Remember back in 1991 when Elm Avenue became Carlsbad Village Drive?

Longtime residents weren't happy. Even to this day they continue to sport license plate holders that read: Old-timers still call it Elm.

It's true. People don't like name changes, but there's one name that was changed earlier this year that truly does make sense.

The Carlsbad Arts Associates became the Carlsbad Friends of the Arts.

This nonprofit group has been around for more than 15 years, and all that while, residents were confused. They didn't quite understand the difference between the Cultural Arts Office, the Arts Commission (an advisory board to the city council) and the Arts Associates.

Now with its new name, Carlsbad Friends of the Arts, this active group that initiated and supports many of the arts programs in our city, is being recognized for what it does, just like the Friends of the Carlsbad City Library and the Friends of Carrillo Ranch. These are the groups that pump money into their causes.

Since its inception in 1987, the Carlsbad Arts Associates has helped support our city's cultural arts office with more than $300,000 in contributions, and over the years, the members of the board have initiated many of the arts programs that are now well established.

These dedicated community members are best known for their major and ongoing promotion and support efforts of the free and extremely popular TGIF Jazz in the Park summer concert series. And, it is at these concerts that they sell tickets for prizes, a major fund-raiser that last year brought in $30,000.

They also sponsor and assist the Cultural Arts Office with many other programs, including the nationally recognized Three-Part-Art program for schools groups, Family Open Studios, the Plein Air Brunch, the Multicultural Arts Festival and all the opening receptions at the Cannon Art Gallery. And, this year, as the Carlsbad Friends of the Arts, they will be sponsoring the children's art sale at the Taste of Carlsbad and participating in an art project at ArtSplash.

The board members —— President Alan Marblestone, and Carol Calvert, Jim Comstock, Karen Evans, Sandy Guendert, Sandy Haasis, Dawn Larsen, Joni Miringoff, Tj Stroben, Carolyn Taylor and Mark Winkler —— have worked hard to update the image of their group.

They have a new membership brochure, as well as a great new tag line: "Be a Part of Art."

Annual membership is $25 for an individual or for a family, and for that fee, you get discounts at special events and at participating local businesses, invitations to the Cannon Art Gallery opening receptions, and the bimonthly newsletter from the Cultural Arts Office is mailed to your home or business.

In turn, the Friends of the Arts adds between $7,000 to $10,000 a year to its coffers.

The Arts Associates has indeed played an important role in our city's cultural history, and now with its new name, the Friends of the Arts will, no doubt, continue along the same path to promote, foster and support the activities and programs that bring culture to us here in Carlsbad.

So, jump on the bandwagon. Become a member and/or a volunteer. Be a Part of Art. Call (760) 434-2903.

Barbara Brill, a North County Times columnist, is a free-lance writer who has lived in Carlsbad since 1971. Contact: bbrill2@juno.com.