Art

Final Friday at Beatnik Studios

2013-03-28T01:58:40Z

Expect an evening of art, music, food and family fun at Beatnik Studios during its Final Friday event. Final Fridays is a free monthly event that showcases local, regional and statewide talent and is open to an all-ages audience. Beatnik Studios is located on the corner of Broadway and 17th Street.

Final Friday will feature the art of David Mohr, Trent Liddicoat and James Angello. An artist reception will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on March 29.

Music will be provided by Rook Family, Orion Walsh, Autumn Sky and Musical Charis.

I sat with Wesley Davis, photographer and co-owner, Beatnik Studios to talk about Final Fridays.

Davis began by saying, “We actually have a new artist director. Her name is Kelley O'Connell who has been a friend of ours for a long time. She's a recent graduate of Sac State with a degree in Fine Arts. She has a good network of artists and is really passionate about doing new things with Sacramento artists.”

As the new Gallery Director, this will be O'Connell's first Final Friday. Davis stated, “She brought in all the artists which is exciting. The artists are David Mohr, Trent Liddicoat and James Angello. Both David Mohr and James Angello are Sac State graduates and Trent Liddicoat is a self-taught artist.”

Music is an integral part of Final Friday and Davis talked about the lineup saying, “I asked Musical Charis to host this Final Friday because they haven't done it in a long time. They're good friends of ours, they live right upstairs here. They're on tour and are basically bringing their tour package. It will be like their homecoming show they're touring with Orion Walsh. Autumn Sky will be here as well with the Rook Family. So Musical Charis put the music portion together for this Final Friday.”

As we talked about Final Friday, Davis shared some thoughts about how the event started.

“Final Friday started about three years ago. Beatnik opened five years ago, in reality it will be five years in May. Actually we may have been doing Final Friday for four years, maybe over four years. Anyway, we started doing them as an open studio it was called Last Friday Open Studios and it kind of disappeared for a while and then we brought them back. I was like the one that said 'Hey we should really be doing these Final Fridays because it's a night to showcase studio space and to invite the community to come in and see what we're up to.' So we started it back up and the venue is really accessible, it's open to people of all ages. We don't charge to get in and then we have live music. So our goal, our main goal, for Final Friday is just to kind of give a little cross section of music and art culture in Sacramento to as many people as we can.”

Davis has been at Beatnik since its beginning and he shared a little history about the studios.

“When we first opened up we were a shared studio. Our business plan was to have kind of like an Urban Hive, a common working space but for photographers specifically where we would have a studio then offices and spaces just to meet clients. That was really up and down and then we also had the gallery pretty much from the get-go. We would hang art and show art and that was also kind of up and down and then we started doing events here. That was never really the original intent, to do events, but the events were very popular and we saw the potential of having them.”

Davis saw the use of events saying, “Event revenue helped support the studios so we made the transition to become an event space and now you now we're a full out event space. We do weddings almost every weekend from spring to fall. Weddings are the big events but we also do fundraisers and all kinds of different parties. The cool thing about the events is that all those people who come for the events they get to see the art and they get to experience the culture that we provide.”

Beatnik has been around for almost five years and Davis noted that they must be doing something right and they're not planning on going anywhere as they continue to grow.

When asked why Final Friday was chosen instead of Second Saturday or First Monday or anything similar Davis said, “We're not trying to compete (with other events). We did Second Saturday but we want to provide a completely unique experience. We'd like to provide an evening where you can be in one place not hop from place to place to place. We want people to come and soak it all in, in one place and spend quality time with the artists' work. We wanted our own kind of night something out away from the grid, away from that cluster of galleries. We wanted to give people a night where they could really feel like they've been soaked in an atmosphere that we provide instead of going for 10 minutes and then leave.”

The public is invited to enjoy local art and music at Beatnik Studios every Final Friday. The venue is open to guests of all ages. Log on to the Beatnik Studios Facebook or website to find out more about the studio and other events throughout the month.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

March's Second Saturday

2013-03-21T08:32:32Z

March's Second Saturday saw new art exhibits throughout Midtown and Downtown Sacramento. Next month Folsom will start their Second Saturday for 2013 and join Roseville's Third Saturday as alternative venues in Sacramento.

On a warm evening 20th Street between J and K had some activity, mainly anchored by patrons at LowBrau.

Kennedy Gallery made a move to the corner of L and 20th Streets some time in the last couple of months and that was my first stop of the evening

Scheduled showings at the Kennedy Gallery Art Center included an "Abstractions Show" featuring the work of Michael Kennedy, Maleheh Bartolomeo and others.

On the bottom floor the work of John Huerta was on exhibit. Huerta's art centers on Dia de los Muertos art. When I met Huerta he was excited about a project he had recently been commissioned for.

Huerta shared some good news about Hollywood Forever Cemetery's Día de los Muertos.

Huerta made some friends at Sacramento's Día de los Muertos and through those new acquaintances he was asked to become involved in LA's Día de los Muertos in Hollywood.

Huerta spoke about how he became involved saying, “My friend Sylvia said she knew, through a good friend, one of the main organizers of the event. They want to see about me doing a poster to advertise the festival. So it's a big honor and I'll pretty much need to go over the details.”

Asking if he had anything in mind regarding the poster Huerta answered, “I'm going to think about it and see what kind of ideas, once I discuss it with her, come up and then I'll go from there. I'm not sure when the event takes place if it will be on October 26 or November 1st and 2nd. In a couple of months we'll find out more about the details. So I'm really excited about it.”

One of my favorite stops on the Second Saturday venue has been the Viewpoint Photography Art Center on J Street.

The “Anasazi Project” was on exhibition at the main Viewpoint gallery. The work of husband-and-wife photographers Don Kirby and Joan Gentry was featured.

The Anasazi Project was a long-term photo exploration of Anasazi dwellings in the Four Corners region. The project resulted in a book published by Nazraeli Press in 2012. The magnificent photographs adorned the walls of Viewpoint’s main hall.

In the Step Up Gallery at Viewpoint the work of Jorge Santana was on exhibit. The exhibit "Cuba Today: Street Photography" was a much smaller exhibit and artist Santana was on-hand to talk to visitors. The photos shown were taken during a travel-study trip to Cuba in March of 2012.

Santana is a professor at Sac State and several of his students and friends joined Santana for an inside look at communist Cuba. Most of the photos were taken in the Cuban capital of Havana.

Having worked up a little thirst I made my way to Spanglish Arte to enjoy some sangria and view the artwork of artist Raul Mejia.

When I arrived the Folklorico Aztlan de Sacramento, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization had several youngsters dancing for a small crowd. Five dancers took turns entertaining the crowd in the front of Spanglish Arte. These dancers also danced on the back patio.

Mejia's art occupied the back patio along with a dj and a table that sold cupcakes for the event. The cupcake table was occupied by a student from Sac State representing the M.E.C.H.A. Club.

I met Mejia by the front entrance of Spanglish Arte and he was gracious enough to answer a few questions about his exhibit.

Not having met Mejia before I asked him to give me a little background about himself. Mejia answered, “My name is Raul Mejia. I'm 33 years old, I'm a hardworking father, artists, student, musician employee etc., etc. I'm a man with of many skills and I still have a lot to learn, yeah so, I'm a student of life.”

When asked to describe the art he had hanging in the back patio Mejia answered, “Things fluctuate for me a lot of the time. I have a lot of fun with my art where I don't necessarily have subjects. It's more along the line of abstract or wild things but specifically for those pieces. They're obviously catrinas but they're done in a certain way and a certain style which is different from the typical catrinas which are very well done and executed. My style is a very simplistic style, where I keep the most needed line work without going above and beyond to where you beat it to death. I would call it a simply complex style.

Asked when he became interested in art Mejia replied, “Oh wow let' see. Since I was a child I recall drawing everything from tigers to wolves to Ninja Turtles. It's been in my life, my whole life.”

As an artist Mejia had a hard time saying who he would consider an artistic influence. After thinking about it he said, “Wow that's always been kind of a tough one only because there's many artists that I appreciate and like but there isn't an exact artist that I completely emulate or find to be brilliant I find many of them to be amazing. I would say someone like Picasso with his simplified line works that he did and his cubism. I would say that a lot of that is like coming to fruition in my work, you know, a lot of the simplified lines.

As we were ending our conversation Mejia shared information about a new project. “I'm actually working out a new art show. I'm doing a collaborative with her (pointing to mutual friend Donelle O'Brien). We're going to do a collaborative. It's going to be called 'Pushing Daisies.' It's kind of a feeling of death and also rebirth and we're going to do it for an April or a spring show. It's going to be very metaphorical."

As the evening drew to a close for March's Second Saturday Art Walk visitors to Spanglish Arte slowly made their way out and I followed.

Last stop of the evening took me to Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen to listen to some music.

April's Second Saturday usually brings more people to Midtown and Downtown. Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Press, Sacramento 365 and other sites have helpful information on venues and artist exhibits.

Spotlight on Sacramento fashion with Simone Vianna

2013-03-19T06:04:49Z

Sacramento fashion has grown at a rapid pace during the past few years. Boutiques, salons, fashion shows and local designers have exhibited their talent on the local and national fashion scenes.

Creative interior and fashion designs created by Simone Vianna have resulted in unique collaborations. Models, designers, photographers and stylists enjoy collaborating with Vianna and look for her guidance when it comes to fashion.

Originally from Baru, Brazil, the multilingual and multitalented Vianna has created a priceless reputation for herself as a leading creative designer, stylist and consultant in Sacramento.

Besides being a talent coordinator for Sacramento Fashion Week, Vianna's tireless work allows her the opportunity to work as an editor and wardrobe consultant.

Vianna recently began hosting a radio talk show on cable FM 88.7. Vianna recently began work as a host producer for a weekly talk show on cable FM 88.7, in which she talks about fashion, art, interior design, health, beauty and other things related to the fashion industry. Once a month she airs a Portuguese-language talk show.

It was at the Access Sacramento, Coloma Community Center, that I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions for this spotlight.

Sacramento Press: Can you tell me about yourself?

Simone Vianna: My name is Simone Vianna. I am an interior designer and a wardrobe stylist. As a wardrobe stylist I do a lot of closet edits, workshops, editorials, runway shows and I help with the modeling industry as well.

SP: Where are you from?

SV: I'm originally from Brazil. I've been in the United States for the past 17 years. I've lived in Davis for nine years and have been in Sacramento since.

SP: How did you end up in Sacramento?

SV: I moved to Sacramento, but I was initially supposed to move to LA. I came here for a project I was working on. I fell in love with downtown, the trees, Second Saturdays and all of that. I wanted to be close to that, but I was not supposed to stay here. I lived in a very small apartment downtown at a very nice location and I ended up here. So here I am nine years later.

SP: How did you become involved with Sacramento Fashion Week?

SV: Two years ago Mykha (Duane Ram) approached me, wanting me to be part of the Fashion Forum for the 2012 event. I said yes of course, but it ended up that we didn't see each other for a while. He approached me a couple of months later. He knew I was in fashion and he was doing a jewelry video and asked me if I knew of a jewelry store. I said I didn't know any jewelry stores but knew of a store that sold jewelry and I was able to find him a venue to do the video. After that we met again when I was working as an apprentice for Stacy London back in October 2011. He went and attended the event at the Galleria in Roseville. He then asked me to be part of Sacramento Fashion Week and help with the editorials for the posters for 2012 event.

SP: Who or what inspires you when it comes to fashion?

SV: There's a lot of different people who inspire me. As a stylist, Rachael Zoe definitely inspires. She's so kind first of all, she's always a team player and she's always talking about her team. She has an amazing team that she works with, always trying to bring them together and keep them together as a team. That's very important. She doesn't have a great turnover as a team. I'm a team player so being part of a team comes first. As far as designer inspiration goes I look to Chanel and a couple of other vintage designers like Lilian, Oleg Cassini and Emilio Pucci, so I enjoy a variety of different designers.

SP: What have you found to be your toughest experience that you've overcome in life or fashion?

SV: Well in fashion it's probably the politics. It's very sad to see the politics involved because they keep talented people away and keep people whose dream, they think, is bigger than any event or any organization. In life I think I've overcome everyday things that challenge on a daily basis. When I first came here as an immigrant, learning a new language and trying to find a job and adjusting. With culture I really didn't have a problem with that but other people had problems with me adjusting and embracing. I try to embrace everybody; their food, culture and values. I work with people of all nationalities without judging. Another obstacle that I've overcome has been switching jobs, careers, and the recession. As an artist the recession hit hard; because of it nobody buys antiques, nobody buys vintage, nobody wants to remodel their home or embark on new construction.

SP: Can you share what's been the best advice you've received and from whom?

SV: The best advice I received was actually not long ago but it really hit me. I'm a Christian so it was a quote I saw that said something like 'If you get on your knees and pray to God every day you're never going to have to get on your knees to people and beg for anything in life.' So that's what I do, I get on my knees and pray to God every day.

SP: Tell me a little about your radio show on Access Sacramento, how it got started.

SV: I wanted to start a TV show first but it's taking longer than radio. I actually aimed for the TV show first and then I found out they had a radio program. I thought it was a great idea to have a radio show because it's transmitted through cable, meaning that everybody all over the world can listen to my radio show over the Internet. I thought it would be very interesting to have guests and use the same kind of frame I thought about for my TV show. My vision for the TV show was having people, different types of artists, and most important to share my experiences and try to help people wanting to be in fashion and the art industry. I want to bring professional people to be on the air and talk about how listeners can help and how they can perhaps become a better person, so it's all about community and helping the community.

SP: Where do you see fashion in Sacramento going in the near future?

SV: Well, I still think we need to raise the bar in construction first of all. Construction is important to me maybe because I have an interior designer background; it's all about foundation. So construction is important because trends, colors and styles, anybody can put something trendy together . Construction should be first and then quality. This foundation makes clothes last like vintage outfits from old designers back in the day from designers like Oleg Cassini, Lilian and others. Their designs are impeccable, have great construction and great fabrics. So I think the future of fashion is going to be great, but we still need to raise the bar in construction and quality.

SP: Define construction.

SV: Construction usually means containing a good seam, good lines, clean lines, no threads pulling or missing and no messy zippers. Good construction is something that will fit a body, any body, and is made to fit that certain body type that you're creating for.
SP: Any advice for young people trying to get into fashion, design or modeling?
SV: Well you know I'm always on a budget and I'm always very careful with people spending a lot of money going to a very expensive school. I think first they should try something like taking a sewing class. A lot of stores offer sewing classes so I think that's first, because if you're a good designer you must know how to sew, period. You have to. Second, learn a textile class so you know which textiles are good for certain coats or dresses or jackets and how they feel; if they breathe. Is it breathable? You have to know if it's going to stain, how it should be maintained and all that stuff. All that you learn on textile will pay off, that's a great class; it's a must. Then if you really like it everything else flows because the art is there; if you have it in you it's going to happen, but I think you know sewing and learning about textiles is a must.

SP: Anything else you'd like to add?

SV: Keep following your dreams. Make sure you do a lot of planning and preparation before you get into anything and don't let your ego get too big. It's all about the community, it's not all about you, it's about serving others. If you're a designer you have to know all about serving your clients. Serve the people who want to purchase from you, so make sure you help them and you'll become a better person every day.

Readers can listen to Vianna over Sacramento Community Radio every Saturday. Log on to “The Voice” to view their schedule. You can also follow Vianna via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Word to Your Motherland at Sol Collective

2013-03-05T21:33:23Z

Sol Collective celebrated eight years of art, culture and activism as well as a recent community leadership award by hosting Word to Your Motherland.

The celebration took place on Saturday, Feb. 23 with an art show curated by Nisha K. Sembi and Mandeep Sethi.

Art from Word to Your Motherland will be on display at Sol Collective until March 18. The exhibit seeks to embody and inspire new ways of thinking and highlights artist collaboration and interaction with their cultural background.

The multimedia showcase was well attended and several guests came from as far away as the Bay Area just to attend the event.

Sol Collective invited special guests to a pre-event for the opening of Word to Your Motherland. Sol Collective treated guests to the pre-event party with samosas and wine.

Before doors were opened to the public for the free event I asked Sembi a couple of questions.

When asked to describe Word to Your Motherland Sembi gave an elaborate answer saying, “Word to Your Motherland originally started last year. This is the second Word to Your Motherland, the first one was held in Oakland last summer. I was a visual artist in the Bay Area and then I took a trip to India and when I went to visit India, which is where my family is from, I ended up meeting a lot of people that were involved with hip-hop out there and I really had no idea that they listed to hip-hop. When I went out there I got the chance to meet a lot of graffiti artists, break dancers and MCs. So when I came back from India I was just so inspired by the hip-hop movement out there. When I came back I was actually approached by a gallery curator who asked if I was interested in having my first solo show.”

Sembi continued, “At that time I was full of inspiration. So I said yeah let's do it and I decided that the show should be dedicated not just to my artwork but also towards shedding light on the hip-hop movement in India. I reached out to Mandeep Sethi who's helping me curate the show. He's an MC and I do a lot of work with spray paint and so together we sort of curated the art show and put together Word to Your Motherland which is basically just a show that transposes the culture of Indian people and their intersections with the hip-hop culture.”

Sembi's enthusiasm showed as she spoke about her project and I could see her passion in her eyes. “A lot of the artwork that you see incorporates a lot of traditional Indian elements and then they all have like a hip-hop twist. I have a lot of fine art pieces and street art mural pieces so we really try to make it like a mix-media show with visual elements, audio elements and then some live performances. We have the art pieces and we have the video projection that shows the documentation of the hip-hop movement in India. What we wanted to do with this space was really just to transform it into a space that embodied the five elements of hip-hop so MCing, DJing, break dancing, graffiti and some say the fifth element is knowledge and that's were Word to Your Motherland came from.”

The Berkeley native described the Word to Your Motherland logo saying, “My mom is from India and my dad is from Africa. So that's how we came up with the logo.”

Other artwork hanging from the walls of Sol Collective included the work of Puzzl3Peace, Fantauzzi Brothers, SETI X and FistUp.TV.

Spoken word performances and some break dancing also contributed to the evening's entertainment.

Word to Your Motherland showcased an exhibit that most of the visitors that attended could relate to. At the heart of the exhibit was culture. Culture that separates us can also work to connect us and the exhibit showcases our cultural links. Part of this culture is hip-hop that as Sembi points out can be seen as a revolutionary movement because it brings people together across religions, caste and socioeconomic levels.

Sol Collective has hosted many hip-hop events over the years. They have hosted these type of events from local and national performers as well as international guests. Sol Collective has introduced international hip-hop artists such as Brazilian born Zuzuka Poderosa and Chilean Ana Tijoux.

Word to Your Motherland focused on the connections between India and Africa and the role of hip-hop in those areas. Photography, murals, digital artwork, projection showings and other visually stimulating art gracing the walls created a magnificent exhibit.

The Word to Your Motherland display guides guests through different elements of hip-hop culture that now reshape and revolutionize global culture and daily life throughout India and Africa and many other parts of the world.

Live performances were provided by several guests including Jagmeet Hoodini Singh, Gunjiv Baagi Singh, Salvin Chahal, Simarpreet WiseChild Singh, Mandeep Sethi, Ras Ceylon, El Indio, DJ Smokestack and others.

The event was a joyous gathering bringing people of several cultures together to share something we have in common, the love of art, music, poetry, dance and sharing our similarities under the hip-hop umbrella that continues to spread globally.

Word.

Metalphoria at Old Soul Co.

2013-02-26T21:26:37Z

Old Soul Co. at 40 Acres in Oak Park offers a delightful assortment of coffee and tea selections to go along with a breakfast and lunch menu. This month artists Kristen Hoard and Jessi Brooks are displaying an array of beautiful works of art for customers to enjoy.

As part of their February Second Saturday Art Walk Old Soul will display the metal sculpture artistry of Hoard and Brooks until Mar. 7. The sculpture and metal wall art are bent into incredible shapes and the use of color brings life to their work.

Hoard and Brooks have their own studio in midtown and their exhibits can be seen at many venues.

I found their Old Soul venue selection comforting and inviting. I can't think of another place where you can enjoy art, food, drink and free Wi-Fi at once.

Art aficionados have a great selection of Hoard and Brook's metal art to view and enjoy at Old Soul for another week. Art pieces are available for purchase giving art collectors an opportunity to add to their local artist collection.

Art and music

2012-11-14T09:33:13Z

November's Second Saturday event continues to attract visitors to Midtown and other areas to enjoy art, music, food and now holiday shopping.

The cold weather kept many art aficionados home this month but some venues continue to bring visitors to their art walk events.

I passed by several galleries and made a longer stop at Union Hall Gallery located at 2126 K Street. Some construction work was being done near the front and guests entered from the back entrance.

The Union Hall Gallery showcased the work of artist Leonardo Ceballos’ exhibition entitled “Un suspiro por México (A sigh for Mexico).”

The art on exhibit showcased things that Ceballos misses from his native Mexico and each piece includes art that is political, cultural or symbolic in nature.

Several guests remained after enjoying the exhibit in the hopes of meeting the artist.

As I walked around Midtown near 20th and J I heard a band playing off in the distance. The music drew me in and I followed the sound that emanated from the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen (SBK).

The SBK is managed by community volunteers who work to bring do-it-yourself bicycle repair, maintenance and education to members of the Sacramento community. Outreach Coordinator Donald Bybee and other SBK members were on hand to ensure the event went as planned.

SBK has been at 1915 I Street since it began operations in 2006. The bike shop is run by volunteers and donations help pay the bills. Paid services include instructional classes and shop fees that also help keep SBK running.

The Nov. 10 Second Saturday event featured several local bands. The bands I was able to enjoy featured band members who for the most part were 16 years old or younger.

When I arrived at SBK, Sidetracked was already performing. Their lead singer reminded me of a younger Chloe Chaidez from Kitten. The four member band, like other bands, counted on the support of parents, teachers and friends who attended to support the bands.

Sidetracked and other musicians who attended the SBK event participated at Skip's Music's Stairway to Stardom this year.

The Sacramento based band claims the music of Nirvana, Paramore, Rise Against and others as influences. Brianna Hernandez-Maldonado, Tucker Lee, Robert Anderson and Tristan Williams make up the recently formed band Sidetracked.

Another band of young musicians was Broken Chains. The four member band includes James Dial, Ryan Smith and brothers Timothy and Jonathan Aldama.

Broken Chains was also involved in Skip’s Music Stairway to Stardom. The young members took turns doing lead and backup vocals. Most of their set included original tunes.

Alive and Burning was, I believe, the youngest band to play at SBK.

Members of Alive and Burning range in age from 10 to 14 years of age.

Their spunky young lead singer Josephine Minnick started off their set with a great cover rendition of Papa Roach’s “Last Resort.” The song showcased Minnick’s energy and the band’s instrumental cohesiveness. Jacob Hite, Anders Swanson and Tristan Warten showcased their musical talent as they played crowd favorites like "Attack of the Fruit", "Zombie Apocalypse" and Green Day's "When I Come Around."

The headline act for the evening was Dog Party. Sisters Gwendolyn (16) and Lucy Giles (14) continue to amaze and amuse crowds as they play cover and original songs.

The Giles sisters brought copies of their second release and first full length recording of P.A.R.T.Y. to sell at the SBK.

Dog Party has been doing a lot of touring lately and it was great to see them at SBK. The Giles sisters have been part of the Sacramento scene since 2009 and were recently recognized when they won a Sammies award for Outstanding Post-punk.

On Saturday night they showed why they’re considered one of Sacramento’s best young bands. Although they’re still quite young their music continues to impress and their repertoire of original catchy songs are always a hit with fans.

Dog Party can also play an array of cover songs but a personal favorite is X’s “Los Angeles” and I can’t recall but that could have been the only cover song of the evening performed by Dog Party.

The Second Saturday show at SBK was well received and the cold weather did not deter fans from enjoying some mighty fine music by several young up-and-coming Sacramento bands.

The Sacramento Bike Kitchen has been home to great musical venues during Second Saturday Art Walk shows and it offers music for fans of all ages.

Follow Sidetracked, Broken Chains, Alive and Burning and Dog Party at their Facebook pages and also check the SBK site for future events or for classes to help you fix or maintain your bicycles.

La Bohème at Sacramento Crocker Park

2012-07-14T07:10:49Z

The Mondavi Center and the Crocker Art Museum offered a free opera screening in the park Thursday, July 12.

The screening took place across the street from the museum at the Sacramento Crocker Park. The marvelous Italian opera “La Bohème,” written by Puccini and performed by the San Francisco Opera, was presented when the weather had finally started to cool off.

Before the outdoor screening the Crocker Art Museum hosted their Thursdays ‘til 9 Art Mix series. Guests enjoyed live music by Yolo Mambo.

Yolo Mambo played an array of international songs. As I walked around Friedman Court I heard "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás” being performed and the song drew me in. The group played a blend of jazz, salsa, folk and other soulful tunes.

Yolo Mambo has released two CDs: “The Roulette of Romance” and “World Wide.” Several songs from each CD were shared with the audience. The group also mixed original tunes with cover songs and sang in Spanish, French and English.

Thursday’s Art Mix at the Crocker also included a tour of the exhibition “Red Hot and Blown: Contemporary Glass from the Crocker’s Collection,” which inspired this event.

The exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1962 American studio-glass movement started in Toledo, Ohio. The process of creating several of the pieces in the exhibit was explained, and these explanations helped guests appreciate the finished work.

The exhibit, located on the third floor of the museum, will be on display until September 23.

A video showing behind-the-scenes footage of “La Bohème” played for visitors to enjoy. Looking outside the window, a few steps from where the video played, one could see the screening area at the Crocker Park, and several people had already set up areas from where they could enjoy the screening.

Rod Gideons, general director of the Sacramento Opera, had a table on the first floor that included information about the Sacramento Opera’s events.

Gideons pointed out that a Second Saturday event, a photographic exhibit celebrating the Sacramento Opera’s last three decades, was being held at 20th Street.

The showing of “La Bohème” was free to the public. People spread out lawn chairs and blankets on park grounds before the 8 p.m. screening.

A huge outdoor setup provided by ATV Video Center showed crisp video, and guests enjoyed the wonderful sound of an outdoor theater.

The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis and the Crocker Art Museum allowed the audience to enjoy the San Francisco Opera’s production.

The opera also included individual support from Barbara K. Jackson. The Puccini opera showed in front of over 150 guests.

“La Bohème” follows the story of starving artists falling in and out of love in 19th-century Paris. The opera includes comedy, love and tragedy, and the magnificent singing awakens the ears, heart and soul.

The digital recording was very well done and included the conducting mastery of the San Francisco Opera's music director Nicola Luisotti.

Guests were treated to a cast that included soprano Angela Gheorghiu as the ill-fated Mimì and tenor Piotr Beczala as her lover, the poet Rodolfo.

The screening went great for the first 25 minutes before some technical difficulties stopped the show. The patient audience sat and waited for the showing to restart. The break gave the audience time to mix.

By this time the weather was very pleasant. Mario Forte shared some thoughts, saying, “You know I was in Milan last year and saw ‘La Bohème’ at a small theater. My wife and I enjoyed the opera by Puccini and loved it. We heard about tonight’s event and we had to come. I think once the screening starts again you’re going to love it. Let’s change that … you will definitely love it.”

The four-part opera restarted after a 20-minute wait. The opera was sung in Italian and included English subtitles.

“La Bohème” at Crocker Park was quite enjoyable and Forte’s words came true. I definitely loved the showing and shared that feeling with others in the audience.

The Mondavi Center and Crocker Art Museum collaboration was well-received.

The Crocker’s Thursdays ‘til 9 series continues next Thursday with The Gonzalo Bergara Quartet, part of the Jazz in the Courtyard series.

Local gallery showing 'Oddities, an Eclectic Exhibit'

2012-06-09T08:10:16Z

Oddities, an Eclectic Exhibit, will be showing from June 2 to June 30 at the Little Relics Boutique & Galleria located at 908 21st Street in Sacramento.

Featured artists for this showing are Rachel Suh, Christine Conklin, Susan Raines and Bryson Webb.

At an artist reception for the exhibit featured artists were present. Artist receptions are a great way to meet artists and ask them about their work. Visitors streamed into the gallery to enjoy fine art along with delicious appetizers and drinks.

The Little Relics art exhibit showcased an assortment of art, each distinctive in their own way, and all drawing the attention of visitors to the gallery.

Suh is originally from Carmel, Calif., and studied for a while at the Art Institute in Los Angeles. The preview event is Suh’s first exhibit and thirteen pieces of her work lined the walls.

When asked how she was chosen to display she said, “Susan (Rabinovitz) was really sweet as soon as she met me she let me do this exhibit. Normally I’m really not the person that shows my art to people but I couldn’t give this chance up.”

Colorful and detailed acrylic on canvas art is Suh’s forte and while admiring her work, it was amazing to hear that she only started painting this year. Suh’s work is, as she describes it, “cartoony and fun.”

“The first piece I did was in January of this year and that’s when I started,” Suh said when asked how long she worked on the art being exhibited.

Suh named Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward, Chuck Jones and Bob Camplet as some of the animators who have inspired her.

Bryson Webb had one piece of art hanging for the exhibit. The 19 year old has already had a number of showings around Sacramento.

Webb described his acrylic on canvas, “Tree of Life,” as a piece from a mini-series of paintings he just completed.

“I just completed the mini-series set called ‘Alice in My Land.’ It’s a spinoff on ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ This piece in particular was a spinoff on the singing flowers,” Webb said.

Webb noted that the “Alice in Wonderland” inspiration also helps him with his artwork.

“I was really inspired by ‘Alice in Wonderland’ because it was Alice’s escape from the real world that made the story. Basically she got bored with her mom, bored with her life, bored from school and then she just created her own world. I find that in my paintings whenever I get bored of anything I can just go and paint and create whatever I want.”

Webb’s perspective shows in his artwork and the use of bright colors complements the stick figures in his “Tree of Life.” He also noted that he sees this piece as one that shows fun and excitement.

