History
Community
On February 1st, 1966, the Roseville Community Projects Incorporated (now Blue Line Arts) held its first outreach exhibit in an old Bank of America building in Downtown Roseville, directed by David Fiddyment, the first Board President. With the help of devoted board members, volunteers, and donors, the organization has grown over the years, still holding true to its original intent: to support the arts.Creativity
The Roseville Community Projects Incorporated bought the Haman House in 1974 to house the Roseville Arts Center. For the next 30 years, this center created exhibitions supporting visual and performing arts in the community. With the dramatic growth in Placer County at the turn of this new century, the Blue Line Arts board of directors recognized a need for change in order to successfully continue its mission. In 2003, the Board of Directors decided that the art center needed its own home in order to grow.Growth
In February 2008, after selling its former facility and completing a successful capital campaign, the newly-dubbed Roseville Arts opened its new, state-of-the-art gallery, known now as Blue Line Arts. This new 5,000 square-foot facility allowed for exhibition space for established and emerging artists, as well as an education space for children and adults. The organization underwent yet another name change in February of 2013 to coincide with the 5 year anniversary of the creation of the new gallery; changing from “Blue Line Gallery” to “Blue Line Arts,” this change is not only to provide more opportunities to residents of Placer County, but it is also an effort to return to the original mission of the Roseville Arts Center.Since its inception in 1966, Blue Line Arts has been a driving force in enriching the cultural fabric of Placer County and beyond. By passionately celebrating artists and engaging art enthusiasts, Blue Line Arts fosters powerful collaborations among art supporters. This dedication significantly impacts the future of arts education, empowering individuals to enhance their lives with the transformative beauty of art.
Who we are
We embrace the transformative power of the arts to forge a vibrant community of artists and art enthusiasts, empowering design and arts education throughout Placer County and the Greater Sacramento Region. Together, we create art that inspires and connects us all.
Meet the Board of Directors
Narinder Sufi
Board Member - City of Roseville Parks, Rec & Libraries
City of Roseville Parks, Rec & Libraries
... Sharon Buckenmeyer
Board Member - Taylor Builders
Susan Ramirez
Board President - Summit Funding, Inc.
Susan is the Director of Finance at Summit Funding, Inc. Susan has a Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. Susan started her career at Deloitte & Touche, LLP in Los Angeles focusing in the banking and financial services industry. She moved to Philadelphia and joined the corporate accounting group serving in various roles at Cigna Corp until her moved to Sacramento, CA. She is a CPA and obtained an MBA from UC Davis. As a board member for Blue Line Arts, Susan sees an opportunity to contribute to the cultural spirit of the region.
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Sheree Meyer
Secretary- Sacramento State
Dean of College of Arts & Letters Sacramento State
Sheree Meyer has been a member of the Sacramento State Hornet family since 1991—as a Professor of Renaissance Literature, Chair of the English Department, and Dean of Undergraduate Studies. Now, as Dean of the College of Arts & Letters, she is dedicated to advocating on behalf of higher education, the Humanities, and the Arts. The College of Arts & Letters plays an essential role in educating both artists and audiences. She sees her role as a board member for Blue Line Arts as a critical piece of contributing to the cultural vibrancy of the Sacramento region through collaboration and partnerships.
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Jennifer Lugris Packer
Board Member - Artist
Jennifer Lugris (Packer) is a Sacramento-based artist. She received her MFA from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her paintings have been exhibited and published internationally, and have won several awards. Solo exhibitions include Verge Center for the Arts, Richmond Art Center, Merced College, and Maturango Museum, among others. She is a full-time faculty member of the Sierra College Art Department. She joined the Board of Directors to build relationships among the college, Blue Line Arts, and the community at large.
...Meet the Team
Fenn Bruns
Gallery Coordinator
Fenn Bruns (they/them) is an artist, educator, and community organizer from Folsom, CA. They are excited to be part of the team at Blue Line Arts, serving as Gallery Coordinator. After receiving their BFA in Art and Design and minor in Queer Studies from Cal Poly SLO, Fenn has returned to the Sacramento Valley region to build up their arts experience while pursuing an MFA in Art Practice.
