Pure and simple, the Center for the Arts has been a labor of love.

Those of us that have done the heavy lifting (and there are so many) are so proud of the contribution to the community that the Center has made.

That's what continues to drive all of us. Through the years I have written many of these articles to tell the community what's been going on at the Center.

As president of the board, it has been my honor to represent our organization to the public.

After eight or more (kind of lost track) years as president, I am stepping aside (I will still be on the board and its executive committee). My good friend Richard Baker has assumed the responsibilities that I have carried for some time now. Richard has been an extremely effective board member for about five years and knows the ins and outs of the business.

Richard has a passion for the arts that has been with him for his entire adult lifetime.

His wife, Julie, owns Julie Baker Fine Art.

The two of them have contributed to the quality of art and the quality of life in our area for some time.

Baker's commitment to the arts in Nevada County is significant. Richard has already shown great leadership skills in just the first few weeks of his tenure. Our organization is in good hands.

During the past eight years, the Center has grown. We have had so many successes (yes, and some failures, too, that's show biz); and, given so many artists, local, regional and national, an opportunity to display their talents.

The Center has tried, from the beginning, to establish a collaborative tone in the arts community. We believe it is working.

We now have approximately 60 local arts organizations that utilize the Center each year.

This represents hundreds, if not thousands, of our friends, family and neighbors performing on our stages each year. We estimate that there are 150,000 visits each year to the Center. It's a very busy place! (Also, we are now working in concert with most of the major arts groups to find ways to enhance the donor dollar as well as ways to improve the depth and breadth of the support for the arts).

During this time, our annual budget has grown from $75,000 to about $800,000.

We (as always, I will mention the economic impact we provide) estimate that the Center brings as much as $ 4 million to the areas' businesses each year. That makes us one of the most significant economic engines in Nevada County.

I have had the privilege to help shepherd this evolution. It has been the most rewarding experience (OK, my kid comes first) in my life.

I am humbled by the trust of the board through the years and the acknowledgment I have received from the community.

My heartfelt thanks to you all.

If you believe the arts are important to the quality of life in Nevada County, join with us and support your Center for the Arts.

Jon Blinder is a Nevada City resident and has been on the board since 1999 and president since 2000.