Susan Rabinovitz is the owner and jewelry artisan at Little Relics Boutique & Galleria. She put together a wonderful collection of artist for this showing. As we walked around the gallery her enthusiasm for the artists and their work was quite evident.

Rabinovitz has an eye for art and was eager to talk about this month’s exhibit. Her enthusiasm draws artists to her intimate gallery and each artist spoke highly of her.

Raines was unfortunately ill and unable to make it to the reception, so Rabinovitz showed me the artist’s photography. In describing Raines’ exhibit Rabinovitz said, “These pieces show the artistic side of her photographs. They accentuate her models or scene. I love the colors and their artistry as they pop out in collage pieces.”

Rabinovitz indicated that Raines also has an exhibit at the Kennedy Gallery.

Several glass cases in the middle and sides of the gallery showcase Rabinovitz’ wonderful jewelry creations. She is passionate about her work and shared a couple of her pieces and the process involved in making them.

One jewelry creation used tourmaline and sterling silver on jasper. She took the time to explain the process.

“I love jasper because it so different depending upon on where it comes from,” Rabinovitz said.

Christine Conklin had three pieces on exhibit. She had two ink on wood and a charcoal piece on display. The charcoal piece, Conklin said, was the first charcoal piece she has done.

Conklin has a degree in fashion design and as such uses female forms for her work.

“A lot of my influence came from designing and fashion using the female form,” Conklin said.

Conklin attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in San Francisco, where she received her degree in fashion design. When asked about her work in fashion Conklin said, “I’m not directly involved in fashion but I’m a hair stylist and a wig designer. I’m a designer for the California Musical Theater and I do the Music Circus.”

Although only three pieces are on exhibit this month, Conklin shared that she will be the sole artist on exhibit in July. She hopes to share work created on antique windows and doors.

As with most artists Conklin works on several pieces at a time.

“Right now I have about 10 unfinished pieces for the July show,” Conklin said.

Conklin also talked about how long it takes to complete her work.

“It depends on the pieces because one piece may speak to you a little bit more and I can’t stop working on it. Then there’s other pieces where I leave for a couple of months and then get back to it. It all depends.”

Conklin has exhibited her artwork at various shows for the last couple of years. Her exhibit at Little Relics next month will be her first solo exhibit.

When asked what she’s looking forward to with her solo show Conklin stated, “You know, honestly I’m looking forward to seeing all my stuff hanging up in one spot. Right now they’re all over in my house and I have several pieces up in other places. Having everything in one spot is exciting.”

This Second Saturday (June 9) will be a great time to come by the Little Relics Boutique & Galleria and see the Oddities, an Eclectic Exhibit, and meet the artists. The exhibit will run until the end of June.

Each month Little Relics Boutique & Galleria showcases a rotating art exhibit showcasing the work of local artists. A fine selection of handmade jewelry is always available.

50 Years of Superheroes, Nudes, and Other Pop Delights exhibit

2012-06-05T04:32:32Z

Internationally acclaimed artist Mel Ramos’ art will be on exhibit at the Crocker Art Museum from June 2-Oct. 21, 2012.

Ramos’ “50 Years of Superheroes, Nudes, and Other Pop Delights” brings 70 paintings, drawings and sculptures from Ramos’ 50-year career to the Crocker.

Ramos is a Sacramento native whose exhibits have graced the walls of international museums. His most recent exhibition was held at the world-famous Albertina in Vienna, Austria.

The Crocker Art exhibit is the first such showing of Ramos’ work in an American museum in 35 years.

The exhibit features Abstract Expressionist paintings, several sculptures and landscape paintings.

Several of his paintings depict superheroes from the 1960s and also feature many of his commercially inspired nudes that the artist is best known for.

Comic book enthusiasts will instantly recognize his superhero collection, which showcases Ramos’ early work.

Ramos is known for his Pop Art work of the 1960s. The Sacramento artists produced art that celebrates aspects of pop culture, along the likes of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg and James Rosenquist.

Much of Ramos’ work also celebrates his California background and features typical sun-tanned California beauties. For example, “Monterey-Jackie” features a blonde nude model atop Monterey cheese. “Miss Navel Orange” was inspired by a Miss Orange County event Ramos witnessed at a California fair event.

Most of the other paintings depict commercialism, as his models pose next to popular products such as Coca Cola, Snickers, Lipton Ice Tea, Chiquita bananas, Ritz crackers and many other products.

Scott A. Shields, chief curator, gave a media tour of the Ramos exhibit. Shields explained that the Crocker was happy to have secured the exhibit, saying, “We’ve wanted to do this for a very long time. Although he’s done single piece showings, the first one in 1957, he has never had a one-person show in his hometown. He just had a one-person show at the Albertina in Vienna, which is one of the world’s best art museums, and we figured we better get on this bandwagon if he’s doing exhibitions in the world’s best museums and he hasn’t done one here.”

The nudes depicted in his work might have been provocative at the time they were created, but in today’s world they may not be as controversial.

The Ramos gallery exhibit is very colorful and is an excellent example of the Crocker Museum’s goal of providing a variety of exhibitions.

Lial A. Jones, CEO, Mort and Marcy Friedman Director, commented on the Ramos exhibit and the popularity of other Sacramento artists. Jones noted that since a 1957 Sacramento Ramos showing, “Ramos has, since that time, with other artists such as Wayne Thiebaud, really brought great renown to Sacramento as a place for great artists.”

In looking to achieve a greater diversity in its exhibitions Jones indicated that the new exhibit fits their goal. In trying to diversify, Jones said, “I think this show does that. It puts Pop Art in a context. It puts art collection in context, which helps us understand what was happening throughout the continuum of our history. It is also a great catalyst for exhibition interaction, whether that is in conversations or other exchanges of ideas about art, women and commercialism.”

A catalog featuring Ramos' work is also available at the museum store, showing many more works of art.

The actual gallery contains a very colorful display of Ramos’ work. Crocker staff created a wonderful gallery exhibit and background to showcase the diversity of not only the artist, but also the types of exhibits the museum is branching out to do.

The much-deserved Ramos exhibit at the Crocker showcases some of the best Sacramento has to offer to the world.

The Crocker Art Museum has many great exhibits planned throughout the year. The museum continues to bring art from around the world to Sacramento. Exhibits at the Crocker also showcase local talent that inspires the art world.

Log on to the Crocker Art Museum's website to view future exhibits and community events.

Second Annual Tapas and Tutus

2012-05-26T07:35:01Z

The Sacramento Ballet’s second annual Tapas and Tutus fundraiser was a great mix of music , dance and food. It all took place at the Center at Twenty Three Hundred on Wednesday.

Great food, drinks and a terrific atmosphere helped with the fundraising and auctioning event to benefit the Sacramento Ballet.

The organization is coming to the end of its 57th season and continues to entertain, educate and inspire young and old alike. The Sacramento Ballet continues to bring notoriety to the city as they have become a nationally renowned dance company.

The Sacramento community was invited to participate in raising needed funds that bring the wonderful world of dance to various venues and stages in our area.

Tapas and Tutus brought over 150 dance and art enthusiasts to the event sponsored by long time supporter James Hargrove.

Many of the dancers mixed with the audience as they too celebrated the event. Their enthusiasm also helped during the live auction as their spirit brought higher bids on certain items.

Several tables featured tapas from around the world, wine and desserts. Silent auction items also occupied tables in the back.

Live music entertainment was provided by the Brandon Au Quartet. Their jazzy tunes brought several visitors to the dance floor. The drummer for the band was Vanessa Cruz, who also plays with Cave Women.

Auctioneer extraordinaire David Sobon took the stage to offer the evening’s auction items. Each item included their fair market value, and some were marked as “priceless.”

Individuals and businesses provided the items, which included walk-on roles for two adult guests in the party scene of Ron Cunningham’s “The Nutcracker,” donated by Dr. Drosselmeyer and the Stahlbaum family. This item was also the first of several auction items that went to more than one bidder.

Although the bidding began on a quiet note, Sobon’s humor and personality quickly had guests competing in several bidding wars before a win was secured.

A portion of the auction was set aside for “Fund a Need” items. These items allowed the bidder to choose where donations went. These included sponsoring a dancer, sending a class to “The Nutcracker” or “Romeo and Juliet,” providing financial aid for youth classes and several other similar items.

The evening gave guests the opportunity to mingle with the dancers and special guests. It also allowed the company to see how much the community values their work and performances.

Artistic director Ron Cunningham addressed the audience just before the live auction began, saying, “What did you think of those great dancers? Weren’t they awesome?”

Cunningham is the icon of the Sacramento Ballet, and his long tenure has provided many great events during his term as the ballet’s artistic director.

“Next year will be my 25th anniversary as the artistic director of the Sacramento Ballet,” he said. His wife, co-artistic director Carinne Binda, will celebrate her 25th anniversary a year later since he came to Sacramento a year earlier.

Cunningham explained that during his 25th season, there will be much to see.

“The following year will be Carinne’s 25th year, and she says it will be even better that year,” he laughed.

Cunningham announced that “Romeo and Juliet” will be brought to the stage for the first time, and in February they will host a Valentine’s ballet performance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”

Tapas for Tutus helps Sacramento arts and artists showcase their talents in our area and throughout the world. Sacramento Ballet has been an integral part of our community for 57 years and continues to perform with support from the community.

Kidz Art for Kids Clothes

2012-04-24T21:39:13Z

Most of us think of art as something done on canvas. On Friday, April 20 Monica Gibson Constancio, in her own way, used children’s wear as her canvass to debut a beautiful line full of artistic creations with vibrant colors.

“Kidz Art for Kids Clothes” was held at Creative Vera Studio located at 1200 S Street. FUSE Apparel and Possibility Publishing & Entertainment (T2PS) presented the event attended by guests of all ages creating a fun family atmosphere. Most of the children appeared to be less than 10 years old and had energy to burn.

Several art stations were set up at the studio and children worked on their own to create their masterpieces. Artist Raphael Delgado helped children with their work and offered tips and techniques that helped children create an art piece.

Delgado’s work and efforts in the Sacramento community are well documented and during the event an observer could easily see the dedication he has for children and their artistic growth as he patiently and enthusiastically worked with them.

Constancio’s designs were inspired by art children created and posted to the event site on Facebook. The collaboration project was the end result of an internship Constancio completed. The 10-week internship followed the complete process from its conception, planning, creation and implementation of the design line.

Several other outfits besides the ones modeled were auctioned off during the event. Proceeds from the event will go to pay for the material costs to create the line as well as to the designer and the Crayons for Kids Supply Program for Stanford Home for Children.

FUSE Apparel was created by Tracy Saville and T2PS. The line was envisioned to pair local emerging designers with real artistic inspiration created by children. This paring gives designers the opportunity and experience in designing and delivering a line which can provide some economic return for the designer and proceeds to help fund children’s art.

Saville has become an influential voice for art and artists in the Sacramento community. Her work and vision continues to grow and the “Kidz Art for Kidz Clothes” event allowed her to work with Constancio who was for a time a student of Saville while both were at the International Academy of Design & Technology (IADT).

Just before the actual showing of the Ada Más Bonita line began Saville welcomed guests saying, “Welcome to Creative Vera Studios which is the artistic place of Raphael Delgado. He is one of the most interesting and prolific artists I’ve ever met.”

Saville continued her introduction saying, “About six months ago we were talking about the idea of what it would take to create kids clothes that were inspired by children’s art and also help buy children’s art supplies as a way of creating a relationship between fashion design, art and commerce. At the same time I thought about how fortunate I was to have worked at IADT as an English instructor for it was there that I met Monica Gibson Constancio who is your designer for this evening.”

“I love the idea of doing something that supports children and invests in helping the artist. All these children here tonight in fact are what you’re investing on. The Sacramento community is nothing but a blank canvas thank you for being here to support Monica,” said Saville.

Constancio who admitted being nervous thanked guests and said, “I want to thank everyone for coming out here tonight to support this project. I’m a fashion designing student at IADT. I started three years ago and designing has always been a passion of mine since I was a little kid.”

Constancio talked about her internship saying, “I learned a lot from this project and I’m glad I had the opportunity to work with T2 Solutions. I want to thank Tracy for having this project with kids’ art and fashion. It was a good opportunity to combine the two aspects and I had fun picking out different kinds of fabrics to design with. I’ve cherished the opportunity to work with Tracy, Raphael, the kids and their parents.”

The rambunctious crowd quieted down and the kid fashion show followed. The once lively little models turned shy and parents ended walking down with some of them. The Ada by Más Bonita line made its triumphant debut. Supporters on hand cheered and clapped loudly in support.

After the fashion exhibit Constancio noted that she became involved in the 10 week internship after talking to Saville. Constancio stated, “Tracy used to be a teacher of mine and one day I was just going to see her to talk about what direction I wanted to go in my career because she was my mentor and she said something like ‘Oh, I’m going to be coming up with a project that you might be interested in’ and I said sure and so she told me about a great opportunity in designing children’s clothing through art work.”

Constancio also shared how she came up with the name Más Bonita saying, “I was inspired by beautiful colors and my brand name is Más Bonita. The way I came about the name was simply because my name starts with M, my daughter’s name starts with A and my son’s name starts with an S and I combined it with Bonita (Spanish for pretty). I always want people to feel beautiful while wearing my designs.”

Saville shared some insight about her collaboration with Constancio. When asked how she came up with this project Saville said, “I have a line called FUSE Apparel and the idea of it is to pair artists with local emerging designers and in this case the children’s art inspired the designs. In adult clothing lines the art itself will be imbedded into the fabric. The project allows for both and I can experiment doing something like this as a beginning project and also help mentor someone which is important to me and really it’s doing something for the community as well.”

The 10 week internship also allowed Constancio to satisfy her internship graduation requirement at IADT.

The collaboration of art, fashion and community created a great partnership for the event. The innovated vision created by Saville, Delgado and Constancio was well received and worked well to showcase a triumphant debut for Ada by Más Bonita. With the support of community and business partnerships the event could fuel similar collaborations in Sacramento.

Verse on the Vine on Sutter Street

2012-04-17T02:29:52Z

April’s “Verse on the Vine” featured the talent of Cynthia Linville. Linville teaches writing at Sacramento State and was on hand to treat guests to several of her poems. The event took place on Wednesday, April 11 in Folsom.

The Petra Vineyard wine tasting room is located within the Sutter Street Art Gallery. Guests at the monthly poetry readings have the opportunity to enjoy wines from this fine vineyard and enjoy poetry readings. Folsom’s Sutter Street Art Gallery is located at 627 Sutter Street in Historic Folsom.

Lining the walls of the Sutter Street Art Gallery was art from various artists. Poets at the event were able to use the colorful tapestry of local artists as their backdrop.

Shawn Aveningo hosts the monthly event and treated guests at the event to some of her enchanting poetry. Aveningo started off the evening with one of her own poems entitled “Lucky”. The poem dealt with luck in finding a lost piece of art that could be later sold for a small fortune, a lottery ticket, a dog and other things that can be called being lucky.

Aveningo welcomed guests to “Verse on the Vine” and introduced Petra Vineyard’s Yvonne Norgauer. Guests enjoyed a selection of Petra wines selected by Norgauer. The gallery also serves as a wine tasting room for Petra Vineyard’s savory wines during gallery hours.

As Aveningo welcomed guests she introduced the featured poet saying, “I’m really excited about tonight’s featured poet. I’ve admired her work for years since the first time I saw her downtown at Luna’s Café. Cynthia Linville teaches writing at Sac State and she frequently hosts and reads poetry at several events.”

Linville is also one of the editors of Convergence an online magazine of poetry and art. Aveningo continued with her introduction saying, “Her book of collected poems ‘The Lost Thing’ just hit the press today and is coming out in a couple of weeks. It’s my pleasure to introduce my dear friend Cynthia Linville.”

Linville also said a few words to welcome guests. “Thanks to all of you for coming out and thanks for making this series possible. I thought I’d start with some break-up poems since most of us can relate to those,” said Linville and read “All is Fair in Love.”

Her poems about lost relationships were very intense, emotional and amusing. As she read “Love's Labours Lost” she said, “This one is about my first husband, I’ve had three, so there’s lots of material.” The poem brings images of a relationship with her first husband who stands by the bedroom doorway at the age of 17, 29 and 45 and then one day he is gone and all that remains is the doorway.

Linville’s power of the spoken word is very impressive as images are brought to mind about lost loves, saying goodbye as well as thoughtful and provocative descriptions of human relationships.

Linville’s book of collected poems, The Lost Thing, will be published by Cold River Press. In referencing the book Linville said, “As Shawn mentioned I have a book coming out in a few weeks Called The Lost Thing and the publisher just dropped by to show us the framed cover.” Guests showed their appreciation in sharing the event by applauding as they were shown the cover.

Poems about love and other things lost were shared by Linville. Guests also enjoyed how they told stories that were thoughtful, provocative, nostalgic, humorous and full off creative imagery.

During the open mic session five brave individuals took the stage. Poetry readings during this time dealt with different subjects and most of them read original poetry. Guests are encouraged to sign up for the open mic part of the evening and share their favorite works. The only limit put on the open mic session is that participants are given up to five minutes to read one or more poems.

“Verse on the Vine” takes place every second Wednesday of the month. The evening contained a delightful array of sensory enjoyment. Since April is National Poetry Month I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than by enjoying great poetry, fine wine, art and the company of friends

The next "Verse on the Vine" will take place on May 9 and is billed as a Double Feature featuring Patricia Hickerson and Allegra Silberstein.

Second Saturday in Midtown

2012-03-14T23:45:18Z

This month’s Second Saturday Art Walk provided several new venues for art and music lovers to enjoy. Artists showcased their talents at various galleries, pubs, boutiques and restaurants. Several street performers also displayed their talent at several places along Midtown.

Spanglish Arte conducted a sidewalk sale that included many items available at vast discounts. Spanglish Arte also allowed other local artists the opportunity to sell their art and merchandise.

One of the tables included the work of Roberto Robles Jr., whose colorful drawings drew the attention of many casual observers. His drawings can be customized to the buyer’s specs making the art that much more personal.

Inside Spanglish Arte a Second Saturday Art Reception for photography artist Tomás Montoya included an exhibit in honor of his father José Montoya. In honoring his father Tomás Montoya included several photos of the work his dad created and showed the public what the poet and artist surrounded himself with at his home studio .

Down the street at 22nd Street La Raza Galería Posada (LRGP) was scheduled to close down their gallery in Midtown. The Second Saturday event was used to thank followers of the gallery for their appreciation and support.

Last month La Raza Galería Posada announced they were moving to Miller Regional Park. The move will allow the Galería to offer year round programming and will include educational art camps. LRGP hopes that some of the artist will also take an active role as instructors and share their knowledge with the community.

At the gallery, Marie Acosta, Executive Director of LRGP introduced me to exhibiting artist Leonardo Ceballos. The artist, originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, México greeted guests outside the gallery.

When asked how long his show will run Ceballos said, “Today is the last day of the exhibit since the Galería Posada will close today. The exhibit has been here since January’s Second Saturday.” Ceballos has had several exhibits in Sacramento and his website informs followers when and where new exhibits occur.

Ceballos said he served as a volunteer and then had his first exhibition while the Galería was still on O Street about eight years ago.

Marino Flores occupied the right hand side of the Galería. Flores, known as Turntablist Ajax, is a personal friend of Ceballos. Flores has known Ceballos for 10 years and said he was pleased to be spinning at the event.

Last month Mongo Mongo Mongolian BBQ, located at 1830 J Street held its grand opening during February’s Second Saturday. In front of the restaurant artists Lila Solorzano and Randy Rivera worked to create some amazing art.

Rivera was in the process of finishing an airbrush piece of Bob Marley. Rivera also noted that he has an exhibit at the Spanish Fly Hair Garage.

Solorzano also had some of her artwork on exhibit inside Mongo Mongo that included a finished painting of Frida Cano used for a Sacramento Press story last year.

The couple talked about their exhibits with Rivera saying, “I haven’t really had a display in a long time. When I was hanging my work at Spanish Fly I sold two pieces on the spot. I was happy about that.”

Solorzano talked about using watercolors for some of her current work and the talented artist was finishing up one of them. Next to her a finished water color of Kat Von D was displayed. Solorzano is a talented artist who also indulges in creating other art and showcased some earrings made using guitar picks and bottle caps.

After viewing the couple’s art inside Mongo Mongo I followed the sound of music coming from down the street.

Street performers warmed up the crowd in front of The Beat. A group called Tha Dirt Feelin played some soulful beats. The five member Davis based group had a jazzy, soulful sound that stopped many people who passed by.

A fun and upbeat performance kept onlookers asking for more. The musical talent of the Davis group gives them a sound that expands across different musical genres. As they performed one couldn’t help but notice how great a party or house band they would make.

My final scheduled stop of the evening took me to the Sacramento Ballet Studios where several musicians performed as ballet dancers showcased their talent.

The Sacramento Ballet Studios hosted a fusion of music, visual art and dance. The wonderful talent of Ricky Berger was showcased as several dancers from the Sacramento Ballet joined her in a series of impromptu interpretative dances.

As always, Berger’s sweet personality and music delighted the audience while dancers fused modern dance and classical ballet to bring life and amusement to the performance.

Marcus Cortez, who noted he’s in between bands at the moment, brought an acoustic set to the ballet studio. The collaboration between singer and dancers was enjoyable to watch. The theatrics by all performers was quite entertaining.

At the ballet studio Matt Cantor summed the performance quite nicely saying, “The exuberance of the dancers fused with several of Sacramento’s finest musicians made this a very entertaining show. I’d like to see more of this but maybe with choreography created especially for a few songs. Overall I immensely enjoyed the performances.”

As I started to make my way back to my car to go home I heard music that drew my attention. The sound made me look to see where the music was coming from.

As it turns out the sound originated from the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen. The music heard in the streets came from a band called Riot Radio. The raw punk sound created by Riot Radio was different from what the Bicycle Kitchen usually offers on Second Saturdays.

The five member band was a lot of fun to listen to and the lead singer made an impression. Singing ala Jim Morrison with her back to the audience during several songs the raw energy from the band stirred up the audience.

Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen’s Second Saturday was put together to support Met High School’s on campus bicycle collective.

In the next few months attendance is sure to grow at the Second Saturday events as evenings become warmer. Every month brings out local talent for the Sacramento community to enjoy and gives us the opportunity to support local talent.

An evening of art and fashion

2012-03-14T08:46:55Z

Art

Several art galleries throughout Sacramento hold monthly artist receptions usually on the Thursday before their respective Second Saturday Art Walk. During this time guests can attend gallery receptions and enjoy intimate conversations with artists.

Sol Collective, in celebration of its 7th anniversary, is hosting the work of several artists. An opening reception was held on Friday March 9.

Art by Shaun Burner, Jose Di Gregorio, Dana Iske, Miguel Perez, Trent Liddicoat, Carson McWhirter, and Trisha Rhomberg will be on exhibition at Sol Collective until April 14.

Sol 7 is the first art exhibition of the year at Sol Collective and features an exhibition consisting of various styles and media. Several of the artists were on hand during Friday’s artist reception.

One of the artists at the reception was Trent Liddicoat who had four of his pieces on exhibition. When asked how long he’s been showing his art Liddicoat said, “Publicly I’ve been showing my work for two years now. I’ve been doing art my whole life but publicly I’ve been doing this for the last couple of years.

The Rio Linda artist said that he had been a volunteer at Sol’s Del Paso site when they occupied that spot. Liddicoat said, “I volunteered a little bit. I was later told that they didn’t need me volunteering and they gave me the opportunity to work on my art. I had a show at Sol Collective last year when Estella (Sanchez) asked me to come back as part of the art community.”

Liddicoat is also serving as the current curator of this month’s art exhibition and said that he’s also had exhibits at other places

When asked how long it takes him to complete a piece of art Liddicoat said, “I’m a conceptual artist so a lot of time is spent planning and brain storming to find a concept and then I work off of that. I work on multiple pieces at once so I don’t know exactly how long each piece takes.”

When asked who or what his inspiration for his work is Liddicoat said, “Honestly my community and friends are a crucial component of my work. Local artists and friends in Portland have also influenced my creativity.”

The current art exhibition can be seen on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 6. The exhibit runs from March 9 and ends with a closing reception on April 14.

Fashion

On this same evening photographer Nicholas Wray in collaboration with Designing Dreams held an exclusive viewing of the 2011 Designing Dreams Fashion Show. The viewing brought together clientele from Sacramento’s fashion industry to view a video production of last year’s Designing Dreams show.

The event also showcased the new studio Wray is expanding to. The move into a new studio was in part made possible by contributors to Wray’s Kickstarter Studio Project. The studio is located at 1011 10th Street. The studio’s entrance is at the alley below the old bank building across from Broadstone Café.

During Second Saturday Wray also hosted an open house where portraits of Kickstarter contributors were taken.

Tiana Vega Collection and Designing Dreams creators Tiana Vega and Dave Icarangal were also on hand to talk about the 2012 Designing Dreams Fashion Show. Melissa Kay and Samuel Parkinson two of last year’s designers who participated in the 2011 Designing Dreams Fashion Show were also in attendance.

In preparation for the 2012 Designing Dreams Fashion Show Icarangal noted that things are still in the planning stage. They’re hard at work looking to secure sponsorships for the show. Although the show is still being planned Icarangal noted that they need to meet their goal of finding enough sponsors before the show is actually scheduled so much of the planning depends on getting proper funding.

Icarangal also noted that they realize the need for a marketing tool to show prospective sponsors what goes into the program and the outcome. Icarangal said, “We saw the need for a marketing piece and the resulting video will show what went into creating the fashion show. We didn’t have this type of tool last year, we had a video last year but it wasn’t a great video. This year we’re starting off with both video and photography samples in place. A great video will show the production value of being involved in the event and hope potential sponsors see that as well.”

I sat down with Tiana Vega to catch up on her designs and to see what she’s been working on. Vega brought a small sample of her designs to Friday’s viewing.

The last time I spoke to the talented designer she waslooking at moving to Los Angeles but still has strong ties to Sacramento. Vega said, “Right now we’re going back and forth. We’re kind of set on making the move to L.A. perhaps in September. Dave (Icarangal) and I were talking about Designing Dreams and whether to keep it or not. When we first talked about Designing Dreams we talked about it being a mobile thing doing it in Sacramento, L.A. and New York. Now I think it’s only fair to keep the event in one place even if we move to L.A. We’d like to keep it stable and still come back and do it every August.”

As we talked about last year’s show Tiana pointed out that the show became very expensive she said, “We tried to think of a strategic way to plan it. The first year we planned everything out perfectly and things worked out then last year I feel we tried to rush things. I feel we tried to make things work out. The show turned out beautifully and I think what hurt me about the show is that I felt we didn’t raise enough for Jen (Jennifer Richards) and for Sweet Dreams. This year Dave and I have a pact that we want to try to raise enough money by a certain time. As long as we hit our deadlines I think we’ll be on track.”

Indeed the Designing Dreams Fashion Shows have given many designers, models, promoters, photographers and fashionistas a spotlight in the California fashion industry. The show has become a spectacle for the fashion industry and the show continues to be a place where Bay area and Sacramento collaborations take place.

Designing Dreams has brought upcoming and established designers to work together. Vega stated, “I feel that we’ve brought designers together that have made an impact. I feel that the two shows we’ve had so far were well done, I’m very proud of both productions. The shows have turned out beautifully we’ve had almost a thousand people attend each year. I’m not Coco Chanel I’m not one of these people who are well known but I know I have the support from Sacramento and neighboring cities that come and support the other designers.”

As I listened to Vega talk I couldn’t help but admire her tenacity and passion for what she does. Quietly she has made a difference in Sacramento’s fashion industry and her compassion makes those that know her see the beauty within that shows itself in kindness that she has for others.

Her passion is constant and in describing this year’s Designing Dreams she said, “I’m very excited for the show this year. I’ve been watching a lot of movies and trying to get inspiration from these. I've been intrigued by several Tim Burton films. It’s funny because my designs are very classy and elegant, but I want to put a twist on it by using Tim Burton as an inspiration. I want to play with the runway and play with my designs and make this show a show that will be something fun for children and whoever comes to the show I’m sure will enjoy the performance.”

The last question I posed for Vega was to ask about her involvement with Sweet Dreams. Vega said, “I put my heart into a lot of things that I do and one thing that kind of upset me when I came back from L.A, is that everyone seemed to be doing things for themselves and not giving back to the community. When I was younger my parents had a hard time paying medical bills for my brother because he was in and out of the hospital 16 times with pneumonia and they were spending a lot of money for this. I understood at a young age that not everyone can afford to be dealing with medical conditions that costs a lot of money. To give back to these children that Sweet Dreams selects makes me feel better to know who the family is and get to know them instead of just writing out a check and with this charity we’re able to meet the children and people working with Sweet Dreams.

Vega ended by saying, “I feel that Sacramento does not need to be selfish. I think that everything you do should be to help people not just yourself. For me it’s very personal.”

Vega’s sincerity and passion are important elements needed to accomplish whatever she puts her mind to whether it’s a cause, her profession or life her excitement and commitment to help others are very apparent and commendable.

As the showing of the 2011 Designing Dreams Fashion Show was played it became apparent that this would be a great marketing tool. Wray, Vega and Icarangal did a great job putting the video together. With the support of special guests in attendance and others the 2012 Designing Dreams will soon be underway.

Verse on the Vine poetry series

2012-02-11T21:58:23Z

The art of poetry can capture moments in time and immortalize an event forever. Petra Vineyard’s Wine Gallery in Folsom hosted “Verse on the Vine” Wednesday night, with various poetry readings that captured moments in the poet’s life. Writers shared personal thoughts and feelings that dealt with love, courage, honor, pride, relationships, shoes and bras.

“Verse on the Vine” will be a monthly event featuring highly acclaimed poets from Northern California, and the open mic will give other poets a chance to share. This month’s featured the poetic talent of Shawn Aveningo, plus several people took the opportunity to share their poetry during the open mic.

