Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "art"

See Sacramento via Kari Shipman

2013-06-17T19:36:16Z

Meet Kari Shipman – one of Sacramento’s hardest-working fashionistas. Shipman is the woman behind Juniper James, and you can also find her at artist incubator Flywheel at the Downtown plaza, which she co-owns. She’s proud to call herself a member of the creative working class, and is dedicated to seeing Sacramento’s artistic community grow. We almost lost her to Los Angeles. but fortunately for us (and unfortunately for L.A.) she made the decision to put down roots in Sacramento.

Below she shares her thoughts on the necessity of Sunday brunch, enjoying the outdoors like a true urbanite, where the boys can find the best vintage duds, and how to sustain a creative class. Watch the city fly by, Shipman-style.

Name: Kari Shipman
Occupation: Creative Director: Juniper James (Fashion Consulting) // Co-Owner: Flywheel
Neighborhood: Midtown & Downtown

SP: How long have you lived here?

KS: Sacramento born and raised.

SP: Why have you stayed?

KS: I had plans and opportunities to be in LA following high school, and stayed for family reasons. I somewhat begrudged everything in Sacramento for a while, and refused to plug in to the art, music, restaurant, (or any other) scene here, because it wasn't the life I thought I was going to have in LA. One day I woke up and realized that I was missing out on what Sacramento DID have to offer, and with no plans to leave, I jumped in head first. That's when I fell in love with my city.

SP: Where is your favorite spot in Sac to enjoy the outdoors and why?

KS: I'm not an "outdoorsy" type. It's nice and all, but I'm a city girl. My favorite place to enjoy the "outdoors" is from the patio of some of my favorite restaurants. Choice patio spots in Sac: Revolution Wine, Bows & Arrows, Hook & Ladder and Red Rabbit.

If I had to pick something officially outdoors: I love going to outdoor concerts here, especially because you always run into friends. Concerts in the Park, Pops in the Park, Hot Italian's Hot Lunch Series...

SP: What’s the best season to spend in Sacramento, and why?

KS: I really do enjoy all of the seasons here, each with it's own charm, events and fun to be had. But summers are so full of life and good times with friends.

Why? Outdoor concert series (see above), great food & drinks on patios & front porches (see above), rafting down the river, River Cats games, sangria, barbecues and bonfires, wearing sundresses and sandals, biking around midtown on a warm evening... so much more. but that'll do.

SP: Which is your favorite happy hour spot?

KS: Lucca has a great happy hour. With burgers sourced from local Lucky Dog Ranch, and summer white/red sangria by the glass or pitcher with girlfriends, Lucca is definitely my go-to. Also noteworthy: Ella, Sapporo and Red Rabbit.

SP: On Friday or Saturday night we’d find you...

KS: Friday nights lately, I'm usually resting at home with good cooking and wine after a BUSY on-the-go kinda week. But most Saturday nights - supporting friends at live music shows. As a musician myself, I can't get enough of experiencing the beauty of other's music. We have so many incredible musicians (who are even more impressive as people), and usually it's a tough decision on which shows to hit on any given evening.

SP: On a Sunday afternoon we’d find you...

KS: BRUNCH. Almost always brunchin' it up. I actually have a "Brunch Crew" with a private FB group & everything (what? you don't take brunch that seriously??), and every Sunday we pick a place and usually spend most of the day there. Hence my affinity for restaurant patios. :)

SP: Describe our city in 15 words or less.

KS: Sacramento is a growing, creative city with a big heart.

SP: I’m a tourist. What are the top three things I shouldn’t miss during my stay?

KS: This might be the hardest question of all. So many great places, so many categories, AND so much depends on what season it is. But speaking overall:

See a live show: Exquisite Corps or Autumn Sky are my favorite local bands. Sac Ballet - incredible.
Get a great drink: Adam Saake (Golden Bear) & Ian Beightler (Hot Italian) are my favorite (super talented!) bartenders.
Shop local, handmade: My shop (Flywheel) & Bows & Arrows carry mostly Sacramento Handmade.

SP: Name one of Sacramento’s “hidden gems” – this could be a place, person, business, etc. What makes this a gem?

KS: Ed's Threads. Ed has been a business owner in Sacramento way longer than I've been alive. He's the real deal. You walk into his shop and you've stepped through a time machine into the 'good ole days' when men dressed like gentlemen. Sustaining an all-men's vintage clothing shop for so many years is impressive in and of itself, but the flair & authentic style that Ed himself exudes is priceless. He is a purist, a true collector, who knows every piece and it's story.

SP: What conversation are you a part of, and why is it important?

KS: I am a part of Sacramento's creative class, as well as a business owner. It's one thing to be someone who has a regular 9-5 job working for someone else, and enjoys being creative outside of that. It's a whole different story being a working creative.

One of the biggest hot-button issues in the creative circles here (musicians, graphic design, photography, visual art, performance art etc) is whether or not Sacramento will sustain you here. It's a love/pain relationship for almost every creative I know. They love their craft, and (want to) love Sacramento, but whether it be corporate censorship of the media outlets inhibiting the dissemination of emerging art, or patrons not truly valuing it and choosing to pay for the show/piece/image/design, so many creatives find themselves moving to SF or LA.

One of the things that I think Sacramento can be proud of is it's ever-expanding community-minded values toward the arts. So many organizations, individuals and businesses choosing to respect, embrace and further the arts here. In SF and LA, it's cutthroat. Everyone you meet is trying to make it as a creative, and willing to eat others for breakfast to get there. Sacramento isn't that environment and I love that about us. But if we want to keep our creatives, they need to eat. They need to pay their bills and be appreciated.

How I actively work toward that goal:
Flywheel: all Sacramento handmade artisan retail
THIS is Midtown & Launch: monthly summer/annual events that showcase local musicians, designers & artisans.
Put my money where my mouth is: I buy local. I attend local. I promote local. I eat & drink local.

SP: Anything else?

KS: We live in an incredible city full of talented and fascinating people who care about each other and Sacramento. Get involved, support local and make a difference.

So who’s our photog on the streets this week? Sac Press goes tech this week as we hand over the @sacramentopress Instagram to Hacker Lab’s Eric Ulrich.

Art rejected by downtown Sacramento bar finds home with local lawyer

2013-06-12T14:48:59Z

Local artist Maren Conrad sold her collection, “Politically Vulnerable,” yesterday, June 11 – two days after it was removed from the walls of the Vanguard bar, due to a complaint made by a local lobbyist. The collection is comprised of 12 paintings of ten women, all of whom Conrad credits as possessing powerful voices that rose above those of the former governors with whom the women were involved.

The complaint came from Donne Brownsey of the lobbyist firm Sacramento Advocates, Inc and was in response to a brief in the Capitol Morning report referencing Conrad's theme as, "lovers, mistresses and muses of California governors" – a description that Conrad feels did not capture her intended message of honesty and empowerment behind the collection. While Brownsey felt that, as stated, the theme promotes outdated gender stereotypes while Conrad called her collection's message "highly feminist."

As the news that Conrad’s collection had been pulled spread, Conrad said she received an outpouring of support from the community.

Conrad said that Sacramento attorney Glenda Corcoran contacted her about the collection via Facebook, when a mutual friend tagged Corcoran in a post suggesting she take a look at the collection.

“Then she read the whole story,” said Conrad. “She’s been following my artwork via Facebook for two and a half years. She came into the studio, and she said she wanted the pieces so badly that she had butterflies in her stomach.”

Conrad said she regretted that Vanguard owner Trevor Shults suffered the brunt of the criticism for her project’s removal. Conrad claimed that Brownsey and Randy Paragary of Paragary Restaurant Group, who collaborates with Shults on a number of projects, were the primary people behind the decision.

“I believe that the Vanguard can still be a cool place with cool stuff on the walls,” she said. “I’m really sorry, but I think that the two people who made this decision were Randy Paragary and Donne Brownsey, neither of whom read my artist statement or saw my artwork in person. And that’s what’s sad.”

Though Brownsey told the Sacramento Press that she had communicated directly with Paragary regarding her concerns on the project, Paragary Restaurant Group declined to comment on the story.

“Vanguard is not part of Paragary Restaurant Group,” said Marketing Director Callista Wengler, “so I cannot comment on the artwork.”

Corcoran is a Sacramento attorney, formerly of the California State Assembly, and serves on the board of directors for both the St. John’s Shelter for Women & Children and the Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center. In March of this year she was appointed by the State Senate to the California State Bar Board of Trustees.

Conrad said that prior to meeting with Corcoran, she had received multiple bids on individual pieces of the collection. However, Conrad felt strongly that the women of “Politically Vulnerable” should remain together.

“I feel like their strength is in the common thread of their shared experience of standing up and speaking about something publically with these men who were so guarded about their private live,” she said.

Conrad said that Corcoran also agreed to include her artist statement in the event she allowed the work to be shown publicly. In addition, Conrad also asked that at public showings, the collection be clearly listed as a private collection belonging to Corcoran – a woman she says is the perfect buyer for her artwork.

Of Corcoran and her husband, who accompanied his wife to view the collection, Conrad said, “They love that this conversation is important for women, and they want to keep the discussion going.”

That conversation will continue at the premiere public showing of “Publically Vulnerable,” to be held at Studio S in the Downtown Plaza – a shared studio and art space where Conrad does her work – on June 27 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“Politically Vulnerable” is about women, and their stories. When Conrad found out that the paintings were no longer wanted at the Vanguard bar due to its potential offensive nature, she decided to add a self-portrait to the collection. As for that final piece?

“Yes,” Conrad said. “I am going to try to get it done for the opening.”

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Artistically vulnerable: Vanguard owners pull controversial art collection

2013-06-11T14:10:52Z

Local artist Maren Conrad spent six weeks creating a collection of paintings titled “Politically Vulnerable” that depicts ten wives, girlfriends and lovers of California governors, both past and present – but you won’t see it hanging from the walls of the Vanguard bar when it opens downtown this weekend, as was originally planned.

“Art is supposed to provoke conversation,” Conrad said in response to the bar owners pulling her collection after complaints. “That’s why we as artists create. It’s so unfeminist to say these powerful, courageous women don’t get to be put on that wall, and I’m not surprised that men are cowering away from this issue.”

The players

On June 7 while Conrad was getting her artwork settled in at what she thought would be its new home, Donne Brownsey, a lobbyist with the firm Sacramento Advocates, Inc., read a brief in the Capitol Morning Report, a daily government newsletter, on the upcoming opening of Vanguard that drew her attention. It read:

...Along with the outdoor patio, the elegant decor includes a crystal chandelier above the bar, shelves filled with vintage books, and works created by Sacramento artist Maren Conrad with the theme, “lovers, mistresses, and muses of California governors” that includes artsy portraits of former CA first ladies Maria Shriever (sic) and Nancy Reagan, along with singer Linda Ronstadt, a former girlfriend of Gov. Jerry Brown.

The description didn’t sit right with Brownsey, and she sent an email expressing her concerns to the venue’s marketing and public relations manager, Natalie Paulsen. Paulsen then forwarded the email to Conrad and Vanguard co-owner and operator Trevor Shults.

“This is no comment on the artist and her work,” Brownsey told the Sacramento Press, “I just think it was an unfortunate choice of a theme. I think it’s obvious – when you read something describing a new commercial establishment like a new club, that has a theme like mistresses, lovers and muses of California governors.”

Though on Wednesday, June 5 Shults called Conrad’s collection a “perfect fit” for Vanguard, he confirmed the following Monday, June 10 that he had decided that Conrad’s collection would no longer call the venue home.

“We decided to go a different direction with the artwork,” he said. “We’re still going with Maren, but she’s going to come up with a different theme and different pieces. It is beautiful artwork and she’s going to come up with something that will better suit the space.”

He admitted that the decision was the result of one complaint, saying, “We’re not trying to make a political statement – we just want beautiful artwork and by no means want it to be offensive to anyone.”

Callista Wengler, Marketing Director for Paragary Restaurant Group, declined to comment on Conrad’s artwork on the grounds that Vanguard is not part of Paragary Restaurant Group (Shults collaborated with Paragary Restaurant Group on their new concert venue, Assembly – Paragary also owns Hock Farm, located next door to Vanguard, and used to own Spataro Restaurant & Bar, which Hock Farm and Vanguard replaced). However, Brownsey told the Sacramento Press that Randy Paragary addressed her concerns about the collection with her directly before it was pulled.

“Randy Paragary was very responsive to my concerns,” she said, “and I was very pleased with his response.”

Conrad now finds herself with a collection of artwork based on a feminist theme that is itself the crux of a feminist debate.

“These women were all involved in politics, and they showed power through vulnerability,” she said in defense of her work. “It’s not an incorrect statement that they were lovers, mistresses and muses – because they were. But that’s not the statement I was making. Governors’ lovers, mistresses and muses is about possession, and that’s not the message I was sending.”

“Politically Vulnerable” – unpacked

The collection itself is made up of twelve portraits of ten women, all of whom are former wives, girlfriends and mistresses of California governors. Conrad spent two weeks researching online and at local libraries in search of stories about women who were both powerful and vulnerable, who would not have their voices silenced by any man, regardless of how politically powerful he may have been.

Conrad’s artist statement for the project reads:

Behind the scenes of politics, where “great men” rise to power by carefully protecting themselves from the vulnerabilities of their personal identities and histories, these ten women–wives, girlfriends, and mistresses of California governors–reveal their personal power by revealing their stories. Taken together, they represent the strength of baring one’s identity, telling one’s history, and facing one’s vulnerabilities...

Included in the collection is Governor Jerry Brown’s former flame Linda Ronstadt, who Conrad included because Ronstadt would not conform to the stereotypical first lady persona in order to accompany Brown on what many felt at that time was his journey to the White House, preferring instead to pursue her own career, becoming an icon in her own right.

Piper Laurie, also depicted, is a former actress who was 18-years-old when she met co-star Ronald Reagan on the set of “Louisa.” In her memoir, Laurie claimed she lost her virginity to Reagan, whom she said then proceeded to tell her, “There’s something wrong with you. You should have had many orgasms by now – after all this time. You’ve got to see a doctor.” Laurie went on to receive three Oscar nominations and outed the former president for his alleged ungentlemanly behavior in her autobiography "Learning to Live Out Loud: A Memoir.”

Former California first lady Virginia Knight was included for her accomplishments as both a poet and advocate for veterans. She also spearheaded the move to turn the governor’s mansion into a museum honoring California’s first ladies, researching the stories behind and collecting photographs of the women who came before her to be mounted in the front hall.

Nancy Reagan and Maria Shriver are also part of the collection – Reagan for her ability to stand out as an activist in her own right while being married to one of the most revered presidents in recent history (she received the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom during her time in the White House), and Shriver for her work as an award-winning journalist and her instrumental role in creating the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts.

There’s no word yet on what a new installation might look like, and Conrad is still reeling from what she feels is a misinterpretation of her collection’s message. Prior to the fallout caused by Brownsey’s email, Conrad described her artwork’s theme as “highly feminist.”

“(These women) owned their stories.” she said. “and the fact that so many of these men wanted to keep them hidden I think is very interesting. They were like, ‘no, I will not sit down. I will not shut up...You can’t take this experience away from me and call it purely your experience.’”

