I moved to Santa Ana from south Orange County specifically because it had an artist community. This area attracted me because it was very different from the rest of the county, containing overt energy and passion. Undoubtably, the artists of Santa Ana have created a place where one can express oneself, break out of the norm of the surfer subculture and others enjoy looking at how they see the world. The Santora building hosts art from hundreds of artists. The idea that the Santora could ever turn into a building full of professional offices in which the general public rarely visits or experiences saddens me. The Santora is special, a visitor arrives at each level, each studio with different artists displayed, with live entertainment often during the artwalk. The achievement of the Santora and the art community for the city of Santa Ana is indisputable. The downtown is packed every evening with people from all over Southern California, who desire to enjoy the art, culture and friendliness that is present here. Any change to this downtown community, any removal or backstabbing of the artists that have contributed so heavily to its success would by no doubt transform this area into an unfamiliar place, a stale, uncreative city like so many we have here in Orange County.
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