Appetizers were provided by Petra Vineyard, and their specialty wines were served by winemaker Yvonne Norgauer. Petra Vinard is a new winery, and their wine is hand-crafted and sold only through the Wine Gallery, located at 627 Sutter St. in Folsom.

Several of Aveningo’s published books (“Because Red Is Your Favorite Color,” “Stripped,” “And Life Goes On,” “She Has Something to Say”) were available for purchase. Anybody who purchased books also had the opportunity to have them signed by Aveningo.

With several works of art from resident artists hanging from the walls behind the podium, Aveningo brought her readings to the stage. She began by talking about people in her life who have inspired her poetry, including, as she said, “Friends, lovers, strangers, the world outside and the world inside my head. Basically everything, everyone and everywhere. Tonight’s show is all about that a trip to everywhere.”

Aveningo started with “October Memory.” At first it may seem hard to recognize what exactly the poem is about. I couldn’t help but think that it was a poem about love, then about friends, strangers, colors, family, life and those events that change our lives. It was a poignant poem that Aveningo wrote for last year’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a beautiful poem that takes us through one aspect of Aveningo’s life.

Aveningo’s poetry is charming, insightful, thought-provoking, sad, whimsical and reveals much about the poet. Her written work is magnificent and her spoken word delivery makes it all come to life.

Her next poem was about her favorite accessory: shoes. Her poem began, “Can a woman own too many shoes?” The question drew laughter from the audience. The different types of shoes in the poem were read off in rapid succession, making this a quick poetry reading.

Aveningo introduced another poem saying that the loss of a loved one is heartbreaking and makes one appreciate the time we have with them. She delivered a touching poem about being with her dad at a St. Louis Cardinals game and how the memories of sights, sounds, smells and emotions can remain a lifetime. The poem took the audience to the stadium almost as if we were there.

Aveningo’s poetry gives life, brings back memories and inspires. “Arlington Lot 60” brings forth the haunting imagery of war and its effects on mothers, young brides, broken dreams and society. It ends by saying, “…reminding us all that life will go on, regardless of whether we learn from our mistakes.”

Some of Aveningo’s topics were also lighthearted, covering coconuts, a winery and the shape of your mouth. She ended by reading “Favorite Skies,” inspired by Robert Sanders, a love poem that brings memories of the little things in our lives that we share with our loved ones: seeing the beautiful colors in the sky, walking hand in hand during sunset and watching the stars in the evening sky.

After a short intermission, the open mic period followed. Writers had time to share poem or short stories and had a five-minute time limit.

A poet from Denver and a good friend of Aveningo was the first reader to take the stage. Jovan Mays began speaking with a powering voice saying, “They call this place the home of heroes” and read a poem that was an ode to Pueblo, Colo. Mays’ powerful voice and delivery made sure all eyes and ears were on him from beginning to end.

Mays’ poem speaks of four brave and proud military personnel from Pueblo who received medals of honor for their part in different wars. Mays also mentions the devastating flood of 1921 that is considered the worst disaster in the city’s history. Mays’ potent reading started the open mic series and left a powerful impression.

Other performers were Katerina Purrington, Inge Nibblett, Jim Nolt and Stan Ketchum. These readings brought a great evening of poetry to an end. Their poetry touched several aspects of their lives and experiences. Through their poetry they shared love, hurt, pride, courage, life, painting inspirations and even wineries.

Poetry continues to be a medium that can be used by all. I’m sure many people have written poetry or short stories, but I wonder how much of this is shared by poets at heart. How much is shared beyond one or two people? How much have you written that remains unread? Open mic poetry readings give everyone an opportunity to share their innermost thoughts.

Sacramento Ballet's Cinderella

2012-02-04T04:06:51Z

Sacramento Ballet’s in-studio previews for “Cinderella” sold out, and these performances created a delightful show for children and adults. The in-studio performances were held at the Sacramento Ballet Studios on Thursday and Friday.

The preview shows gave guests an opportunity to see an up-close and personal view of the wonderful talent the Sacramento Ballet has to offer. This unique perspective allows viewers to appreciate the effort that goes into each movement.

On Thursday afternoon, artistic director Ron Cunningham welcomed ballet enthusiasts to the event held at their studio at 1631 K St. Cunningham introduced several of the dancers performing in “Cinderella.”

Richard Smith and Rex Wheeler are cast in the roles of Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters, giving them a comic role. Their dance moves brought laughter from the audience at various points. They were also dressed in costume for the performance, while most of the rest of the cast wore casual ballet outfits.

Cunningham noted that his version of “Cinderella,” originally created in 1976 for the Boston Ballet, has been seen by audiences around the world. A Chinese national TV station also televised the ballet to over 30 million viewers.

“Cinderella” is divided into three acts. Act 1 begins with Cinderella, played by Alexandra Cunningham, working hard performing unending chores. The ungraceful stepsisters try outfits for the royal ball, and later a dance master attempts to teach them dance moves and social graces.

As the stepsisters attempt to dance, a viewer cannot help but notice how much effort it takes to move and dance like someone who does not know how to dance. The stepsisters’ moves are made to look clumsy and funny, and their whimsical facial expressions are very comical and are sure to delight the audience at the Sacramento Community Center.

Act 2 takes place at the royal ball as guests await the arrival of the prince. The court jester, played by Christopher B. Nachtrab, entertains the royal guests. Dancers gracefully waltz around which again shows their classically trained adagio moves and balance. Their fluid movements hypnotize the audience.

When Cinderella arrives at the royal ball, guests are impressed by her natural grace and beauty. Once the prince, played by Stefan Calka, arrives and sees Cinderella, the two instantly fall in love.

Calka’s performance is physically demanding, and his moves are classic and elegant. During one of his solo dances, Calka’s glissade movements used the whole studio floor, as he danced to impress Cinderella, but the whole audience was impressed by his fluid dancing.

Cinderella continues to dance with her new love as time seems to have stood still. The beauty of ballet transcends on the ballet studio, making this fairytale come to life in front of the audience.

Soon the clock strikes midnight. As Cinderella races home, the second intermission arrives.

We all know the story of “Cinderella,” but the Sacramento Ballet brings music, dance and love to the studio and will do the same at the Community Center. Cunningham’s choreography is a joy to watch. This will be a love story for ballet enthusiasts of all ages.

“Cinderella” will play at the Sacramento Community Center Theater from Feb. 9 to 12, with two shows on Feb. 11.

Second Saturday art and events

2012-01-18T20:49:33Z

Midtown’s first Second Saturday event of 2012 saw smaller crowds this weekend. The smaller crowds however made it easier to talk to artists who exhibited their work.

A number of establishments also appeared to have closed down or moved from Midtown's J Street and surrounding area since last month. This situation has created a new environment where several businesses are collaborating to bring events to a storefront during Second Saturday.

This Saturday, Dragatomi, Metro PCS, tokidoki and Unseen Heroes teamed up for a Metro PCS and tokidoki Phone Release Party.

Unseen Heroes Events Coordinator, Maritza Davis, described the event saying, “This is a tokidoki and Metro PCS release collaboration that brings new phone technology to Sacramento. These events are typically done in Los Angeles and larger cities but because we have an established vinyl toy store here in Sacramento, Dragatomi, they were willing to let us link up with them so that we could feature the phone and introduce it to the public.”

The event ran from 5 to 9 p.m. and a line formed to receive free swag bags that included a tokidoki t-shirt and other goodies. Customers were also given the chance to buy the exclusive phones and sign up for a prize drawing. Several yet to be released phone cases were also available for purchase.

Roshaun Davis, creative alchemist, at Unseen Heroes highlighted the fact that only three launches have been done for the tokidoki phone release and they chose Sacramento as one of the sites. The first release was in New York, the second in L.A. and then Sacramento.

When Metro PCS and tokidoki first partnered they celebrated the partnership by introducing the phone at the New York Comic-Con which is the largest POP culture event on the East Coast. The launch on Saturday night coincided with the SacAnime Convention in town and several visitors who passed by Dragatomi had the SacAnime badges still hanging from their neck.

Inside Dragatomi an art exhibit by Martin Hsu had several of his “Dragon Boy” series art work. The Hsu exhibit will run until February 4.

Down the street at the corner of K and 22nd Street artist Conrad Lawrence had a street art exhibit of bikes and metal art work. Lawrence also created a bicycle powered art mechanism that allowed people who passed by to create a “swirl” art piece that Lawrence hopes to soon have on display. Other finished pieces lay on the ground.

Intrigued by his bicycle art idea I asked how he came up with the concept. “It was inspired by Burning Man. I did a show with tall bikes. In June I had 20 of them and I asked myself how else can I make the bikes interactive? So this idea came up and I built it. Then I thought of the shrink stand over there making everything interactive art.”

Another piece was created by Lawrence’s mother and people could pass by and fill in the unfinished piece. Lawrence said, “The project here is just to fill it in with whatever in order to finish this unique piece of art."

A separate area had a Peanuts comic strip style psychiatry booth called Lucy’s Shrink Shop. The station would allow people passing by to take either the psychiatrist or patient role and initiate conversation between two people. I thought this to be a clever idea and probably one that many corporations could install in a break room or something similar. Street art at times seems to offer more but January’s Second Saturday offered both.

Gallery 2110 and the Sacramento Art Complex had their gallery open for a showing of James Mullen’s work and several resident artists were on hand at their studios. Clare Bailey, Gallery 2110 owner, introduced me to Mullen and showed me some of his work.

Mullen is a Grass Valley artist whose work will be featured at the gallery that runs through February 3.

His artwork was truly fascinating and when I asked him how long he’s been an artist I got an answer that I was expecting after walking around the main hall admiring his work. Mullen said, “For as long as I can remember. Before I went to kindergarten I knew I was going to be an artist.” I’ve talked to other artists who have said similar things indicating they knew they wanted to be an artist going back to grade school. I often wondered if that’s the case only with artists or if extends beyond that. To me it’s astonishing to know someone that young can have that drive. It’s especially amazing since as I’ve become older I still don’t know what I want to be.

Mullen operates a studio out of his home in Grass Valley. His exhibit opened on Thursday and will run for approximately a month. He indicated that much of his work on exhibit goes back to 2005 and more recent work was also on display.

His work, on a smaller scale, reminded me of the Watts Towers that were close to where I lived growing up in Los Angeles. Mullen’s artwork is made up of materials found around where he lives. When asked how he gathered his materials for his artwork Mullen said, “I stop by places near home that I know. I like fencing and I like rusted sheet metal and copper so when I ride my bicycle and I see someone has a bunch of rolled up fencing in their pasture I knock on the door and say, hey you want to get rid of this? A lot of times they say yeah, so I haul it away and take it home.” Mullen said he works with those materials and stretches them out, cuts it up and reshapes it to make his brand of art.

Mullen is always looking for pieces and his friends know that and they too gather up these items and give them to him. He’s been primarily involved in this form of art for the past four to five years and before that he worked with clay for many years. He hears from friends and friends of friends who see his work and they approach him saying, “Hey I have a box of junk you’re going to like and they bring him a box of stuff.” It just goes to show that art is everywhere and discarded items or “junk” with the right imagination can be turned into great pieces of art.

Mullen’s creative art pieces occupy the main hall at the 2110 Gallery and can be great inspiration to students and established artists. The materials he uses come not only from the Grass Valley area but he’s also acquired items from a Navajo reservation in New Mexico and when he has a concept in mind he may search eBay for items in other places.

Live music at the 2110 Gallery was provided by Sean Paul Mee and his music was great ambiance for the event.

Sacramento Ballet's The Nutcracker

2011-12-05T08:38:03Z

There are many holiday traditions that we all have and share. A tradition held by many around the world is listening to, participating in or performing “The Nutcracker.”

Friday night the Sacramento Ballet hosted “Inside the Director’s Studio, Through the Dancer's Eye: The Nutcracker,” where dancers talked about “The Nutcracker” and shared their personal points of view.

Artistic director Ron Cunningham welcomed guests to the event, saying the dancers would talk about their experiences and how they prepare for shows.

Cunningham also called the audience’s attention to a Sacramento Ballet calendar featuring the photography of resident photographer Keith Sutter. Cunningham noted that the calendar would make a wonderful Christmas gift and several of them were later sold at the lobby. Dancers available after the show were happy to autograph calendars purchased.

Dancers sat on the floor of the Sacramento Ballet Studios facing the audience. The setting was very casual, and approximately 25 dancers participated. Christopher Brian Nachtrab and Alexandra Cunningham served as moderators of the event.

“The event is entitled ‘Inside the Director’s Studio,’ but tonight it’s ‘Inside the Dancers’ Studio,’” Nachtrab said. “It’s a perspective of how we deal with ‘The Nutcracker,’ year after year after year after year…” Nachtrab continued drawing laughter.

Nachtrab’s insight to their performances was very intriguing, and events such as this allow guests to learn more about the dancers. It also gives the audience an idea of what goes on behind the curtain.

“The Nutcracker” has a large cast of members and dancers who may have to perform as more than one character. How do the dancers spend their time backstage when not performing? What’s the hardest part about performing? Who does hair, makeup and costumes? Those were some questions answered as dancers talked about their experiences.

Nachtrab shared that since this is so close to Christmas many of the dancers have to skip holiday parties they’re invited to because of rehearsals and performances. Their last performance is the day before Christmas Eve and if they have to travel it becomes a little burdensome.

Nachtrab said, “Since I live across the country I don’t get home until Christmas Eve and I really can’t tell my family I have to go out and buy presents so I have to be well prepared. Another thing that the dancers have to cope with is makeup". Nachtrab stated, “The ladies have to put on lots of makeup and it becomes very demanding on them.”

Other dancers noted that they get into character mode with the help of other dancers and try to keep limber. One of the dancers noted that there’s a lot of bouncing, jumping and stretching backstage. If dancers are not on stage they’re busy doing their own hair and makeup, changing into different costumes and preparing for their performance.

“The Nutcracker” has been performed around the world for over 100 years, and generations of fans continue to follow ballet performances. The dancers at the Sacramento event shared some of their experiences when they saw their first “Nutcracker” performance.

Nachtrab said he saw his first performance when he was 5 years old.

“I sat on my mom’s lap because there was a gentleman who was way too tall sitting in front of me,” he said. “I enjoyed the whole thing, and after I walked out of the theater, I said that I just loved it. “

Dancer Lauren Breen shared that her mom had taken her to watch “The Nutcracker” when she was 3 years old, but she did not remember it.

It was interesting to note that several of the dancers are originally from other countries, and it was interesting to hear about their exposure to the production.

Dancer Rick Porter, an Australian native, said his first introduction only happened four years ago since he did not experience it back home, but he’s found that it’s, as he put it, “a fun ballet.”

Nicole Haskins told a story about a video of her at 18 months old choreographing her own Sugar Plum Fairy dance, running to her dad. She has been performing as one character or another from the age of 9 to 18. Now, she says, there’s always something different at every role and every performance that keeps her performances fresh.

It was also a great experience to have dancers share their enthusiasm for dance, performing and their view on life. The dancers are very close to each other and their friendship is quite evident.

The audience learned that the dancers usually practice several hours a day until the day of the performance, and then they have to adjust as they practice later in the day for the evening performances.

Besides rehearsals, the dancers have to apply stage makeup, make wardrobe changes and other adjustments in between dances. In essence, there are many things going on backstage that the dancers need to make allowances for and they all show camaraderie by helping other dancers when they can.

The audience was asked to look for the performance of the maids, as this was described as a fun role. The experiences of wearing the mouse or nutcracker heads and costumes were fascinating to listen to as well. Almost every aspect of what goes on backstage was discussed, and it’s remarkable how much goes on that the audience just doesn’t know about.

As I listened to the dancers share their stories, I remembered my introduction to “The Nutcracker” when I was 7, when I danced in a school production, and that memory has remained. Do you remember the first time you saw or participated in “The Nutcracker”?

Ron Cunningham’s “The Nutcracker,” with live score performed by the Sacramento Philharmonic, opens on Friday and runs through Dec. 23 at the Sacramento Community Center. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 808-5181.

Big Party 2011

2011-10-26T03:43:07Z

A “Big Party” was celebrated this past Thursday in Midtown Sacramento. The Big Party was Artober's red carpet event held at The Next Door B&L Mulvaney's located at 1215 19th Street.

Approximately 150 people attended the event. The Big Party was put together to celebrate the 2011 Transformational Leader Awards party and was hosted by Tracy Saville and T2 Performance Solutions. The event featured writers, photographers, performers, leaders in the Sacramento community and artists.

Art, culture and business, civic leadership, music and community members joined in honoring and celebrating the work done by many in the Sacramento community. Guests were also photographed by Nicholas Wray, one of Sacramento’s best photographers.

KCRA’s Kristin Marshall started off the evening addressing honorees and guests to the event. Marshall welcomed everyone to the event and spoke about the Transformational Leader Awards and the recipients that were being honored.

Marshall welcomed guests by saying, “Thank you all and thanks to all our honorees, their families and friends.” She also spoke about those being honored and thanked them for sharing their dreams, excelling in the arts and for trying to create a better life for themselves by traveling roads less taken.

Marshall encouraged guests to mingle with the special guests through the evening and to, as she said, “Take from the experience and become motivated to do the same and make a difference if you can in your own way. Celebrating with us this evening are artists from all walks of life including Lonn Friend and Raphael Delgado, named artist of the year and creator of Millennium Scepter.”

Marshall introduced Brian Diamond who told her what to say when he was introduced. Marshall said, “He’s an actor, comedian, speaker, he likes soup, his favorite sport is hacky sack, he’s been a 3-time world champ and one day he aspires to be Rosie O'Donnell. So please welcome Brian Diamond.”

Diamond spent a few minutes doing his standup routine and was quite funny. He thanked the movers and shakers of Sacramento and then told short stories to entertain the audience. I especially liked when he told the audience, “This is actually going to be my last week in the arts and entertainment industry. I came into an awful lot of money. Next week I will have $2.6 million. I’ve been getting these emails from Nigeria and I think I’m really, really close to getting the money because they’re asking for my social security number.” Not only that but he also shared, “I just signed a great deal with HBO,” as guests applauded he said, it’s $14.95 a month and they’re installing it next week.”

Diamond noted he’s from Sacramento but had lived in Los Angeles for 11 or so years and told several funny anecdotes about his experiences down there and then got serious when he talked about the transformation he’s noticed in Sacramento.

Diamond also relayed a story about a gentleman in Sacramento who at the age of 15 witnessed another man address some field workers who were being arrested. This man told the lettuce field workers and the police officers about the freedom to assemble in a peaceful way and their right to exercise the freedom of speech. That man turned out to be Cesar Chavez. The young 15 year old who witnessed this later went on to Cal Berkeley to pursue a law degree as a result of the incident that changed his life.

According to Diamond witnessing certain events, works or deeds can have unintended consequences that can last a lifetime. He then went on and read a poem he called “Risk It” it’s a poem (slightly changed) by an unknown poet and it goes like this:

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out to another is to risk involvement
To express feelings is to risk exposing yourself
To place your dreams before a crowd is to risk ridicule
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure
But risk must be taken in life
Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing
He may avoid suffering and sorrow but he simply cannot learn, grow, feel, change, love and live
Only a person who risks is truly free

Diamond concluded by saying, “and so for those of you who took risks you have made the changes that Sacramento needs and I thank you for that.”

Tracy Saville followed and thanked her guests and showed her usual charisma and enthusiasm as she welcomed guests saying, “This is a very meaningful evening for me but it isn’t about me. This is an evening that I and my family and our company wanted. To begin to do something that would set a different standard and set a new bar for the kinds of things that we saw as quality. We acknowledged characteristics that we admired, respected and helped develop in the leaders that lead our city and our region.”

Saville talked about the transformational leaders in the Sacramento community and in regards to those being honored at the event she said, “We wanted to shine a light on 30 human beings that we thought would be honored for stepping outside the box and for doing extraordinary innovative work.” Saville noted that many of them do these things fairly quietly and humbly and all of them excel in a discipline of perseverance and who perform powerful things even though nobody talks about it.

Saville later introduced rock and roll journalist Lonn Friend who was signing his newest book Sweet Demotion. Friend flew up from Southern California for the event and met many of the guests who talked to him about his experiences as a rock journalist. Friend mentioned a previous visit to Sacramento saying, “I think the last time I was in Sacramento was when I interviewed Tesla in 1991 so that shows you what a journey this is. I’m glad to be here. The last book that I wrote Sweet Demotion, the subtitle says it all How an Almost Famous Rock Journalist Lost Everything and Found Himself (almost) is really written for people who have been through a rough mid life.”

Friend said a few words about his experience as a journalist and mentioned how glad he was to be at the event. Friend also had on hand another book he wrote Life on Planet Rock: From Guns N' Roses to Nirvana, a Backstage Journey through Rock's Most Debauched Decade.

Raphael Delgado also addressed guests and said it was a privilege to be honored and thanked everyone. His work Millennium Scepter was the emblem or icon for the Transformational Leader Awards event. Talking about his works he said, “Thank you for all your support. Show me an artist who’s made it without support, ” and gave everyone time to reflect. Delgado’s work was all around, on the projected screen behind the stage, on the program’s front and back cover and on a table where a large piece of his Millennium Scepter was later unveiled. His recognition was well deserved and received.

Photographer Nicholas Wray talked a little about his photographic project saying, “I’m here because of this project I’m working on called the Sacramento 100. It’s a book that I’m developing. It’s basically about the 100 most culturally influential people in Sacramento that I’m photographing. It will be all in black and white and it’s going to be a coffee table book.” More information about this project and photos of guests during the evening can be seen at his facebook page.

As the program continued Saville returned to address guests and thanked her family for being at the event. Saville spoke about T2 Performance Solutions a private company that Tracy and Tim Saville founded in early January. Saville said, “We’re a traditional personal and professional leadership development company so we do all that, also team building, management staff work and H.R. presentations that your employers make you go to but we do that sort of like in a rock and roll style. What we really do is focus on this idea of personal leadership.”

Recognition and awards were then bestowed upon many honorees and after that the celebration continued.

Clemon Charles provided musical entertainment and Saville’s son Michael Wilson played drums. Wilson and Christopher Karne Frost along with T2 also produced a Clemon Charles video that made its premier and was projected on a screen.

The Big Party continued after the 2011 Transformational Leaders were recognized and who in turn will nominate someone to take their place for next year’s celebration.

Second Annual Masquerade Gala

2011-10-25T06:02:27Z

The 2nd Annual Masquerade Gala was held at the Gallery 2110 and Sacramento Art Complex this past Saturday night.

The event brought art aficionados to a masquerade gala evening where guests enjoyed a wonderful evening of fine food, beer, wine and friends. Live fire dancing featuring Gina Rossi and an art gallery auction were also featured. Proceeds from the auction are split between the artists and the Sacramento Artists Council who, among other things, provides scholarships and grants to young artists.

In contrast to the rain that fell during last year’s masquerade, this year’s event was held under sunny skies. The Sacramento Artists Council (S.A.C.) presented the masquerade gala and many of its board members were at the event.

The S.A.C. supports local artists, musicians, photographers, filmmakers and other artisans. It also helps cultivate and inspire high school students while partnering with local business for a greater sense of art community throughout the Sacramento area with an emphasis in the Midtown and Downtown areas.

The 2nd Annual Masquerade was also sponsored by the Midtown Business Association.

A no host cocktail reception was held at the Gallery 2110 sculpture garden and complimentary appetizers were available. Both floors of the art complex were open for viewing and a few resident artists were on hand to greet visitors. The hosts for the evening were Susan and Mark Rabinovitz.

Out in the sculpture garden, a performance featuring a Creative Spirit Fire Dance by Rossi thoroughly entertained guests. Rossi has art in the garden and also donated an art piece for the evening’s art auction.

Rossi addressed the audience during the performance.

“I want to thank you all for being a part of this evening and supporting the arts. It’s amazing to have all of us here together for something that is positive for our community.”

Rossi talked about her role at the gallery and introduced her dance. She indicated that most of her performances are basically improv performances and the reason is because, as she said in a true artistic spirit, “I like to do what comes instinctively since we all move through life with our heart and minds and sometimes there is no rhyme or reason for what we do. Life just carries us on and wonderful things come out of that.”

An impressive performance was given by Rossi, paired with Nick Rosenthal. After the fire dance, performance guests were ushered into the main gallery where several dozen pieces of art, all up for auction, hung on the walls or served as center pieces for the dining tables.

A delicious vegan or poultry dinner was provided and served by Classique Catering with Carvalho wines. Classique Catering also provides services for weddings, corporate parties, balls, galas, events, festival and holiday parties in the Sacramento area.

Mark Rabinovitz took the opportunity to thank guests as they enjoyed their dinner.

“This is our 2nd Annual Masquerade. The first one was a huge success and I think it’s safe to say that this will be too. Thanks to the people who are here. Thanks also to the board, the Sacramento Artists Council and all the artists whose work you see hanging on the walls.”

He noted the partnerships that are being developed through this and other events in the area.

“I think we have years to develop this partnership and there’s more to come, this is just the beginning.”

Rabinovitz mentioned that he noticed a lot of familiar faces at the event, including members from the Sacramento Artists Council. He mentioned the mission of S.A.C., which is to create venues for local artists and to provide grants and scholarships. He thanked all the artists for donating pieces of their work.

A portion of the proceeds from each art piece will be given to S.A.C., who will then give back to artists and help young artists follow their passion.

“It’s one thing to have a community donate money to support artists, but seeing artists support other artists is something incredible and that’s exactly what the S.A.C. hopes to accomplish here,” said Rabinovitz.

“Thank you for coming out as a community. Enjoy the night and enjoy sitting with the people you’re sitting with. Have a cocktail or two, make sure you bid on some art later and enjoy your meal.”

To top off the sit down dinner, Music a Dué serenaded guests as they enjoyed their meal and each other’s company. Guests enjoyed several pieces from the harp and flute duo.

As guests ate dinner they were able to chat with old friends and mingle with several of the artists who had donated art.

Each piece of art had a starting price along with its actual value. Any piece could also be bought before it went up for live auction. Each artist specified an amount that would be donated to S.A.C. and the donations ranged from 20 to 100 percent of the final bid price.

As dinner wound down, Mark Rabinovitz once again addressed the audience to introduce the S.A.C. board and say a few words.

“I want to introduce our Founder and Executive Director, Susan Rabinovitz; our President, Scott Mitchell; I am Vice President, Mark Rabinovitz; Secretary, Wendy Mitchell; our Treasurer, Dylan Swann, could not make it… Thanks also to our board members Jodie Kerhlikar and Karen Dukes. Karen Dukes is also a resident artist in this building and is kind enough to donate 100 percent of her auction proceeds. Our newest member is Denise Coleman, she joined our crew in the last couple of months and she’s been a huge asset. She’s a great vocal person and has a lot of connections as far as art, music and community.”

Rabinovitz also mentioned some of the council’s 2011 accomplishments, which gave guests an idea as to where the money goes. Art Happens, an event held earlier this year, included approximately 10 bands that showcased their talents in front of Sacramento community guests. Nevada Union High School held an art exhibit at Gallery 2110 and Sacramento Art Complex was able to raise $250 that went back to their school art program. Sutter Middle School also had an exhibit there that lasted for about a month and they raised $1,200. Rabinovitz mentioned they were able to help raise about $2,300 with the Art Happens event. As a side note, one of the items for bid was a piece by Sutter Middle School art teacher, Kelly O’Neill.

Following dinner, Music a Dué continued to play for a short while longer and guests were encouraged to take a break and view the art that would be auctioned.

During the break, I took a little time to chat with S.A.C.’s newest member, Denise Coleman. Coleman had worked for the Sacramento Press and indicated that she brought some of the art that was up for auction.

“These four pieces are part of my uncle’s estate. He was an artist and he left 50 years worth of art.”

Coleman’s uncle was Dr. Robert Coleman and Denise explained that she’s trying to put together shows to sell and donate his work. The four pieces from the Coleman Family Estate gave 80 percent back to the Sacramento Artists Council. The Coleman Family Estate art goes back to the 1950’s and Denise is hoping to put together chronological shows in the near future. Her uncle was a prolific artist and the four pieces of art were a great value. A couple of the pieces were later bought by artist Mark Lifvendahl and his partner Marcus Cayson.

Susan Rabinovitz ushered guests back to the main gallery after the break. To encourage competitive bidding, Rabinovitz joked, “I hope everyone has a cocktail or a beverage of their choice on hand.” She also noted that some silent auction items were available.

Rabinovitz noted that money was being raised for “art scholarships, art grants and also helping artists put art in public places. Funds are also put aside to work with some of our children in the city that don’t necessarily get a chance to have an art experience. It’s really good art therapy and gives them a sense of community. It also makes them feel included and helps happy hearts.”

Rabinovitz’ sense and desire to help Sacramento’s art community is very commendable. It is easy to see how she’s able to attract artists and others to become involved in art, family and community.

The first item for auction was a Gina Rossi recycled steel piece called “Absolutely Delicate.” Other work for auction during the first segment included works by Clare Bailey, Karen Dukes, Susan Rabinovitz, Molly Brown, two pieces by Robert Coleman and ceramics from Elizabeth Wocasek.

The first round went by smoothly and brought some entertaining moments when bidding increased on several pieces. Others did not make it to its perceived value.

After a short break, the works of Monica Lunardi, resident artist Marbo Barnard, Kristen Hoard, Christine Conklin, Michelle Brunmier, John Huerta, Paul Oester and Michelle Mackenzie were auctioned off. Several of these pieces did not receive bids.

As the evening went on, pieces by Mark Lifvendahl, David Arnold, Laura Caron, Paul Oester (his piece sold before the auction) and two more acrylic paintings by Robert Coleman went up for bid. Robert Coleman’s “Vacation” brought the most bidding action of the evening and Mark Lifvendahl won the bidding war. Susan Rabinovitz’ enthusiasm during the bidding could not be hidden and although husband Mark did not win the bid, she was happy to watch the bid go up from $75 to $155.

The last set of auction pieces were works by Kelly O’Neill, Cherys Jenkins, Angela Ridgway, Margaret Arnold, Michael Shane, Judith Monroe and a photo package by Carrie See.