The artist behind the portraits

Conrad, a single mother who credits local artists Jane Mikacich and Kim Squaglia for aiding her on her own artistic journey, wasn’t always creating collections for high profile establishments. Three and a half years ago she was teaching art at her youth camp and raising her son, now almost nine. When Mikacich asked Conrad at a book club meeting – where they had recently met – how her own art was coming along, she found she didn’t have much to say.

“I was raising him and doing the mom thing, and I realized I had gotten really far away from my own creative process.”

Soon after Conrad began painting again, Mikacich having gifted a spot in her own studio. When Mikacich asked Conrad to do a show with her, Conrad began playing with the layering process that eventually led to a signature style evident in “Politically Vulnerable.” Back then she was layering her paintings with Plexiglass, which she said added a three-dimensional component to her work that brought depth and interest to her pieces. She created nine pieces for her show with Mikacich, seven of which sold.

The process, however, was painstaking. Each of her works weighed roughly 75 pounds, and the process of cleaning the Plexiglass – using a flashlight to search for thumbprints, hairs, pieces of dust, or anything that would compromise her final product – often took up to five days. On a trip to Manhattan, she threw her back out while trying to maneuver one of those weighty pieces, and found herself in a friend’s apartment, lying on a bag of frozen peas.

When she returned to Sacramento, she didn’t paint for almost two months.

“At that point, I didn’t want to make art anymore,” she said. “It was like, I’ve gotten all the way here, but this isn’t working. I’m miserable. How is it that I made this such a chore, and such a job for myself? How can something I loved so much become so unenjoyable?”

It was her then-studio mate, Kim Squaglia, who helped Conrad fine-tune her process into something she could manage. Squaglia brought Conrad into her own artistic process, teaching her how to pour resin which, when done in layers, helped create a similar three-dimensional quality that Conrad had previously produced using Plexiglass.

“I love every single part of my process now,” she said. “I had to completely limit myself to learn how to be unlimited. Now, I won’t make paintings where I don’t like the process.”

Conrad spent weeks researching in preparation for “Politically Vulnerable”, looking for thought-provoking stories, then portraits of the women she would paint. She began first by blowing up portraits and used them to guide her through multiple applications of metal leaf, paint and resin to achieve images that are both modern and vintage. Each of her paintings is comprised of five to ten layers, and the result is something that feels both antique, yet new. Her work has an edge to it, fitting for the concept she tackled with the collection.

The controversy

Brownsey feels that, regardless of Conrad’s intent, her message leaves too much room for ambiguity.

“This is no comment on the artist or her work,” she said. “I see on some levels what she was trying to communicate, but I think that in the political world, where there are still issues that are associated with gender, that her message would not have been interpreted the way she intended it to be.”

Though Conrad said she understands where the misunderstanding based off of the Capitol Morning Report came from, she feels her message has an important place in feminist dialogue.

Conrad believes we live in a society that asks women to take their sexuality off the table if they desire a position of prominence or intellectual importance. In her portraits, the women are shown from the shoulder up, alluding though not confirming nudity, to reflect that her subjects were comfortable with their sexuality – something Conrad sees as an expression of feminism. She finds it ironic that Brownsey, a fellow feminist, is behind the movement while the restaurant partners who made the decision to remove her artwork are men.

“I’m getting censored by a woman who is trying to keep these women’s stories quiet, and the men are the ones making the decisions here on whose stories get told,” she said.

As for what’s next, Conrad said that Shults offered to pay her the remainder of what she was owed for the collection – which would then be auctioned off – but Conrad opted to retain possession of her work rather than receive full compensation for her time.

Last week, before she received the news that her collection would be pulled, Conrad already saw her work as partly an act of defiance.

“Society has wanted to tell women not to do a million things, forever – I think because they are scared of the power we have when we act. I don’t want to sleep with a governor, but I hope that my story at the end of my life is worthy of putting on that wall,” she said.

Now, the stories of the women she painted have become an integral part of her own story as an artist. She hopes to show her collection, along with the full version of her artist statement and a thirteenth piece that will be a self-portrait, on her own terms.

(shot and edited by Timeless Studios at Exhibit S Art Gallery at the Downtown Plaza)

UPDATE: Glenda Corcoran purchased Conrad's collection on June 11.

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'Cameron and his Paintbrush' – Pint-sized painter debuts at KidDay Festival

2013-05-30T17:58:47Z

Some say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – in this case the apple is a paintbrush and the tree is the canvas. Third-generation painter Cameron Sky Villa is only seven-years-old and about to have his first full exhibition.

There is something refreshing about interviewing kids – you can always count on them to say exactly what’s on their unrehearsed minds. Cameron is a young boy who likes to ride his bike, play with friends, play video games and paint.

Cameron’s father and grandfather are both painters. When Cameron expressed some interest in painting, his father encouraged him to continue. Like any other young boy, Cameron wanted to mimic what he saw his father doing. Fast forward five years and Cameron had already sold two paintings. I had the pleasure of meeting Cameron and his father Rene to conduct Cameron’s first, somewhat formal, interview.

Cameron is a little on the shy side, so it was a bit of a challenge to get him to answer some of my questions, but I was able to get some key points.

Cameron is saving the money he makes from the paintings he sells for college, and when he grows up he wants to be an artist. As we sat in the back office of La Raza Galeria Posada I began to learn a little more about him. He told me that his friends didn't know if he is a good painter because they had not seen his paintings.

What’s the hardest thing about being a painter?

“It takes a long time and my arm gets tired.”

He demonstrates letting his arm fall to his side.

What is your favorite subject in school and what is your favorite color?

"Recess is my favorite and I like blue, green and red.”

Later I discovered that math is actually his favorite subject.

What would you say to someone who wanted to paint and was afraid of what others might think of their paintings?

“Just paint and ignore them.”

How do you decide when you are done with a painting?

“When my dad tells me.”

Who is your favorite artist?

Cameron looks at his father and describes a painting of a motorcycle that his dad owns, and his father informs me that it is by Ernesto (Ernie) Palomino.

Do you want to say anything to the people that come to your show?

“Please buy my art.”

What do you think about people coming to a show to see your art?

“Incredible!” he says, with the biggest smile I have seen all day.

“Cameron and His Paintbrush” opens this Saturday at La Raza Galeria Posada from 1-5 p.m. at the Miller Park Art Complex, 2700 Front street. This “KidDay” Festival will include several different workshops that children will enjoy.

For more information on the festival please visit www.lrgp.ord

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Sacramento Artists Council's speakeasy fundraiser

2013-05-22T06:01:42Z

Guys and dolls dressed in Prohibition-era attire attended Sacramento Artists Council's Speakeasy Fundraiser at the Antiquite Maison Privee on Saturday, May 18.

The fun-filled event included casino-style gambling for guests. Winnings could be used to purchase art donations scattered throughout the Antiquite Maison Privee's main entrance room.

The Sacramento Artists Council continues to support local artists, musicians and others through fundraisers such as the annual masquerade. This year, the SAC celebrated the 3rd Annual Masquerade Gala/Speakeasy Fundraiser and raised several thousand dollars to keep music and art in local schools (the final tally is not yet complete).

Spiffy dealers managed a blackjack, craps and roulette table where gamblers tried their luck. The Monte Carlo-style games were popular throughout the evening, and several guests were glued to the tables.

Many donated gift certificates were given out as guests played a fishing game.

James Cagney made a special appearance as a gangster in a Prohibition-era movie that played on the stage wall.

The juice joint was quite active and became a bit livelier as the Twilight Drifters came to the stage. The Sacramento band plays several different types of music and showcased their talents as they played swing and rockabilly sounds for the flappers and their partners to enjoy.

This year's event was different than the previous two masquerades. “This year we have a lot more activities going on. Instead of having a sit-down elegant feel we want people up and having fun,” said SAC’s founder and executive director, Susan Rabinovitz.

Proceeds from the fundraiser, Rabinovitz indicated, will help adopt art programs in local schools. “We want to make this fun and special while people are spending money and help support this charity event,” shared Rabinovitz.

Over 100 pieces of art as well as gift certificates from local businesses were donated for the fundraiser. Rabinovitz was thankful for and amazed by the show of support from artists and local businesses. “Actually it's been overwhelming,” she said.

Rabinovitz wanted to also acknowledge Dad's Kitchen, who partnered with SAC to supply food for the event. Speakeasy Ales & Lagers and 21st Amendment Brewery donated their specialty beers for the event.

Besides supporting local artists, SAC also helps with scholarships for high school seniors, and works to keep art alive in public education through its Adopt-A-School Art/Music Program. Log on to their webpage for more information about the organization and future events.

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A collection of Sacramento art gallery videos

2013-05-20T23:57:42Z

SacTV.com has created a new section of art gallery videos made during Second Saturday Art Walk this year from March, April and May. This page brings together local painters and gallery owners who discuss the art they showcase on Second Saturday. This page presents a wide variety of local paintings and photography that span from portraits to posters to landscapes to surrealism. It also brings together eye-catching art that represents some of Sacramento's most talented artists. These art gallery videos can be found by going to SacTV.com and clicking the "art" icon. More Second Saturday videos will be added to this 2013 page as the year goes on.

Some of the art that has been featured during Second Saturday on May 11 this year include the Sacramento Rock and Radio Museum and paintings by Abigail VanCannon and Mark Fox. Abigail recently moved to Sacramento from the Bay Area and displays her paintings based on photography at the Sacramento Art Complex. She likes learning about a city's nostalgia when she visits new places, which is why one of her paintings depicts the sign of the original Tower Records at the Tower Theatre on 16th and Broadway. Mark Fox, whose painting is shown at the top of this article, has lived in Sacramento all his life and is heavily influenced by Appalachian folk art and tribal scenery that expresses community harmony.

Different types of art are included in this archive, such as woodwork by Ted "The Turner" Young, who makes attractive gifts out of recycled wood from the region. Another theme that this gallery section highlights is community spirit, which includes Midtown shops that help raise awareness or funds for the community. PeraDice Cards and Gifts, for example, raised money through a raffle this past Second Saturday for Mustard Seed School, while provides shelter for homeless children. Co-owners Steven Pera and Jim Wagner were interviewed by SacTV explaining that homelessness is not a crime and kids should be given the help they need.

Other artwork from previous Second Saturday events include the vibrant soul healing paintings of John Huerta, the communal farmers market paintings by Robert LaNeau, the car theme paintings by Pete Conine, the happy animal paintings by Karen Dukes, various art at Little Relics and the portraits of legendary African Americans including President Obama by Lawrence Sullivan. The art of photography is showcased in this second with the natural colorful scenery of Yosemite, shot by Jason Branz.

The May 11 Second Saturday was quiet in the early evening but festive later in the evening possibly because of earlier hot temperatures, a contrast with Second Saturday on April 13, which was somewhat quiet due to cold temperatures. Many of these artists, curators and owners display art every Second Saturday with different art each time. According to Mark Fox, he has created over one thousand paintings and has sold about 500 over the past decade at various exhibits throughout the state. Little Relics owner Susan Rabinovitz says she sold some art in April to a visitor who found her video interview on SacTV.

Disclosure: Alex Cosper owns SacTV.com and posts in partnership with The Sacramento Press.

Film Review: Trek darkness shines

2013-05-17T05:12:31Z

“Star Trek: Into Darkness” film review by Gary Chew

Maintaining linkage with itself has to be one of the underlying secrets of success for the durable “Star Trek” franchise. The linkage with all the star trekking from its outset when Gene Roddenberry got the space fable launched in 1966 to the very motion picture that's just been released (“Star Trek: Into Darkness”) makes it clear its genesis was in broadcast television.

The Trek characters continue, even if they are now younger and played by others who, in many instances, weren't yet born when the series began. At present, we remain in the prequel mode of this enduring future of which Jim Kirk and Mr. Spock --- as well as the rest of the star ship Enterprise crew --- serve well the importance of justice, loyalty and honor whether it be in deep space or on a dusty street in a lonesome, desert town with two hombres facing-off with six shooters instead of phasers.

Since we're talking sci-fi, the connections made forward and backward in time are more easily, yet cleverly employed to keep “Star Trek” up to at least Warp speed. (That, in spite of the fact that “Into Darkness” introduces a new space ship that makes the Enterprise look like a toy and can go faster than the Enterprise in all its “warpiness.” Wow!

Director J. J. Abrams gives us more of Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock. The other, long-running likeable, familiar characters are also well cast. Most of the fresh Trek faces resemble the Shatners and Nimoys, etc., from those thrilling star dates of yesteryear --- thus keeping many talented people in the movie business employed and all the world's beloved Trekkies stoked, entertained and full of popcorn.

Yet another role is added to this 2013 “Star Trek.” that shows up as the character's younger self; I won't spoil you with the specifics. What's fun watching this new adventure is that (thanks to the conceit of time travel) scriptwriters Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof have drawn from an earlier “Star Trek” and reversed characters' lines in scenes that stage similarly to the other film. For example: what Kirk says to Spock in one movie is, almost word for word, the same thing that Spock say to Kirk in the other “Star Trek.” It's another savvy feat to keep veteran Trekkies on board with the new, younger actors, while giving new fans a nice, big, fat sci-fi story to enjoy. After seeing it, the latter day fan can watch the older “Star Trek” and join in on the neat knowledge about what's been flip-flopped in the scriptwriting.

By the way, it's difficult to write about all this without spoiling it for the old Trekkies or the new Trekkies.

Shouts outs for the new film again go to Pine and Quinto. Other significant performances come from Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Weller and Bruce Greenwood.

Since seeing the new film, I've watched the earlier “Star Trek” feature that connects most to the new release; and in all candor I must say that this latest edition makes the older film look like a slow freight chugging into the Neutral Zone. Although occasional “down screen” blurry, unfocused items in some scenes are a slight annoyance, you have no choice but to watch fast with deep interest while viewing “Into Darkness.”

Unlike my old Trekkie friend, Mike Lazar of Sacramento, I haven't watched every “Star Trek” TV episode or, for that matter, all the feature films; but “Into Darkness,” bests the bunch I've seen, which includes the 2009 debut of Pine and Quinto. I award the new “Star Trek” 3 point 5 stars … and for myself, 5 stars for figuring out a way to tell you all you really need to know about this stunningly visual 3-D movie with nary spoiler.

4th Annual Vida de Oro Folk Art Festival

2013-05-15T06:45:41Z

Families enjoyed a Mother's Day celebration at the 4th Annual Vida de Oro Folk Art Festival. The festival was held at the Good: Street Food + Design Market building located at 1409 Del Paso Blvd.

Vida de Oro (which means “golden life”) was a free, family-friendly event held Saturday, May 11. This was the first year that the event was held at this venue.

Artists, vendors and performers were on hand to help celebrate the event.

The Good warehouse building has a high ceiling, and for most of the day it helped keep things somewhat cool, bringing relief from the hot weather. Delicious food and drinks were sold at the back of the building, providing a picnic-type setting.

Vendors and artists offered merchandise suitable for collection, and visitors looking for a Mother's Day present had many delightful choices.