Fenn has been honored as the awardee of the Kodak Professional Photographer scholarship at Cal Poly SLO, in addition to being recognized for Outstanding Contribution to DEI Work and with the Art for Social Change award from Cal Poly Arts. Graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2024, their experience in academia and research drives their passion for promoting equity and cultural competence through arts education.
They have served as a community consultant for their academic and lived experiences around issues of queer identity, research in intersectional feminism and queer studies, and interdisciplinary studies intertwining art and LGBTQ+ history. Fenn served as a panelist for Cal Poly’s Open House on behalf of the Art and Design department, introducing incoming freshmen to the program and providing critical insight into strategic minoring in liberal arts. They also were asked to speak at the HJ Miossi Art Gallery at Cuesta College, where they spoke to the intersections of mass media and queer identity as it related to Cobi Moules’ Exhibition, Showering of Sparkling Bits.
Fenn is a former EXL Art Teacher at Pony Express Elementary where they introduced a comprehensive art studio curriculum to a Title One school that previously lacked the capacity to provide such a program. Their dedication to their local arts community influences the work they make, working largely collaboratively and in alternative arts spaces such as DEMO Art and Books and Prism Art Space, both in Midtown, Sacramento. Their photographic work is currently on display at Timeless Thrills Gallery in East Sacramento.
Fenn’s work has been regionally and nationally recognized, being awarded as one of the top three artists in SPE’s New Wave Exhibition, honored by juror Nelson Chan. Additionally, their work as a photographer for Mustang News was awarded 3rd place for Best Feature Photograph at the California College Media Awards.
As an artist, Fenn understands the intricacies of working in and around the gallery space and is dedicated to providing attentive care to all who walk in our doors, sharing their passion for art as a tool of connection and healing in our communities and abroad.
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Nico Rodriguez
Public Art Coordinator
Nico Rodriguez is proud to join Blue Line Arts as the organization’s first Public Art Coordinator.
Raised in Illinois, Nico began his professional career in Chicago where he worked primarily in
fundraising for nonprofit arts and culture organizations, including the Museum of Contemporary,
The Joffrey Ballet, and the Chicago International Film Festival. As a former competitive dancer,
his professional and community work also included working with small- to mid-sized dance
companies and he co-founded The Joffrey Ballet Auxiliary Board. Additionally, Nico spent time
as a full-time dance instructor and ran a competitive dance studio for several years in his
hometown of Sterling, IL.
Following many years in Chicago, Nico relocated to New York to serve as Director of
Membership and Individual Giving at the James Beard Foundation; a delicious endeavor. His
foray into New York’s theater and public art scene came with his work on the Lorraine
Hansberry Initiative where he co-produced the tour of a figurative sculpture of Lorraine
Hansberry nationally and helped to establish a multi-year, five-figure fellowship for female
theater writers of color. After the successful completion of the project, Nico relocated to the
Sacramento, CA area to be near family and explore new arts opportunities.
Nico is proud to serve on the board of directors for Springboard Danse (New York/Pittsburgh),
as advisor to numerous dance and theater artists and organizations, and volunteer with the
Latino Center of Art and Culture (Sacramento). He is dedicated to connecting the general public
to the arts, elevating underrepresented voices in the arts, and finding platforms for artists of all
disciplines to practice, perform, and be presented.
MaryTess Mayall
Executive Director
MaryTess Mayall, the Executive Director of Blue Line Arts, was born and raised in Roseville, California. Her appreciation for the arts started early while living in the south of France during her formative years. She attended Oakmont High School, Sierra College, and continued to pursue her artistic journey at Fresno State, where she majored in Art and minored in French.
As a strong supporter of arts in the area, MaryTess has been active in the Arts Council of Placer County, the Auburn Art Walk and The Placer Artists Studios Tour. In the past, she has also served as the Chair for the Placer Artists League, a valuable network for local and emerging artists. She currently serves as Vice President for the Downtown Roseville Merchants and as a board member for the Downtown Roseville Partnership (PBID), focusing on projects that support a vibrant arts and culture scene.
Joining Blue Line Arts in 2016, MaryTess brought with her a strong passion for providing art education opportunities and supporting artists in building their careers. After serving as the Co-Director for 5 years, she is honored to lead Blue Line Arts as the Executive Director. MaryTess has made an impact by fostering initiatives such as the Tour Talk Create field trip program for K-12 students and the Susan Cooley Gilliom Artist in Residence & Teaching program (SCG ART) to nurture artistic growth and development. Her favorite aspect of the job lies in curating exhibitions, as they offer an ever changing platform to showcase truly unique and exciting works to the community.
