Dennis Hare: Athlete and Artist

The Loma Linda Cultural Arts Association has announced that local artist Dennis Hare will be the demonstrating artist on Sunday, Sept. 7 in the Senior Center building at the Loma Linda Civic Center. Admission to the 2 p.m. meeting is free; donations are welcome. The Senior Center is at the southeast corner of the city administrative complex located at 25541, Barton Road in Loma Linda. Hare will demonstrate techniques and a philosophy of art that make him a California original. As he says, “Today I believe we live in a society where art has become a slick, saccharine corporate style of ‘beauty’ that is desensitizing American society. I create pieces that are a direct contrast to this style.” True to his conviction, Hare employs “found” materials: they are frequently things he finds in junk yards or dumps—what people generally put in the trash. They are objects that hold “the record of the sun, wind, rain, heat, and cold,” with which he pays homage to the poise and character of the natural aging process. “It brings life to my work,” he says. Local admirers will remember that Mr. Hare began his public career as a competitive beach volleyball professional, almost before there was such a thing. His interest in art arose in the ‘70s, with a venture into watercolors. He authored and illustrated a book on beach volleyball, an experience that heightened his fascination with an avocation that soon became the focus of his life. Working primarily in oils, Hare has produced work that is featured in galleries all over the United States. He is generous with his time, influence and paintings, having donated works to local charities towards their fundraising. Readers can view many images of Hare’s work, both abstract and representational, at his website, www.dennishare.com.