Children watched performances and participated in hands-on activities. Angela James had a table to sell handmade musical instruments used by her Fenix Drum and Dance Company. James also provided craft materials for children to create their own artwork.

Artist Rob-O had a couple tables set up for guests who wanted to create their own sugar skulls, enhancing the market experience for both young and old. Many of Rob-O's creations were in the same area, giving art collectors the opportunity to purchase his renowned traditional Dia de los Muertos art.

Two other well-known artists had tables next to each other. Both artists shared their art experience with guests. Felipe Dávalos, an artist and author whose work has been published by National Geographic, sat next to Juanishi V. Orosco, one of the founders of the Royal Chicano Air Force, aka Rebel Chicano Art Front.

Both internationally known artists remain busy. Dávalos has spent the past 15 years living in Sacramento. Orosco has spent most of his life in Sacramento and continues to create bigger-than-life-size murals.

Most Sacramentans have seen Orosco’s work and yet don’t know it. His art, along with the work of other RCAF members, can be seen at the Southside Park amphitheater. If you ever walk from Old Sacramento to the Downtown Mall Plaza and take the tunnel that connects them, then you have seen his work. Orosco and the RCAF created the colorful mural that lines the tunnel. When you exit the connecting tunnel, you’ll see other Orosco murals on the plaza walls.

Orosco shared that he became interested in art at an early age. “I remember when I was around 10 years old, my older brother used to draw cartoons and I wanted to draw like him. I would practice and practice until one day I was as good as he was,” said Orosco. His love for art continued, and he made it a life goal to learn as much as he could about art and artists. His influences include Diego Rivera, Michelangelo, Dali and others.

Orosco takes pride in his work and his face shows that as he speaks about his murals and growing up in the Sacramento area. Other murals he's created appear up and down the Western United States, from San Diego, to Idaho, to California and to a new project in Oregon. When asked what keeps him going he quickly and enthusiastically answered, “Murals!”

Since 1969 the RCAF art collective and Orosco have been a part of the Sacramento art scene and it's great to see artists as committed to their trade as he is. “I'm not as young as I once was but creating murals makes me feel young,” said Orosco.

Other artists and performers scheduled to attend included photographer Frederick Romero and Gillermina “Mina” Perez.

Performances during the event included dancers from the Miktlantekuhtli Azteca Dance Troupe, Ballet Folklórico de Beamer, Cheyenne Danner, Summer Lynn, Folklórico Latino de Woodland and the Yemaya Dance Troupe.

Other performers included trick roper, whip master and Vida de Oro Festival Promotions Director James Barrera. I have seen Barrera's rope and whip tricks at other venues, including the World Music Festival and Festival de la Familia.

Singers Arieana and Pete Vidales, Carlos Lastra, Rose and Cecelia Marin, and Melissa Cobian rounded off the wonderfully entertaining performances.

The festival allowed local artisans and performers from the Del Paso area the opportunity to showcase their work and show what's available in the community. The festival also gave out-of-town artists, performers and vendors the opportunity to feature their talent.

Vida de Oro, a nonprofit arts and publishing organization, put together a well-rounded event in this family-friendly venue. Festival founders Adrian and Mina Perez and Barrera continue to promote cultural arts and entertainment in Sacramento through events and their online publication.

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

A touch of Tapigami

2013-05-08T06:34:25Z

When I think of the Downtown Plaza I think of a sad abandoned place, a place that quite honestly I try and avoid; it feels heavy like a deep sigh and gray without color. When I discovered that’s where I was headed to interview an artist, I was skeptical yet intrigued. My curiosity peaked when I got to my destination, and enormous perfume and cologne advertisements were all that was there. Then the large glass doors mysteriously open, but the figure that appears is not “the great and powerful Oz”—it is Tre Borden.

Although this is the first time we have met, he greets me with a warm hug that I am glad to accept. As he turns around to enter the space, I notice immediately that I am not in Kansas anymore. The rather large space is warm and young with a creative spirit. Borden is the longtime friend and now managing business partner of Danny Scheible, the artist and mastermind of “tapigami,” the art form he created over eight years ago.

Borden introduces me to Scheible, and we shake hands. They both start to take me around the space (Borden doing most of the talking) and tell me about some of the art and how the space will be set up for their upcoming preview event “Exhibit S” on May 11. Get rid of all your ideas about past gallery spaces—this is not a sterile environment where the curator ignores you until you bring out your pocketbook. In fact, the preview event is to really show appreciation to all that have been involved in the project. We head to the backroom to conduct the interview; scattered around, there are several types of art, all varying in their own stages of development. Borden puts on some music to drown out the constant thumping coming from Forever 21 located next door. Scheible asks me if I want a glass of wine and I decline in order to establish my professionalism.

As we start to talk about how the two met in their Gifted and Talented Education class in second grade, I start to notice how close these two really are. Scheible works his tape and creates as we speak, and although they are both very different, they can sometimes finish each other’s thoughts. We talk about art school, and New York City, and Yale and how they both came back to their hometown of Sacramento and started working together. Growing up, I was raised with the idea that you did not touch the art, and for several different reasons I can see why. Maybe because it was forbidden, I always had the urge to touch the sculptures or paintings, and I have to admit that sometimes when no one was looking I would quickly put a finger on a sculpture or the frame of a painting. Scheible’s art is interactive and he encourages you to touch it, feel it and move it around. It seems like a form of communication for him that allows him to be expressive, but also interact with everyone around him. He explains that tape is the perfect medium because he can take it anywhere, it’s a household product and it is so easy to manipulate.

Scheible gets up for another glass of vino in his little plastic cup and I throw caution to the wind and have a glass, as I figured I held out long enough. Two glasses later I am feeling really inspired. I tell them both that I admire the fact that they are both doing what makes them happy and making a living off it. There are a lot of people that have a true passion, but for whatever reason they don’t pursue their dreams and just continue in the rat race. More often than not, the reason is because of financial obligations. “There is a crossroads and you have to take that leap of faith, I would rather eat ramen while we pursue our dreams then eat steak and be unhappy,” Borden said. Scheible points out a different way of looking at this concept. He says that everything that you buy is something that you pay for (obviously), but that it is all a choice. You choose to have a car payment or a mortgage, etc. I like the idea of being aware of what I buy as a consumer in relation to how it can ultimately affect your happiness. Something that is undeniable is that both men are extremely talented, aware and smart, and that Sacramento is really fortunate they decided to come back. Their view for Sacramento and how it can continue to grow is progressive.

“Fostering creativity in a cultural community is what is going to make people live and stay in your community, and if you don’t do that you are just going to be left behind,” explains Scheible. Communities along with the cities’ decision makers are starting to truly realize the significance that art adds to a community.

“You can move artists into a depressed area for little cost and create wealth,” adds Borden.

We talk about “The Kay” and the Downtown Plaza being so vacant, the empty spaces could be utilized for pop-up shops, dance studios, recording studios, etc. By allowing the otherwise vacant spots to be utilized, there would be a potential for businesses to thrive, hire staff and then pay the desired rent. Scheible and Borden’s upcoming event “Exhibit S” is a really neat concept in which both artists and business will be working together under the same roof. They hope to highlight all the cool and unique things about our amazing little city. Between the art, tech, food and beer scene, things are happening in Sacramento and our little city has quite a bit to offer. Scheible has a notebook full of ideas (that I was not allowed to peek at), and I can’t wait to see what these two are going to do next.

Visit www.tapigami.com for more information.

Pitch me a story at stephania916@gmail.com

Lost art of Mora – 'Sojourner' sculpture vandalized

2013-05-07T22:13:21Z

The local arts community recently discovered that the public artwork 'Sojourner' on 13th and K Street had been vandalized. The sculpture was found pushed off its pedestal on January 6, 2013. The sculpture, a 7ft. Mexican limestone work of art by Master Artist Elizabeth Catlett Mora, was broken into several pieces. Unfortunately the artist cannot repair this treasured work. Catlett died last year on April 2, 2012.

The breaking news originally appeared on the blog "Sacramento Pedestrian Art." At the time, there was very little additional information provided on the developing story. And, by the time this article is published The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC) is expected to have updates on the repair and restoration progress. The arts community can visit the SMAC website http://www.sacmetroarts.org/ for updates.

The future home of the sculpture is as yet uncertain. In fact, as told to the Sacramento Observer Newspaper, SMAC is considering a new location for the sculpture once repairs are completed. This is bittersweet, as 'Sojourner' was a mainstay on K street for several years and a staple of downtown public art. The safety of the art is of primary importance.

Relocation may turn out to be the best option in this case, considering the longterm changes the downtown area is undergoing – plans for the new entertainment arena, overhaul construction to reinvigorate K Street, and inevitably the influx of new businesses that will arrive. Yes, downtown will be an even more high traffic area. Yet, the challenging task may be to find a place that will provide suitable exposure of the art to the public while ensuring its protection.

At the core of the incident is preservation of art – its integrity, creation, education and cultural legacy. And, if we look close enough, this is a rare teacheable moment.

It is important to emphasize that art created by an artist that is no longer living possesses truly unquantifiable value. The artist's body of work is considered irreplaceable. Special attention is given to artists who have mastered a lifetime of achievement in contribution to the arts. A Master Artist is considered prolific, exceptional, and celebrated. The presence of 'Sojourner' at the State Capitol speaks volumes – it attests to Catlett's support of arts and culture, both locally and in our region.

Art is a very special gift that crosses ethnicities and languages. It is a derivative of humanity, a record of human experience, a form of communication and serves as a cultural ambassador. I know that Elizabeth Catlett Mora understood these immutable truths of art. The evidence is found in her lifetime of accomplishments and in the body of work she left behind for the world to enjoy.

Sacramento is extremely fortunate to have one of her works displayed.

Sacramento art supporters can breathe a sigh of relief after SMAC's plans to repair the damaged art are underway and the final selection of the conservation expert is completed. Then, we all will anticipate the new installment of 'Sojourner' – a symbol of endurance, strength, pride, heart, beauty and more – that goes beyond mere sentimental value. In fact, it is the proverbial 'steel' of the character in our soul that everyone aspires to embody and exude.

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Mural unveiling at Rio Americano High School

2013-05-02T06:24:59Z

Paul Valéry, the French writer, poet and philosopher, once said, “An artist never really finishes his work, he merely abandons it.” Those words exemplify the process that took place over a three-year period to create a mural at Rio Americano High School.

On Tuesday night, April 30, the unveiling of the completed mural took place at Rio's band building.

The high school's “Rio Music” project commenced in 2010 with the sponsorship and support of the Sacramento River Cats and the Rio Band Boosters.

Artist Markos Egure was commissioned for the project, which proceeded in three different phases. Egure's other artistic work can be seen at various sites in the Sacramento area. Egure, and the company he founded, Wes Kos Images, have been creating projects in the Sacramento area since the company was established in 1997.

The Rio Music Project Mural unveiling and celebration included wonderful music by three young talented musicians.

A couple dozen supporters were on hand as they enjoyed the soothing sounds performed by the Rio trio.

The Rio Americano Band Program directors, Josh Murray and Max Kiesner, were also on hand to meet and greet visitors.

Murray addressed the crowd, thanking them for being at the event. Murray indicated the school had been built around 1965, and at the time was just going to be a temporary campus. “It was only supposed to be here 10-15 years, so they weren't thinking about aesthetics,” said Murray as he explained the mural project.

The idea of doing a mural was tossed around. “We wanted people to see the mural when they came to the school,” said Murray, and continued, “It would be the first thing they would see and notice that music is important and that it could be a source of pride for the whole school, for the community, for every kid that walks through this door.”

Murray also shared that after the decision was made to create a mural, the artist was found via a Google search, resulting in the selection of Egure, although his name did not pop up on the first page.

When Egure addressed the crowd, he talked about the process of beginning the mural in 2010. The artist gave some reasons for doing the project, and noted that the most important reason turned out to be the students, the future talent that practiced and played in the building.

“Overall the mural took one year and one week over three years’ time,” noted Egure, who said he was already looking at the other walls of the building. Egure's donated project took a lot of his time, but he noted that he does this type of work as part of giving back and being involved in community art. Egure has created 28 murals in schools he's been associated with and has donated 22 projects as part of giving back to the community.

As you drive into the Rio Americano campus, located at 4540 American River Dr., the band building is indeed the first thing that grabs you attention.

Egure has several other projects in the works. Beginning this summer, he will start on a mural at the YMCA, and also shared that he will be featured on a “Yard Crashers” episode in May or June of 2013.

Midtown Art Walk

2013-04-26T00:46:00Z

April's Second Saturday Art Walk drew the highest attendance of the year. More visitors and vendors enjoyed warmer weather as they visited the various art galleries and events in Midtown.

Sacramento law enforcement made its presence known as they patrolled Midtown on foot, bicycle, horseback, patrol car and I even saw a helicopter flying in the 20th and J Street area,

The added security made some people feel safer. “I like to see the police out here. I've heard about people getting robbed and assaulted the past few months around here and I do feel safer walking the streets,” said Grant Martin. Other people walking with Martin's agreed with his comments as they nodded.

20th Street between J and K had plenty of activity. War protestors occupied the corner of 20th and J streets. Live jazz music played at the Entertainment Plaza in front of the MARRS building. The art of John Huerta also graced the area and both activities brought plenty of shoppers and on-lookers to the street.

Vendors usually occupy the alley area between J and K streets behind The Depot bar but it had been empty the past few months. Many returned to sell their specialties this month. Across the street, the always busy, LowBrau hosted the largest crown on the block.

I made a list of places to visit during Second Saturday. One of the galleries I wanted to stop at was the Gallery 2110 and The Sacramento Art Complex located at 2110 K Street. This was the first time in several months that I had visited the gallery and noticed right away that many of the previous artists had moved out and new artists had taken up residence.

The Main Gallery at Gallery 2110 featured the art of Susan Ballenger. Ballenger's paintings and drawings of farm equipment and old rusty engines showcased the artist's perspective on Americana artifacts. The rustic and vibrant colors drew my attention which in turn made me inspect each piece of art closer as I marveled at the details.

An artist reception allowed invited guests to visit the complex before it was opened to the Second Saturday crowd.

The Sculpture Garden patio in the back exhibited three dimensional art and the Loft Gallery, on the second floor, showcased the work of Jenny Long.

Several of the resident artists were on hand to meet and greet visitors to the art complex.

Another place I planned to visit was the Spanish Fly Hair Garage to view their promoted live music, fashion show, art, tattoo and body piercing demos. “Fly Fest” as the event was tagged had many guests in the front salon where a fashion runway had been set up.

When I arrived, the patio in between the salon and the back room was overflowing with guests and Ghost Parade played in the back room.

Since no tattoo or body piercing demos took place when I arrived I decided to return later for the fashion show.

More protestors could be seen on the corner of 16th and J streets in front of the Memorial Auditorium. These protestors stood in unity calling for gun reform and to protest the sale of assault weapons.

Music coming from Barber's Shop Automotive grabbed my attention and noticed several people admiring cars parked in front of the shop. The new Fiat 500 along with other vehicles were stationed in front of the garage while the Bathtub Gins played inside to an intimate crowd.

