Volunteer Spotlight with: Jill Winspear
Bedford Gallery volunteer, Jill Winspear has a lifelong passion for the arts. With a fine arts degree from UC Berkeley and experience as a former gallery director in Houston, this Bedford Gallery Guild member and DRAA board member spends her time immersed in the arts. An Alamo resident and graduate of Ygnacio Valley High, Winspear's connection to the area runs deep. She currently has a daughter attending school in Walnut Creek. We wanted to ask this arts patron why she thinks the Lesher Center for the Arts and the Bedford Gallery is so special.
What sparked your interest in the arts?
I initially became interested in art at a very early age. I still remember my parents taking me to the Art Institute in Chicago when I was about 5 years old. I have enjoyed studying, viewing and creating art ever since. My husband and I love to travel, and whenever and wherever we go, from Sonoma to Paris, I love to visit the local art museums, galleries, and exhibits.
What sets the Lesher Center for the Arts apart from other art centers?
I believe it is quality; both the Lesher Center and the Bedford Gallery do an admirable job of attracting world class performers, productions, and exhibits, in a venue that is so close to home. Much of what is available to us here now, is of a quality once thought available only in major art communities such as San Francisco, Chicago, or New York. Another big factor is the location itself. The LCA is a wonderful venue, and it is situated in a vibrant, safe, growing community, within walking distance of many other attractions and activities.
What is your typical evening out when visiting the Lesher Center for the Arts?
My husband and I typically enjoy going to one of the great local restaurants, typically Prima or Lark Creek Café, for an early dinner, then stroll over to the LCA to enjoy a production. We always stop in to visit the gallery before the performance. Although I get to see all the shows at the Gallery through my volunteer work there, this gives my husband a chance to view the exhibits he hears me speak so fondly of, and also I get to experience the exhibits from the perspective of a patron rather than as a Guild member.
What has been your favorite art experience at the Lesher Center for the Arts or the Bedford Gallery?
I can think of two. I went on a field trip with my daughter to view a photography exhibit, entitled The Kennedy Years. These photographs were amazing, and sparked in me some of my earliest memories. A more recent exhibit, Leaded was a display of various works all created from graphite. The best part of when I worked in the gallery during this exhibit, was witnessing the dialogue the exhibit stimulated among the patrons, regarding the variety of fine art produced using a single medium.
Why should people visit the Lesher Center for the Arts and the Bedford Gallery?
I believe that the residents of the Diablo Valley have a unique opportunity to experience a variety of fine art mediums close to home. Our curator at the Bedford Gallery, Carrie Lederer, does an incredible job in her efforts to bring a wide variety of art and artists to the local community, art which we might otherwise have to travel to SFO or Oakland to experience. I believe part of what the Gallery does so well is to introduce people to the many facets of visual art, expanding their perception of art beyond traditional paintings or sculpture. The LCA similarly has done extraordinary work, with the variety and quality of performances put together over the last several seasons.
