The idea for ARTree began with Bob Hernandez. 

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Read more about Bob's life here.

Bob is a graduate of Cal Arts, and spent his professional life working in graphic design for the television industry. In 2010, Bob decided to focus on creating and growing our non-profit arts organization, and teaching art full-time. He is now retired, and painting everyday.

This tile mural was ARTree's first community event inviting anyone to be part of its creation. Over a weekend in May, participants took shifts placing tiles on this 40 ft. mural on a pedestrian trail behind Creekside Rd.

Designed by Shelly Mussenden, the project was funded by a grant from the City of Santa Clarita. It is still being enjoyed by bikers and walkers today.

Old Town Newhall became the permanent home for two ARTree studio spaces in a quaint courtyard of businesses on 6th Street. We share the building with the Santa Clarita Artists Association, and enjoy being a part of Old Town's heritage and growth.

Nest is a free program for both teens and adults, consisting of an an hour of meditation and judgement-free art making. Mindfulness practices, both in meditation and in art, can help regulate our feelings, decrease stress, and focus our attention. Developed under the direction of Emily Skelton, LMFT, Registered Art Therapist and funded by grants and private donations. Due to its popularity, in 2025, we added a second Nest session every month.

Working in collaboration with Newhall Community Center, ARTree started a mural-making class for at-risk teens. The group, POWER (Peers on the Way to Everlasting Recovery) created and executed all of the imagery and lettering on the murals. Students set goals, and worked as a team, and took great pride in their completed work. The murals were located on the side of a warehouse on Railroad Ave. It has since been torn down. The partnership with Newhall Community Center would continue for many years.

ARTree started a new direction during these years, offering art classes at various locations around Santa Clarita. 

Our teachers, all working artists in various mediums, led classes at the Old Town Newhall Library for tweens, kids and adults, at the Newhall Community Center for kids during summer break, and at the Santa Clarita Activities Center. 

ARTree was also always a fixture at city- sponsored events such as Earth Day Festivals, Literacy & Arts Festivals, Art Walk and Senses evenings, providing a booth of art activities for anyone to enjoy.

Continuing our mission to bring art opportunities to all, ARTree starts a monthly, free open studio for families. Supported with funds by the LA County Arts Commission, we open our doors from 10-1 on the first Saturday of every month, and offer 3 art projects for young and old. 

The Signal newspaper has written about our Flutterby program, and you can read those articles here: 2017 -2018 - 2020

ARTree loves recycling art projects! Community members and students were asked to collect their used bottle caps in the spring of 2024. A mosaic mural was completed with a southern California landscape design, and mounted in the Old Town Newhall Library for patrons to enjoy. A second mural will be completed soon. Community members collected over 8,000 bottle caps to be used in this beautiful, environmentally-conscious project. Mural design by Raux.

Beautification projects continued with another collaboration with the Newhall Community Center and the Boys and Girls Club. Mounted on an exterior wall of The German Autohaus, owned by Joseph Jasik, this giant mural continues to be an eye-catching addition to downtown Newhall.

SCV Photography Center and kids from both organizations worked together to compose, take, and choose the images.

Funds for this project were secured through donations from a Kickstarter campaign from individuals in the community.

Bringing speakers in a variety of arts-related professions. ARTree hosted a monthly meeting at the Old Town Newhall Library and at The Main Theater, free of charge. 

Speakers included Bob Bates of Inner-City Arts, sculptor Scott Bruckner, cabaret artist Jeudi Cornejo Brealey and former CalArts president Steven Lavine. 

Believing our community is rich with talent, the Speaker Series created opportunity for residents to hear a variety of inspirational stories.

Students from Newhall Elementary School and volunteers from ARTree created a mosaic tile mural of local history, which is a permanent addition to the school facade. Familiar sights such as the Old Town Newhall Library, Magic Mountain, Hart Mansion, oil wells, oak trees and a Tataviam dwelling are also shown. You can visit the mural, which faces Walnut Street. Mural design by Dianne Foderaro. Read about it here.