The Bathtub Gins can be seen playing on many Second Saturdays at the Alfa Romeo garage.

Making my way back to “Fly Fest” I arrived in time to catch Daniel Osterhoff aka DJ Whores, spinning some of his mixes while Casey Inkdup Lewis set up his drum set.

A fashion show soon followed and was repeated later in the evening. Hair and makeup for the fashion show was done by Spanish Fly and its sister salons Maverique Style House and Crushed VLVT. Krazy Mary's Boutique provided the outfits.

I stayed to watch Diamond Dez perform while Lewis played the drums. As Diamond Dez performed a little girl from the audience stood up and joined Dez on stage showing her dancing abilities that delighted the audience.

The audience at the Spanish Fly Hair Garage increased as the evening continued and other performances took place.

I had one more place to visit on my list. I made my way to Courtney Cuts on 9th and K near the KBar where a friend had some artwork on display. The salon unfortunately closed before 9 pm.

The Art Walk was exhausting but there is always so much to see and experience in Midtown during Second Saturday. If you're looking for places to visit during the monthly Art Walk, Sacramento Press and Sacramento News & Review publish several suggested events in Midtown a few days before each Second Saturday.

ZuhG music, ZuhG Life

2013-04-20T05:46:56Z

ZuhG is a band with deep roots in Sacramento. They have been described as unique, energetic, funky, lively and above all, fun to watch live. ZuhG is a band that moves audiences to their feet and inspires them to move to their beats and to dance.

The talented musicians that make up ZuhG are not afraid to experiment with different types of music and do things differently. They have played most of Sacramento's venues and venture out to spread their brand of music as they constantly tour.

Although reggae continues to be what most fans enjoy when they watch ZuhG play, the band continues to experiment with different music genres, including folk music. Their last CD was “Calm & Clear,” a folksy album released on March 30, 2013.

ZuhG opened ZuhG Life in the Sacramento Downtown Plaza in 2010. The store sells art, clothing, jewelry and music by local artists, and is located near the food court on the second floor of the mall. It was at the store that I met Bryan Nichols, who talked about the ZuhG Life, ZuhG the band and other topics.

Describing ZuhG music:

My auto response answer to that is usually; funky, reggae jam music. You know people ask that a lot. My guitar player will say rock ‘n’ roll right away. I'll say funky, reggae, jam and then on the flip side of that we just released a somewhat folk music record. We like to dabble in several elements.

On the current ZuhG lineup:

It changes quite a bit you know. We've been on a couple of national tours that are like a month long and whatnot and it's not for everybody so sometimes we come home and someone says, “I don't want to do that anymore.” So the lineup has changed a lot over the years but it's always been me, Charlie (Wheeler) and JR (Halliday), the guitar player. Right now we got a guy name Joe (Arrington) on the drums. Jesi Naomi doing vocals. We got Shawn Tindell who just joined us recently on the bass. He used to be in a band called Monkey Flower and now he's our bassist because they had their last show a while back.

We've had from five and up to 10 onstage.

On coordinating tours and picking up other players:

When we're finally ready to go on a tour we find the musicians and people in our band that are for sure able to go. In case we have something like if a drummer can't go we'll get a different drummer. All members are from Sacramento and they all live in Sacramento.

On playing Concerts in the Park this summer:

This will be the second time we're playing Concerts in the Park. The first one we played was last year. We got to headline and we have another one on July 12 and we'll get to headline that one again.

Other projects:

Other big events coming up? We have a lot of festivals all summer long. Some big ones I'd like to point out we have Cosmic Family Gathering which we help organize. It's up in Placerville and it's a three-day festival, May 17 through 19, with a lot of local bands and some out-of-town bands as well.

We're doing that and then another big project is a Dr. Dre Tribute concert project. It's members of ZuhG, guitar players and bass players and then we have a bunch of Sacramento rappers doing the rapping. So it's like a live band-Dr. Dre thing which is super fun. It's fun to play hip-hop music.

On the 19th we're playing in Chico but the big one is the show on the 20th. We're doing a 420 show at the Assembly (Sacramento). It's new venue, the Assembly on K Street. Some big names will be going trough there. It's bigger than Harlow's a little smaller than Ace of Spades.

Special things about touring:

There's a lot of things to look forward to when touring. Just getting out of town and out of your house and just being out on the road and being in a different town every day it's just a lot of fun. It's like there's not a lot going on when you're driving all the way from one town to another but at the same time it's entertaining and it's fun. So yeah just being in a different town every day, playing for new people, meeting new people every day it's just a lot of fun and people are usually pretty responsive and supportive. We get to hang out with a lot of new people so I think it's great.

On drawing inspiration and motivation:

Lots of things inspire and motivate you know. Musicians that I look up to inspire me. We watch as much music as we can when we're not performing. We watch bands that have just been killing it and it's inspirational just because they're so talented. That's what inspires me just the musicians that are better than me.

On jamming:

We do have some songs that are live that end up being 10-15 minutes long for sure and yeah a lot of that depends on the crowd. If they're feeling it and we're having a dance party and it's keeping you going then we'll go for a while, and if they're not then we might end early. We don't practice elongated improv jams really. We don't get together and practice where we practice the parts and transitions and the core of the song any live improv or extension is unrehearsed which makes it fun and different every time.

Regarding the Kings possibly building a new arena where the mall stands:

Rumor has it that if the arena is built here, yes most of the mall will be I guess torn down and turned into an arena.

I've accepted both outcomes. If it doesn't come here and we have the opportunity to stay in the mall longer, I'll do that and I'll be happy to do that. It's been fun working at the store and it's been a good thing for local musicians and everybody. On the flip side of that if we have to close because the new arena comes I'm excited to see what I'll do with all my free time that I would have. I'm here six days a week and my other band member Charlie is also here five to six days a week and we have some other friends who help. With the amount of work I do I'd just have so much free time so you know I'm interested on starting a record label with all the connections we've made. So we have other projects in mind to occupy my time with and this is rewarding. It would be fun to do something with other local music artists.

So, if the store closes I'd have to look at other things. Right now I'm trying to buy a house with my guitar player JR and we have dreams of building a recording studio. After that maybe starting a record label you know. I would enjoy recording bands, booking them tours, printing out CDs for them.

Regarding the ZuhG Life store:

We've been open two-and-a-half years. We had a grand opening on November 13, 2010.

The idea behind the store is definitely local. The original idea was to sell local music and be like a merch booth for all the local bands in Sacramento like ZuhG and bands that we work with and then that grew into other things.

I enjoy painting so when we started the store I was selling my paintings in here and then we had artists coming in here saying “Hey, can I sell my art here too?” So now we switch the art once a month and we have local clothing companies, local jewelry, anything that is Sacramento. People can just bring it in and if we like it we'll work with them.

This is just a local hub for anybody bringing in anything crafty you know what I mean? Or teaching music lessons out of the back room.

We also have live music on the stages outside. So yeah the concept has always been the same but it's grown a lot since the early days.

On ZuhG Life and what would happen to Nichols and other vendors:

The revenue here isn't huge, we just pay the bills. I work for free, anybody that works here works for free, we're happy to do it but because a lot of the items are consignment.

Where will they go after if we have to close? I don't know, I'm not saying that opening up another store is not an option, there's definitely that possibility. I'm not going to sell my fixtures and clothing racks I'd probably put them in the garage for a while and see if any location opportunities arise and if they do then it will be a serious thought to keep ZuhG Life going in a different location.

On live music at the Sacramento Downtown Plaza:

I actually had a job booking music before I owned my store so I was booking music for the mall and then after a while they asked me if I wanted to open up a store, a music store. They knew I taught guitar lessons at the time and there were some empty stores and they asked if I wanted to open up some kind of music, guitar or some kind of store and I thought about it. I went on tour to Oregon and told them I'd think about it.

When we came back I said yes and then came up with this idea. So we have two stages in the mall, upstairs and downstairs. We've been doing this for over three years now and I get a lot of touring bands which is cool because we meet a lot of great bands from all over the world and then we have a lot of locals. Right now we have live music every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

It's so cool that my day job is booking music for the mall, I'm very grateful to have this. It's what I like to do so it's not hard, I like my job.

On future goals:

We've always focused on playing festivals and that's a constant. You want to upgrade each time you start off at festivals; opening up and maybe getting a bad slot and hope maybe you get a better slot next year. This upcoming festival season is full of great slots and good festivals all over California so we're going to continue that push, keep playing the festival circuits and keep getting bigger and better at it.

We also have a guy who is going to book us a big tour again in the near future. We don't have the dates yet or even where but we just found out that he is indeed going to book a tour for us.

At the moment we’re concentrating on summer events. We're booked all the way to September now and then I have a festival called ZuhG Fest in October so I'm going to be busy with that and then we'll see what starts happening in 2014. It's crazy to even think about 2014, I feel like 2013 just got here.

Thoughts on recording “Calm & Clear”:

Every album is different but this last one “Calm & Clear” is an acoustic folksy album. We didn't originally have that idea. We were in the studio recording a normal funky rock ‘n’ roll ZuhG album. We recorded a couple of songs and I also recorded a couple of acoustic songs.

We go to the studio we go once or twice a month, we like to spread it out. We don't go like every day and try to pump out an album. We go like once or twice a month for 10-hour days. So anyway we had a couple of acoustic songs and then we started adding stuff to them and adding different things and after a while we're like “Yeah let's just record an acoustic album.”

JR and I just kept going to the recording studio and recording these acoustic songs that had been on the waiting list forever. We didn't play too many acoustic songs live but we have them you know. So anyway yeah it just kind of started happening and we just kept going.

Jesi Naomi sings on it and we wrote a lot of music in the studio which was good for us and fun at the same time because you're creating things on the spot that will go on CDs that will last forever.

As a guitar player, singer and songwriter I write songs like you see us play live. I also sit at home with my acoustic guitar on my couch and I'll write some folk or acoustic songs. I know we'll not be getting the crowd dancing with songs like that. We're not going to be performing that at Concerts in the Park but that doesn't mean they're not good songs though. It's an album full of songs that you won't hear us playing live too much which is the unique thing about it.

Final thoughts:

Check out our new CD. We're excited about our 420 show and the Cosmic Family Festival and come by the store to chat and say hi.

SERGE! IS COMING TO TOWN...

2013-04-10T00:53:34Z

On Saturday, April 13, 2013, the Sacramento French Film Festival will bring Gainsbourg-mania to Sacramento for the fourth year in a row, with Serge! a party paying homage to one of France’s most provocative artists, Serge Gainsbourg. Featuring films, music, art and French cocktails, Serge! is one of the most fun and unique parties Sacramento has to offer!

Serge Gainsbourg, a major figure in the 1960's, ‘70's, and ‘80's pop-culture, took the world by storm through a fog of Gitanes and alcohol, reinventing himself from Gainsbourg to “Gainsbarre”! Singer-songwriter, director, actor, photographer, provocateur, and iconoclast, Gainsbourg was the lover of sex-symbol Brigitte Bardot and fathered singer-actress Charlotte Gainsbourg with famous English beauty Jane Birkin. He wrote songs for countless artists including France Gall, Vanessa Paradis, Juliette Greco, Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Adjani. Gainsbourg is still considered one of the world's most influential and popular artists.

Serge! brings together several Sacramento musical talents: from DJs Christophe and Roger to live tribute bands Afternoon Teacup Collection and Peter Petty IS Dirge Gainsbourg. Serge! will also feature a lightshow from Rainbow Prism Atomic and local Gainsbourg inspired artwork…

A program of three short films inspired by Gainsbourg will start the evening: Une nuit qu’il etait à se morfondre… (One Night He Was Lingering Around…) by Cyril Paris, Variations sur Marilou by Félix Dufour-Lapierre and L’Histoire de Melody Nelson by Sébastien Merlet. Films will be presented in French with English subtitles. After the screening, you will dance the night away to the sound of live tribute bands and Gainsbourg songs!

Don’t forget to visit the bar for champagne, beer, wine and the SFFF’s signature Pastis cocktails served to you with an enchanting Southern French accent by Guy, the SFFF bartender!

In conjunction with its Serge! celebration, and for the first time this year, the Sacramento French Film Festival is launching a call for artists so that the Sacramento arts community can be represented on the “Gainsbourg Wall” in Paris! Gainsbourg lived at 5 bis rue de Verneuil in the 7th arrondissement from 1969 until his death in 1991. Since he passed away, artists and fans have been paying homage to him by adding graffiti, poems, collages, and stencils on the wall in front of his house, making the “Gainsbourg Wall” a constantly evolving work of art. Sacramento artists are invited to create a stencil inspired by Gainsbourg. The winning design will be stenciled on the iconic graffiti-covered wall in front of Gainsbourg’s house in Paris this summer. Entries will be judged by a team composed of members of the SFFF, Verge Center for the Arts, and local artists (deadline is May 30, 2013). Winners will be announced during the 12th Sacramento French Film Festival (June 21-30 at the Crest Theatre). More information can be found on the Sacramento French Film Festival website.

SERGE! 4th ANJNUAL GAINSBOURG TRIBUTE PARTY will happen this Saturday, April 13 at Verge Center for the Arts. 625 S Street, Downtown Sacramento.
7:30p.m. Doors and bar open!
8:00p.m. Short Film Screening.
9:00p.m. Live Music by Afternoon Teacup Collection & Peter Petty IS Dirge Gainsbourg.
10:00p.m. till 1:00a.m. French Pop Dance Party w/ DJ Christophe & DJ Roger Carpio.

The event benefits the Sacramento French Film Festival and Verge Center for the Arts.

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Disclosure: Cecile Mouette Downs is the Executive & Artistic Director of the Sacramento French Film Festival.

Award-winning filmmaker & sound engineer give tips on April 16

2013-04-09T17:34:35Z

Aspiring filmmakers -- professionals and weekenders – should come out to the next "Third Tuesday" workshop from the Capital Film Arts Alliance. It's on April 16 at The Art Institute at 7p.m. and will feature director Chris King and sound engineer Jimmy Bell. These guys know what they're doing with camera and sound, they've won awards and accolades galore, and are more than willing to share their "best tips" with others.

This particular workshop is part of The Poe Project, a creative filmmaking, writing and literature project from the Capital Film Arts Alliance, the Sacramento Public Library, and a host of other arts groups and businesses. "The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe" has been named as the work for the Sacramento Public Library's "Read One" program for 2013, and The Poe Project film/video competition is part of a coordinated effort to bring the "Read One" program into different artistic, social and creative parts of the local community.

Some of the basic tenants of The Poe Project: local filmmakers will be asked to create short films no longer than 13 minutes long, submissions will be screened at a major Sacramento venue (most likely the Crest Theatre) in the fall and then be available online, and there will be prize money available in different categories, including for student films (both high school and college). In addition, a full-length screenwriting competition of an adaptation of Poe's work will also be part of The Poe Project. Filmmakers and writers who sign up now will have the entry fee waived (no obligation).

About Chris King and Jimmy Bell

The Capital Film Arts Alliance – of which I'm a board member – is very excited about to have King and Bell speak. The board pondered how best to give the aspiring Poe Project filmmakers the best advice and information as they work toward their shoot days. We wanted our series speakers (our "Third Tuesday" event because … well, it's on the third Tuesday each month) to have speakers who could help filmmakers on set. How can a filmmaker make sure he or she gets all the different shots, angles and images for the editing process? How can you get the best sound on set?