Beyond her work at the gallery, MaryTess loves nature walks around the Folsom Lake area with her high school sweetheart, Mike and their two dogs, Zuzu and Fumanchu. She also enjoys reading, gardening and immersing herself in art projects within her cluttered studio.
MaryTess remains dedicated to providing opportunities for artists of all ages to learn, grow, and thrive, while simultaneously enriching the community with captivating art experiences. And she is always looking forward to meeting and engaging with fellow art enthusiasts!
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Adriana Griffin
Programs & Operations Manager
Adriana Griffin joined Blue Line Arts in January of 2023. As the new Programs Coordinator, Adriana facilitates much needed Tour Talk Create field trip experiences for local students, bringing art back into schools and persistently works towards offering an array of programs in the gallery to engage the community. With a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art from Sacramento State University and over 19 years of experience working in health care, she has also competed in multiple international competitions and her works have earned awards such as Best in Division, Judge's Choice and Best in Show. Her artistic interests vary from costuming to mixed media. Adriana's primary passion is silversmithing with an emphasis on enamel and precious stones.
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Maddy Harlow
Programs Associate
As Programs Associate, Maddy assists with creating content for the Tour Talk & Create program, and can often be found bringing her experience as an Animator to a teaching role in the organization's youth education programs, from Anime and Digital Design camps to on-site after-school programs like ASES. She is also active in community outreach for arts education programs.
...What we Believe
Statement On Cultural Equity
To support a full creative life for all, Blue Line Arts commits to championing policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive and equitable nation.
Cultural equity embodies the values, policies, and practices that ensure that all people—including but not limited to those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion—are represented in the development of arts policy; the support of artists; the nurturing of accessible, thriving venues for expression; and the fair distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources.
- In the United States, there are systems of power that grant privilege and access unequally such that inequity and injustice result, and that must be continuously addressed and changed.
- Cultural equity is critical to the long-term viability of the arts sector.
- We must all hold ourselves accountable, because acknowledging and challenging our inequities and working in partnership is how we will make change happen.
- Everyone deserves equal access to a full, vibrant creative life, which is essential to a healthy and democratic society.
- The prominent presence of artists challenges inequities and encourages alternatives.
To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, we strive to…
- Pursue cultural consciousness throughout our organization through substantive learning and formal, transparent policies.
- Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and report organization progress.
- Commit time and resources to cultivate more diverse perspectives within the organization.
To pursue needed systemic change related to equity, we strive to…
- Encourage substantive learning to build cultural consciousness and to proliferate pro-equity policies and practices by all of our constituencies and audiences.
- Generate and aggregate quantitative and qualitative research related to equity to make incremental, measurable progress towards cultural equity more visible.
- Advocate for public and private-sector policy that promotes cultural equity.
Freedom of Speech Commitment
Freedom of speech is the foundation of our communities and our nation. The works in this institution’s exhibits may awe, illuminate, challenge, unsettle, confound, provoke, and, at times, offend. We defend the freedom to create content and exhibit such work from anywhere in the world, and we recognize the privilege of living in a country where creating, exhibiting, and experiencing such work is a constitutional right.
To exhibit a work of art is not to endorse the work or the vision, ideas, and opinions of the artist. It is to uphold the right of all to experience diverse visions and views. If and when controversies arise from the exhibition of a work of art, we welcome public discussion and debate with the belief that such discussion is integral to the experience of the art. Consistent with our fundamental commitment to freedom of speech, however, we will not censor exhibitions in response to political or ideological pressure.
Land Acknowledgement
With respect, we acknowledge the location of Blue Line Arts as the traditional and unceded land of the Nisenan and Miwok peoples. We ask you to join us in acknowledging the United Auburn Indian Community and other local tribes, their elders both past and present, as well as future generations. Blue Line Arts also acknowledges that it was founded upon exclusions and erasures of many Indigenous peoples, including those on whose land this institution is located. This acknowledgement demonstrates a commitment to beginning the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism.
