The city of Del Mar, California, with a population of around 4,000, is a hotbed of cultural activity thanks to the efforts of the Del Mar Foundation. The foundation continues to grow, with a mission to promote civic pride and cohesiveness, acquire and preserve open space, improve beaches and parklands, raise and grant funds, and sponsor diverse cultural programs and community events in Del Mar. Founded in 1982, the Del Mar Foundation (DMF) is the community’s oldest nonprofit organization.
Betty Wheeler is a Del Mar Foundation board member and the immediate past president. She got involved with the organization twenty years ago. “I approached them and said I’d like to bring a bluegrass show to Del Mar. The woman I spoke with, a former president who founded the DMF’s Cultural Arts Committee, said, ‘I don’t know what bluegrass is, but it sounds great!’ she gave me the green light.” With that nod, Betty got to work, planning the first bluegrass concert in Del Mar featuring Phillips, Grier, and Flinner, with guest artist Gabe Witcher on fiddle. “A lot of people bought tickets without knowing much about bluegrass because DMF had such a good reputation for bringing in high-quality music,” says Betty. The San Diego Bluegrass Society also co-sponsored and helped publicize the show.
That concert launched DMF’s “Bluegrass and Beyond” concert series in 2004. “We have gradually grown a strong bluegrass fan base in Del Mar,” says Betty. “Many people trust our series and attend, whether they have heard of the performers or not.”
The series brings nationally recognized bluegrass and acoustic musicians to Del Mar, generally several times each year. “There is also some jazz in the mix,” says Betty. “Our first concert with Todd Phillips, David Grier, and Matt Flinner was progressive bluegrass with a lot of jazz influence. I think if you are going to introduce people to bluegrass, don’t start with Bill Monroe. Instead, start with a more contemporary sound like Nickel Creek, then work from there to introduce more traditional styles.”
The shows the Foundation has presented have been well-received, and the acts have been quite impressive. Groups as diverse as the Infamous Stringdusters, John Jorgenson Quintet, Nefesh Mountain, Della Mae, The Railsplitters, the Gibson Brothers, and Blue Highway have performed for the series, Rob Ickes, a 15-time IBMA Dobro Player of the Year, dubbed Del Mar “the Nashville of the West” at one of his many Del Mar appearances. Most recently, in February, Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands, a California-grown act led by a two-time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, performed two consecutive shows: one for DMF’s “First Thursdays” series, followed by a sold-out Bluegrass and Beyond show.
The first concerts were held in the city-owned Powerhouse Community Center. “The Powerhouse is a cool venue,” says Betty. The building was renovated in 1999, and DMF launched its subscription series, “First Thursdays,” in 2000. The series includes ten jazz, classical, and eclectic concerts each year. “When standing on the Powerhouse stage, performers can look out the windows and see the ocean. But the venue only seats around 130 people, and when the new Town Hall was built, it was designed to open into a 200-seat venue, so DMF concerts moved there to make the concerts available to a larger audience.”
Betty says a perk for the performers is the opportunity to stay in the donated artist housing on the beach. “Bluegrass bands typically play two nights, the first night for First Thursdays, and the next night for a ticketed Bluegrass and Beyond show.” When booking bands, DMF looks at touring schedules to find national-stature bands that are passing their way, and rarely books bands unless Betty or another member of DMF’s Cultural Arts Committee has seen in a live performance.
Betty recalls, “I attended IBMA’s World of Bluegrass one year and went to a showcase early to get a good seat. The Railsplitters played before the band. I was there to hear, and I was so impressed. I ended up following them around all week, going to all their showcases. I just knew I had to get them to play in Del Mar.”
While Betty calls herself “a poor dobro player,” she has been involved in the bluegrass scene for many years, including co-founding ResoSummit with Rob Ickes in 2007. She organized the annual dobro event in Nashville for 13 years. Bringing bluegrass music to Del Mar has been a joy for her, and in doing so, she has helped introduce a new audience of listeners to one of America’s great genres of music.