King and Bell are the ideal experts to answer these questions.

I've worked with both of them. They are two of the nicest, friendliest, most talented and intense people I know, and they are both completely dedicated to their craft. King has won award after award for his shorts, including "The Killing of Mary Surratt," where – full disclosure! – I played the title character about the true story of the fate of an accused Lincoln-assassination conspirator. King understands how to plan a shoot, sketch out what shots are needed and how much time it should take, and how best to provide enough material for the editing process -- and make an amazing film.

Bell started out as a musician and migrated to the film/video world because of his knowledge of sound and sound equipment. He created his own sound studio business, cut his teeth by teaming up with local filmmakers on creative projects, and now regularly works for a variety of cable shows on DiY, HGTV, National Geographic and Country Music Television (CMT). He was also nominated for an Emmy in 2011 for work on Sutter Health Television.

About the Capital Film Arts Alliance

The Sacramento filmmaking world is an interesting one, in the best of ways. There's a sense of camaraderie among the folks here, and an incredible amount of talent. I've lived in San Francisco and New York, and know a lot about the filmmaking world in Los Angeles. Sacramento's best talent – including and especially Chris and Jimmy – rival the folks from the more stereotypical filmmaking centers in terms of talent and accomplishment.

The Capital Film Arts Alliance (or CFAA) is a member-based nonprofit established by and for local filmmakers of all levels to further the community. We started out as a handful of aspiring filmmakers who met every once in a while to share ideas and best practices. This evolved over time to a regular monthly meeting and occassional creative competition in conjunction with film festivals like the Sacramento Film and Music Festival's creative programming and Access Sacramento's "Place Called Sacramento" program. Now we're an official nonprofit.

Filmmaking (or really "video production," since few people actually work in film these days) is a constantly evolving art form, craft and business, and the CFAA was established to bring both professionals and aspiring filmmakers together to share ideas, tips, best practices, and "war stories." We outreached to the Library for The Poe Project to inspire the local community to stretch their creative muscles … and possibly learn new crafts in the process. And we always welcome film fans who want to learn about what's being made locally.

So come out to the CFAA's next Third Tuesday at The Art Institute at 7pm and listen to Chris and Jimmy and meet other creative types. Or keep your eye on the Capital Film Arts Alliance facebook page for other upcoming events, especially ones related to The Poe Project. It's free to members ($35/year; $15/year for students), or just $5 at the door as a guest.

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Disclosure: Mary Beth Barber is a board member of the Capital Film Arts Alliance.

March's Final Friday at Beatnik Studios

2013-04-02T07:32:00Z

Beatnik Studios' Final Friday attracted a crowd of over 100 guests to its monthly event.

Final Friday featured the artwork of David Mohr, Trent Liddicoat and James Angello. The three artists were present for a meet-and-greet.

I had met one of the artists at an artist reception last year at Sol Collective. Liddicoat indicated that his work, along with that of the other two artists, will be exhibited for two months.

“I was asked to exhibit because I'm friends with the other artists who are showing and they studied at Sac State with the curator (Kelley O'Connell) who is working here,” said Liddicoat.

The self-taught artist shared that he did not attend art school, has been friends with Angello for two years and that they met when they both previously worked together. Many of the artists and guests shared the commonality of being friends with others and made the event an intimate gathering.

Liddicoat stated that most of the art in this show, except for four pieces, was created for the Beatnik exhibit.

The musical part of Final Friday included the Rook Family, Orion Walsh, Musical Charis and Autumn Sky.

Musical Charis, which recently returned from their "Desert Dessert Tour" that also included Orion Walsh, took the stage first.

Musical Charis kicked off an evening of great music with “Eye Candy.” After playing “East West” it became evident that the local band was set to deliver a great performance. Different artists picked up instruments and joined Musical Charis at different points, making the event more like a family reunion than anything else.

Audience participation also contributed to the fun, with much hand clapping, foot stomping and joining in to sing to some of the songs.

Most of Musical Charis' songs are original, but once in a while they throw in a cover song. Their rendition of U2's “Sunday Bloody Sunday” with Orion Walsh was a great addition to their set.

Orion Walsh, accompanied by Musical Charis, also sung a wonderful rendition of "Amazing Grace." After Musical Charis had played for a while, they departed from the stage, leaving Orion Walsh alone onstage.

Visitors continued to enter Beatnik Studios throughout the evening to enjoy the art, music and socializing in a very casual atmosphere. On the side patio, several guests enjoyed the warm evening, while still listening to some of the music.

The Rook Family entertained with a folksy set that captivated the audience. This was the first time I've seen them perform, but at the same time they've only been together for a few months. The audience joined in with some hand clapping and foot stomping. Several members took turns at the microphone, sharing vocals.

Autumn Sky was the last performer to take the stage. Having seen her on stage before, I was quite pleased to see her performance at Beatnik Studios. Her energetic set had the audience involved as well, as she asked the audience to move closer to the stage.

Autumn Sky's set included a more traditional rock style, and she made it livelier by jumping and moving around the stage. Autumn Sky's musical talent was well-received, and she delivered a great closing performance.

Final Fridays at the Beatnik, from what I've witnessed, are a great showcase for Sacramento-area talent. By combining art, music and a great place for social gathering, Beatnik has created an entertaining venue for guests of all ages to enjoy.

Log on to Beatnik Studios to view their upcoming events during the month of April. Visitors can view some of their past events as well as other information about their space availability for venue rentals.

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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.

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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.

Opinion: Transmedia Art Walk a great addition to Davis

2013-03-21T07:07:10Z

It had been a few years since I last had been in Davis so I was surprised when I turned into town to see a giant three story sculpture of a man on first street.

I was there to meet up with friends for brunch at Cafe Bernardo. I quickly parked my car and walked to the restaurant. As I walked down the streets of Davis I spotted different murals on the sides of restaurants and various sculptures. I would later learn that these works were part of a new art walk. My friends and I thought we would take advantage of the great weekend weather and explore the Davis Art walk.

We obtained a map from the John Natsoulas Gallery where we learned from a friendly staff person that the art pieces had RFID tags, which enabled you to learn more about the piece and leave a message for others to see. I also learned that a dedicated team of regional artists spent the past year creating the murals.

The walk takes about an hour and a half by foot or forty-five minutes on a bike. The walk starts off in downtown Davis and then loops through the scenic arboretum and the UC Davis campus. We took our time and checked out the little shops and sampled a few drinks at the new wine bar in between looking at the new works. Davis has always been an easy city to get around by foot so it was actually quite fun to explore all the new additions to the city.

The eighteen foot sculpture that greeted me when I arrived was named Stan the Submerging Man and he was created by artist Finley Flyer from old recycled toys and children's records. Another eye catching work was a life size-giraffe by Jean Van Keuren. You will find works from famous Davis artists like Robert Arneson on the university portion of the tour.

I was taken aback by the murals - they were all so unique. On the corner of Ace Hardware there is the beautiful mural by Guy Diehl called “Still Life with Billie Holliday” – a stunning tribute to the late singer.

On the Yolo Berry yogurt shop you will find a “Homage to Guiseppe Acrimboldo” with a colorful face of fruit and vegetables by Kerry Rowland Avrech and John Natsoulas.

The theme was perfect since it faces the Davis Farmers market. Another favorite was the Picasso-inspired work by Kelly Detweiler “Flowers to Miss L.” This one could be found on the side of the post office. The building itself was quite plain, but the bright colors and dramatic imagery really enhanced it.

I really recommend coming to Davis and seeing the works for yourself. Just remember to bring walking shoes and your camera.

To pick up a copy of the Davis Art Walk map, visit the Yolo County Visitors Bureau (132 E St., Suite 200; (530) 2978-1900) or the John Natsoulas Center for the Arts (521 1st St.; (530) 756-3938). For more information about the Davis Art Walk map and tours call the Natsoulas Center at (530) 756-3938, email art@natsoulas.com, or visit www.natsoulas.com.

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.

Fabulous fashion forum

2013-03-09T03:46:56Z

Sacramento Fashion Week came and went much too quickly. The week dedicated to Sacramento fashion was not all glamor and included several workshops.

As part of the week long schedule there was the return of a panel discussion when Sacramento State University hosted the 2013 Sacramento Fashion Week (SACFW) Fashion Forum. In collaboration with Sacramento Fashion Association (SFA) the forum was held at Sac State's University Union on Monday, Feb. 25.

The moderator for the SACFW event was Tracy Saville, CEO & Publisher of Possibility Media Group.

The open panel discussion included various industry professionals and was open to the public.

Former International Academy of Design and Technology instructor Ester Amato was the first panel member introduced. Amato recently began teaching at Sac State. She began by describing her fashion background saying, “I just started here at Sac State, teaching, I've actually been in the industry for 30 years in every area of fashion designing. I've traveled all over the world in the name of fashion and had my own company for several years.”

Amato is proud of having had several of her students become involved in SACFW. “Several of the designers are students that I taught,” said Amato. She also takes pride in mentoring several of them and said, “ I'm actually going to be like a mother out there excited to see them go down the runway knowing that I had them when they started out so it's going to be amazing.”

Joining Amato was Uduak Oduok, Founder & Editor in Chief of Ladybrille Magazine and Attorney & Partner at Ebitu Law Group. Oduok welcomed the audience and during her introduction said, “I have been practicing for the past 12 years I look forward to sharing some insight and hopefully you'll walk away empowered and hopefully some of you might think about being fashion lawyers.”

With over 20 years of experience in the fashion and entertainment industry, Oduok brought a wealth of legal knowledge to the forum. Oduok has spoken at previous Sacramento Fashion Week workshops about contract, business, licensing, copyright and trademark law as it applies to business, modeling and everyday law.

Naima Mora, winner of America's Next Top Model (Cycle 4), also joined the forum panel. Mora competed with regional models Noelle Staggers (Reno, NV) and Lluviana "Lluvy" Gomez-Gibbs (Modesto, CA) in America's Next Top Model. Staggers and Gomez-Gibbs have modeled for local designers at Couture Press fashion shows in Sacramento.

Mora continued to model after the 2005 competition and has been involved in music and recently authored her first book “Model Behavior”.

Mora summarized her background saying, “I've been involved in the fashion industry over the last 6-7 years since winning America's Top Model. I'm the singer of my rock band, I sing and play guitar and I just published a book actually with Tracy (Saville) called Model Behavior. So I guess my favorite part about Sacramento Fashion Week is just being able to partake in supporting all the emerging talent that comes out of lesser known fashion cities.“

Mora let the audience know that she's from Detroit and said other smaller cities like Sacramento have a lot of unhidden talent. In describing local designer talent Mora said, “I'm seeing things I haven't seen before because the designers are like untouched, you know, they're not living in these huge fashion cities that are recycling ideas that you see over and over again.”

Returning as a panelist was Gerry Simpson, Model Coach/Visual Artist & Photographer for GOS” Art.

Simpson told the forum audience how he became involved in fashion. “I got into fashion when I was nine years old. I have a twin brother and my mother hired us out to model so I got my first job as a model. My twin became a mechanic and I kept on modeling,” said Simpson.

Simpson continued, “I took to modeling and my modeling got me into fashion design and making clothing. I won a trip to California 29 years ago. I was supposed to be here a week and I've been here 29 years. I've been in visual merchandising, stylist for Nordstrom. I'm currently a self-taught photographer and artist 13 years.

The talented artist will also be exhibiting a fine art and photo exhibit during this month's Second Saturday. An opening reception is scheduled on Mar. 9 from noon to 5 pm. The exhibit is being held at the Brickhouse Art Gallery located at 2837 36th Street, off of Broadway.

Amy Wister was also part of the panel. Wister told the audience, “I'm probably an anomaly in the panel here. I do not have a traditional fashion background. My background is in IT so I got here through a very interesting journey I'm the founder and CEO of a company named The Stylist Online. We have a proprietary system that teaches women a lot about their body types and really how to embrace their individual figure.”

The Stylist Online has many helpful suggestions for everyone on their website and as Wister put it, “We work with everyday people on an everyday basis.”

Wister also told the audience that the forum and other SACFW workshops would pay dividends for the students and commended them for being at the event.

Amber Collins, a former model, was the sixth and final panelist. The model talent agent began by telling the audience something about her Sacramento based company Cast Images Talent Agency and what they do.

Collins described her fashion background as a model working in the larger fashion trend setting cities such as Paris, Milan and other places. Her 20 year career as a model and casting agent has brought her to work with clients such as Calvin Klein, Trussardi, Abercrombie, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Kohl's Macy's, Nordstrom and many others.

Collins also said a few words about SACFW saying, “Everyone working in Sac Fashion Week is absolutely doing it for passion.” Collins continued, “Every year it gets better and better. There are so many things that are getting better but there's still not a lot of infrastructure in our city, so everybody who's working on this does it because they are very passionate. They're passionate about fashion, they're passionate about their community, they're passionate about working so that we all get together and together we raise this city and the things that are going on in it and that really moves me. I love seeing everyone working on this event and doing it as a volunteer. They do it just for the love of fashion and there is so much comradery as well so I think that's my biggest pleasure.”

Such passionate and positive words continued through the forum as the panel discussed their work and gave supportive advise.

Other interesting topics included the impact of social media. The panel offered suggestions on what to focus on such as quality not quantity, not overexposing personal information and being on point not just posting noise. Personal branding was another topic discussed as well as addressing opinionated social media exchanges.

After the forum ended a mixer hosted by the Sac State Student Fashion Association was held across the hall from the panel room. Students, guests and panel members chatted about the event and SACFW.

SFA together with SACFW did a great job in hosting the Fashion Forum which gave valuable information to students and guests interested in the fashion industry.

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.

Group seeks to Turn Downtown Around - ‘Get up and help, don't hate’

2013-02-26T15:42:05Z

While Mayor Kevin Johnson, the City Council and a good chunk of the media are focused on the fate of the Sacramento Kings, a group of renegade entrepreneurs in downtown has decided that, arena or no arena, basketball team or not, they are going to start pushing to improve the neighborhood where they work and live.

You may already have heard of Turn Downtown Around, a community group made up of business owners and downtown residents, mostly in their 20s and 30s. The group is still informal at this point but it has a vibrant Facebook page and big ambitions.

I recently had the chance to meet with about a dozen people who say they're committed to the group and its mission. We’ll be featuring a few of them as part of a new series on Sac Press about people in their 20s and 30s who have decided that they want to make their mark in Sacramento, and help transform this city for the better.

It has to start with Carina Lampkin, the chef and owner of Blackbird Restaurant and Bar, and one the lead organizers of TDA and, while she hasn’t formally adopted the title, its founder. She has worked with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership to put together the group's first event, the Downtown Beer Bust, an "evening of local food, beer, art and music" occurring at the Downtown Plaza on March 14. Tickets cost $35 in advance, $40 at the door, and proceeds will benefit The Downtown Sacramento Foundation's Downtown Mural Project in The Kay district. The project aims to commission 14 local artists to paint murals on the wooden barrier that blocks of the vacant, city owned lot at the corner of 8th and K streets.