The conclusion of the auction came and guests who remained socialized or started packing their new items. Susan thanked all those who attended.

“You guys are awesome! Thanks for bearing with us and we enjoyed seeing everyone here. Thank goodness it was not a rainy day. Hopefully we’ll see you again next year. Thank you for participating and have a good night.”

After the auction I talked with Mark Rabinovitz to get his impression of the event. Rabinovitz shared that the event this year seemed much more relaxed.

“This year’s event was very nice and easy going. There were about 20 less people bidding and I think the auction was well received.”

Rabinovitz continued, “The food was exceptional. For some reason everyone was very pleasant, I was very relaxed speaking. I felt like I was speaking to family and friends and since this was our second annual masquerade, a lot of the people knew what to expect. The harp and flute musicians seemed to fit right in.”

As he reflected on the evening, Rabinovitz said, “I think experiencing the fire show gave some excitement to the mellow classical music and the auction and I think that was great. Everybody had a good time; everyone was smiling and laughing. Everyone seemed to be having a good conversation. It worked out nice.”

Mark and Susan Rabinovitz are great ambassadors for the art community and the artists S.A.C. promotes. They also appear to be very involved in the Sacramento art community.

The S.A.C. and those individuals and organizations that it partners with are making a difference in the community and are helping to build the future.

The inspiration and cultivation of the Sacramento art community is encouraged by the S.A.C and similar organizations. They arouse interest in art and inspire many to become involved and support local artists.

Occupy Midtown Sacramento a pictorial

2011-10-18T04:41:30Z

Several hundred people showed up to this weekend's Midtown Modern Arts Festival. The event took place on 20th Street between J & K and was enjoyed by children and adults.

Various performances included the Sacramento Ballet, Capital Stage Company, The Sacramento Philharmonic, B Street Theatre, Sacramento Comedy Spot, the Harley White Jr. Orchestra and other acts. Over a dozen arts and performing organizations had stations set up to give those in attendance information about the many art programs offered in Sacramento and surrounding areas.

Several demonstration tables also allowed visitors, mostly children, the opportunity to participate in arts, music and crafts set up by various organizations.

The Midtown Modern Arts Festival achieved their main objective for the event, "The goal of the festival is to create a venue for Midtown to show off what it does best, Art!"

The free event was held under ideal weather conditions. Families enjoyed the festival and meeting new friends.

Cesar Chavez Plaza continues to be the site for "Occupy Sacramento" demonstrations. No matter what side of the fence you sit on this issue Occupy Sacramento is an ideal place to go for a lesson in Civics, Democracy and the American way.

Each day Occupy Sacramento publishes a list of events for the day and a General Assembly is held on a regular basis to go over the agenda, discuss any issues and vote on these if necessary.

Those who have occupied Chavez Plaza located at 910 I Street have been doing so in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street which has now gone global. Many in the Occupy movement face being arrested and are willing to put up with the possibility.

On my short visit to Occupy Sacramento I was able to witness several of our rights we have, as American citizens, including free assembly, free association, free speech and the right to vote.

Ballet, music and art at Midtown's Second Saturday

2011-10-11T08:37:35Z

Summer has come and gone but crowds at Second Saturday still remain large. Second Saturday events have grown in popularity and other communities participate in Second and Third Saturday art events.

During fall several cities stop their art walks. Folsom and El Dorado Hills had their last Second Saturday of the year in September and October respectively.

Popularity of similar events in smaller towns continues to grow. Attendance and art displays expand in the smaller venues but none of these can compare to the popularity of Midtown’s event.

This Saturday I attended a handful of galleries and events. Since there are so many places to view and experience art I made a list of places I was invited to or wanted to see and took the rail from Folsom to Midtown.

My list of galleries or events I had, included the Sacramento Ballet Studios, the Heart Clothing Boutique, Urban Hive studios and places in between depending on time allowed.

The Sacramento Ballet on 1631 K Street held an open rehearsal for their upcoming “Dracula” performances. The dancers either wore full ballet outfits or casual dancing attire for the performance.

The Sacramento Ballet is one of the most delightful pleasures to experience in Sacramento. Ron Cunningham’s troupe always provides great entertainment. It isn’t until an open rehearsal is performed for public viewing that one can see and experience the time and effort spent on practice.

Once on stage however the Sacramento Ballet puts on great performances that showcase the wonderful talent they have and the time and effort they spend practicing.

The audience that attended this art in motion exhibit watched an impressive performance of Dracula that will take place at the Sacramento Community Center. Four performances of Dracula have been scheduled for October 22, 23, 27 and 28. Performances are at 7:30 except for October 23 which plays at 2:00.

Sacramento Ballet’s Artistic Director, Ron Cunningham, sat facing the ballet dancers during rehearsal and gave few directions as they performed. Any directions may have been more for the benefit of the audience as we followed the Dracula rehearsal.

Once the performance ended the audience vacated the dance area while Cunningham talked to the Sacramento Ballet performers. Outside the dance area people began to come in for another rehearsal.

The second rehearsal will eventually turn out to be a Vampire Flash Mob that will take place at a time and location still unknown.

The Vampire Flash Mob will be based on Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance. Dancers from all ages will be participating in the flash mob. Sacramento Ballet’s Christopher Brian Nachtrab was on hand to lead the flash mob rehearsal and the dance studio was packed.

Nachtrab made sure he announced that there was a video on YouTube that went through the choreography as well in case dancers needed further practice. More information as well as the actual time and place of the flash mob will be given on their facebook page.

Heart Clothing Boutique on 1903 Capitol Avenue celebrated their one year anniversary of business. Owner Vanessa Lopez celebrated by thanking her customers and friends by holding a fashion show outside her shop with DJ Esef playing in the background.

Heart Clothing had plenty of guests to help Lopez celebrate her 1 year anniversary. The small boutique is geared to make each shopping experience unique and personal. Byuti Salon and Spa teamed with Heart Clothing to provide hair and make up for the models.

Down the street at the street at the Gay and Lesbian Center on 1927 L Street a Second Saturday art exhibit was being showcased. As I walked around to look at the art I picked up some delicious appetizers that were provided for guests.

On the outside back patio the Kenny Rego and the Law of One Band played. The four member group played to a small audience.

Although I was only there for a couple of songs they showed a wide musical range touching on some folk, rock, indie and Americana. Kenny Rego’s vocals and their lyrics also excelled. Kenny Rego and the Law of One Band have a myspace page and you can sample some of their songs on YouTube and Reverbnation.

Kenny Rego and the Law of One Band played “Working Class Man” as their last song and its great melody, lyrics and vocals was a good selection to end their set.

Over at Barber’s Shop Alfa Romeo on 1116 18th Street, Mike Blanchard and The Californios played. Some fans watched from seats in the garage while others danced just outside on the parking lot.

A protest rally by “Take back the Night” marchers moved on to K Street from 20th. It looked like well over a hundred marchers paraded down the streets of Midtown carrying protest signs and yelling out demonstration chants to bring awareness to their cause and inform the public.

One of my last destinations was the Urban Hive where an Artober Art Show was taking place. The show recognized the art of four magnificent artists; Milton Bowens, Felipe Dávalos, Theresa Fike and Aaron Hagar.

Art filled the walls of the Urban Hive and several guests were on hand to view the work of these four artists. An intimate question and answer period also took place. Felipe Dávalos and Milton Bowens talked about their work and answered questions from guests.

The show at the Urban Hive Gallery runs from October 6 to November 7 and the Second Saturday event served as an inaugural Artober Art Show. The talents of these great artists can be viewed at the Hive and appointments can also be made to view the work.

Bowens and Dávalos, great artists in their own right, delighted guests with their commentary and it’s great to see this kind of interaction between the artist and their admirers. Dávalos’ art and work have been seen in National Geographic and other renowned publications. He has also created illustrations for children’s books, magazines, archeology, art history and several of his pieces are on exhibit.

Bowens has a powerful presence and talked about his work and the work of poets, writers and music performers who influence today’s society and how their communication medium transcends through cultures via their music.

Bowens described his work by saying, “I use text in combination with color and shades. I pretty much deal in history but there are a lot of hidden messages woven into the fabric of my paintings. My paintings are very personal to me to start with but they’re just anchored in what I consider pivotal moments in American history.” With that comment he described his works and what several items common in his art signify. Bowens continued to talk about his work and made the event very real and personal as he indulged the audience in what his work stood for.

A refreshing artist perspective was shown at the Artober Art Show and it allowed for meaningful dialogue between artist and guests.

Guests to the event were encouraged to bring new art supplies and materials to benefit the Stanford Home for Children and the Wellspring Center for Women. To find out more about Artober guests can visit the Urban Hive or Artober websites or contact Veronica Delgado 916-792-4947.

As many of the artist galleries began to close several other establishments remained open keeping the Second Saturday Art Walk spirit alive. Midtown continues to benefit from the event and it could clearly be seen as lines of people stood outside certain venues waiting to get into several of the popular clubs.

To follow other area artists and performers Roseville will host their Third Saturday on October 15. Several galleries in and around Vernon Street will host several artist receptions.

P.R. Brown's The Known and Travel exhibit

2011-10-04T08:26:28Z

Opening night of “The Known and Travel” gallery show took place during Beatnik Studios’ Final Friday. The opening for the P.R. Brown exhibit turned out to be a family affair that showcased the talents of the Brown family.

The Known and Travel exhibit also included a silent auction and wine tasting with proceeds going towards transforming the lives of orphaned and poverty-stricken children.

Several projects are supported by the nonprofit organization, 2Build 4Ward International. Friday’s event highlighted a major project, the building of an orphanage in Tuxpan, Jalisco, Mexico.

The UN estimates that over 10 million orphans live in Mexico and 2x4 International, operated by state workers, has partnered with communities to build an orphanage that will serve as a home for some of Tuxpan’s orphans.

Kristen Brown, CEO of 2x4 International, talked about the organization and the event.

“We started 2x4 International with workers who also work for the Department of Education and Department of Health and it’s completely volunteer work. One hundred percent of our proceeds go to our projects.”

Brown also spoke about work they’ve done in West Africa and other places. Information was displayed at the event. Several of the informational boards also featured artistic work by Brown’s sister Holly and their mother, Paula.

Kristen Brown’s work through 2x4 International is inspirational. Their work has also spread to projects in the Caribbean, where they built an educational center in Kingston, Jamaica. They’ve reached out to Ghana, West Africa with a clothes, book and toy drive for the Children’s Hospital and extended their work to other parts of Latin America, Japan and Africa with the Children’s Global Connection Project.

“Our major project is to build an orphanage,” said Brown. “We have three acres of land that was donated by Miguel de la Mora Morfin from Texas that’s located in Tuxpan in Jalisco and we have a Canadian architect committed to help with the project. One of the remaining things to acquire is the funds and that’s where the wine tasting and silent bidding will help.”

Having volunteered for the Peace Corps, Brown said that 2x4 International wanted to make sure money gets to the people. She helped create a nongovernmental organization in Mexico to distribute donated funds.

Several items are up for auction and will remain on the online bidding site until October 26. Log on to the website to view and bid on selected items.

As I walked around the gallery, many people viewed the artwork on the walls and placed bids on silent auction items. Complimentary appetizers were served along with a wide selection of wines. Raffle tickets for several gift baskets were also sold.

Besides being a photographer, P.R. Brown is also a graphic designer and Grammy nominated music video director. His exhibit showcased photography from his travels to India, Brazil and Cambodia, among other places. In the studio area of Beatnik a projector showed several videos that he directed. Highlighted videos included artists such as Slipknot, My Chemical Romance, Billy Corgan and many others.

P.R. Brown founded Bau-da Design Lab and much of his work can be found there. His works dig deep into the subconscious and inspire images of dark scenery and themes. P.R. Brown’s work is pretty intense and very interesting.

I talked to Greg Pond, gallery manager of Beatnik Studios, who then introduced me to P.R. Brown at the gallery. I was able to speak to him for a few minutes about his involvement in the event.

“My sister contacted me to see if I wanted to do a show and I said absolutely, so the photography exhibit that’s going on will stay up throughout the month and that’s my work. Other pieces are from another sister of ours and some are my mother’s. It’s a family affair.”

“I started as a graphic designer and I went into photography about 12 years ago and then into directing,” said Brown when asked how long he’s been working on his trade.

I asked what he directed and Brown explained.

“Music videos, commercials and I’m getting into features. Mainly the work that’s up here are the personal works that I do when I travel. It’s just me going out shooting. Other work is the fine arts side.”

Besides the travel photographs hanging on one side of Beatnik studios (on the left as you enter the building), there are other photographs on the right side of the gallery of fine arts created at his studio.

Brown is currently based out of Los Angeles and indicated he’s been there for 13 years. Brown lives in Topanga and his studio is in West Lake.

When asked if he’s had past showings or if he expects upcoming exhibits, Brown responded negatively.

“Honestly my sister was the driving force. I normally don’t show my work. I’m a commercial photographer and that’s what I do for a living and it never occurred to me that I should actually have a gallery show. This is only the second time I’ve ever done a gallery show. I did one for a Marilyn Manson album I did years ago.”

When asked which Manson album, Brown replied, “Holy Wood.” He continued, “I actually did all of them from ‘Antichrist’ through ‘Grotesque.’”

Brown also said that the woman photographed on a couple of the larger works on the right hand side of the gallery were of Marilyn Manson’s girlfriend.

Brown also said, regarding Manson, “He’s actually the reason I became a photographer because he was the first real person I ever shot.”

Brown went on to say that he moved from New York to L.A. to do the shooting and did a photo exhibit as a result. That was the only other time he’s done a gallery showing.

I asked him about his inspiration for the work he does and Brown indicated that he did not take photography classes and became involved out of frustration as a graphic designer. Some of the photography work was not suited for a project. Brown started to photograph images he wanted and fell in love with it. After graduating from college and 500 albums later, Brown picked up the camera and began using it for his art.

Brown is a fascinating artist. I could have gone for hours talking to him about his work. As I viewed P.R. Brown’s work on the gallery walls, I was drawn to the videos he’s directed and was fascinated by those as well.

Jerry Brown, Kristen and Paul’s father, was also on hand to show his support. Family support is always great to see and it showed the closeness of the Brown family.

Once the live auction came to a close, a drawing was held for several bottles of wine and gift baskets.

Live music was provided by Katie Jane, Exquisite Corps and Alyssa Cox. Katie Jane started off the evening on keyboards playing several songs. Her sunny disposition and sweet vocals came through, making for a delightful set.

The magnificent sounds of Exquisite Corps are always a delight to experience and many of their fans showed their support by attending the show. Exquisite Corps continues to be one of those bands that doesn’t disappoint and are always fun to watch. During their set, Bryan Valenzuela reminded fans that they were going to be performing during the SAMMIES with members from the Sacramento Ballet.

Alyssa Cox and The Flatland Band closed out the evening’s event. Many fans came close to the stage and cheered them on, showing their support. Alyssa Cox and the Flatland Band responded to fan support and put on a great show.

Final Fridays, hosted by Beatnik, is a great event for art and culture. In addition, some of Sacramento’s finest musicians come together to display their talents.

Representing Beatnik, Wes Davis and Greg Pond helped things go smoothly for artists and guests and provided a great atmosphere for this gathering.

The Known and Travel exhibit continues until October 26. Open online bidding will also continue until that date.

Next Saturday Beatnik Studios will host Second Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. P.R. Brown’s exhibit will be showcased; check the Beatnik website for further information.

For Love of Woman photo exhibit

2011-08-30T05:23:26Z

“For Love of Woman,” an exhibition by Robert R. Sanders, was well received at Beatnik Studios this past Friday. Sanders’ brilliant photo exhibition showcased his incredible talent which helped him win first prize in the Beatnik Studios Fine Art Competition held in February.

Sanders’ photographic art opening was also an auction event that will benefit the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC). The NOCC had a table at the front entrance of Beatnik Studios where informational material was available for guests.

Robert Sanders was at the exhibit and spoke with guests as they arrived. Each photograph was available for bidding. Bidders filled out a registration form that allowed them to start the bidding process. Bidding continues online and bidders will be given updates as they are received. An auction button is located on the For Love of Woman website under each of the photographs.

I was able to speak briefly with Sanders to get a perspective on this exhibition.

Sanders indicates that he found out about the Beatnik Studios Fine Art Competition when he went to the studios during one of their Red Poetry Night events. The flyer on the door showed a deadline for the exhibit that had already passed. Sanders said he took the phone number from the flyer and gave them a call. As it turned out, he was able to submit his work.

As we talked, I found that Sanders is a man of many talents. He was the drummer for a band called Just Slightly Richer and played at various venues in northern California in places like Red Bluff, Redding, Sacramento, Susanville and neighboring areas. The band was together for two and a half years and did a couple of recordings.

Sanders pointed out that there were 36 photographs on display at the exhibition. I asked if they were done in a particular time frame or if they were works from different time periods.

“Everything that’s hanging in the exhibit is digitally done, including two of the pieces that were shot in 1995 with my first digital system,” said Sanders.

He also noted that “Shame” and “Shame II” were shot in 1995.

“I quit shooting with film in 1997.”

As Sanders continued to talk about his technique, I quickly realized that he was one of the earliest converts that went from film to digital.

When asked if it was difficult going from film to digital Sanders elaborated.

“It was natural procession for me. I actually started using Photoshop, a beta version, in 1991.”

Sanders was using Photoshop before most other users, and as a beta user, was involved in the product before it came out on the market.

Each photograph in the collection has a brief write up on the author’s thoughts and descriptions. I asked which came first, the photograph or the description.

“Some of them at the same time and with others the inspiration preceded the shot,” said Sanders. “In some cases, the inspiration got me to the photograph but the inspiration changed; the idea or the concept changed. Then I have what I call serendipity in some cases where you’re at the right place, with the right model and the right story to tell and it all comes together.”

The exhibit is filled with some magnificent shots done in color and black and white. Digital photography allows the photographer to shoot in color and edit the photo to make it black and white. I asked him if he preferred one form of shooting over the other.

“Going back to the first digital system I had, I shot in black and white. Out of the 36 pieces in the exhibit, there are probably seven of them that were shot without format. The others were shot in color and I converted to black and white. One of them I shot in color with the intention of it being black and white and went back to color as it was a better photograph.”

Sanders also discussed his involvement with NOCC.

“It seemed that every time I turned around I was bumping into a model, a very good friend or a relative that was telling me a story about a woman who had either contracted it or died from it. One of my dearest friends, her mother, was killed by ovarian cancer. It’s just such a cruel killer and nobody talks about it. For me, this is a disease that we need to talk about more.”

One of his pieces, “A Girl Walks Into a Bar,” depicts three women in a bar and each has an open parasol, the one closest to the camera holding one with three teal ribbons painted on it. The teal ribbon is the official cancer awareness symbol of the NOCC and Sanders used it for this shot.

When asked how long he’d been doing photography, Sanders replied, “I started shooting in 1973. I just had gotten out of the military and a good friend of mine gave me a Hassiba and I never looked back.”

One of Sanders’ friends, Dr. Dan, had flown in from Denver to see the exhibit and guided me through several of the compositions that he helped with. Dr. Dan described Sanders as a great mentor and great friend.

In the background, a DJ was spinning some tunes while guests enjoyed some hors d'oeuvre and drinks. The DJ, as it turned out, was Sanders’ son Dallas Debauch. Shawn Aveningo helped with much of the publicity and preparing the event and was at Beatnik making sure things went smoothly.

One of the models, photographed in “A Girl Walks Into a Bar,” was on hand as well. I asked her about her involvement and if she would describe the photo.

“The series took about three hours and we were each positioned in different spots in front of the bar. We really enjoyed working with Robert.”

Kat (Katerina Purrington) was a person with an interesting history. When I asked if she was from the area, she responded, saying she was born and raised in the same house here in Sacramento. Kat’s modeling work can be seen at her Model Mayhem page.

As we talked, Kat said she was a cervical cancer survivor.
“I jumped at the chance of doing this,” she continued, “I was 19 at the time. When Robert spoke about the project I was very much for it.”

I asked about her thoughts at finding she had cervical cancer.

“At that point I had an infant. I, of course, immediately thought about who would raise my baby.”

She has gone through some difficult times; having gone through that experience has made Kat a stronger person. She was proud to say that she had another son after that.

Hearing stories like Kat’s shows how the exhibit and those involved as cancer survivors, as well as friends of these survivors, can unite a community and make things more personal.

I also had a chance to speak with Mari Ueda-Tao, who was one of the women at the NOCC table.

“I have been a member of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition for about seven years now,” said Ueda-Tao. “I am a nine year ovarian cancer survivor. The mission of our organization is to promote education and awareness about ovarian cancer and bring information into our community, to educate women about ovarian cancer and increase the quality of life for women that have it.”

When asked if they had an office in Sacramento, Ueda-Tao said, “We have a group and we have monthly meetings but at the moment we don’t have a site. It’s a national organization and Sacramento has a chapter. We’re one of the larger chapters.”

Surviving cancer does not always mean that it won’t come back and as such, survivors need to take precautions to prevent it from returning.

“The probability of re-occurrence is higher within the first few years of diagnosis. Each year that you do not have a re-occurrence your chances are better,” said Ueda-Tao.

“We go to Sac State a lot. We talk to their women’s health and education classes. We’ve met some very supportive professors that invite us in at certain times,” said Ueda-Tao. She continued talking about the program saying, “We also have a program called Survivors Teaching Students at U.C. Davis and it involves talking to the med students when they go through their gynecologic cancer training. A panel of survivors tells their story and… our goal is to give a real story about what this disease is, what their symptoms were and how doctors listened, how we’re treated as patients and what we would want as patients. It’s really eye opening for med students because this is what they’re going to be doing. It’s a really fascinating program.”

As we talked, I came to the realization that we all know someone who has had ovarian or other types of cancer. At events such as this you meet people who have survived cancer and who have had signs that helped in diagnosing cancer or other illnesses.

“Ovarian cancer is less common than breast cancer but it’s more deadly,” continued Ueda-Tao. “There’s no test, there’s no detection and that’s why we’re here, to try to drum up some buzz about this in order to get funding so that we can get a test. For breast cancer, there’s a mammogram; for cervical cancer, there’s a Pap test or an HPV test; for ovarian cancer, there is nothing. This is why women get diagnosed later and why it’s so deadly. The later you’re diagnosed, the less chance you have in surviving. It’s kind of the cycle we’re trying to break free from.”

Ueda-Tao also addressed guests at the event.

“We are very humbled and proud by your generosity for our important cause. Ovarian cancer is the number one leading gynecologic cancer over all the other types of cancers. It is 90 percent curable if diagnosed in the early stages but less than 20 percent of women are actually diagnosed early. Overall survival rates of ovarian cancer are quite low and we have lost many sisters from this deadly disease. This type of platform brings awareness, support, education and that’s what this is all about.”

She continued, “We have three survivors here in this room.”

Robert Sanders also addressed the audience regarding his exhibit and affiliation with NOCC.

“This is an experience far from my imagination. The idea of actually having a one-man show is a highlight for me.”

Sanders went on to talk about the honor of this being his first show.

“I want to thank NOCC for their wonderful partnership that has come from this collaboration. This show is more than just art; this show is about all the women in my life who have touched me in one way or another.”

Sanders thanked friends who were in attendance and talked about people he’s known who have been affected by ovarian cancer. He became very emotional as he spoke, showing how much he cared for people he has surrounded himself with and thanking them for their support.

After Sanders' speech, three drawings were held and the raffle prizes were pieces of his work.

Although the festivities ended in the art gallery, Beatnik Studios continued with their Final Friday music venue in the back of the gallery. Scheduled musical entertainment included Jesi Naomi, Sherman Baker, and Dave Mulligan with Deren Ney.

The auction will continue through the end of September and Sanders’ work will continue to be on display at the gallery. Bids can be placed at the gallery or online.

A Second Saturday brunch is being planned for September and reservations are required. The brunch will take place at Beatnik Studios, 2421 17th Street (at Broadway) on September 10, 2011. Tickets for the event are available via Eventbrite.

September is National Ovarian Cancer awareness month. Learn more about the disease and help spread the word on this deadly illness. Log on to the NOCC website to see how you can become involved with the local chapter and perhaps participate in the Run to Break The Silence on Ovarian Cancer on September 17.

Race for the Arts 2011

2011-08-30T04:37:28Z

Over a thousand runners of all ages participated in a 5K run/walk during Saturday’s Race for the Arts. After the race, runners, family and friends were able to enjoy several dozen booths offering resources and information regarding art programs in Sacramento and surrounding areas.

As is usually the case at events such as this, hundreds of volunteers helped in ensuring the event was a success. Besides volunteers, many sponsors and performers entertained guests at William Land Park on the beautiful, sunny day.

The Race for the Arts has a clearly outlined mission.

“Race for the Arts is a nonprofit organization that raises funds and awareness for California nonprofit performing, cultural and visual arts organizations and for school music, drama and art programs.”

Two words can be said for Saturday’s event, “mission accomplished.”

Race for the Arts celebrated its 13th year promoting theatre, dance, music and art. Runners raised funds via pledges to benefit an art designated organization or school. In today’s economy, many arts programs have become endangered by cutbacks, and Race for the Arts has made it a primary goal to raise awareness and donations through events such as this.

The race, scheduled to start at 8:30 in the morning, was accompanied by perfect weather. Several parents raced alongside their kids and in some cases, pushed a stroller through the race as well.

A children’s run was scheduled for 9:30 and was divided into three different distances and age groups. A 220 yard run for four year olds had several little runners participating. A 440 yard run suited the 5-6 year olds and a 1/2 mile run for ages 7-12 provided delightful fun for kids, parents and spectators.

A list of the 5K run/walk participants and their times can be seen at the Race for the Arts 2011 website.

Over 150 schools and art organizations received pledges and were well represented in the run. Several runners were in costume to highlight their organization and others just wore costumes for fun.

“Everyone ready for the 13th Annual Race for the Arts?” asked an announcer and a trumpet played "First call" to gather the runners to the start line. Team Mad Cat cyclists led the race as runners lined up behind them. The cyclists helped keep the runners on course.

Once the race started, it didn’t take long for the faster runners to make it back. A little after 16 minutes, Thomas Buxton of Sacramento made it to the finish line as the first overall winner. Runners were timed using D-tag timing and with a chip time of 16:06.9 and a gun time of 16:07.6, Buxton made quick pace to win the event.

Ballerinas, mothers and fathers pushing strollers, lone runners and group of runners crossed the line at various stages and they all enjoyed being part of the event. One of the participants, Betty Simin from Folsom, came in with a time of 1:02:34.7. Simin is 85 years old.

After the 5K run/walk was over, the children’s fun run began. Several parents ran with their kids and encouraged them on. After a false start, the race began and the children ran their little hearts out. It was a delight to watch.

All fun run participants received a medal after crossing the finish line.

Once the races were over, everyone made their way to the vendor and organizational booths. Many of Sacramento’s outstanding art organizations, schools and similar programs had representatives on hand.

Local organization, For Arts’ Sake, had Deborah Edward and Veronica Delgado on hand promoting For Arts’ Sake and Sacramento Artober.

Guests were able to enjoy theatre, dance, song and music performances by many groups who had informational booths. Performers used the amphitheatre to showcase their talents.

Many parents were on hand to support their children or to get their children involved. Angelica Landon from Sacramento brought her children to witness some of the performances and see if they would be interested in becoming involved.

“My two kids are always singing and dancing at home and I thought it would be a good idea to show them young performers at this event. I’ve talked to a couple of the performing schools and I’m looking at getting my children into one of the schools. I think this is a great event and I’m thankful all these organizations were present,” said Landon.

Over 40 interactive stations showcased some of the best arts programs in Sacramento. Event coordinator Sally Rice did a great job putting the event together. It was great to see families out at William Land Park enjoying the great outdoors, music, art and performances. Art in Sacramento benefits greatly from events such as these and it’s great to see all these organizations together under the Race for the Arts umbrella.

National Juried Art Exhibition at Axis Gallery

2011-08-13T05:45:20Z

The Axis Gallery in Midtown hosted a preview reception for the sixth National Juried Exhibition Thursday. Works of art by over 25 artists will be on display until Aug. 28.

The national competition continues to bring notoriety not only to the artist but to the Axis Gallery and the Sacramento art community.

The exhibition will be judged by Dena Beard, the curatorial assistant at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with an M.A. in art history, theory and criticism.

Beard selected 38 pieces of two- and three-dimensional art for the exhibition, collecting work from artists all over the United States. The quality of work is innovative, sometimes humorous, and exhibits a high level of technical accomplishment. Some pieces challenge the limits of medium and genre, like a sculpture made from woven microfilm.

Many of the artists will be at Axis for the artists reception during the Second Saturday Art Walk this weekend. The reception will be from 6 to 9 p.m. and will include the awards ceremony.

Artist Beryl Landau has two pieces in the show. “Roof Level” and “Smoke and Clouds,” both depicting San Francisco, grace one of the walls in the back room. Landau was accompanied by her husband and a couple of Sacramento friends.

She is unable to attend the Second Saturday reception, but she said that in a way this smaller reception was better suited for her. Her love of art was evident, clearly a passion of hers since she was a child.

Photographer Zach Moser had two pieces on display in the front room, “Right Now and Then, No. 4” and “Right Now and Then, No. 2.” It is said that every picture tells a story, but Moser’s photographs can tell many stories depending on the perspective you take.

Moser said a lot of his work is staged and that he has worked with the same people for a while. Moser’s compositions are quite intriguing, as different events seem to be taking place within his photographs.

“I kind of like those (photos), where you kind of describe a narrative with your photographs,” he said.

I marveled at other pieces of art and mingled with other guests, many of whom knew each other. I could not pick a favorite piece, and I would be very interested to see who receives awards, especially the people’s choice.

Axis Gallery is an artist-run space that was started in 1986. Members of this cooperative are equal partners and support the gallery through sales of artwork, labor contribution and monthly dues, allowing the gallery to function without the usual restrictions of commercial galleries. Besides exhibiting the work of Axis members, it displays invitational shows, exhibits by independent curators and the annual juried show.

