Michael Obermeyer, The Home Stretch, Oil, 10" x 20"
Santa Anita Park and the California Art Club are teaming up to repaint the future of retired racehorses. The iconic racetrack will host an exclusive art exhibit and reception benefitting the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), a non-profit dedicated to providing funding for the rehabilitation, retraining and retirement of California racehorses.
The art exhibit, called The Majesty of The Great Race Place: California Art Club Paints Historic Santa Anita Park, will feature paintings created by artists associated with the historic California Art Club, which depict the grace, heritage and heart of Santa Anita. The exhibit will be on display from September 29 to October 22, 2016, throughout Santa Anita Park.
To create the new works to be showcased in the exhibition, Santa Anita and the California Art Club sponsored a “Plein Air Paint-Out” February 20 and 21, providing artists with exclusive access to all areas of racetrack, so they could document in their artwork the race-day activities of equestrian subjects as well as images of the well-manicured grounds.
A reception and art sale will be held during the entire race day on October 22 in Santa Anita’s elegant Chandelier Room, with 20 percent of the proceeds benefitting CARMA and an additional 20 percent benefitting the educational programs of the California Art Club.
From Seabiscuit to American Pharoah, Santa Anita Park has launched countless racehorses across the finish line and into infamy.
Thoroughbred racehorses are among the world’s top athletes, and have plenty to offer equestrians – even when they retire from racing. Santa Anita Park frequently works with CARMA to transition horses from the racetrack to fulfilling second careers or adoption for retirement.
Tickets to the art reception are on presale for $65 per person until October 10 ($75 thereafter) and include admission to the reception, views of the day’s live races, buffet-style gourmet dining, valet parking, wagering tip sheet and daily racing program. Visitors are also encouraged to stop by Santa Anita any time between September 29 and October 22 to view the exhibition complimentary with any general admission or clubhouse ticket.
Santa Anita Park is located at 285 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia.
For more information on The Majesty of The Great Race Place: California Art Club Paints Historic Santa Anita Park, visit www.santaanita.com.
About Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita is an iconic destination set at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, just minutes from downtown Los Angeles. For more than 80 years, the historic Southern California fixture has set the stage for the most dramatic moments in thoroughbred racing, where legendary racehorses like Seabiscuit and American Pharoah crossed the finish line into infamy. Hot off a recent $40 million renovation, the park will host the 2016 Breeders’ Cup World Championships and features new private luxury suites, spaces and a revitalized Art Deco design. In November 2016, Santa Anita will open its doors to host the 2016 Breeders’ Cup World Championships for the fourth time in five years. With style, sophistication and historic intrigue, Santa Anita offers a premier entertainment venue for spectacular events and modern celebrations imbued with the glamour and elegance of the past.
About California Art Club
The California Art Club, established in 1909 by early California Impressionists or plein air painters, is recognized as one of the oldest, largest and most active leading professional art organizations in the world. A unique aspect of the organization is that it includes among its members nationally renowned artists, art students, hobbyists, art scholars and art enthusiasts, in order to interject different perspectives into the dialogue about traditional arts. The mission of the Club, which is headquartered in Pasadena, is to promote traditional fine art in the fields of painting, drawing and sculpture; to produce and promote art exhibits that foster understanding and interpretation of traditional art heritage and California history; and to furnish educational opportunities in fine arts.