We'll be have more on the Beer Bust on Sac Press, but you can get all the details on the event’s Facebook page here.

First, we wanted to hear from Lampkin about her goals for TDA, and what she hopes the event and mural project will accomplish. The 8th block of K is of particular concern to her – Blackbird is just a block away, on 9th Street between J and K Streets, and she hopes that the murals will be the first step in the larger process to revitalize the eastern end of K Street, and has taken the same approach with the walls around her resturant.

We spoke by phone last Friday, and oddly enough, John F. Kennedy came up twice.

Sac Press: Why did you think it was necessary to start Turn Downtown Around?

Carina Lampkin: I just don't feel like there was enough movement. The government is broke and they're also responsible for all the bad decisions that lead us to where we are today. I think planning and creativity need to come from the citizens because they live here and they know the culture and they know the needs of where they live. It's not people living three counties away in the suburbs, not the baby boomer generation.

SP: While it's not exclusive to any age group, to what extent do you think TDA is trying to be the voice of a younger generation of business owners and professionals downtown?

CL: Well, I think a lot of decisions are made by the Sacramento Metro Chamber and I don't think there's more than two people who were born after the Kennedy assassination. So we have all these baby boomers still calling the shots. Meanwhile they won't come down here because they don't want to pay for parking. Zoning ordinances need to be changes, slumlords need to be harassed, developers need to be enticed, and I think Sacramento needs more of an identity.

SP: Downtown faces a lot of challenges. What are your first priorities as an organization?

CL: The eighth block of K. I want to see it turned around by 2015 or 2014, not 2020, and if they are going to get a developer, I want to see the developer with a site plan within a year.

SP: What's the relationship between Turn Downtown Around and The Downtown Partnership?

CL: The Downtown Partnership knows all of the district supervisors, the chief of police, they work on making the city safer and recruiting business and I think TDA can be essential to them by just rallying the troops, raising money and getting people motivated. Our role is to get citizens to imagine change, and then actually get up, turn off the television and come do something.

SP: What would you say to people that hear talk like that and scoff?

CL: So, what did you do yesterday for your town? Kinda like Kennedy, "Ask not what we can do for you, but what you can do for us." I would say "Lend a hand, not a poor opinion. Get up and help, don't hate.”

SP: Where would you like to see downtown in five years?

CL: The west side of K Street has always been known as the west-end K, and it's always been slummy. I would like it to look sexy like the east end of K. There is the beautiful water-fountain put there by David Taylor when he first redeveloped that in the early 200s. Then as you go down there is the beautiful Crest Theater with the neon lights, there is the sushi bar, there is Kay Bar, there is the Pizza Rock development. Where I'm at, 9th through 5th. There are two vacant properties that the city owns, so those need to be activated. I think we could definitely use a few art museums or galleries and more housing for this area.

If Kings leave, that mall needs to be re-developed and we need to recruit local retailers that have an eye for design and some national retailers that are just in the zeitgeist – like American Apparel needs to be down here, Apple needs to be down here. We need more amenities too - a yoga studio downtown would be fantastic. And art everywhere.

SP: The proceeds from the Beer Bust will go toward commissioning artists to paint murals at the corner of 8th and K Streets. How will that help turn downtown around?

CL: Putting the murals up is just a way to kind of ignite the fire, create a conversation with the community to add interest and bring people downtown. It also acts as urban camouflage, putting bandaids over things that look ugly, but if we look beyond, once we all notice that it's ugly, we can imagine change, and once we imagine something, we can make it happen, but we just have to get everybody dreaming.

THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED AND CONDENSED

Bless Me, Ultima plays at Downtown Plaza's Century Theatres

2013-02-17T11:17:55Z

The Sacramento International Film Festival presented the film premier of “Bless Me, Ultima” based on a book by Rudolfo Anaya. The film played to a full house at the Century Theatres in the Downtown Plaza.

In association with Agave 52 and Arenas Entertainment the Sacramento International Film Festival presented the by invitation only screening of the film on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

The Anaya adaptation tells the story of a family living in New Mexico in the early 1940s. Ultima, played by Miriam Colon, is a healer who comes to live in the Luna-Márez household. Antonio Márez (Luke Ganalon) is a 6-year-old whose heart is opened to nature, spirituality and the supernatural.

Directed by Carl Franklin the film is narrated first person by Antonio. The young boy narrates his struggles with religion, education, culture, traditions, friendships, family, love and death.

During the opening dialogue Antonio asks, "Why is there evil in the world?" The audience is soon introduced to Antonio and his family. Ultima, a curandera (a healer), enters their life when she moves in with the family.

The film follows the young boy as he tries to understand good and evil. The many characters and situations involved offer a glimpse of a family and culture in a small town in New Mexico during WWII.

During the screening many in the audience whispered to their neighbors how they found similarities in certain situations portrayed on the big screen to their own upbringing. Indeed I thought about my childhood and could relate with Antonio and members of his family.

After the film ended Frank Orosco, President LULAC #3206 and owner of Agave 52, announced that an after-party was being held at Tequila Museo Mayahuel. Orosco thanked the audience and asked them to share their experience with family and friends.

Martin Anaya, Executive Director of the California Film Foundation also addressed those in attendance and spoke about the event. In describing the film, Anaya said, “It's not a film about brujas (witches), magic and things like that it's a film about understanding and about the human experience.”

Anaya thanked guests saying, “On behalf of the folks at the Sacramento Film Festival I want to say thank you to each one of you.” Anaya gave special thanks to Adrian Perez, Dr. Jorge Santana and announced that the film will open on February 22 at selected theater locations.

The reception at Mayahuel featured hors d'oeuvres from the restaurant where 80 guests or more came to socialize and discuss the film.

Quality tequila samples from Tequila Alderete awaited guests who wanted to sample these treats. At another station Mi Sueño Winery brought several select wine samples for guests to enjoy.

As guests discussed the film Rocio Zambrano shared her thoughts saying, “I loved the movie. It was very well done and I could relate.” Zambrano expressed her delight of the movie and spoke about the wonderful portrayal of her culture in the film and how guests at Mayahuel could relate.

Bless Me, Ultima opens in selected theaters on Feb. 22 and some cinemas will also be showing pre-opening day screenings. Check the film's webpage for locations and previews of the film.

Sensory Perception: an exhibition of mosaics by Sacramento deafblind artist Mary Dignan

2013-02-14T00:12:01Z

Sensory Perception: an exhibition of mosaics by Sacramento deafblind artist Mary Dignan, opens at the SMUD Art Gallery, 6301 S Street, Sacramento on Monday, March 4, 2013. The public is invited to meet the artist and view her work at a FREE opening reception on Friday, March 1, 2013, from 4 to 6 p.m.

The exhibition showcases over 30 ceramic tile and mixed media art mosaics created by deafblind artist Mary Dignan. The mosaics offer an insight into the unique perspective of an artist with Usher Syndrome, a genetic disorder which is the leading cause of deafblindness.

Dignan’s mosaics bring onlookers into the fantastical world of her own metamorphosis, as she navigates through what it is to lose two of her senses, while exploring the sense of touch.

Mary Dignan was born with severe hearing loss, but her deafness was not diagnosed until she was almost 5 years old, after she had been diagnosed as mentally retarded. Eventually she would learn that she had Usher Syndrome, Type 2, which is characterized by moderate to severe deafness at birth, and blindness from retinitis pigmentosa (RP) later in life.

She earned her undergraduate degree from Santa Clara University in 1976, and embarked upon a career that included newspaper reporting, legislative work for the U.S. House of Representatives and the California State Assembly Committee on Agriculture, public relations and governmental liaison work with one of California’s largest and most complex water agencies, and her own consulting business in water and natural resources management policy. In 1990, a year after she was certified legally blind with a restricted visual field of 8 degrees (a normal visual field is 180-150 degrees), she started law school. In 1994, she earned her juris doctorate with honors from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, was admitted to the California State Bar, and began practicing water and natural resources law with the Sacramento firm of Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard. In 1997, she discovered she had a brain tumor and underwent surgery to remove it. The tumor and the surgery exacerbated her vision and hearing losses, and she has not practiced law since.

She now practices art. Her ceramic tile and mixed media mosaic art works have been displayed in the California State Attorney General’s Office, Sacramento County Public Law Library, San Francisco City Hall, the Canadian Helen Keller Centre, and various local venues. In addition, her work has been featured at art shows sponsored by the Governor’s Commission on Employment of Persons with Disabilities. Folsom Lake College, and Spirit in the Arts.

Her community volunteer work includes six years on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors’ Disability Advisory Committee. She helped found Spirit in the Arts, a working art studio and gallery open free of charge to the community in North Sacramento, and is a past board member of Bread of Life, the parent organization of Spirit in the Arts. She presently serves as president of the Sacramento chapter of Foundation Fighting Blindness.

The Art in Public Places Program was established by the City and County of Sacramento to provide visual art experiences in public locations. The SMUD Art Gallery is a partnership between the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission is devoted to supporting, promoting and advocating for the arts in the region. For further information on programs and opportunities through the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission go to: www.sacmetroarts.org. SMAC is funded by the City and County of Sacramento.

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.

Disclosure: Lorrie Kempf is the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission's SMUD Gallery Curator

Modern Day Inspiration And Skater Athleticism

2013-02-05T23:58:59Z

Combining the contemporary stories of two modern-day princesses, Rapunzel and Tiana, with the classic elegance of Cinderella, Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream whisks audiences away on exciting journeys where dreams really do come true. This latest production will appear at Sacramento’s Sleep Train Arena, February 13 through 18, 2013.

“There’s something within each of the stories of Tangled, The Princess and the Frog, and Cinderella that speaks to women and girls and families around the world,” says Producer Nicole Feld. “Each of these princesses is searching for what truly makes them happy. And I think that’s very reflective of what audiences are like today.”

“This show is different from anything we’ve ever done...,” says Producer Juliette Feld. “…it also marks the first time Rapunzel is featured on the ice with her tremendous amount of hair.”

In adapting Tangled to the ice for the first time, Director Patty Vincent was challenged with how to convey all of Rapunzel’s hair without interfering with the skating. During the segment, 2,000 feet of silk representing Rapunzel’s magical, golden tresses winds throughout the rafters of the arena and drapes down to the ice for use in a heart-stopping aerial act never before seen in a Disney On Ice production. Rapunzel and Flynn Rider escape the tower, flying 25 feet up in the air and performing daring acrobatics.

“The performers trained for six weeks just to build their upper body strength, because skaters use very different muscles when ice skating,” says Vincent. “It works perfectly on the ice because they don’t have to run; they just skate, and they’re lifted into the air and begin a gorgeous athletic act.”

Under the direction of Choreographer Cindy Stuart and Aerial Trainer Anna Kaminnik, the performers mastered the blend of ice and aerial choreography in which Rapunzel and Flynn fly above the arena floor and slowly descend to the ice in a fluid motion, creating a feeling of constant movement.

Another distinctive design element is the revolving set, an idea conceived by Scenic Designer Stan Meyer. When the set morphs into Rapunzel’s forest, a paneled backdrop of pastel flora and butterflies opens and a majestic tower slowly emerges, rising from the ice as golden hair falls from the window.

Lighting Designer Peter Morse incorporated these same pastels and royal colors by surrounding the audience in rich shades of purple, a prominent color in Rapunzel’s world. When Rapunzel and Flynn Rider finally reach the end of their journey, the entire arena goes dark as a single lantern slowly floats up into the air, and suddenly, lanterns illuminate the sky above the audience.

“When we create Disney On Ice, what we’re hoping to do, aside from bringing families together and telling great stories, is create memorable moments,” says Producer Kenneth Feld. “In the Tangled sequence, there is one moment that is absolutely unforgettable. At every show, one special child is picked to launch the first lantern. All you see is the one lantern that goes up, and as soon as it reaches the top, all the other lanterns light up the arena. It’s breathtaking.”

EVENT DETAILS: Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream

DATE: Wednesday, February 13 through Monday, February 18, 2013

LOCATION: Sleep Train Arena – One Sports Parkway, Sacramento, CA 95834

INFORMATION: Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, (800)-745-3000 or at the arena Box Office. Additional information: DisneyOnIce.com

Disclosure: Karen Bakula is President of Karen Bakula & Company, Inc. and provides marketing services to Disney On Ice.

The Art of Beer kicks off California Craft Beer Month

2013-02-03T20:11:18Z

The second annual Art of Beer brought together great craft brews and art at the Fusion International Arts Center on Friday night. The event highlighted the more artistic aspects of beer – the fermentation tanks, the wort and simply the love of beer.

This year 24 breweries were present, some of them serving up to five types of beer to the 500 guests present. Absolutely delicious bites were everywhere – as long as you came early. Tuli Bistro and Roxie Deli, in particular, were very nearly attacked each time a plate of sandwiches, apps or pizza was set out.

The art on display ranged from crystal clear pictures of the brewing process by Rawi Nanakul to a piece by Eli Trujillo illustrating the undeniable draw of Pliny the Elder. Supporters of the event – both sponsors and attendees – helped Ales for Autism and Stanford Youth Solutions, both tremendous organizations that certainly know who to put first. Ales for Autism has another big event coming up Feb. 15, the Black & White Beer Ball in Santa Rosa, Calif. The next big thing for Stanford Youth Solutions is Vintage 2013 on April 25.

The Barrelworks Lounge, occupied by Firestone Walker, was a great spot off to the side to grab a table and chat with friends – new or old. Nearby, 21st Amendment Brewery had its own lounge. The area was handsomely arranged and festooned in 1930s décor. An exhibit illustrating the creative process for the brewery’s distinctive labels and boxes adorned the wall. While most mingled the evening away, the unique lounges provided a place to sit for a minute out of the path of the crowd of buzzing attendees.

Near the front stage where a silent auction took place for much of the night, Sierra Nevada was serving up the newly introduced Ovila Abbey Quad with Plums, a top pick of the evening.

North Coast Brewing Co. always brings their best for dark beer lovers. They poured Brother Thelonious and Old Rasputin. Anderson Valley was another essential stop. They were pouring Brother David’s Triple. They also have something new on their beer list, a Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout. Mad River Brewing Co. had great taps as well.

For the cider lovers out there, Two Rivers Cider Co. had two on tap, a Dry Macintosh Cider and a Blood Orange cider. The latter had a pink tinge that brought a little extra excitement to the glassware circulating the room.

Cypress Grove Chevre had cheese on hand for tasting, and the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and The Pasta Queen had lines all night and the supplies to keep the people snacking. The porcini and truffle egg ravioli, topped with blue cheese fredo sauce and roasted hazelnuts was enough to warrant a virtual shopping trip to their site. They paired the dish with Berryessa Brewing Co.’s Belgo Dark – just imagine.

To really make the most of the night, it was best to alternate beers and chatting up brewers with talks with the artists in the room. Shannon Jane Morgan of Girl Glass Studio, paired with Track 7, had plans for an Art of Beer Glass class. Participants will be making their own beer glass and later, Morgan will buy them their first beer.

