Second Saturday on May 12 saw an increase in the number of people attending art galleries, vendor bazaars, restaurants and various other events in Sacramento. Warmer weather brought more people outdoors to experience art, music and community. One event in particular used the whole day to celebrate the addition of 2,000 square feet of studio space to the Nicholas Wray Photography Studio. Wray is a Sacramento photographer who took the opportunity to thank family and friends for their Kickstarter contributions that helped with the expansion project. An already existing 1,500 square foot studio was also converted to an artist and small business work space called Sacramento Space. The st

ART, ANIMALS, AND ALTRUISM: ART BENEFIT FOR TWO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PART OF THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FABRIC OF SACRAMENTO On Thursday, May 31, artists from around Sacramento will bring their animal and pet-inspired work to the historic Sierra 2 Center for the Arts & Community to showcase and sell to an enthusiastic and philanthropic audience. The event is being held to raise awareness and funding for two great causes: one is cultural-Sierra 2 Center for the Arts & Community, the other of the heart--Front Street Animal Shelter.  The evening’s events include food, wine, live music, silent auction and raffle drawings. The art—the true highlight—will be on display and available for

A Pop Up Boutique drew several hundred visitors to their event during May’s Second Saturday. Luxe Hair Lounge + Day Spa gathered several designers to a showcase celebration at its Midtown location. POP Boutique celebrated a grand opening for Sacramento’s first Pop Up Boutique. Invited designers included Tiana Vega Collection, Love by Janelle Cardenas, Samuel Parkinson, Nelli Rosh, Maisha Bahati and Haute Baubles. Musical guests drew many passer-bys to the event with live DJ music by Soul Puncherz. Once visitors were drawn in by the music they stayed to enjoy the designs of local talent. Luxe Salon & Spa also offered complementary consultations and provided delicious refreshments. The

In preparation for Sacramento’s International Academy of Design and Technology (IADT) annual Imagine Fashion Show the school held their final fitting day. Several designers and models attended the fitting on Friday, May 11. During the final fitting designers put  finishing touches on their designs. At this time several models had dropped out of the event because of various reasons and new castings were going through their initial fittings as well. One of the models at the event was Jereen Diaz who is a Sacramento model and will be modeling for Erika Diaz (no relation). I asked the model a few questionas about her fashion work. Tell me a little about yourself and your interest in the f

The culture associated with beer and the culture associated with ballet typically navigate two different realms in the 21st century, so when the Sacramento Ballet decides to merge these two worlds every year for their annual Beer & Ballet, the environment that emerges is not so typical. For one thing the studio floor that the dancers train on, and probably spend the majority of their lives on, is used as the stage. Audience members are right up front and personal with the dancers. You can hear the dancers breathing, see their sweat dripping and hear the taps of their toes gliding across the floor. It humanizes the ballerinas and "ballerinos," who always seem so mystical but removed and di

Davis residents were invited to participate in a flashmob-style dance with “Dance Dance Davis” on Wednesday evening. The event site was kept secret until the actual event took place at Davis’ Central Park. The flashmob dance was held during the Davis Farmers Market. Central Park in Davis hosts the weekly Farmers Market and Picnic in the Park every Wednesday in the spring and summer, this year from March 21 to Oct. 24. Jenny Lynn & Her Real Gone Daddies performed Wednesday for the all-ages crowd. With their brand of rockabilly and bluegrass music, they had several people dancing near the stage. “Dance Dance Davis,” is a community project presented by the UC Davis Institute for Explorati

Several students from the International Academy of Design & Technology (IADT) participated in a fashion show at the Arden Fair Mall. The fashion show was part of the Susan G. Komen Foundation Race for the Cure in-person registration event held at the Arden Fair Mall. In-person registration started on the first floor in front of Nordstrom on May 5 and will continue until May 11. Registration will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The 2012 Komen Sacramento Valley Race for the Cure will take place on May 12 at Cal Expo. The event raises critical funds and breast cancer awareness. Race for the Cure will also celebrate survivors and honor those who have lost their battle. Mail in registration h

You know Mom deserves a day off, so why not take her out on the town this weekend in celebration of Mother’s Day? Below are a few choices, but be sure to check out this previous article on the Sacramento Press and visit Sacramento365.com's Holiday Event section for even more options. Museum hop: Mother’s Day at the Auto Museum: California Automobile Museum, Sun 10am-6pm Take a step back in time with classic cars at the California Auto Museum. Mother's receive free admission on this day. Mother Nature Stroll: Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Sun 1:30pm-3pm Celebrate the beauty of spring with a delightful guided walk through the Nature Preserve on Mother’s Day. You may want to bring your binocul

Doug Stanley spent years as part of the fishing team for the television show "Deadliest Catch" as a producer. Now this Sacramento-area native has founded his own production company, Ridgeline Entertainment in Folsom, and will let folks hear about his plans as part of a monthly lecture series sponsored by the Capital Film Arts Alliance and hosted by The Art Institute of Sacramento. Attendees will learn what his new Folsom studio is up to and Doug will share the story of his career path and future plans. The meeting is on Tuesday, May 15, and starts at 7:00 p.m. at The Art Institute, 2850 Gateway Oaks Dr., Sacramento. Free to CFAA members; $5 for guests. About Doug Stanley, CEO and Founder

