Although Palo Alto residents Claire Taylor and Charles Schulz first fell in love with each other 34 years ago, they fell in love with the Palo Alto Art Center in 1988 when they had their marriage ceremony and reception in the courtyard.
And then they fell in love with the facility all over again in 2013, when they had their 25th wedding anniversary celebration here.
“The Art Center turned out to be a great place to hold an event, and it has a lovely patio with sculptures and trees,” says Claire, 78. “We both decided to come back to celebrate our anniversary after it had been remodeled several years ago.”
Claire and Charles, who live five minutes away from the Palo Alto Art Center, say that the facility plays a very important role in the community.
“It’s important to emphasize the arts to the people who just commute here to work,” says Charles, 82. “Places like the Art Center remind them that there are opportunities to make and share art here. You can see what the community is offering in the way of art.”
The couple, who initially met at a friend’s party in 1981, are both members of the Palo Alto Art Foundation (the nonprofit fundraising arm of the Art Center), and say that they enjoy attending events such as the Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival and the Great Glass Pumpkin Patch, which are held at the facility annually.
Over the years, Claire says that she has performed with a vocal group in the Art Center’s auditorium – scheduled to reopen later this year – and that she and Charles have taken their grandchildren here for various artmaking projects.
“We’ve seen the Art Center change and expand over the years,” says Charles. “We’ve seen it grow to accommodate more art programs for children and young people, which is important.”
“The Art Center is a comfortable, convenient facility, so we were glad that we could come back here to reminisce and celebrate our wedding,” adds Charles.