Track 7 paired up with Knee Deep Brewing Co. and created a fresh, citrusy double IPA for beer week that attendees got a chance to taste. At 100 IBUs and 9.7 percent ABV, this one’s going to be sought after during beer week. Another stop for IPA lovers was Rubicon, where they were pouring Hopsauce.

Sustainability was a key word at The Art of Beer this year. Almanac Beer Co. poured “Farm to Bottle Beer” and Sierra Nevada handed out pamphlets highlighting their sustainable practices in all areas.

Magnolia Pub and Brewery, which has five casks on tap and makes a commitment to the slow food movement, seems like a great place to stop during San Francisco Beer Week, coming up next week.

Sacramento’s Digital Town Square Forum was present for the event as well. You can replay the evening’s discussion, “The Art of Beer… and ZOMBIES!” online.

It was great to see so many breweries, artists and restaurants come together with local establishments like Brew Ferment Distill (BFD), Hook & Ladder Manufacturing Co. and Sacramento365, among many others, to put on such an enjoyable and worthwhile event.

This year, The Art of Beer served as the kickoff for the first ever California Craft Beer Month. Judging by the enormous crowd, we should continue to expect more from this event for our annual fix of art, music, discussion, goodwill and beer. With so much creativity on their side, it’s clear that this event will just keep getting better.

March for the dream continues in Sacramento

2013-01-24T20:24:39Z

“We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

The words of Martin Luther King Jr. were quite evident as the 32nd annual March for the Dream took place on Monday, Jan. 21.

An estimated crowd of 30,000 marched to the Sacramento Capitol Building and the Convention Center. Marchers of all ethnic persuasions came to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. as they marched from the Oak Park Community Center, Sacramento City College and Grant High School.

Community representatives, local employers, healthcare professionals, small business vendors and others attended the event to supply guests with valuable information about education, employment and community services.

This year the event also featured a rally in front of the Capitol West Steps.

For the first time in several years rain did not come down on this parade allowing families to enjoy a car show and other outdoor events.

Crowds gathered inside two large halls to view high school marching band performances, poetry readings, community educational and employment panels. Dozens of community organizations were represented and had booths at different halls in the convention.

Educational videos played during the event emphasizing the work of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement. The event also included many activities for children and adults to participate in. The hands on activities added to this year's Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.

The work and name of Martin Luther King Jr. and the role he played in American history continues to be kept alive through the annual Sacramento celebration.

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Verge Center for the Arts poised to push limits

2013-01-24T20:03:58Z

Pushing the boundaries and testing the threshold of what is considered the “norm” is what comes to mind when I think of contemporary art. That’s why Verge Center for the Arts is perfectly named.

VCA is an art center providing several unique but necessary qualities for any thriving city; a sort of meeting of the artistic minds, if you will. Founded in 2009 by Jesse Powell, the VCA quickly made a name for itself by highlighting and honoring upscale contemporary art. Powell's vision quite literally outgrew its space, and in 2010 VCA moved to a 22,000-square-foot warehouse at the corner of S and 7th streets in downtown Sacramento, and became a 501c3 nonprofit arts organization. The warehouse is pretty much a blank canvas and is still currently under construction. Twenty-three art studios and a one-of-a-kind print-making facility are set up. VCA is hoping to be complete by spring, but can't give an exact date, as they are raising funds little by little.

I had the pleasure of meeting with VCA's executive director, Liv Moe, to get a tour of the center and learn more about their exciting expansion. As we were walking through the space it was so cold that I could almost see my breath. It's a far cry from the vibrant and alive space we can both imagine as we continue on the tour. "It's like building a bike and trying to ride it at the same time," Moe says.

I was a little intimidated going into this meeting, as I am clearly not an art expert and probably know the least about contemporary art, at that. I do have a deep appreciation for the arts and have been fortunate enough to travel the world and see some outstanding art. One of my favorite memories is spending 10 hours at the Louvre Museum with my grandma, an experience I will never forget.

Moe definitely fits the part of the executive director at VCA. She looks like an artist, with a creative personality and spirit. She is kind, with a straight-to-the-point way about her that is informative but not intimidating. If you are taking classes at California State University, Sacramento, next semester look for her teaching an art appreciation course.

VCA is a great combination of all the senses combined. As a career or up-and-coming artist, you can rent a studio space for a great price. There is a catch: to be able to rent a studio space, your art and resume must be reviewed by the VCA board, and yes, you can be denied. The reasoning behind this practice is that VCA wants to give each artist the best possible environment to grow, which includes working and interacting with other truly great artists. "We are looking for an artist that can show progress and promise," explains Moe. With the expansion complete, there will be 40 art studios in all.

The Verge Center for the Arts offers so much more to Sacramento then studio space at a great price. There will be nearly 5,000 square feet of exhibition space, a library lounge and a space where various classes, workshops, events and lectures will be held.

Celebrate the sucess of Verge Center for the Arts' Kickstarter at their "July in January" party on Saturday, Jan. 26. For ticket information, or simply to join the dialogue and learn more about VCA visit www.vergeart.com.

Editor’s note: Join The Sacramento Press on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at Chops Steakhouse to honor Journalism Open winners. Get tickets!

Disney On Ice production features current and classic princesses

2013-01-23T20:39:27Z

Dreams and imagination—the greatest princess-themed Disney fairytales—take center stage in a royal celebration as Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream, February 13-18, 2013 at Sacramento’s Sleep Train Arena.

The ice sets a spectacular scene with grand set pieces and appearances by current princesses from Tangled and The Princess and the Frog, as well as a beloved classic beauty, Cinderella. A cast of world-class skaters glides across the arena illustrating stories about romance, humor and adventure—bringing memorable moments from these cherished Disney films to life in a contemporary skating production.

Throughout the show, surprises come from every corner. According to Scenic Designer Stan Meyer when asked which aspect of the set will surprise audiences, he replied, “I was super-excited the very first time I saw Rapunzel’s hair get cut off and waft down to the ice. It’s a really emotional, super dramatic moment in the show. In a very theatrical way, I think the set facilitates the same sort of feeling that the animation portrayed.” From beginning to end it is a show not to be missed.

Disney’s Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen and the Frog share their tale with romance and humor while Rapunzel, her companions Flynn and Maximus, embark on an epic adventure. Rounding out the production, the story of Cinderella comes to life as she meets her Prince Charming with a glass slipper fit for a fantasy come true.

Especially suited for kids and adults of all ages, the musical journey of Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dram plunges into a world where anything is possible.

Producer Juliette Feld’s dream for families who attend the show is, “…that they will truly have an escape from their every day routine. I would love for the audience to be dancing in the aisles to all the music of The Princess and the Frog, fall in love with Cinderella all over again, and be completely enraptured with Rapunzel and Flynn’s journey. I hope that families will come into the arena, be transported to the worlds of these three amazing princesses and have memories that will last a lifetime.”

EVENT DETAILS: Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream
Wednesday, February 13 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 14 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, February 15 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 16 – 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 17 – 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Monday, February 18 – 12:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Sleep Train Arena – One Sports Parkway, Sacramento, CA 95834

INFORMATION: Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, (800)-745-3000 or at the arena Box Office. Additional information: DisneyOnIce.com

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.

Disclosure: Karen Bakula is President of Karen Bakula & Company, Inc. and provides marketing services to Disney On Ice.

Filmmakers Get to Know Poe on January 22

2013-01-22T06:25:51Z

Filmmakers and literature experts will explore and discuss the various works of Edgar Allan Poe, the acclaimed nineteenth century American writer best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, in anticipation of a creative film competition based on Poe's work, to prepare to partake in a local creative filmmaking endeavor The Poe Project. The workshop will take place at the Art Institute of Sacramento starting at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 22, 2013. Jeff Knorr, Poet Laureate of Sacramento, will give insights into Poe’s poetry and literary work.

The event is hosted by the Capital Film Arts Alliance, a local nonprofit dedicated to advancing film and video production, and the lead organization for The Poe Project, a community film competition based on the works of Poe. CFAA members are free for the event; guests are $5. Film experts will also be available to discuss past adaptations of Poe's work, such as Cliff Weimer, local movie historian and webmaster at www.inthebalcony.com who will speak to various adaptations of Poe's work in film in the past.

The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe has been named as the work for the Sacramento Public Library's "Read One" program for 2013, and the competition is part of a coordinated effort to bring the "Read One" program into different artistic, social and creative parts of the local community. The competition is sponsored and led by the Capital Film Arts Alliance.

Details on the contest will be published in January, but the organization has made announcements to its members of some of the basic tenants of the project: local filmmakers will be asked to create short films no longer than 13 minutes long, submissions will be screened at a major Sacramento venue in the fall, and there will be prize money available in different categories, including for student films. In addition, a full-length screenwriting competition of an adaptation of Poe's work will also be part of The Poe Project.

"The Capital Film Arts Alliance is very excited about this project in conjunction with the Sacramento Public Library," said Mary Beth Barber, board member for the Capital Film Arts Alliance. "Creative projects and competitions like this bring different parts of the community together, as well as inspire innovation and learning in the new field of digital filmmaking."

"While the final aspects of the competition are being confirmed, there are a few things local filmmakers should know and actions to take right now," continued Barber. "Entries will be due during the late summer, a screening will take place in the early fall with short films online during the Library's "Read One" activities, and people should start reading their Edgar Allan Poe right away."

The January 22th meeting is one of a monthly speaker series from the Capital Film Arts Alliance. Experts in the filmmaking field – from camera and sound to contracts and funding – are asked to share their expertise and insights to Sacramento are filmmakers. The CFAA expects much of its early 2013 programming to center around The Poe Project – from workshops exploring Poe's work and how to adapt it, to introductions to the best Sacramento has to offer in film/video facilities and equipment rental, to experts in photography, sound and editing to give hints as best practices.

This workshop and introduction to the work of Edgar Allan Poe is part of the regular CFAA learning series sponsored and hosted by the Art Institute of Sacramento, located at 2850 Gateway Oaks Dr. in Sacramento. Free for members, $5 for non-members. CFAA annual membership rates are $35 for individual members and $15 for students. Business and corporate sponsor members available as well. For more information about this meeting or the Capital Film Arts Alliance, please contact Mary Beth Barber, 916-429-5105 or Laurie Pederson at 916-600-6477 or info@capitalfilmarts.com.

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.

Disclosure: Mary Beth Barber is a board member for the Capital Film Arts Alliance.

Sacramento Fashion Week casting call

2013-01-18T01:33:06Z

This year's annual Sacramento Fashion Wee k will be held from Feb. 24 – Mar.2.

In preparation for the event Sacramento Fashion Week held two casting calls for the 2013 showcase. One was held on Saturday, Jan. 12 at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Sacramento. A second casting took place on Sunday at the Capsity Offices located at 2572 21 st Street.

Sacramento Fashion Week is well known for showcasing talented local and regional designers. Sacramento Fashion Week has provided a platform for upcoming and established designers the opportunity to showcase their talent.

As the popularity and importance of Sacramento's Fashion Week continues to grow it attracts designers, hair stylists, makeup artists, fashion bloggers and models giving them the opportunity to participate and expand their experience and profiles.

Many models at both castings have walked the runway for Sacramento Fashion Week and showed up for this year's casting. Several other new models also nervously walked for the judges.

Sacramento Fashion Week staff and participating designers were on hand to evaluate and select models at the casting. Over 200 models participated at the castings and they will patiently wait to be notified if they have been selected to walk the runway during Sacramento Fashion Week.

Besides meeting an age, size and height requirement models also had to meet a minimum 18.5 Body Mass Index (BMI). Sacramento Fashion Week instituted the BMI standard of determining when one’s weight translates into a health risk for the first time this year. BMI is calculated by measuring a person's height and weight and stations were set up take those measurements.

Bridgétt Rex, Editor-In-Chief, Sacramento Fashion Week mentioned the new standard saying, “This is the first year that we've officially established this requirement.” Rex was at both casting days and earlier in the day, during the Sunday casting, along with Producer, Executive Director, Duane Ram were interviewed by KCRA TV about the event.

In a posted blog Sacramento Fashion Week noted the following as a guideline to help models understand how BMI is measured giving the following illustration, “As an example, a model who is 5’7’’ will need to weigh at least 118 pounds to achieve the minimum BMI of 18.5, while a 5’10’’ model will need to weigh 129 pounds. We will take weight and height at the casting call using the guidelines posted above to determine BMI.”

Models waited in line both casting days as they filled out an applications and walked for the judges and designers. Another new part of Sacramento Fashion Week this year will include a boutique fashion showcase to go along with two designer showings.

As models were being cast nervousness and excitement were quite evident on their part. Both male and female models were present.

Two models in Sunday's casting were sisters Giselle Colmenares and Naraly Vizcarra both who were trying out for Sacramento Fashion Week for the first time. This was Colmenares first casting and was a little more nervous. The sisters encouraged each other and conducted themselves professionally and stated that, “It was fun to try out together.”

Final selections for models, designers and boutiques participating will be declared at a later time. Sacramento Fashion Week will continue to hold events leading to the showcases. The next event is “Fashion Affair” scheduled for Jan. 17 at the Citizen Hotel.

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.

2013 Easyrider Bike Show

2013-01-16T04:13:06Z

The 23rd annual Easyriders Bike Show Tour rolled into Sacramento for a weekend of custom rides, dramatic fashions and a special celebrity appearance from “Sons of Anarchy” star, Ryan “Opie” Hurst!

If you were anywhere downtown near J Street this weekend, it would be impossible for you to miss the brood rumbling of motorcycle enthusiasts from all genres.

Looking for close (maybe even metered or free) parking during any event at the Sacramento Convention Center is fool’s play. Looking for parking during the Easyrider motorcycle show takes us to a whole new level of traffic chaos. A word to the wise: do not ever, even if you have a green light, get behind a group of bikers that did not get all the way across the intersection as a whole. You just might end up boxed in while the light changes, as the rest of the crew catches up...

After a faulty exchange with a quarter-hungry parking meter, and with a dwindling amount of functioning mental patience, I finally made my way to the venue with an optimistic demeanor. Once inside, I found myself amazed by the exceptional art and design concepts, built to roll on two (occasionally three) wheels.

Because of the amount of talent, the idea of picking just five bikes to top the list of the “People’s Choice Class” on the ballot I received at the entrance was intimidating. Luckily, a little help from a friend’s mother, Mia (aka Mama Mia), was all I needed! When it came to showing me around and pointing out details only an experienced biker would notice when picking winners for the Custom Bike Awards, Mama Mia was an angel from heaven. Things I would find esthetically pleasing she would point out for their lack of functionality, or how they might become a nuisance if you were really riding the bike. Although her information was significant, she did not have too much influence when it came to swaying my votes.

From bikes with eyeballs to backwards trikes, the abundance of noteworthy custom bike work was indescribable.

As for celebrity appearances, Hurst was not the only autograph-worthy guest star. The owner of truTV’s reality show “Full Throttle Saloon,” Michael Ballard, and his wife Angie Carlson were exuberantly signing autographs and posing for pictures with patiently waiting fans. Ballard owns a bar in Sturgis, S.D., that is famous for being the world’s largest biker bar, only open a mere 10 days a year!