The third annual Sacramento Electronic Music Festival swarmed into Harlow’s and the Momo Lounge this weekend. From Thursday to Saturday, tremendous pulsating music attracted an overwhelming crowd to Midtown. Three nights of great music brought over three dozen premier entertainers to the stages. The festival had been in the works for months, and the promoters worked feverishly to bring a great lineup of electronic artists for each evening. Co-creators Adam Saake and Clay Nutting brought together great talent to perform this year. Although Thursday night’s crowd started off small, it grew quite rapidly as the evening progressed. Doors to the venue opened at 7 p.m. and performers took

What started as an artist-centered event to draw attention to the work of local artists has evolved into something much different, but District 4 candidates still want to make sure the Second Saturday Art Walk reaches its full potential as a destination event. “It’s become segmented,” candidate Phyllis Newton said Monday. “There are essentially two Second Saturdays – a family-oriented one in the early evening, and then, toward the later hours, it draws a different crowd.” On the second Saturday of every month, local art galleries, restaurants and other small businesses open their doors to thousands of visitors who come for art exhibits, music, food and wine for the Second Saturday Art Wa

Have you seen the line-up for this year’s Sacramento Electronic Festival? It’s chock full of electronic artists of all varieties, well known and upcoming, spanning three days--May 3-May 5--taking over both Harlow’s and the Momo Lounge. Founded in 2010, SEMF’s third year promises to be bigger and better than ever. Sacramento365.com sat down with SEMF co-collaborators Adam Saake and Clay Nutting to find out the behind-the scenes scoop. How did the Sacramento Electronic Musical Festival get started? Adam: It’s a grassroots festival and even though we’re approaching year three we are in no way, shape, or form even done building the foundation of this thing. We try to keep that in mind, try to

In addition to its fascinating Gold Rush past, the Sacramento area is rich with an amazing array of state-of-the-art museums and historic sites that offer visitors the chance to explore California’s fine art, history, science, and wildlife treasures all year long.  In May, many of the 28 members of Sacramento Association of Museums (SAM) are proud to showcase a variety of upcoming artistic exhibits, events and activities, including: Sacramento’s I Street Bridge Photo Display at the Sacramento History Museum -- Continues Through December In honor of the 100th anniversary of the completion of Sacramento’s I Street bridge, the Sacramento History Museum is showcasing a special exhibit of phot

By day the sound of an angle grinder echoes through Midtown’s alleys, dust and occasional fragments of powdery stone bouncing into the lane. Neighbors walking by often stop to chat, remarking on the elaborately carved marble sculptures made by local sculptor, Vince King, admiring his progress over the last several months.  King created his garage-studio at the I Street Co-op where he moved just over 5 years ago, a then-recent graduate of UC Davis with a degree in Environmental Conservation Biology and Management. He began working for the County of Sacramento, helping to develop several conservation planning initiatives, and sculpting in his spare time.  After some planning of his own, Ki

Saturday evening is the last opportunity to view “Shelf Life: Paintings and Objects,” the current exhibit at the Sacramento Poetry Center  featuring the work of poet laureate emeritus Julia Connor. The closing reception, free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. and will feature the music of Barkin’ Dog Bluegrass, a California-based band that plays traditional and progressive bluegrass, and a poetry reading by the artist Julia Connor. “I think of this exhibition as a gathering, a way of sharing where I have been by sharing with you what remains,” Connor wrote in her statement about “Shelf Life.”  

Across Sacramento, knitted blankets and beanies are turning up in trees, on bike racks and on statues. A blanket made out of yarn covered a bike rack in front of The Golden Bear. Fire hydrants downtown were covered with beanies. These seemingly random acts of craftsmanship are the calling card of The Gorilla Knitting Crew. Candice Foster, known as Can, and her husband, Adam Foster, started the Gorilla Knitting Crew last June with their kids Bella, 13, Nieyah, 7, AJ, 6, and Lukas, 4, when Can suddenly found herself unemployed. Can said she heard people were “knit bombing,” putting knitting in trees around the world, so the family started hanging knitting projects around Sacramento. Th

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 wit

This Sunday, April 22 is Earth Day—a day for appreciating and celebrating the planet we live on and meant to encourage people to give back to it. Activities surrounding Earth Day run the gambit from coordinated volunteer efforts to kid-centric activities to full-on festivals. Take a look at the list below for some options. Festivals for Earth Earth Day Celebration: Cesar Chavez Park & City Hall; Thurs 9am-2pm Come out and join for a free day of fun and interactive green education, carnival games, and great entertainment. The day includes live entertainment from Radio Disney and Magician Bill Devon with Top Class Magic, face painting, balloon artists, and more than 50 local vendors provid

Sacramento-based custom t-shirt web site, Fibers.com is teaming up with Medical Solutions, the leader in national healthcare staffing and Scrubadoo.com, an online healthcare clothing retailer to host the ‘3rd Annual Nurses Week Humerus T-shirt Design Contest.’ Fibers.com t-shirt design contest platform allows contestants to create designs and/or upload their own art to create hilarious t-shirt designs surrounding the theme, humor in nursing. The past two years, celebrating Nurses Week with a t-shirt design contest has been an exciting and fun way for people to show their appreciation for and pride in the nursing profession. This year will be no different. Entries are accepted now through

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 backdr