Robert C. Wright - Georgia Hoopes

Robert C. Wright : Founding Member Wright & L'Estrange

Robert C. Wright is a member of Wright & L'Estrange, a law firm specializing in business litigation. When the firm began in 1983, its office was located at 701 B Street, San Diego. In the fall of that year, the San Diego Watercolor Society ("SDWS") International Exhibition was held in the lobby of the building - exposing thousands of building tenants and visitors, including Mr. Wright, to paintings by world-class artists. Mr. Wright bought his first watercolor at the Exhibit. Since 1983, he and the firm have been regular purchasers at the annual SDWS International Exhibition. They have also purchased a number of paintings from local watercolorists. Over the years, several SDWS Board members, including Georgia Hoopes, have advised the firm on acquisitions, which include paintings by members of the American Watercolor Society and the National Watercolor Society. When the firm relocated in 2006 to the Columbia Center, the new offices were designed to display a combined collection of 30 watercolors, which one SDWS official has described as "stupendous." Mr. Wright's early years were heavily infused with visual and performing arts. His father was an artist who taught technical illustration at the junior college level; his mother was a concert pianist and teacher. Since 2005, he has been listed in Best Lawyers in America and named one of the best lawyers in San Diego by San Diego Magazine. He is a graduate of Occidental College (1968) and Hastings College of the Law (1971)

What is your vision of the future of the Visual arts for San Diego?

"In my experience, artists do far better at creation than promotion. The single most important way to promote visual art in San Diego is to give it public exposure in big venues. The places affording that exposure are the lobbies of high-rise buildings, shopping malls, and businesses where thousands of people each day will see the art. A good example of this approach is the San Diego Port Authority Public Art Program of 31 Urban Tree sculptures on the Embarcadero. More such showings are necessary to increase public interest in art and advance San Diego's visual arts community."