But while the title of the show implies a new group in town, in reality, the club is just venturing out for its first exhibit on its own. The club, which was founded as "Community Arts & Crafts" by Mrs. Emma Swails, has always depended on support from the city of Sunnyvale. In these tough economic times, the city has cut its funding to the club, forcing the club to seek alternative sources.

In stepped the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, which will host the Sunnyvale Art Club's first annual Art Show through May 9 at its sister facility, the Rose Shenson Community Art Gallery in Santa Clara.

Lucero "Lucy" Marcoux, the club's president, says that the preparation for the event, the club's first outside a Sunnyvale community center, has taken four months. "It's been like planning a wedding," she says. "In the meantime, we have kids and jobs, and we still find time to paint! It just takes a lot of energy."

Fitting with the club's longtime presence in the community, many members are retired or have been with the club for a number of years. But others, like Marcoux, are more recent converts. She's only been painting for the past five years and with the club for two. "When there are new people coming in, they bring a new energy, new blood," she says. "They're excited about what we do."

The club has grown over the years to about 100 members, bringing in artists from around the area. Marcoux is a Cupertino resident, and Pat Blum, one of her vice presidents, lives in Redwood City. "My closest friend lived in San Jose, and we were both artists, so we picked a club halfway in between," Blum says. "I've made a great number of friends. I wouldn't leave for anything."

The membership ranges widely. Blum says nearly every ethnicity is represented, and members range from painters to sculptors to photographers. "I'm so glad we're not just into one thing," Marcoux says. "You can't make a salsa just from tomatoes."

And occupations vary, from retired engineers to high school students to professionals like Marcoux, who works as a loan agent and used to be a real estate agent. She's used her saleswoman skills to work with the city to find places to display the club's works for free. Sunnyvale City Councilwoman Julia Miller even bought one of Marcoux's oil ocean landscapes, quite a boon for a fledgling artist.

"It was an unbelievable opportunity for me," she says. "I had just started." Marcoux had received paints from her children as a present and just developed her skills through classes at Sunnyvale community centers (Serra Park, Ponderosa Park, the Sunnyvale Community Center and the Sunnyvale Senior Center).

For many years, these centers hosted the club's shows free of charge, an ideal situation for the nonprofit organization. But when the city started charging fees, the Triton offered its community gallery. The club opened its show on April 12 and is planning a reception on April 18 to honor all the artists represented. "We're only jurying for ribbons," Blum says. "This was open to anyone—you didn't have to jury to get into this show."

The Triton's director, George Rivera, will award best-in-show. But for the club, this move of independence is reward enough. "Just to bring the art to people is the most beautiful thing," Marcoux says.

The show is open from 1 to 5 p.m. every day at the Rose Shenson Community Art Gallery, located at 1505 Warburton Ave. in Santa Clara. For more information on the Sunnyvale Art Club, visit www.sunnyvaleartclub.org.