Beard has quite task in selecting award winners. In the end, the Sacramento arts community will be the ultimate winner by hosting the Axis Gallery sixth National Juried Exhibition.

Fashion Flashmob

2011-08-09T05:06:51Z

What’s a fashion flashmob? I didn’t know either until this past Saturday. An event that lasted a little over an hour took a bit longer to put together.

Events and social connections coordinator, Vy Nguyen, spent about 2 weeks organizing and putting together a fashion flashmob in Midtown. The event was put together to help promote the Designing Dreams Fashion Show that will take place at the Memorial Auditorium on August 13.

Photographers, models, fashion interns, hair and makeup staff and Designing Dreams personnel were brought together for the fashion flashmob. Nguyen worked closely with various organizers and management at Zócalo, Paesanos, Yogurtagogo and Shady Lady.

Fashionistas and other volunteers gathered beforehand to go over some instructions. As we waited for the event to began people passing by commented on the models’ hair and remarked that they might be from “Hair Wars” while others asked questions. Ling Chan did the models' hair and was on hand for last minute touches.

When a rolled up red carpet was brought it signaled that it was time for everyone to start moving. As soon as things began rolling (including rolling out the red carpet) everything went by fairly quickly.

The models led the way as they walked into Zócalo Restaurant. As soon as music was cued up the red carpet was unrolled in front of the entrance leading into the restaurant. Five models walked the carpet and moved within the restaurant as photos ala paparazzi were taken. Customers also brought out their phone cameras and recorded the event.

The fabulous fashion flashmob moved in and out of the restaurant and as the red carpet was picked up the mob moved across the street to Paesanos where the process was repeated. Customers seemed to have enjoyed the models, paparazzi and red carpet shenanigans and asked question as each walk ended.

After Paesanos two pedicabs from Velocab took the models to the next destination. The entourage, with two interns carrying the rolled up red carpet, walked to Yogurtagogo for the next walk. This destination had the shortest red carpet walk of the evening.

Velocab picked up the models and everyone moved to the last destination of the evening which was to be at the Shady Lady on R Street.

The hard work devoted to the event went as planned and I heard many good comments regarding the walk at each destination.

Tickets to the Designing Dreams event, which will take place on Saturday, August 13 are still available. The Sacramento Designing Dreams Fashion Show will include designs by local and other talented designers. The event also benefits the Sweet Dreams Foundation.

Art Happens 2011

2011-06-07T19:22:59Z

The 2011 Art Happens, hosted by the Sacramento Artists Council, took place June 4 in Midtown. The venue was held inside the Sacramento Art Complex on 2110 K Street.

This was a benefit event to support art in Sacramento. Sutter Middle School and Nevada Union High School students exhibited works of art by their students. Artwork created by the students also helped their school art programs as ~~one~~ 100 percent of sales was given to the respective school’s art program.

The event was sponsored by Sacramento News and Review, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, Sacramento Bee, Sacramento Press and others. A day full of art, music, food, wine tasting and great music contributed to the festivities.

The Sacramento Art Complex was full of guests and they were able to partake in activities at the main gallery where artwork by Nevada Union High School students was exhibited and available for purchase. A stage for performers was also set up here as was a prize table for raffle winners to select prizes. A merchandise table was also set up for musical guests to sell their CDs and other items. The Sacramento Press had also set up a prize wheel and give-away area and provided streamed live media coverage of stage performances.

The back patio had activities for kids and face painting by Christine Conklin and friends. Artwork by Kristen Hoard was being shown and sold. Coconut Al’s Catering cooked some delicious food in the back patio as well. Out in the sculptural Garden, Steve Cook’s artwork was available for viewing and purchase.

Susan Rabinovitz, at one point took the microphone to say, “Once again thank you so much for supporting Art Happens and the students and local artists. Thank you also for watching all of the great bands that have been playing and really hanging out with us today. It’s been awesome.” she then announced some winners from the raffle. In between acts she came up and announced raffle winners who were then able to pick a prize from a table that held all the prizes and winners had to be present.

The event is set up to raise money for art related scholarships and grants. Art Happens assists artists and musicians to exhibit and sell their product. Sponsor support creates most of the generated funds that go toward grants, scholarships and school artwork exhibits.

The event began at 11 in the morning and Julianna Zachariou, a 2010 Jammies winner and a Sacramento Artists Council scholarship 2010 winner, was scheduled to perform. When I arrived at the gallery Parie Wood, 2011 Jammies 3rd place and Judge’s Award Winner as well as Adam Lewis had already performed. I arrived when Alyssa Cox and the Flatland band were already on stage.

When I first arrived Alyssa Cox and her group had already started their set. I walked in and heard the sweet vocals and melody of “Less Than Comforting”. This was the first time I’ve heard them play and their melody was quite captivating.

I walked around the main gallery and looked at the art hanging on the walls created by Nevada Union High School students.

I met with Mark Rabinovitz, Vice President, Sacramento Artists Council and he filled me in on the art being exhibited. The Nevada Union High School of Grass Valley artwork was in exhibit at the Main Gallery and the Sutter Middle School gallery was set up towards the back.

Sutter Middle School’s art instructor Miss O’Neill said the art on exhibit was from the 7th and 8th grade classes and art club. “I’m their art teacher Miss O’Neill, the assignment was that it had to be something colorful, anything they chose had to have a rough draft and for their second coat they had to use all mix colors. They couldn’t use anything straight out of the bottle. That was the only criteria.” she said when asked to say something about their art.

Her enthusiasm was great to witness and her passion for the arts came through as she discussed her student’s work.

O’Neill is the only art teacher at Sutter Middle School. As friends and family members came to see the artwork she was able to direct them straight to where that particular student’s art was. All had a number to help identify each art piece and she seemed to know where each piece of art was situated.

In the back patio Coconut Al’s Catering was serving some delicious dishes. I tried their Pinchos which was skewered chicken with a very tasty Caribbean pineapple sauce. This catering service is available for private parties, corporate events, cocktail receptions and festivals. For more information on their services you can contact Coconut Al’s at 916-549-9517.

Other Coconut Al’s recipes offered were Steakbites, Chilean Empanadas, Spinach and Queso Blanco Empanadas, Tomato/cucumber/cilantro salads, Dan’s Potato Salads, Arroz con Pollo and guava based ribs along with other delicious dishes.

Alex Perez can provide further information on the items mentioned as well as other available dishes. Perez said they had been in business for about a year and a half and concentrate primarily on Latin cuisine. He lived in Puerto Rico for a while and had the chance to taste many of their best dishes. He’s also been to the Dominican Republic, Chile, Peru and was able to draw from dishes he’s been able to enjoy.

The food I tasted was delicious with spices that were quite tasty and not very spicy. Alex indicated that he’s been busy doing some graduation parties and other functions that have kept him busy.

The covered back patio was also used for children’s activities. Music from the front gallery was heard back there as well. As I returned to the front Alyssa Cox and the Flatland Band were finishing up their set.

Alyssa is a singer and songwriter whose vocals are quite pleasing. Her original songs and melodies are well accompanied by her backup vocals and band. I only caught a couple of their songs and wished I had gotten there earlier to catch more of their performance.

As I walked through the gallery I met resident artist Gary Garley who introduced me to Steve Cook (another resident artist). We talked about their current and future projects and each, as always, had something in the works.

Deborah Edward, from Mayor Kevin Johnson’s office came to the stage to say a few words. Edward is involved with the "For Arts’ Sake" initiative in Sacramento and indicated that the work being done at the event was a great example of things that should be going on around Sacramento to promote the arts.

Edward noted that she’s seen the growth of art in Sacramento and was happy to be at the Art Happens event noting the fine work the Sacramento Artists Council has been doing. “What I see when I walk around here today is artists who are established and artists who are new. We all know that art in the schools are really hard to come by today. A lot of schools in the area are not providing or are cutting back on art.” she said and again complemented the Sacramento Artists Council on their work.

After her speech Edward and I talked about the event and indicated Mayor Johnson has had a very busy schedule lately but wanted to show his support and Edward was glad to be at the function. She noted Johnson had participated in the Pride parade earlier in the day. I had also attended the parade but did not get a chance to see the Mayor. The parade and Pride event took place under a cloudy and at times rainy day.

Jaxx the 2011 Jammies winner soon took the stage to start their performance. After a quick sound check they dove into “The Unknown Return”. The talented young band from El Dorado Hills then played “March of the Elephants” a Jaxx composition.

After “Waterfall” they played Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker” showcasing their guitar playing skills. From time to time one of the kids’ dads would go up to help with sound and stage as Jaxx played and enjoyed putting on a great performance. “Vagabond” an original composition came next and that song worked well with each player complementing each other and is one of their smoother and softer harmonic pieces.

“Debbie’s Rejoice” another of their original songs played to a receptive audience. The song started somewhat slow and increased in tempo to end with an energetic note. Another original composition followed as they played “Prisoner 13”. Their last scheduled song was “Tongues” another song showcasing their instrumental abilities.

As they were about to leave the stage they were told they could play some more and proceeded to play “Hey Joe”. They ended their performance by playing Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”. After their last song they graciously thanked everyone for the opportunity to perform.

Susan Rabinovitz, Founder and Executive Director, Sacramento Artists Council came to the microphone and thanked Jaxx for their performance and announced other raffle winners and then introduced Fishlips.

Fishlips opened with a cover song by the Rolling Stones “Miss You”. “Crossroads” was another cover performed by Fishlips. They moved from one song to the next and in between encouraged visitors to take a look at the art and purchase something for a good cause.

I enjoyed their interpretation of Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and Should Never Be” as well as the Jimi Hendrix tune “The Wind Cries Mary”. Actually their whole repertoire was quite excellent.

After a couple of more songs that I did not recognize they played The Doors “Roadhouse Blues” and then took a break. During the break more winners were announced.

An appropriate song was performed by Fishlips after their break as they launched into Bill Withers’ “Ain't No Sunshine”. My favorite cover of the night was their rendition of ZZ Top’s “La Grange”. Fishlips ended their set with their rendition of “Feeling Alright”.

Elaine Hunter was a member of last year’s winning Jammies band (One Eyed Rhyno) and was at the event to perform. As was the case with other performers and young artists she was supported by the presence of her parents and friends.

“Hello everyone I’m so happy to be here, my real name is Elaine Hunter, my stage name is Elaine Kate but what I really want to go by is Buttons del Rio.” she said and continued “I will be accompanied by Matt Swartzendruber but I would rather refer to him as Bobo (I did not get the last name).” She renamed the band since James Hunter is in London. Elaine, Matt and her brother James make up One Eyed Rhyno.

Elaine initially went on stage alone and began her performance starting off with an excellent interpretation of “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles. She followed with Anna Nalick’s “Breathe (2AM)”.

This is the first time I’ve really been able to enjoy Elaine’s vocals and is the first time that I can remember not seeing her playing the drums. As part of One Eyed Rhyno she keeps rhythm for the band and it was such a delight seeing her perform and show her vocal range. Her personality and radiance makes the audience feel at ease and helps her voice draw the audience to her musical talent.

Elaine sang an original song she wrote “Some Day” and then followed with an interpretation of a Regina Spektor tune. Soon after she followed with a Corinne Bailey song “Like a Star” both which were very well done. Matt Swartzendruber sitting by her side on some songs switched back and forth between two guitars he had on stage.

In between songs Elaine noted she had walked around the gallery and liked the work and said her mom was an artist. Elaine went on to talk about a great painting her mom, Mary, had made of a cow. The audience enjoyed her description of the cow painting.

One of the first songs I ever heard Elaine sing was “Sea Of Love” by Phil Phillips, she still does a great interpretation of this classic and I was glad she sang it at this event. Matt accompanied Elaine for this last song and she mentioned that Matt was going off to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston after graduating from high school.

Currently there’s a “Sing Like Lady Gaga Competition” where the winner has a chance to meet Lady Gaga, have a sit-down with a representative from Lady Gaga’s record label and receive an autographed synthesizer. Elaine said she has entered the competition and if you log on to www.singlikeladygaga.com under the End Sacramento 107.9 tag you can help her win when you vote for her video. You can vote as many times as you want. Elaine then proceeded to play “Speechless” by Lady Gaga.

The final act was Musical Charis. I’ve seen them play several times and have yet to see the same line up twice. I’m not sure if I was around when they played their first song but I was able to enjoy “Changed” which can be found on their Electra City Church Bells EP.

Blake Abbey spoke to the audience about supporting local music and artists and helping by purchasing art. Abbey indicated they had played a show in San Francisco the previous night and Jessie Brune drove back after the show. She didn’t mind since it was, I believe she said, doughnut day and they stopped to get some coffee and a doughnut before coming back home.

Abbey introduced the next song “Big Ball” followed by “Eye Candy”. “Thank you guys for listening to us this next song is called “The Life” Abbey said introducing another song. Jessie called out “Buy art!” and Abbey emphasized that as well.

Musical Charis talked amongst themselves as to which song they should play next. I guess this type of interaction is what separates them from other bands that may have a set list and perform only the songs on the list. Musical Charis seems to improvise what songs they play. With revolving band members on stage I guess that can happen but at the same time this gives Musical Charis the charm that brings in new followers especially when they involve the audience to participate.

The song decided upon was a song written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore and recorded by Johnny Cash in ’63. That year it was number one on the Country Charts and number 17 on the pop charts. They introduced “Ring of Fire” saying, “This one was written by Johnny Cash’s wife, June.” There’s actually a great story behind the song, its meaning, about who wrote it and why.

Somewhere in the middle of the song someone forgot the lyrics and they stopped for a couple of seconds and continued to perform the song until they finished. They are so much fun to watch them play and interact with each other.

Musical Charis always has a couple of tambourines around so that audience members can join in the fun. They asked if anybody wanted to play and someone onstage pointed out Byron Tobin who usually plays the congas but was not around to join the band when they started. He took up a tambourine and joined his pals on stage for “Jezebel”.

“Tell Me”, another sweet harmony followed and then they took a break giving Shawn King and Bradley Abbey, two members from the Musical Charis School of Music a chance to take the stage and perform. They had played at the Hot Lunch Concert Series with Musical Charis on Thursday and seemed more confident as they performed a couple of songs.

Musical Charis took the stage one more time to finish off the musical entertainment for the day. By this time it almost seemed more like an intimate house party. “Anatomy” preceded a short improvisation of “Hey Jude”. They pointed out Adrian Bourgeois who was in the audience and invited him to come up on stage. Musical Charis ended the evening playing “Forward”. Musical Charis is scheduled to perform at Harlow’s on June 16.

Thus ended the 2011 Art Happens event with a cozy musical ending to a great day of art, food, wine, beer and musical entertainment. Community support allowed the two schools to raise $1000 to save their art programs. A successful event ending to a delightful day of community partnership.

Styles of Paradise Student Fashion Association

2011-04-25T03:53:16Z

Student fashion designers and stylists showcased their talent at the Styles of Paradise Charity Fashion Show on Friday night. Several hundred guests attended the event held at the University Union Ballroom at Sacramento State University. The Student Fashion Association (SFA) event benefitted the Autism Center for Excellence (A.C.E.) in honor of April’s National Autism Awareness Month.

Some last minute rehearsals took place on and around the runway. Several models practiced their walk and looked for places to stand, pose, pivot and turn as DJ Elliot Estes played in the background. Maria Serquen, SFA Events Coordinator, helped on the runway, backstage and other places as needed. Final practices and equipment set up were still being conducted all around the Union Ballroom.

On a back wall, behind the videography area, a few vendors were on site; Sassy Salon, Tuxedo Den, Robyn Groves a Stella & Dot Independent Stylist and Christen Brown had a table showcasing and selling some of his Galaxy wear. Christen a member of Sac State’s Delta Chi fraternity and entrepreneur indicated he wanted to create a legacy while still in school. The Federico Beauty Institute provided hair and makeup.

Linda Seaturn and Mike Osborn, Sacramento River Cats MC, were the hosts for the evening and did a fine job working together. Staging was provided by Clement Charles Events, Jesus Gonzalez provided videography and model choreography was provided by Duane Ram.

Once the doors were opened more than half the seats were occupied within minutes. Many family members were on hand to provide support for the designers, boutiques, stylists and models.

Stacy Saelee, President of the SFA started off the show by welcoming guests. Kira Martinson, Vice President of the SFA shared the stage to welcome those in attendance and proceeded to announce that a portion of the evening’s proceeds would go to the A.C.E. at Sac State in honor of National Autism Awareness Month.

Mike Osborn (a Sac State graduate) and Linda Seaturn, MCs for the evening, came out on stage to welcome guests and say a few words about the evening’s event. Linda introduced DJ Elliott Estes then the first designer of the show Julian Gutierrez who is a Senior at Sheldon High School. Linda said, “This is his first collection and first fashion show. He would like to thank his family who without their support he would never have believed in himself.”

After the short introduction Julian’s designs were paraded down the runway. His collection Spilt was inspired by a single city girl searching for change. Colorful pink accessories accented Julian’s wonderful designs.

Deneen Hayes who is studying Fashion Design at Sacramento City College exhibited her collection Making a Statement. Her collection got its inspiration from hot summer nights and walking the sandy beaches of San Francisco. Colorful outfits were paraded down the runway. Many models were jewelry that complemented the collection.

Linda and Mike looked great and made sure the audience knew it saying “Let’s face it we both look great.” They looked good thanks to Face It Salon, Spa & Boutique. Mike said, “If you all like the clothes Linda and I are wearing this evening it’s on account of Face It Boutique down on J Street.” They’re actually located on 1801 L Street and Mike later clarified their location.

Linda introduced the next designer Alisa Correa who is a current student at Sac State studying Psychology. She hopes to own an artistic t-shirt line for both women and men. Alisa indicates that that her line is about making art more accessible to the public by placing art on her t-shirts.

Christen Brown and Udoka Uwakwe of Creation of Society was the next designer scheduled and was introduced by MC Mike as “the CEO of Creation of Society Udoka Uwakwe as the artistic designer. He hopes to further his brand and thank all those who support the goal of young entrepreneurs.” His line Galaxy Goonz was well received.

Alexis Diaz is a student at studying Finance and Apparel Marketing and Design. Alexis hopes to design for GAP Inc and one day having her own collection. Taking the same colors and designing different outfits showed her versatility. Her Conchi collection showed a simple line in design that stand out with pops of color. Her ready-to-wear summer designs were also well complemented with jewelry and accessories.

After the initial 5 designers showcased their collection the show moved to display the fashion styling of the boutiques that participated in the event. Krazy Mary’s, Sugar Shack, Heart Clothing and Face It Boutique styling were displayed on the runway.

Krazy Mary’s Boutique’s apparel styled by Jonique Fields and Erinn Murphy were shown. Fashion by Krazy Mary showcased floral and simple patterns, one and two piece elegant outfits that moved comfortably by the models.

Face It Boutique followed Krazy Mary’s on stage. Fiona Lau and Morgan Blamey were scheduled to style their fashion. Styles from head to toe were chic and simple. Pants single and two-piece stylish outfits were elegantly paraded down the runway.

Sugar Shack Boutique styled by Abigail Cajucom and Shahirah Ahmed continued by showcasing their fashion. Colorful and complementary wear featured multiple simple and elegant pieces on several outfits.

The final boutique was Heart Clothing styled by Cazzi Coleman and Bree Neuvirth. Elegant outfits adorned several models as they strutted down the catwalk. Chic headwear donned by several models made several outfits appear even that much elegant.

A short intermission followed and gave everyone a chance to walk around and mingle.

Erika Louie who is currently finishing her last semester at Sac State was the first designer to display her line after intermission. Erika’s Por Vida collection showed a mixture of style and comfort with emphasis on lines and structure. Cotton, wool and silk were the main fabrics used which represented life, nature and environment awareness. Elegance was abound in Erika’s fine collection.

The Essence of Beauty was Kao Xiong's collection. MC Linda read off a quote from Kao “Thanks to my parents for supporting me over the years. Thanks to Stacey Selley, if it weren’t for you and fashion club this much would not have been possible for me, enjoy my collection.” A beautifully elegant white outfit complemented by golden footwear was the first outfit paraded from Kao's collection eliciting awe from the audience. As the first model stepped out I heard one of the people in front of me gasp “oh my goodness”.

“Anakarina Pimentel, Anakarina Pimentel, Ana-karina Pimentel” MC Mike kept saying and indicated he loved saying her name, so he said it over and over. Mike said, “Anakarina hopes to be a fashion designer and have her own collection. She likes sewing and putting her pieces together and seeing her designs come to life. ” Her Fresh and Classy collection was inspired by something that can make you feel beautiful and fresh. It’s a nice combination of colors and nature for all women who like to feel elegant and sexy.

Lacey Taylor from Sac State and Samantha Rachele American River College put together a collection called OMG PQ? WTF! STFUWHAT?!? The collection was a lighthearted showcase of high school characters who were not elected prom queen. The funky collection was well highlighted with wonderful outfits accented by not so ordinary accessories. The unique collection was whimsical as much as it was elegant. The creative and alternative designs were well received by the audience.

Tamika Bellamy was introduced and received cheer from audience members and friends. Another Sac State student Tamika’s collection was called Bold Romance. Bold Romance refers to the color purple representing royalty, spirituality and nobility. It represents a romantic, delicate and powerful side of women. Tamika has been designing since she was 8 years old and has picked clothing to fit women and their personalities bringing out their best features. Tamika ended going down the runway as model and designer.

Noognuv Thao’s collection Clowning Around With Fashion was inspired by Stephen Kings horror television miniseries It! Noognuv wanted to portray a softer sophisticated version of clowns who seem to bring fear to many people. Colors in her collection are shades of gray and cream with hints of black.

The final collection of the evening belonged to Kira Martinson. Kira was part of Sacramento Fashion Week and participated as one of the Emerging Designers for the event. Kira is in her final semester at Sac State and would eventually like to be part of a designing team for an established brand. Her elegant collection included several dresses, pants and skirts created from beautiful fabric.

Sacramento continues to grow in the fashion industry. The SFA Styles of Paradise Fashion event showed the potential of our young designers. Sacramento, I believe, will soon be put on the fashion industry map by our current established designers as well as our up and coming talent. Stylists, models, hair and makeup, designers and those involved in the industry continue to work together and attain the experience and talent needed to succeed in the insdustry. Sacramento State's Student Fashion Association succeeded in putting together a grand show.

(Note; more photos from the event can be seen here.)

Sacramento Ballet's Icons and Innovators

2011-03-26T00:49:05Z

Sacramento’s Community Center Theater hosted an evening of brilliant ballet performances on Thursday night. The Sacramento Ballet presented The Four Temperaments, Boléro and Celts. This program will be featured at the Community Center Theatre on March 24 to March 27 and on April 9 at the Three Stages Performing Arts Center in Folsom.

Thursday’s opening night started off the Icons and Innovators program with The Four Temperaments. Music by German composer Paul Hindemith and choreography by world-renowned George Balanchine proved very entertaining. The opening piece prepared the audience for a magnificent evening of music and dance. Superb lighting, costumes, choreography and great performances kept everyone’s eyes fixed on the stage.

Classic ballet movements captivated the audience as the Sacramento Ballet performers elegantly moved around the stage during The Four Temperaments. Fluid movements were executed as Hindemith’s music played. Dancers gracefully moved around showing how much time and effort they have put into their rehearsals at the Sacramento Ballet Studios on K Street.

This part of the program showed off the great talent of the dancers who have been working on this production for weeks, perhaps months. As intermission followed the initial performance it was obvious this was a showcase piece of art in motion. Guests commented on its visual presentation and how easy these dancers made their performance look.

After the first intermission French composer Maurice Ravel’s Boléro began. This ballet was masterfully choreographed by Ron Cunningham. From its first musical note and dance movement this ballet performance mesmerized the audience. Ravel’s Boléro is perhaps his most widely known composition. The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra also performed Ravel’s Boléro at this same venue on January 22, 2011.

The intensity of the music and dramatic moves grasped the audience from beginning to end. The choreography was superbly performed by the Sacramento Ballet. The mood for the performance was set by lighting, music, choreography and dancers. I cannot imagine this being a successful performance without any one of these theatrical and integral components.

This 1928 composition by Maurice Ravel, choreography and performance was like candy for the ears, eyes and soul. Dressed in flamenco dance costumes ballet performers dramatically moved around the stage. Flamenco dance costumes and movements provided great ambiance for this performance. The transparent background used during parts of the performance, where shadows of dancers can be seen, was a masterful addition that added character to Boléro.

The third and final piece of the Icons and Innovators performance was Celts choreographed by Lila York with Traditional and Contemporary Irish Folk Music. Lila’s choreography was showcased as part of the Sacramento Ballet’s Inside the Directors Studio series performed earlier in the month at the Sacramento Ballet Studios.

Tribal drums playing in the background followed by bagpipes starts off the performance of Celts. The stage and lighting give a melodramatic presence to the ballet. Everything that’s Irish is celebrated in Lila York’s Celts. Beautiful costumes, not only in Celts but in the whole evening’s performance, were truly magnificent. Irish jigs and step dancing were integrated to showcase Irish dance, music and traditional as well as tribal costumes.

This Celtic experience was brought to the audience in spectacular fashion combining wonderful Irish music, great costumes, colorful stage lighting and a jubilant dance performance that extended St. Patrick’s celebration for another week.

Imagery of Irish mythology, history and Celtic warriors were gracefully brought to the stage to produce a great performance. Lila York’s choreography brought her Irish/Scottish roots to life and the music selection made this a memorable show.

There are still a few performances scheduled in the next few days at the Sacramento Community Center Theatre and one in the City of Folsom. Contact the Community Center Theater Box Office at (916) 808-5181 or www.Tickets.com.

The Icons and Innovators performances by the Sacramento Ballet is an annual series devoted to showcase some of the nation’s renowned choreographers with music from some of the world’s best known composers. Thursday’s performance made it quite evident that all the work put into the performances was very successful and appreciated.

The Icons and Innovators presentation is the final Sacramento Ballet performance of the season at the Community Center. The Sacramento Ballet continues to impress with their performances in front of large audiences as well as with intimate showings. The talent that it continues to attract is impressive and the work of Sacramento Ballet Artistic Director Ron Cunningham to attract renowned choreographers to Sacramento brings the best out of these magnificent dancers.

Ron Cunningham will also be holding an informal inside view of these performances 45 minutes before the performances at the Sacramento Community Center Theatre. Invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers to these spellbound performances and they will thank you. Support your local arts and enjoy this exquisite Sacramento Ballet performance.

Second Saturday Art Walk

2011-02-15T01:06:30Z

A warm Saturday evening brought more people out to experience a night full of art, music, culture and socializing during February’s Second Saturday. In the next couple of months, as the weather gets warmer and it stays lighter during the early evening, more people will be attending Second Saturday.

I passed by the Midtown Bazaar on I Street (between 16 and 17th Streets) and noticed that more vendors are setting up stations. I went there to see a couple of murals. One of the murals is in the process of being painted while another has been completed. Amber Villegas has a finished mural on the right hand side wall as you enter from I Street. Another mural on the back wall directly across from the entrance has been in the works by some students under Amber’s direction.

The Midtown Bazaar is open every Saturday from noon to 5 and until 9 p.m., during Second Saturday. Vendors have booths set up selling a variety of hand crafted items.

Hot Italian was celebrating its second anniversary on this Second Saturday. They had a photo contest that was to feature the top 15 photographs posted by fans of the establishment. Tais Arises was on hand and Amanda Lopez was doing photography for the photo booth that was set up for the evening.

I usually try to visit a new gallery or two every Second Saturday and noticed that Bevmostic Art opened a couple of doors down from Hot Italian right next door to the Crimson and Clover boutique. Besides the art on the walls a DJ was performing and a few guests were walking around.

A display of selections from various artists was being displayed at the Panama Artists Collective (PAC). I’m not sure if they changed their name or if the show for Second Saturday was named PAC. The exhibit was wonderfully displayed and the artists’ work was magnificent. Some of their work can be found at their website.

The Sacramento Art Complex always has some attention getting art on display on 2110 K Street. Garley of Garley Sculptures and resident artist of the Sacramento Art Complex was on hand showing a new sculpture. He introduced me to Eric Goodman who had an exhibit honoring Black History Month. Both artists were there to answer questions regarding their work.

More and more artists are finding new venues to display their work. There are other establishments looking for artists to display their art or in some places looking for artists who may need a studio. Other establishments are also looking to share their available space to art galleries, music venues or similar entertainment events and meeting areas. Clubhouse24 is remodeling their space and making it available for gatherings. Johnny Tate from Clubhouse24 took some time to talk about Second Saturday and how he's preparing for another year of Second Saturday showings and venues. He's been in the building for about 10 years now and was in the process of moving to a smaller studio towards the back area while preparing the rest of the building to host other events.

Tate indicated that he was looking for people to occupy the available space for meetings or other social gatherings. Last year I saw several local bands performing on the main area while art was also on display inside. There are inside and outside areas available for events and Tate saw the possibility of hosting things such as small fashion shows as well as other possibilities. Tate can be contacted via the Clubhouse24 facebook page.

My last stop for the evening was at Spanglish Arte which was hosting an exhibit by Juan Raul Mejia. His exhibit will be on display until February 21. The gallery is located on 905 23rd Street. As you walk on 23th off of J and towards I Street you can usually see a path lit up with Luminaries leading to the front of the gallery. Children seem to always be around as adults look for things to buy and view art by featured artists.

Earlier in the day Spanglish Arte conducted a class on making corn husk flowers. Two workshops are scheduled every month from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays. Log on to their website to see the schedule for upcoming classes and view samples of art galleries featured throughout the year.

Midtown, Downtown, Old Sacramento, East Sacramento and Del Paso galleries contiune to hold exhibits every Second Saturday. Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Davis and Folsom as well as other areas have joined the Art Walks on Second Saturday. Roseville has been running Third Saturday for a while as well. If you have not attended an Art Walk lately it’s becoming easier to find one near you. Popularity increases during the summer. One thing I noticed this Saturday was what I perceived to be increased security by local law enforcement allowing for a more secured feeling that will help as people begin to notice more patrolling during the Second Saturday events.

