasures from the adult population. The art included everything from paintings and photography to quilts and ironwork.

The fair's "Director's Award" went to Oakley's Donna Baker for a quilt that she made with a scene that easily could have been a photo of the Antioch-Oakley Regional Shoreline. Another piece included an intricate drawing of a woman on a checkered balcony that won an honorable mention from Oakley's Deela Hubburt.

"I really enjoyed entering my work in the show," Hubburt said.

Hubburt's work usually includes paintings of annual flowers, pictures of roses, oils and pastels. One of the pictures she entered was of her grandmother's front yard.

She began taking her art seriously about 10 years ago, and now is an art teacher at the school at Cornerstone Church in Antioch. She teaches using pencil, oil and pastels.

One of the first-place winners was a painting by Oakley's Betty Espindola. The picture included a young boy sitting on hay surrounded by pumpkins.

Several other Oakley artists of note were Rose Sexton, Joe Garcia, William Geltz, Nobuko Shiles and Norma Halley. There may have been dozens of others that I missed because there were quite a few entries this year.

It was nice to see some old friends' paintings there as well, including one by Oakley artist Nancy Roberts. She entered a small carnival painting in the Plein Air division, and came home with a third prize. Roberts also is a local art instructor.

As Oakley grows, it may be time to start thinking about forming the city's own art association and building a little gallery in town. Over the years, several members of the community have offered spots to exhibit local talent, but nothing has been sported in a few years.

Obviously, the talent is out there; now there just needs to be a location.

Looking for something to do this weekend? The Friends of Oakley are holding an event Saturday to help the Oakley Police Department.

"Fun in the Sun" will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at O'Hara Park on the corner of O'Hara Avenue and Cypress Road. The event will feature a car show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., lunch from noon to 1 p.m., and games and prizes from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for adults, or two for $25; and $8 for children, or two for $15. They are available at Mike's Beef and Brew in the Raley's shopping center, downtown's Kit and Caboodle Hobby Shop or by calling 925-625-5745.

All funds are tax-deductible and will go to building an auxiliary vehicle coverage structure with an animal detention area for the police department. For more details, check out http://friendsofoakley.webs.com/.

Contact Oakley resident Roni Gehlke at festfan@comcast.net.