Ed Penniman: My SCAL Memory

My Early Art Experiences before the Santa Cruz Art League.

These are some of my earliest art memories.

I first remember taking art classes at Calvary Episcopal Church in their Sunday school room when I was eight. This was before the Santa Cruz Art League had a building on Broadway in 1954. Cor deGaver taught the class. I vividly remember drawing squares, spheres, and cones with a charcoal stick. These lessons taught me perspective and shading, allowing me to create the illusion of volume and space.

My grandmother, Leonora Penniman, who showed work at the deYoung, Crocker and the Legion of Honor, began working with me on my art when I was about five. During this time, my elder brother was diagnosed with polio, and admitted to Children's Hospital in San Francisco. This meant my parents spent much time visiting and emotionally supporting him. As a result, I spent considerable time at both my paternal and maternal grandparents' homes. The English side of my family taught me about art and music, while the Italian side instilled the values of hard work and achievement.

While some children never developed any symptoms of having polio, others became partially or completely paralyzed. Afterward, some never recovered their lost muscle function. For those who became so weak they could no longer breathe on their own, iron lungs gave them their breath at the cost of living inside the machine from the neck down. For others, even an iron lung's breathing assistance could not overcome the effects of respiratory muscle paralysis. During the late 1940s to the early 1950s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that polio paralyzed around 35,000 people each year. How strange is it that later I contracted a rare French Polio, Guillaine-Barre Syndrome? I am literally one in a million! My elder brother recovered completely and became a star athlete at Cabrillo College as a football running back, establishing records for most yardage gained.

One of my earliest and fondest art memories is sitting in my grandmother Penniman's garden, surrounded by tiger lilies, with a fresh pan of watercolors, a good brush, and paper, painting flowers. My grandmother provided cookies and encouragement, creating a nurturing environment for my budding interest in art.

The Last Supper Sculpture at the Santa Cruz Art League

The Santa Cruz Art League was home to The Last Supper sculpture. This artwork featured Jesus and the twelve apostles created from life-size wax figures, complete with costumes and a painted background. The table was set with food, plates, and glasses, and a bag of coins spilled in front of Judas. This sculpture was a major attraction for tourists and served as a fundraiser that helped sustain the Art League. There was even a sign on Ocean Street pointing up Broadway that read "Home of The Last Supper."

Despite its popularity, the Art League struggled with the perception that it was primarily focused on religious iconography, which led some to dismiss it as a serious art organization. When I was president, I found a new home for the sculpture by contacting the Santa Cruz Memorial Park and Funeral Home. They purchased The Last Supper and continue now to display it to the public at Easter time. The gallery setup there closely resembles the original display at the Art League. This move under my leadership freed the theater for other educational and entertainment usage.

The sculpture, a true piece of Santa Cruz history, was completed in the late 1930s by Katherine Strubergh and her daughter, a mother-daughter artist team from Los Angeles. The artists used live models to create molds for the figures' hands and faces, and the strands of hair were inserted directly into the wax using a specialized tool, a task that took eight months to complete. The Last Supper was commissioned by Harry Liston, a well-known showman of his time, who transported the exhibit around California on the back of his flatbed truck, showcasing it at county fairs, carnivals, and resorts for an admission fee.

Despite the damage sustained during its traveling exhibitions, The Last Supper endured and eventually became the responsibility of the Santa Cruz Art League until 1990, when Santa Cruz Memorial took over its care. By then, the sculpture was fifty years old and required significant repairs. Joan Krassow, RIP, played a crucial role in the restoration, meticulously repairing the bodies, reinserting falling hair, and reclothing the figures in their original colors. I always found it amusing that all the fellows in the group were white Anglo-Saxons with blond hair, while Judas was a dark-haired, bearded, swarthy fellow. While Joan made the clothing for the figures, I had her make me a garnet-colored robe, rope tie, and head covering, which I still have -my apostle outfit.

The Evolution of Art in Santa Cruz

Art in Santa Cruz experienced significant growth when local painter, Frank Heath returned from San Francisco, where he attended the Hopkins Art Institute (California School of Design). After traveling and painting on the East Coast and throughout the U.S., and teaching at Hopkins for several years, Heath returned to Santa Cruz and opened a studio in his family home on Beach Hill. Along with his student Margaret Rogers, he organized the Santa Cruz Art League, which evolved from an earlier group he formed called the Jolly Daubers. The League was formally established in October 1919, with Heath as president, and Margaret Rogers as vice president.

The Art League displayed its work and held meetings in the Santa Cruz Museum, then housed in the former William Tyrrell home in Seabright. Margaret Rogers, who served as curator and caretaker, lived in the house despite owning two rental properties on Plum Street. After the Tyrrell home was demolished and (the present Museum of Natural History building) was constructed for library purposes, she purchased a small house at the corner of Alhambra and lived there. Rogers amassed a fabulous collection of paintings by artists who visited Santa Cruz for the annual Statewide Art Shows sponsored by the local league. She often traded her paintings for those of visiting artists, focusing on smaller works due to the size of her home. Margaret Rogers, with my grandmother, was instrumental in starting the Annual Statewide Art Show in 1926, which attracted artists from across California. She worked closely with Leonora Naylor Penniman and Cor de Gavere, known as "The Santa Cruz Three," to establish a vibrant artistic community.

After Frank Heath died in 1921, his wife Lillian continued to paint and work towards establishing the league's gallery. Lillian Heath lived a formal life and contributed significantly to the local art scene. Now the California Statewide in its 93rd year; I have been honored by the Art League to serve as Guest Curator for the past twenty-plus years and have selected highly recognized museum directors, Curators, Scholars, and painters to serve as jurors.