A Magic Evening of Music and Art

2011-02-02T08:08:37Z

This past weekend the Sacramento Fine Arts Center (SFAC) in Carmichael held a cultural event called Art Song: A Magic Evening of Music and Art. I was fortunate enough to attend the Sunday show. Mr. Richard Turner was the MC for the evening. The event was filled with art enthusiasts and beautiful music.

(Richard Turner, President SFAC on the right)

Grand violinist Michelle Xiao You originally from Shanghai, China brought her unexpected humor and great violin talent to the Sacramento Fine Arts Center. Donna Helmich-Agnello’s beautiful voice delighted the audience with her vibrant soprano performances. There was also a watercolor exhibit by the American Watercolor Society International Traveling Exhibition.

(Art Exhibit)

Richard Turner, president of the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, was on hand to welcome guests for Art Song. The Sacramento Fine Arts Center looked like a hangar divided into three sections. Indeed as Rich Turner was explaining the logistics of the building he noted, “This used to be an old auto shop.” He talked about the American Watercolor Society’s 143rd International Traveling Exhibit that was displayed around the building. Forty of these paintings were being exhibited. These were selected from over a thousand entries by some of the finest watercolor artists in the world. Richard pointed out that the SFAC was chosen by the American Watercolor Society as the only venue in California to host the exhibit in 2011.

Richard informed the audience about the event for the day, “What we’ve tried to do is collaborate world class art with world class music.” Richard went on and introduced pianist Greg Mason as “One of the most fantastic pianists in the world.”

(Pianist Greg Mason on the left)

Richard began to compare the Mondavi Center to the SFAC and noted that for this performance instead of having light and sound technicians the SFAC had a light switch technician with 3 light switch locations and at each switch location there was a light switch technician. He continued “When I say the magic word all the lights should go off, but if they don’t what I’d like to ask you to do is just pretend.” Laughter from the audience followed and Richard informed the audience, “close your eyes and imagine as the lights are dimming, going down, dimming… Let the magic begin!”

As the lights were turned off Donna Helmich-Agnello emerged from behind a black curtain and moved among the audience while singing Nell, Poetry by Le Conte de Lisle by G. Faure. As she continued to go around the audience she walked down the middle isle of seats as if she was a bride walking down toward the altar. She stopped in front of a row of chairs and sat on the lap of one of the audience members as she continued to sing another French love song. As she was on stage she said, “I should probably mention that the gentlemen’s lap I sat at is my husband.” She went on to inform the audience that the second song was Green, Poetry by Paul Verlaine by C. Debussy.

(Donna Helmich-Agnello on the left)

Donna’s talent, in my opinion, really stood out performing Mozart’s Dove Sono. Her lovely operatic voice was quite magical.

As Michelle Xiao You took the stage she began to fine tune her violin. As she finished tuning she got a laugh as she told the audience “That was just a tune up.” Greg Mason started the piano introduction and soon Michelle began her hypnotic violin playing. The slow movement at the beginning soon gave way to vibrant melodies. My kids’ grandfather has a painting whose name and artist I don’t know of a man playing a fiddle and the artist gave him 6 fingers on his left hand as he moved the bow with the other. I think it just gave the impression of how fast the man played the fiddle. As Michelle played, it was almost as if she had more than five fingers on one hand. Fast movement at times seemed as if it was a blur. Mesmerizing music filled the stage and moved my heart. Michelle's playing showcased other sweet movements making audience members sway as they followed her music.

(Michelle Xiao You signing autographs)

Michelle, at times, explained an arrangement at one point introducing a piece by saying "The next piece needs a little explanation since it’s not normally played on the violin, I don’t want you to think I don’t know what I’m doing.” Michelle said and getting a laugh. She went on to explain that the piece was about a man who, while in India, heard a beautiful voice and went to investigate. He was the strongest man on earth but when he heard the lovely voice and saw a beautiful woman something happened “Little by little he began to lose his strength and became weaker and weaker and in the end he lost all his strength. When I read it a few years ago I was a little bit surprised because I thought only Bill Clinton does that.” Michalle said and laughter once again came from the audience. “That was a joke!” she clarified herself.

Michelle went on to introduce another piece that was not meant for the violin either and indicated she was taking a risk playing it. She went on to describe the piece as a Scott Joplin ragtime piece. She had not heard of ragtime until she came to the United States and said that over in China she just went to college and was not allowed to even see movies. She mentioned that they ate the same thing every morning for breakfast and felled into routines. She indicated that the first time she came to the United States she had culture shock. “We found out we could do whatever we wanted there so we started to pack immediately,” she said and it solicited laughter from the audience. She continued her story as when she got here, “We had ice cream for breakfast every single day and we went to see 8 movies in 2 days! There were four of us Chinese girls and one of the movies we saw was The Sting. That was the first time I heard this particular style of music and I just fell in love with that type of music. Also in that movie it had Paul Newman and Robert Redford and for some reason Robert Redford kept appearing in our dreams for a while.” She continued to delight the audience with her observations.

As she played “The Entertainer” audience members moved their head from side to side enjoying the melody. It was a pleasure to hear Michelle give a narrative to some of her performances. She talked about Sarasate who did not like to practice at all and would lock his Stradivarius which was worth about $7 million in a safe and go months without practicing and would basically take the first part of a performance and use it to practice and as the concert evolved he just got better. Michelle said she wanted to try it “I tried to see if I could go without practicing, wouldn’t that be nice. I practiced for about two hours in 2003. It didn’t work for me” she said and again amused the audience.

Donna’s repertoire for the evening included singing in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. No matter what language was used she moved from one performance to another keeping the audience in awe.

During the second half of the performance Michelle and Donna performed solo but with Greg Mason on piano. Zigeunerweisen was magnificently performed by Michelle. As she played it made me wonder how much practice it must take to play such a piece. So many notes and movements need to be accomplished that it showed Michelle’s range and how someone like her powers above most other violinists. Tonight’s performance made me a fan of Michelle Xiao You.

Donna, Michelle and Greg joined together for Summertime and I Feel Pretty. The three on stage at once made this a true Magic Evening of Music. The performances throughout the show were full of energy, beautiful music and singing. It was a performance full of musical performances that depicted drama, romance, betrayal, ragtime and love.

The Sacramento Fine Arts Center offers great programs throughout the year for people of all ages. Log on to their web page to see what events are coming up.

The event at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center was well performed and well received. The combination of Art and Song made this a very enjoyable performance. The collaboration of Donna Helmich-Agnello, Greg Mason and Michelle Xiao You, three world class musicians, was as Richard Turner put it “A musical performance you will not see anywhere else!”

Photos by David Alvarez

Second Saturday Art Walk

2011-01-11T08:52:04Z

Saturday Night’s temperature during Second Saturday kept many art lovers at home. The first Second Saturday of 2011 was sparsely attended. The cold weather which was in the upper 30s or low 40s seemed to have kept many people in the warmth of their homes. Truth be told the cold weather curtailed the number of galleries I attended.

On 20th and J Streets a candle lit vigil included some singing that brought a crowd of people to that site. The singers seemed to have disappeared just as fast as it had appeared. The group was singing “This Little Light of Mine” (among other songs) although some of the lyrics were changed to fit the location and situation. The usual crowd that gathers at this spot on Second Saturdays was missing this evening.

Walking up on 20th Street towards I Street the musical bands that are usually outside performing were non-existent. As I passed by the 20th Street Art Gallery the site was empty. That was a sad sight as many artists’ exhibit their art here on a monthly basis. I had heard they were moving last year but was still surprised as I passed by the complex.

Walking down another section of Midtown the Sacramento Art Complex got my attention with art sculptures in their parking lot. One of the artists was doing a demonstration and had gathered a small audience as he worked. He gleefully answered questions and spoke about what he was doing as he worked on a project. I also noticed that work was being done on the wall facing the parking lot.

Inside the complex it also looked like studios were being renovated and new occupants were moving in. The Garley Sculptures Studio was open during this Second Saturday. Garley Poetry was on hand to answer questions about his sculptures.

La Raza Galeria Posada featured the works of Felipe Magdaleno, Jesus Barela, David Buenrostro, Andrea Porras, Mario Vargas, Mario Moreno and Jose Lott during their "Twenty Years to the Day" art show. The small gallery was busy while I was there and the place was very warm. I loitered for a bit while talking with other people at the gallery.

Midikat Boutique featured musical guests during their art exhibit. South Lot was performing and 1 Lost MC was setting up in the back. This boutique is on 21st Street (between K and L). The band performing, South Lot will also be performing at Old Ironsides this Thursday, January 13.

(South Lot)

The Kennedy Gallery, another place that’s usually very crowded, was quiet during this month’s Second Saturday. I stopped to admire the work of Dianne Mattar and I talked with her husband. Dianne shares a station with KC Moore. When Dianne came back we talked for a few minutes and asked if I had seen the youth art exhibit. “There are some works of art from the 6th Annual Youth Invitational over on the hall walls over there, have you seen them?” Dianne asked. I told her I had not and she proceeded to tell me a little bit more about the event “Look at this, I only have this because one of the artist I invited could not be here.: She showed me a packet they gave the young artists who were invited and it included a thank you card that the youngster could send to the artist who invited them. Their work is all up and down the hall.” Dianne said as we walked over to the exhibit.

The 6th Annual Invitational is not really a competition. The purpose of the invitational is to encourage children who exhibit a talent for the arts and to recognize their talent and encourage them. The work exhibited did indeed show the talent these young exhibitors have. The age range for these artists was from 4 to 17 years of age.

Towards the entrance of the Kennedy Gallery Art Center the beat of Tribal Calling filled the gallery. Several children joined in making music as they were given other rhythmic instruments to play. As I left I could hear their rhythmic beat of the drums for a couple of more minutes.

(Tribal Calling and helpers at the Kennedy Gallery)

As the temperature continued to drop I looked for a place to warm up but ended making my way back home instead. Second Saturday will begin to attract more enthusiasts in the March/April time frame when the weather becomes warmer.

Photos:

1, 2 - Artist at the Sacramento Art Complex

3, 4 - La Raza Galeria Posada Exhibit

5 - South Lot

6 - Tribal Calling

Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet

2010-12-20T20:12:54Z

A delectable performance of Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet “The Nutcracker” played in front of near capacity showings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Performances took place at the Jill Solberg Theatre at Folsom High School.

Rainy and cold weather did not prevent audiences from attending any of the performances. The audience was made up of aficionados of all ages. Performance members were also of all ages and even a very well behaved baby made a couple of appearances during the show.

At one time there were (and I did try to count them all) slightly over 40 performers on stage. The whole evening was visually appealing as soon as the curtains were parted for the first act. The lighting was great, the scenery was fantastic and the costumes were flawless. The magnificent music by Tchaikovsky along with the acts on stage at times, to me, made it seem like a lucid dream.

Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet (PHCB) was performed to the delight of a large audience. The Artistic Director of the PHCB, Pamela Hayes, was born and raised in England and danced with the Royal Ballet of London. She has performed all over the world and has brought her experience to the Sacramento area. For the past 18 years she has strived to preserve classical ballet through the PHCB.

The Nutcracker has always been a favorite and several versions make their way via the several ballet groups in our area and throughout the world. Pamela Hayes’ rendition brings a high caliber interpretation of The Nutcracker. The dancers who took the stage seemed to have spent quite a long time rehearsing for the event. The precision of many of the ballet moves were fine-tuned and quite elegant.

As the curtains opened for Act One the splendor of the stage and those on it were quite breathtaking. Everyone took their spots on stage. The hair, make-up and costumes were quite stunning. As the scene opened at the Silberhaus home, on Christmas Eve, a Christmas party was taking place. The elegant moves of each person, from children to adults, on stage were very precise. In this regard the choreography of Pamela Hayes, Zara Hayes, and Michael Onstad could be witnessed and greatly appreciated.

Herr Drosselmeyer, inventor and toymaker, played by the much sought after Michael Onstad is onstage entertaining guests with magic tricks and life-size dolls that need winding up from time to time. Michael has played the role of Herr Drosselmeyer for 35 years now. He has danced with the Sacramento Ballet, the Eugene Ballet, the Copenhagen Summer Tivoli, and many other companies. His background and choreography are major contributions to the performance.

There were so many dancers on stage and their performances were quite impressive in each and every act. The costumes from the Mouse King and the Nutcracker, besides being very well done, did not interfere with any of the ballet performances on contrary it added beauty to every scene. Baby mice and big mice as well as soldiers also took the stage to do battle.

As Scene 2 opens, The Land of Snow, again shows the talents of the dancers. The corps of ballet was made up of many dancers who graciously moved from one end of the stage to the next and there was always something going on either as main part of the act or as dancers moved in the background.

During intermission voices and laughter of children rang out as they partook in some cookies, pastries and hot chocolate. Many of the supporters at Friday’s performance, for the most part, seemed to be family and friends. Many in attendance braved the weather and several of them noted that it was well worth the drive. Many vendors and volunteers were also on hand at the Folsom High School Theatre. Many sponsors helped with this production. As with many productions and events much of what goes on to make these events successful is the volunteers. Many community and parent volunteers helped wherever they were needed.

Act 2 starts off in the Kingdom of Sweets. The Sugar Plum Fairy greets Clara and the Prince. The Fairy is so impressed that she honors Clara with a magnificent celebration. Choreography and ballet movements at their best were displayed. With all this beauty on stage one cannot forget about the musical score. The wonderful music of Tchaikovsky plays as we witness the performances on stage. If you were to close your eyes during the performance, as I did, the composer’s music can also take you on a dream-like adventure. Images of beauty come to mind and allow the mind to travel into a sweet kingdom as Tchaikovsky’s beautifully composed music plays.

(Photo courtesy PHCB)

Different scenes were performed and moved at a rapid pace. This period of divertissement takes the audience around the world as dancers perform for Clara. As the performance is about to end the audience experiences another great performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy, performed by Julia Feldman, and the Cavalier, Cierra Diaz, perform a pas de deux.

The performance was quite a delight. To learn more about Pamela Hayes and the PHCB go to their website. Her Classical Ballet Training is at the essence of this performance and her teaching is based around it as well.

Art in Sacramento continues to grow. The Pamela Hayes studios are located in Sacramento and El Dorado Hills. The El Dorado Hills studio allows for Folsom and nearby community residents find a place closer to home for this type of classical training.

Dream Big Showcase

2010-12-13T19:05:36Z

Think about any outlets our younger generation has to show off their character, work off undue pressure, to live an active life, enjoy different types of music and most importantly; show off their artistic talent. Not many single activities come to mind, yet there are places around Sacramento that try offer something that incorporates all the activities mentioned. This weekend an event took place that showed off what hard work and dedication can accomplish by participating in the art of dance.

The Dream Big Dance Showcase and Scholarship Competition held at John F. Kennedy High School was a great way for members of the dance community to show off their talents and receive a scholarship to further their interest in dance. This event will help the scholarship recipient a way to try and achieve a dream and follow a career in dance. This is especially significant during this time of economic cuts in many academic Performing Arts programs.

This two-day event workshop and completion was open to children and young adults to show off their dance talent on Friday and Saturday. Workshops were held during the day and after the workshops those who participated performed for the public. These dances showed off the great talent we have in our area.

The Dream Big Showcase and Scholarship Competition brought people from around Sacramento to Kennedy High School and many contributed to the success of this event in one way or another. Some of the contributors were KCRA, HOT 103.5, Coca Cola, Jamba Juice, Janice King, the California Employees Association, the Contreras Family, Pepper Von, Guleena Bakshi, Michelle Pearson and the many family members in the audience.

The dances were very entertaining during the two day event. Many performances were put on by various dance teams and a Dance Battle (a HOT 103.5 exclusive) was scheduled to take place. HOT 103.5 FM provided the music before the actual show and during all breaks. DJ Mo Ayala represented the station.

(HOT 103.5 MC Mo Ayala)

Dream Big is a non-profit organization and serves children and young adults in the Sacramento performing arts community. Their stated mission is to promote and provide resources for dancers who desire high quality performing arts training. They also help provide scholarships for student dancers with financial need. These students need to maintain a 3.0 grade point average.

Proceeds from the Dream Big Dance Showcase and scholarship competition support youth participation in the performing arts. The Dream Big competition demonstrates their ability to perform for the community and showcase their talents. The encouragement they receive from their parents, and each other, promotes self-esteem and generates peer cooperation. The kids at the event showed goodwill and support for each other as they all loudly cheered for each other. You can very well see what a tight-knit community these dancers have developed.

The hard work of Tamaira Sandifer (Tee) to help organize the event manifested itself during the showcase. Dancers did a fantastic job keeping the event going at a fast, energetic and enjoyable pace. DJ Mo Ayala kept things going and made it a fun event with his quick wit giving the young performers well deserved encouragement and accolades. The talent of choreographer Kiari and others also manifested itself during some of the performances.

(Tee and DJ Mo)

At least 10 different dance teams also shared their talent on stage. The event was scheduled to include major performances by some of the hottest dance studios and competitive dance teams in the region. Dances performed during the event also covered various genres. The Malco Dance Company, GROOVEology, Studio T Urban Dance Academy, D.M.C., Ropin’ Riders, Ice Dance Company, K.A.S.T. Performing Arts, Press Play, XPosed, and Underground Flow each had various dancers performing and showcasing their talents.

This event also gave choreographers and dancers a chance to shine as they performed during the Dream Big Showcase. Hip Hop, Old School, Country Style, Modern, Jazz and Break dancing, Poppin’/Lockin’ and many other styles of dancing were well choreographed and performed.

(Choreographer Kiari)

Artistic and academic excellence area at the heart of the competition and the dancers in turn are at the heart of the community. This event is expected to continue to grow and needs the support of our community. The results can be witnessed at competitions such as these and the public is encouraged to follow future events by visiting the Dream Big web site.

The Dream Big Showcase and Scholarship Competition was a success. Congratulations to all the participants and supporters of the event it was truly a pleasure to watch art in motion.

(Photos by David Alvarez Photography)

MLK Blvd. Streetscape Improvement Project

2010-12-10T22:49:56Z

How many public works of art are there in Sacramento? How many can you think of? Which one stands out in your mind or is your favorite and why? These are some of the questions that can be raised and thought about as Sacramento continues to expose its population to those works of art that are available for all to see. Many of these works of art are unique to the community that houses them. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, in the next couple of years, will be renovated and input is being sought from the community and artists.

(Art Sculpture at Oak Park Community Center)

The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC) and Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) held a Public Art Workshop on Wednesday December 8. Oak Park Community Center hosted the event and about 20 community residents and art enthusiasts attended the workshop.

The event was set up to help develop a conceptual framework for public art that will be placed along Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Boulevard as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Streetscape Improvement Project. This was actually a very interesting and exciting workshop where the community was invited and encouraged to share their views and input.

Shelly Willis, Art in Public Places Program Director and Suzanne M. Vose, Art in Public Places Project Manager from SMAC and Matt Hertel, Redevelopment Planner of Housing and Community Development from SHRA were present to go over the initiative. They talked about what has been done in other cities to promote community pride and what can be done for the MLK Boulevard project.

Shelly, Suzanne, and Matt were able to provide not only the art community but the community as a whole with specific information about the MLK Boulevard Streetscape Improvement Project. It also gave those who attended the workshop the opportunity to give feedback and suggestions regarding expectations for the public art that may be used to cleanup and beautify MLK Blvd. This plan has been in the works for at least a couple of years now and it is ready to move forward by soliciting more input from community members and artists.

Matt Hertel gave the audience some background information on the MLK Boulevard Streetscape Project, where the project stands now and where it will go. He started by saying “Oak Park is in a redevelopment area and as such they are eligible for resources. These resources have to be spent or captured in this area.” This will allow for two major items to be implemented, one is Streetscape and the other is Placemaking Art.

Streetscape development will help improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and walkability around MLK Boulevard. Areas around schools and community facilities will be specially targeted for these improvements. The workshop sought input from those who attended and as such, Matt indicated that “We looked at the neighborhood as a whole and also looked to the residents to try to come up with a strategy. We also explored the assets that MLK has and examined ways to improve it.” As Matt spoke it appears that there are many ideas to improve MLK Boulevard including roadway surfacing, sidewalk improvements, Americans with Disabilities Act curb ramps, new crosswalks, bike racks, tree plantings, pedestrian level street lighting and other safety and beautification works.

Placemaking Art is expected to cover the areas of MLK Boulevard from Broadway to Fruitridge. Art along this stretch will feature art that can be experienced from cars, as they drive down the road, by bicycle and by foot. Art gateways at Broadway, Fruitridge Road and 21st Avenue/Hwy 99 have been identified as well as several other art focused nodes. These include the Oak Park Community Center Plaza, a Community Garden (already in progress with approximately 36 plots), a South Oak Park Alley Abatement Project (also already in progress), and continuous art maintenance and enhancements. Matt indicated that this strategy will be “ambitious and aggressive”.

Shelly Willis followed Matt’s orientation by showing a multimedia presentation entitled Public Art as Gateways and Streetscapes. The presentation was meant to show some examples of vivid public works of art around the United States. Some represented what the community, where the art is situated, is all about; it also showed interactive, educational and inspirational public art. Major gateways from St. Louis and Chicago were shown as well as other ideas to help illustrate and ignite the imagination of those who attended the workshop and showed examples of what the MLK renovation project can be.

The MLK Boulevard renovation project has already gone through the planning stages and the foundation for the work was discussed at the workshop. Shelly talked about one of the larger projects the Arts Commission has been working on. If you’ve been to the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport lately you can see some of their commissioned work. Shelly went on to relate “So for example at the airport, which is the largest project we’re working on, we developed a plan many months before we actually started selecting artists for that project because we need to understand what the parameters are for that project before we began selecting artists. So today I just want to go through some of the elements of the Public Art plan and then break into groups and have you help us with 3 or 4 areas of the plan before we leave tonight. We will then have enough information to start putting things together.” After having said that those who attended the workshop broke up into two groups and discussed the project.

The groups worked to help create an Art Plan for the MLK Boulevard Streetscape Improvement Project. Within the groups many interesting ideas and examples were discussed. The vision, support and encouragement given by community members were fresh and exiting to listen to. Several community members showed pride in their neighborhood as it is now and voiced their support of this beautification improvement project. They discussed ideas that supported Martin Luther King Jr. and his ideas and how they may be incorporated in this plan. Education, improvements and beautification were also discussed as well as the history of the area and what works of art can represent the neighborhood.

(Community members and artists discussing MLK art project)

Artists that were there gave examples of other public works of art and focused on Sacramento and the MLK Boulevard project. This was an exciting and invigorating aspect of the workshop and at the end many suggestions were given.

The artist selection process has not been initiated yet and this process selection was also discussed within the groups. The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission will be posting information about the project in its website. Artists and community members interested in the project can follow the progress, become involved and see what inspiring works of art result in the next couple of years. This project is expected to be completed by the end of 2012.

Photos: 1 - Oak Park Community Center Mural, 2 through 4 - Workshop Discussion

David Alvarez Photography

Black Friday at Beatnik Studios

2010-11-28T08:22:47Z

Beatnik Studios hosted its Last Friday art showings for November. Musical guests were The Dreaded Diamond and Exquisite Corps. Art surrounded the walls on the entrance area and a fashion show took place in the Beatnik studio area in the back of the building.

I got the opportunity to listen to one of Dreaded Diamond’s songs as they were ending their set when I arrived. . Exquisite Corps followed and I was able to enjoy some of their set. The last time I saw them was at the Chalk It Up event in September and enjoyed their venue. Their unique blend of a cello, violin, drums, guitar and vocals always makes it a joy to listen to.

(Exquisite Corps)

A charity fashion event benefiting Feeding America took place in the back area of Beatnik Studios as well. The Fashionable Black Friday included a fashion show and a raffle of various sponsor donated gifts.

A pre-photo shoot took place but I did not have the correct credentials to get in. This gave me an opportunity to enjoy Exquisite Corps' music. Also, while waiting for the actual Fashionable Black Friday to start I had the opportunity to briefly chat with some students from Los Angeles’ Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). Some of this design school graduates, from the Sacramento area, have come back to Sacramento to practice their trade. Tiana Vega and Shamini Shanmugam, two FIDM graduates, are two designers that have had showings in Sacramento.

Some students from FIDM were on hand (I mistook them from models). Alana Johnson, Ness Rose, Jasmine Rose, Gabriel Barnes and Curtis Brown were there to enjoy the fashion show although not all of them attend FIDM.

Exquisite U Beauty Boutique, located on Fulton Avenue did the hair and makeup for the majority of the designers. Transformations Makeup Institute also provided some of the same services for the fashion show.

The proceeds for the evening went to Feeding America and it will help feed the over 10 million hungry families during this holiday season. Macys contributed several of the evening’s raffle prizes. Music during the show was provided by DJ Hot Shot.

Some of the designers for the evening were Latiya showing her Tailand Designs clothing. Her line of clothing was very well put together and the audience appreciated this part of the show.

During the evening, and before the Aubrey Jade collection was shown, the singing of Happy Birthday preceded her collection. We were then told the story as to how this event came about. “Thank you, thank you, originally that’s how we got started doing this event. I wanted to do something special and meaningful for my birthday a couple of years ago and this how I came up with this type of event. Macys was doing an event throughout their stores nationwide. They had a dinner party, all the proceeds from their dinner party they would match and decided to take it a little bit further. They wanted to go a little bigger and beyond and I said well let’s do a fashion show and everything we made they matched. We’re very appreciative of them and thanks to everyone.” said the designer of the Aubrey Jade collection.

Designer Tui Toele’s fashion wear were also exhibited and the final designer was Sandra Arnold showing her Chinyere Designs. The Fashionable Black Friday event was, I believe, quite successful.

Back at the front area of the Beatnik Studios, Exquisite Corps had already finished their show and the main hall was empty. The Last Friday’s art showings also exhibited works of Judy Keen, a glass artist, as well as works by Mark A. Kooy and Suzon Lucore. I hadn’t heard of Last Fridays at the Beatnik before but hope to be there again.

Photos:

1 - Exquisite Corps

2 - Alana Johnson, Ness Rose, Jasmin Rose, Gabriel Barnes, Curtis Brown

3 - DJ Hot Shot

4 to 20 - Fashionable Black Friday Fashion Show

Masquerade Gala

2010-11-23T04:04:45Z

The Sacramento Artists Council brought together artists and guests to an enjoyable evening during its 1st Annual Masquerade Gala event. This elegant Masquerade is one of two major events held, by this council, during the year to raise funds and support art scholarships for local students.

This social event also helps raise grants for artists, musicians and filmmakers in the Sacramento area. The recipient of this year’s grant was Juliana Zachariou.

Several outfits worn by those who attended the event spent quite a bit of time creating their outfits for the Masquerade. Several outfits had integrated beautiful designs created by those who wore some stunning dresses.

Compliments were heard all around as guests socialized while admiring art. Walking down the hallways of the Sacramento Art Complex, where the event was held, many compliments were heard; “You look so darling. Turn around let me see the whole outfit. Beautiful! Did you make that? Your make-up is stunning. Oh my gosh, you look dazzling. Your hair looks marvelous.” were some of the many compliments uttered by guests to each other.

At times it seemed as if a movie was being filmed. It had a European feel to it. Many wore stunning outfits and all looked like they were ready for a Masquerade Ball. Classical music played in the background. The Sacramento School of Music String Trio played to the delight of the guests and provided a great setting for the event. Beautiful music played as guest mingled and enjoyed studio tours by resident artists.

The no-host cocktail reception for this event began at 4 p.m. Rail Bridge Cellars had a bar in the patio in the back of the complex. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a sitting area were available for guests to enjoy food and drink as well as a place to catch up on current events and the night’s festivities.

Guests were able to walk around both floors of the art complex and enjoy the art in many studios. Several artists were on hand to talk and answer questions about their art. Many of the auction items were donated by in-house artists. Many who donated proceeds from their art gave at least 20% of the winning bid price back to the Sacramento Artists Council and several donated 100%.

Dinner was provided and this gave guests a chance to chat amongst other guests at their tables. Several guests purchased a bottle (or two) of wine to enjoy during their dinner. The dinner was hosted by Classique Catering. After their delicious dinner guests enjoyed tantalizing deserts provided by Baby Cakes Bakery.

Mark Rabinovitz, Vice President, of the Sacramento Artists Council came to the microphone as guests were sitting to eat their dinner. He began by declaring; “The council is the brainchild of Susan Rabinovitz. She’s an artist in this building and she’s always been interested in art and always has had the sincere desire to assist people and to aid people to help out and do things that will result in something good. A lot of things have come from the artists we’ve met and been associated with and it’s the reason why we are here.”

Mark went on to discuss another of their main events and what comes out of these fundraising events. Mark continued, “We’ll be doing another Art Happens in July and that will be outdoors it’s more of a festival type environment. What the masquerade does is that it raises money to provide a grant or scholarship and each year we’ll be notifying and introducing you to the recipients so that you can see where the money is going. This year’s recipient will be performing in a few minutes her name is Juliana Zachariou She was actually part of our Art Happens event. She’s a great girl with a beautiful voice. Her application emphasized the need for some recording support. She filled out the lengthily application and we decided she will be receiving the grant this year so congratulations Juliana. “

Mark went on to introduce the board which includes Board Founder and Executive Director Susan Rabinovitz, President, Scott Mitchell, Vice President himself (Mark Rabinovitz), Secretary, Wendy Mitchell and Treasurer, Dylan Swann. Other board members were Jodie Kerhlikar, Gary Garley, and Karen Dukes. Alister Oliver, resident artist, put together the fashion show that was to follow the auction.

Juliana Zachariou played several songs during dinner. Her parents and sister were on hand to lend their support. Juliana was the second place winner for the Contemporary Music 2010 JAMMIES and has been showcasing her talents around the Sacramento Area. Juliana is a very talented young artist and her music is quite striking. I’ve seen her perform a couple of time in Sacramento and seen her parents at the events being very supportive. You can follow her on her facebook account.

