Burgers, Beer, Band – and More – Found at McGroarty Arts Center

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Photos by Robin GOLDSWORTHY
State Senator Anthony Portantino stopped by the McGroarty Arts Center for its fundraiser.
The Tyler family, from left Rob, Karen, Ivan and Brett, enjoyed the music and food that was found at Burgers, Beer & Band Night.
Derrick Olson made sure those 21 and older were properly hydrated.
Scott Allen was one of several masters of the grill.
Live music was provided by the band Seize the Night.
A wide variety of desserts – most were donated – made it tough to choose at the fundraiser.


By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

It was a night to celebrate everything that McGroarty Arts Center is to the community – and to remind people of what it takes to keep such an iconic place open to the public.

On Aug. 26 – thankfully before the onset of the La Tuna Fire – the Arts Center hosted its second annual Burgers, Beer & Band Night, a fundraiser to benefit the Center. Hundreds showed up to support the effort, dining on freshly grilled burgers, cold beer and a variety of donated desserts. Live music from Seize the Night kept the crowd on its feet, dancing to covers of popular classic rock numbers.

The site is the former home of John Steven McGroarty, who came to the Southland in 1901. Over the course of his life in the Verdugos, McGroarty was a poet (named poet laureate for the State of California in 1933), playwright and member of the United States Congress.

In 1953, the Dept. of Recreation and Parks purchased the home and surrounding acreage from McGroarty’s niece, to whom the property was left after McGroarty died in 1944. The Arts Center was declared a historical monument on Feb. 4, 1970 and today it hosts a variety of art classes.

For the fundraiser, the Arts Center was open to the public. Open beam ceilings are found throughout the building. Its exterior is made of river rock and redwood and also has a smallish kitchen – remarkable when one considers how many events the Arts Center hosts throughout the year.

Among the classes offered is a popular ceramics class. Each year, many of the estimated 900 bowls from the class are sold at the Arts Center’s chili cook-off. The McGroarty Arts Center also has a ceramics sale that showcases the work of its artists.

It wasn’t just the Arts Center that benefited from the Aug. 26 fundraiser. The Tyler family from La Crescenta was glad to have made their way over to the historic property.

“This is such a perfect spot,” said Karen Tyler.

“And the food was great,” added her husband Rob.

To learn more about the McGroarty Arts Center, visit www.mcgroartyartscenter.org or call (818) 352-5285.

  

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