History of the Tahoe Art League

As told by our Founding Members

Irma Roughton

Founding Member, Lifetime Member and Past-President 1971 & 1997

The Tahoe Art League was formed in 1964. Starting as a social club, a few artists got together and met at South Tahoe Middle School. Everyone brought their paints and we painted! Tish Hall, from the Tahoe Garden Club, would set up a still life arrangement and we would all paint. If a new person came in and wanted to join the art league, they would have to step out of the room while we voted on whether to accept them. No one was ever turned away. We would have our very successful outdoor Shows at the Crescent V Shopping Center (now Heavenly Shopping Center) on the sidewalk in front of Lawrence's Department Store (now Sports LTD). One year, the television comedian Phyllis Diller was in town. She came to our show and purchased many works of art from us. The Tahoe Art League made her an honorary member. Phyllis kept in touch with us and whenever she was in town she would buy art from the Tahoe Art League.

In 1965, Eileen Linglebach moved to Tahoe and opened an art supply store and immediately started to form a full-fledged art league that could pull and work together. The previous attempts had failed. Alice Tresidder became our first president in 1965 and helped to organize our first major activities. Since that time, many members have put a great deal of time and effort into forming what we now know as the Tahoe Art League.

In 1969, artist Paul Smith was instrumental in obtaining the pool promenade at the Sahara Casino (now Horizon) for the Tahoe Art League Gallery at no cost to the league. The gallery opened in July 1969.

In 1970, president Virginia De Steunder decided the art league should have a constitution and bylaws with a gallery policy, as the league was growing by leaps and bounds. Lane Sharman provided the Nevada Artists Association's constitution and bylaws to use as a guideline. These have been revised as necessary to keep up with problems as they occurred. - written by Irma Roughton 2004.

Alice Tresidder, TAL's First President 1965-66

The Tahoe Art League launched its first official activities in July 1965 with a major outdoor art show at the Tahoe Keys. The membership decided to meet weekly, holding a workshop where artists, both beginners and advanced could work together and share ideas. Various locations were used, including artists own studios until a fine place materialized though the assistance of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District. Arrangement was made to use Room # 6 of the Intermediate School, Wednesday evenings. No specified instruction was offered, but unofficial aid was available from advanced or professional league members. The school room was also made available for monthly program-meetings where critiques and demonstrations were held, featuring professional instructors, often from neighboring Nevada areas.

In the summer of 1968 a venture of an Artist's Co-Operative Gallery was given a try. The location, Highway 50 near Ski Run Blvd., seemed promising, but the factors of both limited space for display of paintings and for parking, plus monthly rental, did not warrant plans to keep the building for more than the summer months. Each summer the Tahoe Art League produced outdoor shows during several summer weekends, however, two excellent exhibits at the Villa Lodge, offered by local realtor Ralph Anderson, were held indoors with the winter one falling near the Christmas holidays.

Though not financially successful to any great degree, the league felt compelled to assist the Eagle Valley Children's Home in Carson Valley Nevada. Gifts of rocking chairs to help in care of the mentally retarded children was further supplemented with a record player and records which the artists were assured was of great comfort to these medically hopeless youngsters.

In a resort area where one might expect support for cultural efforts the art group met little encouragement from any organized City sponsorship, but from an unexpected source - a splendid opportunity did come. The Sahara-Tahoe Hotel [Horizon] offered a facility which became the Sahara-Tahoe Gallery, a long hallway connecting the main building with the hotel annex- the Pool Promenade. This was offered free of charge with the hanging devices for paintings being provided from league sources and being installed by Sahara carpenters. This gallery was opened August 15, 1968 and continued on a year-round basis, being staffed by volunteers from the league, under the management of a permanent gallery chairman. Paintings were changed monthly, or at the wish of the artists to rotate their works. All media was displayed with the exception of sculpture and pottery, needing cases to contain them. Varying styles of painting were exhibited, formerly more in oils, but with increasingly more watercolor and acrylic.

The local group, being in an area of more transient than in a non-resort community, has a certain fluctuation in the membership, but seemed to maintain a year round membership of sixty members. Membership for active artists wishing to show work in the Sahara Gallery had to be restricted to those living in the Tahoe Lake Basin area only due to space limitations. It was felt by those holding longest membership in the league that never has interest been so keen in up-grading every piece of art submitted to any viewing a constructive attitude for artistic growth.

- written by Alice Tresidder, 1970.

Lifetime Members

Persons who have been a member for 15+ years and have contributed significantly toward the advancement of the Tahoe Art League.

Loretta Bookhammer	President 1993/94, Outdoor Shows Director 1997-2006, and Hospitality Chair 1997-2006. Loretta has contributed to every Art League event and occasion since joining and continues to be very active participant in Outdoor Shows and on the Art Center Committee. Loretta is also the Art League's Liaison to the City of South Lake Tahoe.
Donna McRadu	President 1986. Coordinator of many shows and activities during the 1980's and 90's. Donna is our eldest active member and continues to attend Art League meetings and participate in shows.
Irma Roughton	President 1971, 1997. Coordinated numerous Outdoor Shows, Paint Outs, and other Art League activities. Irma has also been our effervescent hostess at the Art Expo.
Lois Wooldridge:	A member since 1991, Lois has served the Art League in many capacities: as Vice President, Secretary, Newsletter Editor, and Outdoor Shows Chair. She is a mentor for emerging artists, a hard worker on numerous Art League projects, and a constant leading presence at the Outdoor Shows.
Vern Lee:	Vern Lee has been actively involved in the Tahoe Art League since 1995, serving as President in 1998 and 2001. He has always been eager to help and has participated readily in many of the Art League's projects.

Tahoe Art League Presidents

1965/66	Alice Tresidder
1967/68	Edythe Kirbo
1968	Penny Senior / Bernice Nelson
1969	Bernice Nelson
1970	Virginia De Steunder
1971	Irma Roughton
1972	William C. Lankeit / Bette Claire Douglas
1973	Helen Brower
1974	Myrna Spalding Vindum
1975	Lucille Franchini
1976	Shari Palmer / Libby O'Gieblyn
1977	Cecelia Kammerer
1978	Elaine Johnson
1979	Helen Brower
1980	Gene Turner / Nina Johnson
1981	Penny Senior / Catherine Hoover
1982	Stan Stevenson / Penny Senior
1983	Gene Turner
1984	Cecelia Kammerer
1985	Bernice Westberg / Donna McRadu
1986	Donna McRadu
1987	Ester Haldeman
1988	Robert Herman
1989/90	Robert Oden
1991/92	Earl Brothers
1993/94	Loretta Bookhammer
1995	Earl Brothers
1996	Evelyn Kehlor
1997	Irma Roughton
1998	Vernon Lee
1999	Ralph Lent
2000	Earl Brothers / Carol Jones
2001	Vernon Lee
2002/03	Shelby Kolstad
2004/05	Lois Loveless
2006	Sara Wolters
2007	Shelby Kolstad