Susan Rabinovitz conducted the live auction part of the event and started off by giving thanks to the guests. She also made mention that the Sacramento Arts Council is helping to partner with individuals, businesses and artists to collaborate on putting together events such as the Masquerade to help the artistic community of Sacramento. She went on to say, “This event is one of the major things we’re trying to do as a council we’re trying to find partnerships within the community to help put on events like this so that people such as artists and business actually gather to help each other and make amazing evenings to enjoy and make it a win-win event for everyone.’

Susan continued, “I’m glad to announce because of you we were actually able to give a little bit of money and help Juliana with her recording. This was just amazing because she was one of the JAMMIES winners. She actually played at our Art Happens event and one of the things that was so amazing was that the three winners of the event played. Thanks for your support.”

The silent and live auction followed dinner. Approximately 30 pieces of art were held for auction. Once the live auction began several of the pieces generated lively bids with guests trying to outbid each other.

The talents of Alister Oliver followed the live auction. Alister Photography presented a Fashion Show. In partnership with Make-up by Treja, GiRl N LeAtHer & Face It Salon, Spa and Boutique and make-up sponsor Face Altelier a lively fashion show put a wonderful ending to the event.

Alister was labeled as Hidari Maki by artist Marbo Barnard which means left wrapped or reversed from normal, as he put it “Hidari Maki therefore, is used to mean crazy”. He also introduced a quarterly magazine called Hidari Maki and its next issue will be out January 1, 2011. He announced that the models would be available after the show to pose with guests. Alister ended by thanking those who were involved in the Fashion Show and thanked all in attendance for being there.

The 2nd Annual Art Happens will take place in June 2011. This Masquerade Gala event was very well put together and attended. Tickets sold out and it may have outgrown the Art Complex however if it is held here again next year be sure to purchase your tickets early for the 2nd Annual Masquerade Gala.

Photos by David Alvarez Photography

(View more photos from this event at Masquerade Gala)

Sacramento Second Saturday Artists

2010-11-17T09:13:37Z

As daylight decreases during the day and temperatures drop during the night it begins to take its toll on the Second Saturday events. This past Second Saturday there was a drop in people attending art shows and music events. Once rainy weather comes upon us even less people will be out on Second Saturdays in Sacramento.

Second Saturday in Folsom has seen similar drops in attendance. Cities where Third Saturdays are held will probably also see less people come out at night. Midtown sees the most people during its Second Saturday events and some have begun to go indoors. This will help with the cold weather and rain.

One of these vendor events is the Midtown Bazaar that’s held on I Street between 16h and 17th Streets. It’s usually open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. except on Second Saturdays when its expanded hours go from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The building they now occupy serves as a parking garage during the week but on Saturdays various vendors occupy the facilities indoors. Many of the same vendors return from week to week and some only make it occasionally.

The first Saturday of the month I met Amber Villegas, Midtown Bazaar Project Manager, and artis. The first time we talked I noticed the wall behind her station was being prepped up for a mural. I found out that she was starting a mural project with some students but at the time they were not scheduled to paint until the Second Saturday in November.

I made it a point to visit, take some photos and ask her some questions about this project. A couple of days before Second Saturday Amber indicated some of the students were going to be working on the project during the November Second Saturday Event.

I could smell the fresh paint just before I came into the indoor Midtown Bazaar. At the painting station I saw three young ladies working on the project. Amber wore some painting attire and it looked like she had been painting as different colors had dripped on to her clothing.

As the muralists worked on their project I asked Amber a few questions related to the project. When I asked her if this was a school project or a personal project, Amber indicated that it was more like a personal project something they cooked up. “I originally wanted to have myself and some other master students to just come in and paint the mural. But they unfortunately couldn’t do it so I had the idea to get a local High School involved and possibly teach them some new mural tricks. So that’s how it basically started. So I’m like a project manager for this mural.” Amber said..

Amber is also a graduate of Natomas Charter (#19) and indicated it she was one of the graduates in the first graduation class of 2000. She clarified herself by saying that there was one class before that in 1999 but there was only like 3 people in the class. The school used to be on Del Paso Road but now it’s on Blackrock Drive.

Three students worked on the mural; Christine Molina, McKenna Sortman and Samantha Davalos. Missing from the group on the day I visited was Josephine Cheng. They hoped to have the majority of the work done in the next couple of weeks “… but I won’t commit on that timeline because the artistic process sometimes stretches a little bit longer.” Amber said.

I asked her if this was her own time she was putting into the project. “Yeah, absolutely, I want to be a teacher so it’s kind of a jumping point for me.” Amber said. “I would love to be like a High School Art or Social Studies teacher something like that. I love working with kids, older kids.”

Amber has been involved in Sacramento as an artist for many years. She said, “I’ve wanted to be an artist since I was about four years old. So being an artist has been kind of a life-long thing.”

At one point I talked to one of the girls, McKenna, as she was working on her project. Her project is a portrait of her best friend who passed away due to cancer at the tender age of 15. I wasn’t expecting to hear that and I felt oh so sad. McKenna talked about her friendship and the remembrance of her friend. As she talked about her friendship she also came across as a very caring person. Her art is just beautiful and she has a lot of talent.

I asked Amber if the students were doing this for school credit. “Well, once they finish I’d like to get them more exposure as artists and teach them how to do works of art in public places. So for them it will be, hopefully, a good experience. They’re about to go into college three are seniors and one is a sophomore.” Amber added. The sophomore student is McKenna.

(Left to right: Christine Molina, McKenna Sortman, Amber Villegas and Samantha Davalos)

I pointed out that this was good experience and good exposure for their resume. Amber noted that it’s hard to be an artist and try to make it so the more exposure they get the better off they are.

Amber is currently the only artist in her family and noted that a Villegas artist skips every other generation and she’s glad it was her turn. Amber’s artistic endeavors has allowed for her to study art in Europe and Australia. She noted her many travels but noted she would probably be a permanent northern California resident.

She’s currently applying for a residency program right now and I hopes to get into the program. She sees this mural project as a way of testing the waters to see how it goes. Art is her passion.

I asked what the final art product will represent once it’s finished. “Well the whole theme is Sacramento. I think what Samantha and Josephine are doing is more like a landscape (nightscape). They’re depicting a window looking out with Sacramento in the background. McKenna is painting a portrait of her best friend and she’s going to have objects showing cultural objects in Sacramento located inside the portrait of her friend. Kristine here is doing more like a graffiti street scene of Sacramento.” All the students concentrated on their projects and painted most of the time I was there.

Amber had another mural going on the side facing of the building. It looked like she had been working on it for a while. It was a mural completely different than her students.

(Amber Villegas' Mural)

I will be going back there every so often to view their progress.

My next stop for the evening was Barton Gallery. This is one of the galleries I visit during Second Saturdays. The I Street galleries sometimes seem to offer more than the regular J Street galleries. It looked like it was closed but once I made it inside I met Sally Shapiro. Sally is a sculptor and had a show that evening. Sally has created several life size bronze sculptures. Two of these were on display. The two life size sculptures were sculpture #5 and #6 out of a series of ten.

One of Sally’s sculptures depicted her son. She described the sculpture; "He’s wearing high heels representing something he’s always valued; to protect the earth." His heart was very prevalent and depicted his very creative side. It showed a very pure spirit and I wanted to put happy notes in his heart." Sally created this to show her son’s creativeness. She went on to say that his mind is very creative. Although he has had learning disabilities he has compensated for this with his creative side.

(Sally Shapiro Sculptures)

I told her that I had noticed how things like work out for the better with some people. People with disabilities seem to compensate or make things up in a different creative manner. I mentioned that I believed that at least he’s brought it out while some people keep it in their whole life.

Sally mentioned she had just finished reading the Autobiography of a Yogi. She named the sculpture a Hindu expression that says something like; if you’re not helping in some small way you’re doing harm. You can contact Sally at 530-417-2872 or to follow her art showings.
Later that evening Sally was going to unveil her 7th life size sculpture at the Foundry.

I was invited to the Spanglish Arte gallery for a view of their exhibit for Second Saturday. A reception for a photo exhibit by Natalia Deeb-Sossa Coming Together in Difficult Times: Farm workers' Lives in Photographs. The photographs, for the most part, were taken by school age children living in Farm Worker housing. This exhibit showed the poverty that surrounded these children and the struggles of their parents to make a living under some sad conditions.

(Spanglish Arte Photo Exhibit by Natalia Deeb-Sossa)

The photographs were amazing. Although they showed the miserable circumstances of certain Farm Worker housing sites it also showed the innocence and beauty they saw in each other. Along the walls a story of what happened during the period these photographs were taken was just too much for words and as such the medium to communicate the living conditions of these children could more eloquently be told in photographs. It was almost like looking through their eyes and seeing what each child saw. Ironically, depending on your point of view or interpretation of these photographs it showed the beauty these children saw in each other and their parents.

I stopped at a floor store on 20th Street just north of J on my way to my car and noticed a couple of ballet dancers going through a routine. I stopped and enjoyed their performance. My next goal was to stop at the Hot Italian as the Sacramento Ballet was also doing a performance there but I lost track of time and it was too late to stop there.

(Sacramento Ballet Dancers)

My final destination for this Second Saturday evening was the Foundry. I had to take a look at Sally Shapiro’s sculpture unveiling. I stayed and observed a demonstration as how sculptures are made and found the 7th of 10 bronze sculptures created by Sally. Each sculpture takes about a year to complete. My goal now is to view all other 4 completed sculptures and wait until next year to see how many she’ll complete in 2011.

There are many stories in the streets of Sacramento. Artists from all walks of life and ages continue to show their talent through photography, sculpture, painting, the spoken work, food, music and dance. Sacramento continues to grow as a hub that attracts many talented artists. There are also many venues that help show off their talents and Second Saturday brings many of these people together to a somewhat central location. I continue to enjoy the arts through this event and hope it stays available for all Sacramentans to enjoy.

Photos by David Alvarez

1 to 6 - Christine Molina, McKenna Sortman, Smantha Davalos and drawing of McKenna's art work.

7 - Sacramento Ballet

8 to 10 - Inside the Foundry Gallery

Sacramento Opera Performs at Hot Italian

2010-11-14T07:36:49Z

It was fitting that a fundraising event for the Sacramento Opera was held at the Hot Italian located at 16th and Q Streets. The Sacramento Opera will begin its 30th Anniversary Season in Sacramento continuing the Opera movement begun in Italy during the 16th century. The event hosted by Hot Italian was free and open to the public. It was held to raise funds for the Sacramento Opera. This eventIt included a live auction and raffle prizes.

A live opera performance by 4 operatic singers was the highlight of the evening. Donations were taken at the door and tickets were given to those that donated and a raffle was held later to thank them for the donations. The biggest prize however was watching and listening to the magnificent voices of the Sacramento Opera singers who performed.

Sacramento Opera General Director Rod Gideons introduced me to Sue Miller who has been a Sacramento Opera Board member since 1999. We talked about the upcoming Sacramento Opera season. Two to three performances for each opera are scheduled for this year. Orlando, Magic Flute and The Postman Always Rings Twice are scheduled for this year. Several of the main cast members from Orlando performed at The Hot Italian.

Sue was busy all night making sure things went smoothly. She went on to say that the prizes for the raffle and live auction were donated by community individuals that enjoy opera. “It’s always nice that Hot Italian is so supportive of the arts”, Sue said as we talked about the site for this fundraiser. “These operas are held at the Sacramento Community Center”, said Sue and indicated that there are usually around 3 opera performances a year with different matinee times for each. She is also a volunteer at different venues.

All the talk about Hot Italian pizza being the best was confirmed by yours truly. Complimentary pizza was available to those that attended the event. Pizza was taken from its trays as soon as it was put down on the table. The slices I was fortunate to taste were delicious.

Other volunteers walked around talking about the operatic season and selling tickets. Lilia Sanchez was one of the volunteers who talked me into purchasing some. She has been a volunteer in the Opera Guild for about a year now. She went on talk about her volunteering efforts and those of others who give of their time. Several of the raffle prizes were handmade crafts that were donated by volunteers. Lilia and other volunteers helped this event raise funds and their worksmanship showed their dedication.

Adam Saake, as always, was on hand to help promote this event held at Hot Italian. Vy Nguyen was also on hand and was very helpful in spotting shooting opportunities. In a friendly contest they’re both bidding to be Mayor of Hot Italian.

(Adam Saake, Vy Nguyen)

Several cast members of Orlando were on hand to perform for those in attendance. Soprano Antoni Mendezona (Dorinda) started off the evening with an aria. Images of heaven came to mind as she sang. I think that if or when I go to heaven an opera singer will welcome me in, that has been in my mind since childhood. Antoni’s voice was just beautiful as she carried each note. Everyone stood and enjoyed her performance and showed their appreciation as she ended her set.

(Antoni Mendezona)

Diana Tash who will perform the role of Medoro in the Orlando opera followed. Someone mentioned that she started off as a soprano but switched to mezzo around eight years ago. Orlando will be an enjoyable experience, once the first show begins next Friday, November 19, 2010, if Diana’s singing is any indication.

(Diana Tash)

Performing, as the magician Zoroastro, in Orlando is Dean Elzinga who took the spotlight after Diana Tash’s performance. Dean is a bass-baritone singer and his voice came across quite elegantly. His performance made the evening’s Experience the O come to life.

(Dean Elzinga)

Finishing off the operatic performance was soprano Celine Ricci. She will be in the role of Angelica and is making her Sacramento Opera debut with Orlando. Her voice was just sensational as she performed during the evening. People often forget that Operas can be fun and funny. Celine’s performance incorporated both aspects and sang with gusto as she mingled with the audience during her performance. This was a nice ending to the performances and was enjoyed by all.

(Celine Ricci)

Children in the audience enjoyed this performance as much as adults. Some of the children in attendance were dressed in their Sunday best and were treated to a great performance.

The libretto for Orlando will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. All performances are conducted at the Sacramento Community Center Theatre on 1301 L Street. The Sacramento Opera also has various education and outreach programs scheduled. Aficionados can also log on to their website and sign up for their newsletter.

Photos (David Alvarez):

1 - Vy Nguyen, Rod Gideons 2 - Sue Miller (in the middle) 3 - Lilia Sanchez (on the right)

4 to 8 - Volunteers and Cast Members

9 to 11 - Opera Loving Children

12 to 15 - More Opera Loving Members

16 to 19 - Raffle and Live Auction Winners

20 - Celine Ricci

Tamales Workshop at Spanglish Art

2010-11-08T23:18:49Z

Traditions are passed on from generation to generation and each adds a new twist to keep them going. Does your family have a tradition? Holidays are full of traditions as well and as family gets together, to celebrate the holidays, these customs continue.

Traditional dishes are also passed on through generations depending on what country or part of a country you live in. One of these traditional dishes is thousands of years old and started way before Europeans came to the Americas. The tamal (singular) or tamales (plural) was a staple of several Native American civilizations.

There are many ways to make this dish and this weekend Spanglish Art conducted a How to: Tamales Workshop at its location on 905 23rd Street. Those that attended created their own tamales and took them home.

(Angelo García preparing ingredients)

This tamale workshop was especially for the health conscious. The instructor, Angelo Garcia, showed how to make tamales with fresh ingredients and bypass the use of lard that is more commonly used. The workshop was intended to create authentic, healthy, low fat tamales. Students made chicken and chile verde tamales. Another class is scheduled for November 20 and there’s still room to sign up.

Mari Arreola showed me around Spanglish Art and indicated this was the second year they were doing this workshop. “We like to make this an experience that will last past today”, she said, “something that will last, not just for instant gratification.” This process goes beyond the tamale workshop. Spanglish conducts various other workshops throughout the year indoors and out. Mari takes great pride in what she does and is very enthusiastic about her work. She likes to involve her shop and be community oriented. She wants Spanglish Art to have a family feel to it in order to attract family and community members.

Another workshop ran concurrently at the front of the store. Maria Dueñas was conducting a class for making corn husk ornaments. Some of her work is also on sale at Spanglish Art.

(Corn husks art)

In the back room Angelo Garcia, the instructor, was setting up the back room for his demonstration as we talked about his experience. He and his grandmother have a catering business whose clientele are many of the shops around the midtown area. Mari was saying that some of his clients are the beauty and other salon business, tattoo parlors, and galleries in the area. They have been selling and catering in the area for the past 6 years.

As he was setting up Angelo gave me background information on this traditional dish as he knew it. Tamales where originally made in clay pots and using volcanic rocks around the pot. Pouring water on the volcanic rock would create steam cooking the tamales. The clay pots served more like an oven and tamales were cooked in this manner.

Angelo had everyone’s undivided attention once the workshop began. After everybody washed up and sat down, Angelo began by telling students where to buy their ingredients and indicated that there are many ways to make tamales. The corn husks were the first ingredient to be worked on by soaking them to make the husks flexible in order to more easily fold them.

Tamal (tamale) is from a Nahuatl word and has its origins going back to pre Aztec times. Corn meal had been used for ritual ceremonies to the Aztec God of War Huitzilopochtli. Angelo cherished giving historical background on the dish and students appreciated his comments.

As students began preparing their tamales they listened to Angelo and began relaying some of their own beliefs and how their families currently make this traditional dish and also how they’re differently made and wrapped in different countries.

Instead of using lard, chicken broth is made for this dish. Angelo suggested boiling 8 or more chicken breasts (makes 2 dozen) to create the broth and then use the chicken as filling for the tamales. There are many variations of ingredients to put in the husks to create your own special creations and Angelo encouraged this.

You can use utensils to mix and create your own tamales and using your hands is encouraged. Students in this workshop used both methods. Once the students made their first tamal the others were prepared far more rapidly and easily.

Alternatives to how tamales were being made in the workshop were discussed and basically these are created to suit different tastes using different ingredients. The type of salsa you may use in the tamales is also important and the many types were discussed. Again, it all caters to individual taste so the sauce can be mild or hot.

One of the other historical items that Angelo brought to the table was where the jalapeño pepper got its name. Angelo indicated that the town of Jalapa in Veracruz made it popular and hence its name. He again, emphasized that you can use fresh ingredients or already made ones.

Once students became preoccupied with making their tamales the conversation became livelier and everyone talked about their own traditions and in some cases beginning their own and customizing this traditional food to their own preferences. Soon everybody was listening, laughing, and having a great time. This indeed became a social event bringing back memories of moms gathering around the kitchen making this a social occurrence. One tradition that we talked about was having male family members becoming active participants in this tradition. As with most other “old country” traditions things change depending on where one lives. Most students at the workshop talked about how it has already changed in their homes and those of people they know.

Angelo and his grandmother make hundreds of tamales daily during the holiday season. Up to 600 to 800 may have to be made daily depending on the demand and they have seen this grow over the years. Most of us don’t need to make that many and there are steamers that are small enough for a dozen or so and these could take only a couple of hours to cook. Angelo has large enough pots to have up to 3 layers of tamales on a single pot.

Angelo brought finished samples for the class and I must say they were moist and very delicious. Everybody enjoyed the samples and were looking forward to making them at home.

In the front room the corn husks class also finished and the kids that were in the class showed off their work. Both Maria Dueñas and Angelo García are available for on-site classes and are willing to travel to nearby places. Angelo can be reached at (916) 399-9879 and Maria at (916) 812-1148.Both of them will also be back on November 20 to conduct these classes again.

Log on to Spanglish Art to learn more about upcoming workshops as well as browse some of their store offerings. Mari is always involved in community events; actually, she was dressed up as Frida Kahlo for the Dia de los Muertos Community Exhibit held last weekend at the La Raza Galeria Posada.

Be sure to visit Spanglish on Second Saturday to view community art and say hello to Mari. The tamale workshop is highly recommended. If you sign up for their November 20 class bring your ideas and share with the community.

Photos (David Alvarez):

1, 2 - Angelo preparing ingredients

3 to 8 - Students creating tamales

9 - Angelo, Mari

10, 11 - Finished product

12, 13 - Maria Dueñas and students creating corn husk art

14 - Corn husk art

Viva la Fashion

2010-11-05T08:36:53Z

Student Fashion Association Presented Viva la Fashion, a charity fashion show, held at the Sacramento State’s University Union Ballroom. The fashion show benefited WEAVE inc. Weave has provided crisis intervention services to women, men, and children in Sacramento County. It serves those who have experienced domestic violence or have been sexually assaulted.

Models, designers, stylists, family and friends mingled before the fashion show and were very excited about the event. The stage and catwalk were well lit and high above so that everyone had a fairly unobstructed view.

Opening remarks, by Dr Kang, gave thanks to everybody for coming and supporting the Fall Fashion Show. She welcomed everyone to watch and enjoy the fabulous styles and designs. Special thanks were given to the community of students who provided a creative show and atmosphere for designers, stylists, and sponsors who helped showcase the ideas behind the event.

Dr. Kang went on to say how much and how hard everyone involved had worked to put this show on. She indicated how proud everyone was of all these efforts not only for the show but their work throughout the year.

The first designer to be showcased during this show was the Sweet N’ Satin collection by Kristy Lopez. Her designs compliment the simplicity and colorful style that was inspired by her love for wearing dresses. Her collection included colorful satin dresses and evening wear as well as outfits for children which were modeled by two girls in the 5 to 7 year old age group.

Latanya Denine's, Deneuf, short one and two piece dresses as well as outfits with pants were geared towards the sophisticated urban fashion conscious. These designs were inspired by shades of black and grey and are available for both men and women.

The Petit Souer collection, by Erinn Rose Murphy, was inspired by Eastern traditional vogue fashion styles. Fashion included colorful Indian style wear as well as short skirt outfits.

Wearable Wrestling Fashions (WWF) by Lacey Taylor put a colorful spin on fashion wear inspired by Lucha Libre. Colorful outfits, showing the male and female physiques were showcased. Some Lucha Libre masks were worn by a couple of the male models and they seemed to be enjoying showing off. Playful outfits made for a fun and fashionable wear sequence. Taylor’s designs were quite colorful and made use of various materials. Fashion in this segment made for a super hero effect customary of lucha libre wrestlers.

Free Minds by Christen Brown, Mike Faria and Victor Wellington showcased urban colorful wear. Dedicating her line of wear to her dad, who recently passed away, Zarah Ragan’s presented her Zarah’ Nized Wear. A mix of Tokyo style fashion, this line is for the woman who is not afraid to stand out in a crowd.

Several sponsors were on hand and were thanked for their contributions. The California Academy Paul Mitchell was thanked for doing all the models’ hair and makeup, Maverick Photography, Mykha Ram Magnum Opus for his contributions in choreography, Hardy Erich, Brown and Wilson Law, the Sacramento Press, Sacramento Examiner, Downtown Grid, Sacramento State Hornet, Sacramento Bee, and other media covering the event were also acknowledged. Thanks also went to Sacramento boutiques Sugar Shack, Cuffs and Heart.

A portion of ticket sales went to WEAVE to help end domestic violence in Sacramento County. A couple of representatives from WEAVE also had a station in the back of the Ballroom to answer any questions and to give information about their organization. All attendees that visited their station also received a coupon for use at either of their two Thrift Stores on Fair Oaks Boulevard in Carmichael and on Arden Way in Sacramento.

The WEAVE Thrift store sells quality clothing for women, men and children. The store also sells shoes, accessories, and books. Kimberly Williams, Jane Vasquez and Zoe Cassell were able to showcase some of the WEAVE Thrift Store fashion items.

Fiona Lau and Adrienne Deloatch showcased Sugar Shack’s trendy and one of kind fashions. Funky night out fashion suitable for city and night life were also modeled.

Stephanie Vera and Julie Lopez showed off Cuffs’ Urban Apparel with vintage fashion wear. Heart Boutique’s fashion was set up by Abigail Cajucom and Stacy Saelee. They put together a fashion walk with a modern and edgy style.

Anakarina Pimental showed off a cocktail and evening wear show for Luxuria. George Montesdeoca’s KSB (Keep Skatin’ Bro) showed off skater fashions and style wear. Their trendy wear is made for both males and females.

Sacramento designer Jeremiah Hill showed off his Soldier of Love line with super hot and tropical locations in mind. His slick sexy bikini line was a great hit showcasing swimwear.

The last 3 designers for the evening were Sacramento State University designers who will also be showcasing their talent during Fashion week which will take place in February 2011.

Noognuv Thao’s collection entitled It was inspired by Stephen King’s novel by the same name. This fashion display was fashionable and theatrical with a clown theme.

The Bella Tou Le Jour by Kira Martinson was inspired by the European style of free spirited fashion. The fashion displayed could be worn during the day or nighttime. The last designer of the evening was Jules Nkaujer Thor who had a presentation on August 10 during the Designing Dreams Fashion Show. Her line, Love, Rockshelle tells the story about the life of a rock star called Rockshelle who grows to love the punk style. She later blossoms into a classy lady; a rock star.

The show wrapped up with this presentation. As the show ended all of the models and designers paraded down the catwalk. Designers and models were also available after the show to answer any questions.

This was a grand fashion show that exhibited the fashionable talent Sacramento has. As more of these types of shows occur in and around Sacramento it will help our area become a force in the fashion industry.

Sacramento's Day of the Dead Exhibition

2010-10-28T00:54:56Z

Forty organizations and individuals will be creating altars as art exhibits for a Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos: El Panteon de los Muertos) celebration on Sunday and Monday.

This exhibit is presented by La Raza Galería Posada. Traditionally, these type of altars – which celebrate the life or honor the death of a loved one – are decorated with sugar skulls, photographs, flowers and other symbolic items reflecting a person whose life is being celebrated.

Although there will be around 40 displays created by organizations and individuals, there will also be some community altars that will be available for anyone who wishes to participate.

The Día de los Muertos exhibit will be held rain or shine. As this community event grows, it will give the community an opportunity to learn about this and other traditions that are celebrated throughout the world.

La Raza Galeria Posada is inviting other artists to become involved on Monday by face-painting, decorating masks from the workshops and participating in decorating the community altars.

La Raza Galería Posada is currently open, hosting two exhibitions from now to Nov. 13. Mary Jane Solis’ exhibit, “La Cosecha” (The Harvest), is an original altar installation shedding light on the contributions of immigrants to the economy. “The Artistry of Sugar Skull” is a contemporary sugar skulls display by local artist Rob-O.

Gallery hours are 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. These exhibits can be a great preview to Sunday’s and Monday’s displays.

The Día de los Muertos community art project will take place from 1 p.m. - 9 p.m. on Sunday and 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday in the parking lot on 1022-1024 22nd Street.

Below is a list of participants who will have a display for viewing. For more information, visit the following website or their Facebook page and find out more about this project.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS:

Mexican American Legal Defense Education Fund (MALDEF)
Consulado Mexicano de California en Sacramento
Amnesty International
California State University, Sacramento – EOP
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
California Arts Council
CARES/Planned Parenthood
The Mexican Cultural Center of Northern California
Mujeres Ayudando La Raza
Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA)
Sacramento County Employees Latino Caucus
NoiseFest
Instituto Mazatlan Bellas Artes

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS AND INDIVIDUALS:

Steven Rowe
Monica Delgado
Greg Ulibas
Suzanne Rubalcava
Brian Castena
Shayna May
David Alverez
Jasmina Aguila
Sue Schoneman
Jennifer Luna
Kathy Blackburn
Maria Quintero-Lenihan
Vanessa Esquivido
Irene Lugo
Jesus Barela
Eric Riviera-Jurado
Mari Arreola
MENDOMAS artist collective
Cassandra Ariaz
Michelle Barbaria
William Burg
Kevin Santos-Coy
Olga Cid

**Partial list of participants**

-Disclaimer; I will be taking part in the event-

Sacramento Ballet Family Fun Dance

2010-10-25T19:06:36Z

Discover Dance was the theme for the Sacramento Ballet’s Family Fun performances at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento this weekend. Hundreds of kids brought their parents and friends to the Crest Theatre to experience marvelous performances by the Sacramento Ballet.

(After performance autograph session)

The laughter and cheers of children filled the theatre as they enjoyed many dance performances. Dances with Alice in Wonderland characters pranced around the stage to the delight of the audience. Performances were geared for children ages 4 and older. Some kids took advantage and showed up dressed in their ballet outfits.

The evening’s performance started off with an energetic dance introduction specially geared towards the young audience. Christopher Nachtrab served as the narrator for the show. He started off by observing that today’s young children spend a lot of time sitting on the couch playing computer or video games and watching TV. By relating to children, as he spoke, he pretended to be watching TV. “Let’s see what’s on TV” Chris said, and pretended to be switching channels and then pretending to stop at the History Channel. Three couples of dancers came out and performed short dances as Chris talked about the History Channel and how history and stories have been interpreted through dance.

Chris went on to explain that dances can not only tell history but can also interpret fairy tales and challenged the audience to guess who some of the performers were for the act that followed. The challenge did not go unanswered, children shouted “Little Red Riding Hood! “ Interpretations of Sleeping Beauty, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, Puss-in-Boots and the White Cat and Tom Thumb followed in quick succession.

Children’s laughter and shouts of enjoyment were heard throughout many of the performances during the Fairy Tale Characters segment. Chris Nachtrab continued to guide the audience through the steps being performed and gave a little history about ballet and composers. He gave the meaning of choreography in terms children could understand. During the Puss and Boots performance I became aware that some of these dancers, besides moving with long and in some cases elaborate costumes, had to wear masks during their interpretive dancing and did it with much grace. A slight bump between Miss White cat and Puss made me realize what hard work these dancers in costume have to go through and how easy they make it look.

Chris also commented and gave some history about the classical ballet dance outfits. He talked about the typical shoes worn by ballet dancers as well as what a tutu is and how and what these are made of.

Audience participation is a must when teaching or demonstrating to young children. Chris had the audience stand while the Puss and Boots (cat) characters showed the audience a dance step. This was to show the audience how cats groomed themselves. Using one paw, the cats on stage pretended to groom themselves by licking a paw and using it to clean the side of their face. As the cats demonstrated the audience was asked to participate. “One paw, two paw, quick-quick paw”, Chris directed the audience as children and adults pretended to be cats grooming themselves.

Many of the dancers in the Fairy Tale Characters section of the program turned in a great performances that were enjoyed by the families in the audience. Animated movement was incorporated in dance moves that brought the sweet laughter of children enjoying the performance.

Alex Steward assisted narrator Chris as the evening went along. Chris asked Alex, and the audience, about another great dancer; Gene Kelley. “Ever hear of him?”, Chris asked. Adult members of the audience said yes but the children stayed quiet. Alex made it a point to tell the audience that dance is not just for girls and some of the boys in the audience yelled out “yeah!”

Chris and two other dancers copied Gene Kelley’s dance steps during Singin’ in the Rain. After the performance Chris and Alex, on stage, talked about how dance is used to tell stories. They went on to talk about telling wacky stories or stories that are way out there. This led to some performances from Alice in Wonderland. Three different dances; Alice and the White Rabbit, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, and Cheshire Cat performed. Children laughed out loud every time the White Rabbit snuck up behind Alice and put rabbit ears on her. As the skit ended the use of the movie theater screen was used to show an animated portion recapping what had gone on in the Alice in wonderland story and then moved to another dance.

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum performed a whimsical dance using umbrellas giving a very colorful performance. A talented dancer in full Chesire Cat costume moved around the stage with ease. During one of the dances the Macarena and some disco dancing was incorporated in the moves.

Chris and Alex, once again, entertained the audience and asked everyone to close their eyes and use their imagination to develop a picture as they were told a story. In melodramatic fashion and using priceless face expressions they told of a story of ballet in Russia. It told a ballet story that has not changed and basically that ballet itself has not really changed much in over 120 years. As the audience kept their eyes shut they imagined a story of a prince who fell in love and the story of a swan that magically was transformed into a beautiful maiden. Chris continued “Now open your eyes and experience Swan Lake!” White Swan Pas de Deux, with music by Peter Tchaikovsky came to life. Beautifully choreographed moves came to life on stage. Wonderful dance moves were choreographed and used every inch of the stage in some cases coming right to the edge of the platform.

Audience participation was again used as Chris and Alex asked the girls to stand as they used their arms to emulate swans flying. Boys were asked to move their arms like eagles and then both were asked to move their arms in allegro like humming birds. Children again enjoyed this part of audience participation very much.

The use of French was talked about to describe many of the ballet moves and wardrobe. Ironically a set entitled New York followed and soon after that the very children oriented Ballet Du Murphy followed and was very captivating. The dance tells the story of a ballet dancer that’s practically blind wearing coke bottle eye glass lenses causing her to misstep and walk into the other dancers. This hilarious dance was one of the many highlights of the evening.

The Nutcracker children’s dance showcased some of the child cast members. Chris and Alex once again informed the audience about this particular production. Chris indicated that around 500 children have been used by the Sacramento Ballet for the Nutcracker performances.

A music medley entitled Western Hoe Down followed the Nutcracker. As the dancers came on stage I heard a little voice behind me saying “Woody! Hey mom it’s Woody!” referring to Toy Story I presume. The child made a quick association of this Western Hoe Down to something she could relate to, children are precious.

Shoeless Joe From Hannibal, Mo was a baseball dance story that incorporated ballet with tap dancing. This was followed by the Grand Finale performed by the entire dance company. Cast members danced on stage and stood on both sides of the stage as they took turns performing.

This was a great dance celebration and a delightful children’s show. It was a great educational platform where Chris and Alex helped to educate not only the children but parents and family members who showed up to the event knowing little or nothing about ballet. The Sacramento Ballet’s outstanding performance had the audience participating, clapping, cheering, and dancing in their seats. Extraordinary dance moves were performed and these great dancers made it all look so easy. The many people who helped put on this performance did a great job. Kudos to the choreographers, Costume Designers, Stage Managers and specially the dancers. Bon travail.

Dance members were available after the performance for autographs and photographs after the show. These members graciously obliged every request and this can only enhance the community and the Sacramento Ballet relationship in Sacramento.

Creating Sugar Skulls for Day of the Dead

2010-10-05T07:55:26Z

Zanzibar Trading Company has been in business for about 10 years, six at its current location on L and 18th Streets. The owners, Scott Farrell and Josh Varner, are world travelers who have established contacts to provide their store with international merchandize. They also organize and develop several classes that are provided to the public. This month Zanzibar is providing classes, on site, on how to make and decorate sugar skulls to commemorate the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). Free children’s sugar skull decorating classes are also available.

Scott Farrell instructed a dozen participants during the October 2 class held at 10:00 that morning in front of their shop. He covered everything related to creating the sugar skulls from how to mix the ingredients, mold the skulls, decorate them while giving background history on this Mexican holiday.

(Scott Farrell)

“The Day of the Dead is a celebration of one’s life. It’s kind of like Christmas, the 4th of July and other celebrations and people prepare for 3 to 4 months beforehand”, Scott said. Many of the associated customs related to this tradition such as having an area to honor the dead are also symbolic in nature. Scott indicated that at many homes an area is set aside with the sugar skull honoring a deceased relative. A blanket may be placed near the area to accommodate the traveling spirit and a bowl of water serves to cleanse the traveling souls. Candles, incense, photographs and other items are placed around the sugar skulls which may have the name of the relative on its forehead.

The celebration is meant to be a jovial, upbeat and a happy celebration. The area set aside is not to worship the dead but to honor their life.

An area outside front of the Zanzibar storefront was already in place before class attendees showed up. This area was used for the two workshops that were scheduled for Saturday, October 2. Tables were set up and contained many of the ingredients the classes would use. Three metal bowls were used to mix the ingredients to fill the molds used to create the sugar skulls.

Scott, who’s traveled abroad quite a bit, mentioned that in 2000 he ventured to visit 44 countries on a 312 day trek. He said he learned a lot during his travels. He made many connections and was grateful to have had the experience to visit so many countries and enjoy the culture offered by the many countries around the world. It’s always great to hear from people who have experienced firsthand the different cultures of the world. Scott relayed stories about his travels and the people he's met he spoke of these stories with great passion, admiration and enthusiasm.

Holding these types of classes is a way for the Scott and Josh to give back to the community. They take pride in being able to spread the beautiful ways of life and cultures of other countries and to bring the world to Sacramento.

The store sells most of the ingredients needed to create the sugar skulls as well as some decoration items. Scott, however, was more than willing to tell students where they could purchase other eatable and decorating items.

Scott recommended this project be done outdoors since sugar can be hard to clean from kitchen floors and surfaces (and may also prevent an ant infestation). The main thing that needs to be evaluated when doing this project outdoors is the weather. Warm or hot days are suited best and wet rainy weather causes many more issues. Clean up is easier when surfaces (indoors and outdoors) are protected with newspapers or paper tablecloths.

Scott was very precise in his instructions and gave helpful hints to make the project move quickly and easily. He also mentioned some substitute ingredients that could be used and where to get them.

Overall I think students were happy with the class and were able to take their projects home to dry. While creating and decorating their sugar skull some students meticulously worked on their product and used as many decorating items as possible. This was a fun experience for those who took the class and a couple indicated they may return next year as well.

Those that attended the class took home instructions to create their own sugar skulls and perhaps establish their own family traditions.

Major items needed for this production include sugar skull molds, granulated and powder sugar as well as meringue powder. Some measuring spoons and cups are also needed along with icing to decorate the molds. Making the icing to decorate the skulls was also a complicated process and Scott went over some ways to make the icing and the tools that would be needed to decorate the skulls.

The skulls, Scott noted, can also be made a month or more in advance. They can then be decorated at any time but it would be a great party idea as the actual Day of the Dead gets near.

People who attended the class were very meticulous when it came time to decorate their sugar skulls. People passing by stopped to ask questions and admire the art. The hot weather on Saturday helped dry the decorated skulls and were ready to be taken home to show family and friends. With this class behind them and Day of the Dead being less than a month away some people that took the class indicated they were going to try their hand at making some at home. As such the tradition will continue and spread outside of its country of origin.

In the afternoon a children’s sugar skull decorating class was provided free of charge for the community. Both classes have been available since September and they will continue until the end of October. Some classes are still available but will fill up fast. Call Zanzibar at (916) 443-5601 and schedule a class . Class size is limited to 12 people at a time and it’s wise to sign up early to avoid final rushes.

People who attended this class were happy with their final product and some indicated they would recommend family and friends to take the class.

Visit their website to see more of their international products and to see which classes are still open.

Photos:

1 to 10 - Morning sugar skull making and decorating class

11, 12 - Afternoon sugar skull decorating class

Photos in story are some of the finished skulls from the morning class

September's Third Saturday

2010-09-20T07:32:33Z

Rainy weather threatened many events this weekend in Sacramento but that was not an issue for a lower than usual turn-out during Third Saturday at the Westfield Downtown Plaza. I showed up before 2 and unfortunately missed Justin Farren’s performance. It seems I also missed a couple of designers’ fashion shows.

Tais and Adam Saake, as usual, were quite entertaining. On this slow day they were able to keep things going and talked about upcoming events in and around Sacramento. They talked about Folsom Live which is scheduled in the Historic Folsom District on September 25. Folsom Live has grown in popularity the past few years. Thousands of people come from all around Sacramento for this annual event. Twelve bands on ten stages will be entertaining all night long in and around Sutter Street in Folsom.

During this month's Thirda Saturday while walking around the vendor area it appeared there were fewer vendors than August’s event. I stopped at Matt G. Wieland’s artist station and talked to him about his work. Matt has been making the 3rd Saturday event for several months and is one of the vendors you can count on to be there. He has a wide range of art pieces that he brings to this event and has a facebook account where you can see more of his work. Matt makes the trip to exhibit his artwork from Davis. He works for the Davis Joint School District as a substitute teacher as well.

Many artists, such as Matt, exhibit their artwork at various places. Matt’s next showing will be at the Stonegate Country Club in Davis on the 24th and 25th of September. This will be the Fourth Annual ArtFest held at the club and this gives many resident artists an opportunity to showcase their work.

Dance 2D Rhythm showcased one of their instructors, Juliette Arroyo, who currently teaches belly dancing at their studios. Juliette, wearing a black Spanish outfit, danced a couple of dances and later invited people from the audience to come up and join her. Those that went up to dance enjoyed their time on stage. One little girl in particular, Amelia, danced for quite a while. Amelia’s mom, Amanda, enjoyed watching her daughter dance as she sat in front of Macy’s restaurant.

I talked to Juliette for a few minutes and it seems she has a couple of dance films currently in production. She has also choreographed other film dances. After her performance Juliette was going to be getting ready to choreograph a film scene that evening. She indicated that you can sign up for her belly dancing class which is held Wednesday’s at 6:00. “People can also drop in for this beginning belly dance class”, Juliette said. As she spoke about dancing, with delightful passion, she gave some advise, “Don’t be intimidated, just enjoy the moment and it will become fun. Stay with it and anybody can learn”. Good advice from a real professional.

During the break in between sets I spoke with another artist who has had a station at the Third Saturday event. Zack Pangborn, the artist, is better known as z. e pangborn and has, for the past 8 or more events had a station set up to showcase some of his art work. He indicated that he’s sold enough drawings to keep him coming back. He did indicate that it has been slowing down lately. He went on to say that he did some math and figured out that he makes less than minimum wage when he showcases his work at the Third Saturday events. “When you take into consideration the time you spend setting up and what you end up selling in some cases it comes out to equaling minimum wage”. Indeed many artists at this venue and others don’t make very much, however, they all seem to have one thing in common; the love of art. The Third Saturday event is also one of the least expensive places where artists can exhibit their work.

Zack knew quite a while ago that he was going to be an artist and he has nourished his love of drawing. “During the first grade I knew I was going to be an artist”, he said. It’s remarkable that someone that young felt they were going to always be an artist. This just goes to show the love of art was inherent for Zack at such an early age. I asked him if he had a studio. “I have a home studio” he said “a washer and dryer also occupy this studio” he jokingly continued. He also exhibits his work during the Second Saturday art shows. He has an upcoming show at the Magpie Café, on R Street, in October. His website offers more interesting information about this artist.

A fashion show showcasing Le Rappa Apparel was the last performance on stage for the event. Clothing for this fashion show was made, as signs they carried during the show noted, Made by Women Overcoming Homelessness. I could not find material on Le Rappa so if there’s a reader that would like to post a comment letting Sacramento know something about them it would be greatly appreciated.

Photos:

1, 2 - Hosts Adam Saake and Tais

3 - Julietter Arroyo, 4, 5, 6 - volunteer dancers, 7 - Amelia

8 - Matt G. Wieland

9, 10, 11, 12 - La Rappa Apparel Fashion

13 - z. e pangborn

Photo Tips for Busy Parents

2010-08-28T02:43:48Z

Photo Tips for Busy Parents was a class set up and conducted by Jenn Bartell, on September 25, at her studio on 2418 K Street. Eleven parents (all moms or expected moms except for 1) attended the workshop. This was a free workshop held by Jenn Bartell at a studio she shares with Catrina Maria Arcularius who specializes in Event Planning and Design and Suzanne “Weedon” O’Brien a floral designer-owner of Garden of Weedon. This is a good business location and the usage of space is greatly utilized by having three small businesses under one roof.

The class started off by going over the technical aspects of the camera. Most parents in the class had entry to intermediate level digital single-lens (DSLR) cameras making this a more challenging class for these parents but at the same time more rewarding once they learn how to use the functions of their cameras. Jenn tried to quickly cover aperture and shutter settings on the cameras. She recommended these two settings as a foundation for taking good pictures. She also covered ISO settings and looking at the parents it may have been a little bit more overwhelming than they anticipated.

She did pass on that she sets her camera on manual setting saying, “I like to use all the settings myself, this gives me more control. I try to stay away from flash as this tends to wash out skin tones and leaves harsh shadows.” This basically separates the “pros” from the rest of us.

The worried look on some parents seemed to disappear as she moved on to discuss an actual shoot. Jenn was very patient and reminded me of a second grade teacher reading a story to her kids. She was very attentive and thoroughly answered questions. Students patiently and eagerly took written and mental notes.

Jenn recommended looking for interesting places to photograph children. Take notice of these interesting places and more important observe natural light and the time of day. She also recommended candid shots. Have the child do something they enjoy such as playing with legos, drawing anything that grabs their attention and they enjoy doing. While the child is doing this the parent should move around them and photograph from different sides and angles. Once in a while ask them to show you their project this way you’ll capture moments when they’re not “posing” for the camera or saying “cheese” something that many of us do. Older children can be told how to pose and tend to follow directions better than younger children. Jenn indicated that one of the most important things you can do is to “stay patient and wait for the look you want.”

It’s almost unusual to hear of a photographer who went to school to learn the trade but Jenn has been interested in photography since she was a young child and this carried on to High School at Sacramento High. She chose to attend Sacramento High School because of their photography program. She mentioned her photography teacher from who she learned a lot Mr. Tafoya. Jenn noted that Mr. Tafoya moved to McClatchy High School where he still teaches. Jenn attended Brooks Institute of Photography graduating in 2005. She spent some time in New York and San Diego before deciding to come back to her home town. Back in Sacramento she decided to concentrate in portrait photography, children, and weddings. Her demeanor and patience, I believe, make her well suited to specialize in children’s photography.

Jenn’s studio will be hosting Sacramento Rocks! A Kids Photo Show on Saturday October 9 as part of the Second Saturday art walk. The studio will be open from 5-9 for this exhibit. This showing will be open for photographs taken by kids 12 or younger of their favorite person, place or thing in Sacramento. Photographs taken and submitted by Sacramento-area kids will be displayed along with the child’s name, age and title of their photo. Each child may submit one photo for the show and all photos will be printed and displayed. September 15 is the deadline for submission. Email submissions to jenn@jennbartell.com.

Jenn had many tips and tricks for parents to use when photographing their children, she also had 5 most important things that should be noted:
• Try to stay away from using flash
• Stay patient and wait for a shot you want
• Concentrate on the features of the face
• Keep eyes in sharp focus
• Clean up any distractions in your background

Children are very active and in order for them not to lose interest keep a shooting session somewhere between 30 to 45 minutes. Event with all the tips and tricks Jenn provided you have to know when to stop. Keep checking Jenn’s web page for future updates and if you’re in need of a photographer, a florist or even an event planner you can get all three by visiting The Studio at 2418 K Street.

Sacramento Zoo Photo Safari

2010-08-23T02:10:08Z

On a surprisingly cold morning the Sacramento Zoo was already receiving guests early on Saturday morning. A Zoo Photo Safari Class was taking place with Pat McKown serving as the instructor on the third, in a series of four photography classes offered this summer on the Sacramento Zoo campus. The class was geared toward learning how to photograph zoo animals and compensating for exhibits housing avoiding some photography obstacles such as bars, netting and glass. There were 14 people taking the class and many questions were asked during the lecture part of the class. Pat McKown’s photography helpful tips were quite useful. Students brought their digital cameras and I think many of them learned more about their camera during the lecture than they had since they’ve owned their cameras. Cameras used by class participants ranged from small digital cameras with 3X zoom to full blown digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras.

Ann Geiger, zoo educational director, met me at the zoo entrance and led me to the classroom where the class had already been taking place. As we walked to the classroom Ann indicated that these classes were made possible by a grant from GenCorp. Anne explained that there was also a similar class for students sixth grade and up. She also talked about the Sacramento Zoo Docent program. The Docent program is made up of volunteer educators, older than 18 years and who’ve had Sacramento Zoo training. They provide tours, station walks and other services to zoo visitors. Classes for the program will start again in January 2011 and go into early March. This program requires a lot of training before becoming a Docent. Log on to the Sacramento Zoo website to learn more about this program and other volunteer programs. Programs are also available for teens and currently there are about 50 teen volunteers who work at the Zoo mostly on weekends.

The photography class included topics such as whether to use flash or not. Pat recommended that flash, in order not to startle or bother the animas, should not be used when photographing the animals. I noticed many zoo visitors violating this rule but at the same time most don’t know that it can be a nuisance. Optical vs. digital zoom was discussed; ISO and other photography terms were explained. The most interesting topic, in my opinion, was taking pictures and trying to compensate for bars, netting and glass structures between the photographer and the animals. I will be interested in viewing the final product when pictures from this Safari are posted on a zoo website.

(The giraffe exhibit)

Pat’s expert knowledge of both subjects (photography and zoo animals) was very helpful for the students. I overheard several of them, as they were taking pictures, saying things like “I keep getting reflections off of the glass housing. I just have to be patient and get closer to the glass enclosure”. This comment was made in reference to McKown’s suggestion to get close to the glass in order to avoid seeing reflections on the photos. The patience part was, I believe, the hardest thing for the students to heed. Most animals do not like to pose for pictures, they tend to move the second you press the shutter release button. I noticed that if they seem to be posing it’s because they’re asleep. Patience however allows the photographer to take the picture as the cage or netting is out of focus and the animal comes into full focus. It comes in handy as you wait for your model to move and seemingly pose for you. Patience is one of the hardest qualities to attain whether it’s in photography or life but it pays off in either facet. Patience in photography is all about, as Pat put it, “capturing the moment”.

As students broke into smaller groups and eagerly walked from the classroom to the zoo I had a chance to speak with Pat McKown for a few minutes. This was the third Photo Safari class that she’s taught this year with one more class scheduled in September. I asked how she got started doing these classes and she said, “I had been a Docent on a regular basis. When I came back from a trip to Africa I did a presentation and this eventually led to a grant”. The grant was passed on to the Sacramento Zoo. Pat’s experience in photography is immeasurable and her enthusiasm is apparent making the class quite enjoyable.

I followed one group of students out to their Safari Adventure. I ran into other students at different sites and all seemed to be enjoying the shooting and challenges posed by exhibits behind glass, net, wires, cages and other zoo visitors. Capturing the moment seemed to be in everybody’s mind as they moved from one exhibit to the next.

(The challenges of cage wire at the lion exhibit)

(Compensating for glass enclosures at the anteater exhibit)

(At the flamingo exhibit)

(Below are other animal exhibits)

Pat’s lecture and tips are a good foundation for a Zoo Safari. This foundation can be applied to taking pictures of your children as well. There are dozens of other topics that were covered in class and if you’re interested log on to the Sacramento Zoo website and sign up for the September class before it fills up. Also, look for other classes offered to people of all ages.

Fire Spectacular

2010-08-12T07:41:23Z

This year’s Fire Spectacular, on Sunday August 8, was slated to begin around seven in the evening. The Fire Spectacular is a festival event where fire, dance, art, and music are celebrated. The event had a small festival type of atmosphere. Several vendor booths were set up to sell goods related to the event. Drumsum, a local world music style band, was on hand to provide musical entertainment. The event started slow but gained momentum as people started to set up their sitting area in front of the Southside Park Amphitheatre. Once the entertainment began on the amphitheatre stage it indeed became a spectacular event.

Earlier in the day, as I approached the entrance to the event, three people were preparing a lunch meal for themselves while selling tickets. One of the three, Allen Denault, was preparing sandwiches for himself, his sister and her boyfriend. We chatted for a little while and he was telling me about a similar fire event that had taken place in Reno the weekend before. The Reno event drew several thousand spectatorst. As we talked I asked Allen if he lived in Sacramento. “I used to live in Sacramento and had an art studio in the area” he said. He now lives in Placerville and was telling me about an art project that he will be working on. He’s looking to create a sculpture and has enlisted kids from the area, who have signed up, to collaboratie on the project. It’s always good to hear from artists who want to pass on their craft and hopefully one or more of these young students can acquire the same type of passion for the arts as Allen exhibits.

Scheduled demonstrations and workshops took place as the performers got ready for the evening event. A Hoop Dance Workshop was in progress when I first arrived and a musical group, Drumsum, was setting up on another side of the amphitheatre. Several audience members took up some hoops and practiced their dance skills. Looking around the event area it was interesting to observe the way people interacted with each other it seemed like many spectators and performers knew each other. It had a “communal” type of atmosphere, very relaxing and soothing.

Artists scheduled to appear included Rosa del Fuego (performing dances to celebrate fertility and earth power) . Also on hand was the Kundalin Bellydance Troupe, Sonya Castoe, Vikram Tawler, and the lovely Pika doing a fire dance. Controlled Burn performed a longer fire show and Obsidian Butterfly was the final act of the night.

I sat with Sequoia for a few minutes, earlier in the day, to talk about the show. She’s a founder of Obsidian Butterfly who had 11 people in the group for the night. She indicated this was the first year the event was held at Southside Park but it was the 3rd year of the event. Next year’s event will take place on August 13, 2011 which will coincide with a whole moon day. Obsidian Butterfly has shows throughout the year and is available for special appearances such as birthdays, weddings, and other small gatherings. If you’re planning a special event this is the best time of the year to book the group for special personal events. I asked her what she thought of the evening’s event and she went on to say “It’s something unique because it’s like a large collaboration art piece, with all colors coming together and making something interesting each year.” Her passion for these events and how she sees art came across as she described the event. She ended by saying “It just keeps getting better and better”. I did not ask if Sequoia was her real name, I think it is, I based that observation on the fact that I know people whose real names are Autumn Sky and Sunrise. Also noticeable was the front of the Obsidian Butterfly booth where some paintings created by Sequoia were exhibited.

While at the event I was glad to meet and listen to the sage photographic advice of Andy"Playarazzi" Pischalnikoff. I have admired his work and it was a pleasure to meet him. His fire performance photos, including Burning Man are fantastic. As we sat and photographed the event I was able to learn from his photographic techniques and welcomed his advice. To see more of his work log on to his website.

All the performances lived up to the “Spectacular” name. One act after the other was exquisitely performed and at the end the audience could have savored more fire in constant movement entertainment. Sequoia has worked hard over the years as an artist, as an instructor and fire entertainer and the closing Obsedian Butterfly act put all of this together for a true Fire Spectacular. This type of event is for all ages and although fire conjures thoughts of danger it is all controlled and safety is top priority. Log on to Obsidian Butterfly to see upcoming events and learn more about Sequoia and her art. By combining fire, dance, and music Obsidian Butterfly and the other acts were able to create magnificent art on stage.

Photos:

1 - Me, playing with fire (photo by Andy Playarazzi Pischalnikoff

2 to 14 - Fire Spectacular

Third Saturday

2010-07-18T19:06:02Z

July’s Third Saturday event at the Downtown Plaza, courtesy of Sacramento News and Review had a full schedule of music, dance, fashion, comedy, art and most important booths from local vendors selling arts and crafts. Tais and Adam Saake hosted the event. This is the first time I’ve seen both of these guys together and they seemed to have developed an almost stand –up comedy act working off each other. They helped the event go smoothly as they introduced act after act and gave vital information about the vendors and the show. I think Adam and Tais have a good stage presence together.

Musical performances for the show were put on by Walking Spanish and Michelle Waugh. I got a chance to watch Walking Spanish at the Concerts in the Park the first Friday of the month. The more I listen to them the more they come across as one of the better bands in Sacramento. They have a good mix of instruments that they use. Besides the usual guitar, bass and drums (which are excellent by the way) they have a violin and accordion in the mix making a rich all around sound. They have a good variety of cover songs and original tunes. Walking Spanish has a few more shows around town before the month is over view their myspace site for more information.

Michelle Waugh, a 15 year old local singer, performed after a dance performance by Zumba Joe. I have to give Zumba Joe kudos for dancing on stage for a series of Latin rhythm dances during this very hot day. Lately I’ve seen quite a few teenage bands and singers spring up in Sacramento. They’ve probably have always been around but thanks to venues like Second and Third Saturdays, Hot Lunch Concerts, Concerts in the Park and Third Saturdays they are able to showcase the talents of young musicians. Michelle Waugh showed off her talent by singing a series of original songs.

DJ Rated R was also on hand spinning in between sets and played on after all the acts were gone. Also on hand was Jonas Lynch, a Long Beach native. This artist was representing The Studio Tattoos and Art Gallery. He worked on a piece all day and was still working while everybody was getting ready to go home. His art is being exhibited at the shop in Roseville (634 Vernon Street).

A Summer Fest Fashion Show for the evening included fashion by Tiana Vega who will be having their Designing Dreams Charity Fashion Show next month. Also on hand to showcase fashion was the Crimson and Clover Boutique and Phoenix Reign.

After the show I made my way to the Hot Italian for a bite to eat. Next door to the Hot Italian restaurant is the Crimson and Clover Boutique on 16 Street across from Fremont Park. I went in to Crimson and Clover, with the Tommy James and the Shondells song playing in my head, to take a look at their shop. I took a quick look around at the clothing and jewelry they had on hand. Behind the counter was Nicole Honeyeater who is part owner of the store she had just come back from the Third Saturday show. Kara Perez is the other owner of the boutique and she was there as well. I only saw women’s clothing when I came in but Nicole pointed out that they also carry men’s and children’s clothing in another room towards the back. Their vintage and handmade clothes they sell are mostly from what Nicole calls their “Treasure Hunting”. The models used to showcase their clothing were non professional except for maybe one. They are located on 1617 16th Street. They also have a blog that you can follow. I must say that Kara and Nicole have very pleasant personalities that they showed not only to me but more importantly to their customers. You can’t help but admire their determination to do well at their boutique and hope they succeed.

Second Saturday

2010-06-13T21:26:24Z

Last month was one of the only Second Saturday events that I’ve missed in several years. To make up for missing May’s event we headed for Midtown a little early to make sure we could find a parking spot. At around 5:00 crowds were beginning to gather. On 20th Street we passed by a street performer right outside of Jack’s Urban Eats. Next door a dj was beginning to set up his equipment next to Capitol Dawg and the same process was being followed by other artist around the area.

Summertime is the busiest time of the year for Second Saturday and art aficionados have much to choose from. Musicians, artists, street performers, dancers, and shoppers fill the streets of Midtown. Yesterday I started off in Folsom where, for the past couple of years, the number of places were art is exhibited during Second Saturdays continues to increase. Sutter Street contains the most art exhibits but other places throughout town have begun to open their homes and business for special showings.

Midtown is the place to be, on almost any weekend, for experiencing culture. One of our first stops for this month’s Second Saturday began on 20th Street were we stopped and spent a few minutes enjoying the Dangerous Lorraine’s Dance Theater performers. After walking around and visiting other galleries on I Street we came back to Lush Salon where a fashion show took place and where the ASPCA was present to promote their cause. Lush sponsored the ASPCA information area where food and drinks were sold and proceeds went to the organization.

Spanglish Arte was another obligatory stop where a Piñata Festival was taking place. Children were the beneficiaries of this event but adults enjoyed partaking in the festivities as well. There were piñatas of all shapes and sizes reminding me of Mardi Gras masks.

New aspiring artist also spend much time and effort practicing and perfecting their craft. I ran into a couple of young people at a table across from Barbers Alfa Romeo who were practicing their art. Haley “Graph” Massara patiently sat as her friend Alex VanNoland practiced his craft. Who knows perhaps one day one or both of them will have their own studio. Last month I met mode Natalie McGhie at a benefit classic car show and poker run event for the Fallen Warriors Memorial in El Dorado Hills. She was there for the Jay Warren’s exhibition. Right outside this exhibition the Sacramento Press had their tent set up and it seems I see representatives from the Press at many other events. They were present at the Concerts In the Park this past Friday where Mae McCoy and the Neon Stars, Los Blazing Hangovers, and The Nickel Slots performed.

Hundreds of other showings and performances continued until at least 9 p.m. As the event continues to grow, on a monthly basis, there is something to experience for all ages and tastes. We’ll see what next month will bring. If you go next month (July 10) make sure you arrive early to find a parking spot and be ready for all your senses to enjoy a great experience.

Pictures:

1 - Dangerous Lorraines Dance Theatre, 2 - Gabriel Alvarez, 3 - The Zoo Human Project

4 to 8 - Lush Salon Fashion Show

9 - Artist at Work, 10 - Piñatas, 11 - Queens

12 - Haley "Graph" Massara, Alex Van Noland, 13 - Natalie McGhie, 14 - Marji Elizabeth