Unfortunately, I was unable to meet and greet SOA star Hurst. I spoke to a few people awaiting his arrival at the front of the line. One family told me they had been waiting all morning, and were told he would be arriving at 1:30 p.m. The line of eager fans had already made its way through the winding velvet ropes, down and around half the entire venue! Discouraged, I still managed to acquire a great candid shot of Hurst, thanks, again, to Mama Mia.

A show like this would not be complete without an array of accessories accompanying the ever-growing “biker” culture. This place had everything from custom chaps, to specialized motorcycle hairspray (for the dreaded “helmet hair”), to leather “cuts” and goggles for dogs. It is easy to see how even churchgoing Christians and die-hard motorcyclists find themselves on the same complex road, supporting the old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.”

Left wing, or right wing, all feathers fly. Whether you are a doctor, mechanic, mother or son, it is obvious why television and movies find the lives of bikers so entrancing. The mysterious dynamics of the motorcycle culture can sometimes cloud the intent of a biker’s character or purpose, but one thing is for sure—anyone can find their niche within the complex biker ideology as long as they believe in one thing: freedom.

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Crocker art students inspired by Norman Rockwell

2013-01-14T05:15:00Z

With facial expressions of deep concentration, absorption, creativity and pleasure as they worked, the participants in a recent Crocker Art Museum art class would have made excellent models for a Norman Rockwell painting on the personal power of making art.

In his paintings and illustrations, Norman Rockwell communicated strong emotions and stories through the vivid facial expressions of his subjects. Had Rockwell seen the faces of the artists at the Crocker class, he would have been thrilled to have them as new subjects for his works.

In conjunction with the Crocker Art Museum’s current exhibition, “American Chronicles: the Art of Norman Rockwell,” the museum offered a weekend studio art class where students employed Rockwell’s art processes and techniques in creating their own works.

The course opened with students viewing selected pieces of Rockwell’s art in the exhibition gallery. Led by Docent Education Coordinator Jill Pease, the group learned that Rockwell made many preliminary versions of his works and kept modifying them until everything on the canvas contributed to the story he was telling. Rockwell made thumbnail sketches and then took photographs of live models to capture the details of the facial features he wanted before he ever started painting.

Rockwell‘s finished works portrayed the common person in “commonplaces of America.” With the artist’s recognizable and relatable images, “You don’t need an intermediary to explain what the works mean,” described Pease.

The class then moved to a museum studio for the lab portion, led by artist and community college instructor Kristine Bybee. Bybee guided the participants in making their own sketches, thumbnail drawings and paintings using Rockwell’s techniques. With pencil, charcoal and paints, the class applied their new understanding of subject, line, shapes and color to produce their pieces.
The goal is “not to imitate, but to emulate what Norman Rockwell might have done,” explained Bybee.

Participant Ann Kerr appreciated the opportunity to “look at artwork and then try to apply what I learned, such as composition and the value of simplifying.”

Danielle Mandella and her grandmother Diana Mandella took the class together. Danielle said that her grandmother, a former museum docent, told her to “pick a class” as her Christmas present. Danielle chose the Rockwell class and was delighted to have instruction in his painting techniques. She and her grandmother were the picture of contentment as they worked side-by-side.

Bybee created a supportive and relaxed studio environment and it was not long before classmates were chatting amiably like old friends while composing their Rockwell-esque creations.

Rockwell lived from 1894 to 1978 and produced more than 4,000 works over a 60-year period. He is best known for his Saturday Evening Post magazine cover illustrations that portrayed common American life. His later work focused less on idealized life and more on social issues, such as civil rights, poverty and the Peace Corps.

A few of Rockwell’s most famous works include “The Four Freedoms” series (1943), “Going and Coming” (1947), “Saying Grace” (1951) and “The Problem We All Live With” (1964).

The Crocker Art Museum exhibition includes a wide range of the artist’s illustrations, drawings, war bond posters and magazine covers, including some works from the Norman Rockwell Museum in Massachusetts that are rarely circulated. The Crocker exhibition continues through Feb. 3.

Studio art classes are offered at the museum throughout the year. Classes include a gallery viewing, discussion and hands-on art creation and are open to artists and non-artists. A few of the upcoming classes include a new Life Drawing Open Studio, Paint Like an Art Star for kids, Mosaic Madness for adults and Embroidery Chronicles. For a complete list of classes or for more information, contact Emma Stone at (916)808-1961.

The Crocker Art Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has extended evening hours on Thursdays. The museum is located at 216 O St. in Sacramento. A recorded message with general information can be reached at (916) 808-7000 and the Admissions desk can be reached at (916) 808-1184.xx

The (sort of) Serious Side to Cartoonist Eric Decetis & His 30-year Career

2013-01-09T21:35:57Z

Born and raised in Sacramento, the local artist with international fame and world-wide laughter known as Eric Decetis reflects on his career and his art. Many know Eric Decetis as “the guy who draws funny cartoon cards” but Eric is a very accomplished and awarded watercolor artist. Yes, Eric is funny but he is also prolific and has mastered his watercolor medium in ways that some artists only dream.

People lose themselves in the subject of Eric’s cartoons and overlook the amazing detail and nuances of the watercolor. Some of the cartoons may take 80 to 100 hours of painting to create the perfect shading and transparency. The originals are completed with Dr. Ph. Martin’s Radiant Concentrate Individual Watercolors which are extremely difficult to master. This watercolor medium is special order only. Many artists avoid this medium due to the amount of practice and discipline to learn the control, the technique, as well as mix the pigments. Hence, this is a fast approaching a lost art.

With a brief Q&A Eric enlightens his fans about his feelings on computer graphics and his art, his new exhibit at Little Relics Boutique & Galleria with some reflection on his days working with Larry Flynt and his start with gentlemen’s magazines.

SR: This show is a 30-year retrospective of your art career with some highlights and glimpses to your childhood drawings and artwork. What piece of the show are you most proud to exhibit and why?

ED: I would probably have to say the original Lost Puppy artwork. Certainly not my best work but for some reason it has become infamously iconic and recognizable. Had I known it was going to gain the notoriety it has I would have drawn it a lot better.

SR: What about this particular exhibit is thrilling?

ED: Having lived long enough to attend.

SR: Aside from the hilarity and guffaws your artwork creates, what is the passion behind the artwork?

ED: Lawyers, Guns and Money (Warren Zevon).

SR: When you get an idea, do you let it marinate or do you get the overwhelming need to illustrate it immediately? Is the idea process slow and deliberate or do you find your musings at the grocery store, driving or just people and dog watching?

ED: The majority of the time I go right to the drawing table soon after the gag sparks. The genesis is pretty convoluted with no set pattern. It may be inspired from a radio talk show, a conversation overheard at dinner or just a random visual thought that comes to mind for no apparent reason. Or it may be just from the voices in my head.

SR: Considered an artist of a "dying watercolor process" by the Ohio State Cartoon Art Museum, how does that make you feel? How long does the process take? Dying Watercolor Process translates that you use concentrate and you work each cell by hand and absolutely nothing is computer generated. Why not add some computer graphics to your art?

ED: "Dying". Geez. I didn't know it was even sick. Makes me feel like I coulda' had appetizers with Jesus et al at the Last Supper. I do know it's a very tedious process using radiant concentrated water colors (aka "dyes") that few cartoonists use today. I taught myself how use them when I started working for the magazines in the early 80's.

It was the medium of choice back then because of the resulting vibrant colors for print reproduction. Unlike synchromatic or regular water colors, dyes are very unforgiving and require a hand brushed layering process. As such depending on the complexity of the piece, some cartoons can take up to a week to render.

As to adding computer graphics at this stage of my career, I'd rather wake up on the floor of an adult bookstore bathroom with a dead rat in mouth.

SR: In the era of censorship and the governmental attack on the First Amendment, you were working with Larry Flynt as a contract cartoonist. In the midst of the FCC tightening the restrictions on publications especially gentlemen's magazines, were any of your cartoons banned by the FCC due to censorship and what was the impact on you as an artist and your artwork?

ED: None of my work with LFP (Larry Flynt Publications) was ever banned. Larry was always pushing us to go as far as we could with our jokes and art and then go a step beyond that. He thrived on controversy and felt---like Bob Cuccione (General Media-Penthouse Publications)---that the cartoons where a major component in magazine sales. Larry was fierce about the first amendment and taunting the FCC, but he was also concerned with litigation fallout from trademark violation.

One of my earlier controversial pieces was a cartoon of a doll named "WhiteTrash Knocked-Up Trailer Park Barbie". He had me revise Barbie to "Darbie" to avoid any potential issues with Mattel.

As far as impact on me as an artist, as an aspiring cartoonist I just wanted to get published and earn a living. The magazines were merely the vehicle for accomplishing that.

SR: As an artist did you see any benefit from Larry Flint's crusade against the FCC and censorship? Did you gain any new freedoms publishing your artwork?

ED: At the time I had no interest in Larry's political crusades. Since I had no training in art, my focus was on developing my own recognizable cartoon style and learning how to find and perfect a medium that worked for me.

It was a launching pad for what I hoped would be a career. I just didn't know what planet I'd land on.

SR: Do you feel that your experience during this era has paved the way for many of today's cartoonists to "push the envelope" per se?

ED: I can't speak to any influence my work may have had, based on the content of my writing. If anything I hope that those who aspire to make a career in this industry are motivated by my modicum of success. If you have the tenacity and discipline to shake rejection in a figure eight the possibilities as a cartoonist are endless regardless of your style of humor.

To meet Eric and hear more of his musings, please join him at Little Relics Boutique & Galleria, 908 21st St. on January 12th, from 7pm to 10pm. This retrospective has some of his early work when he used an airbrush for most of the cartoon and then marches through to present time including the original and most famous, Lost Puppy. Viewers will see the evolution of Eric’s craftsmanship and his humor. Show runs until January 26th.

Disclosure: : Susan Rabinovitz owns Little Relics Boutique & Galleria as well as Represents Eric Decetis Original Artwork.

I Wanna Nerd You Up: Found Footage Festival

2012-12-31T18:27:00Z

On Dec. 13 I had the good fortune to attend the Found Footage Festival through the kindness of Robert McKeown and Movies on a Big Screen (www.moviesonabigscreen.com), in cooperation with the Hornet Film Society. I had not been to one of their engagements before, and let’s just say that I had eyes opened to the awesomeness of FFF.

I wish I had written this sooner but I've been on a nearly month-long Nolan's Batman Trilogy marathon and I lost track of time. And hygene. And gainful employment.

Just what is FFF? Two guys named Nick Preuhner and Joe Pickett (www.foundfootagefest.com) scour the country looking for old VHS tapes that contain footage from training videos, safety instructions videos, animal care videos, workout tapes and anything else that contains quirky, weird, or strange tapes that probably made sense for their intended audience.

To quote Preuhner, “We take stuff that wasn’t supposed to be shown in public, and we show it in public.”

Preuhner and Pickett will introduce each segment and occasionally talk over the segment that is playing, a la Mystery Science Theater 3000.

One of the first segments shown was of a woman named Dee Gruenig, who is a sponge artist. She takes delicate pieces of sponge, dips them in this ink or paint (I couldn’t tell which), and then spreads this combination on artist papers to create “works of art.” She got so excited at times that, well, let’s just say it sounded like another activity that people will occasionally use a sponge with to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.

Then there was “Dancing with Frank.”

This segment was about Frank Pacholski, a bald, hairy guy who wears a patriotic Speedo and a mask, and dances in front of elderly folks while he crams food into said Speedo and (or) covers himself in different sauces.

Preuhner and Pickett actually tracked the guy down, and it provided for an … odd encounter.

A different segment was “Stranger Danger,” or how to teach children how to avoid strangers who might kidnap them.

A clown named Blueberry asked children in his video what strangers look like. The children responded that strangers wear "hats or coats, or that they can be punk rockers."

Due to the creepiness of Blueberry, I'm surprised the children didn't offer up his own name.

There were no shortage of weirdos in their footage, from a guy who was a real-life version Super Mario, who had an instructional video on playing the spoons; to Ruff Riders (a rap group), putting out a workout video for thugs that contained plenty of casual swearing; to ferret care; to the most disturbing thing I may have ever seen: a training film from the ‘60s that was about California Highway Patrol officers and childbirth.

The producers of this gem actually had a set that looked like the back seat of a classic car, and a woman gave birth—a live birth—while it was filmed. A CHP officer gave instructions on what the cadets would have to assist. Nothing was held back.

The absolute funniest bit involved a man named Kenny Strasser. He’s a friend of the FFF guys who is a yo-yo expert that travels the country to help bring awareness to environmental issues to children by way of the yo-yo. He is … was … often invited to speak on morning news shows in the Midwest.

By the way, Strasser is a friend of Preuhner and Pickett, and all of the above is complete BS made up by these guys to have some fun while they travel around the States. Kenny doesn’t have any special yo-yo talents, either. I’m not even sure if he has basic yo-yo abilities.

That didn’t stop him, though, from going on morning news shows to speak about yo-yos and show them his "tricks".

It’s hilarious. Trust me.

Go to their website and purchase these DVDs. They’ll make great conversation pieces to put on in the background at parties, or to gauge the sense of humor of a new friend or a date.

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Disclosure: “I Wanna Nerd You Up” covers, or attempts to cover, the interesting of Sacramento’s nerdly delights. Johnny is the host of the podcast No Nipples On The Suit. You can find it on iTunes and at www.nonipplesonthesuit.com.

Ricky Berger concert at the Crocker Art Museum

2012-12-26T22:17:15Z

The Crocker Art Museum holds its doors open late during their Thursdays ‘til 9 program series.

This past Thursday, Dec. 20, as part of American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell, local talented musician Ricky Berger held a concert at the Crocker.

The Rockwell exhibit, located on the third floor of the Crocker, celebrates his work with several rarely circulated works from the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass. Several original oil paintings and other work created for The Saturday Evening Post are also part of the exhibit. A grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, American Masterpieces Program, made the exhibition possible.

On the Crocker theater stage, Rika Nelson, Crocker Art Museum manager of public programs, welcomed guests. In her speech Nelson said, “It's been really an exciting time for us to do all this kind of programing. You may all probably already know, or you might not know, that we have a real exciting exhibition located in the third floor, and it’s up until February. It’s called the American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell.”

Nelson also described the concerts being held at the stage, saying, “This concert is a part of a series of concerts that we’ve been doing that we’ve sort of dubbed ‘American Storytelling.’ So we’ve brought in a variety of different performers who in our eyes are really great musicians and who are really fabulous.” Nelson continued, saying as far as storytellers went she immediately thought about bringing in Berger to perform, and she thought it was a perfect match, as Berger indicated Rockwell was her all-time favorite.

Nelson ended by introducing the show, saying, “Please join me in welcoming our opening act tonight. It’s his second time performing at the Crocker, a great performer and a super nice guy, please join me in welcoming Adrian Bourgeois.”

Bourgeois opened for Berger and performed a series of songs that included “Shot in the Dark,” “Here We Go Again” and “My Face in the Dark.”

Bourgeois plays different instruments while on stage, and the stage was full of different instruments, including a grand piano that took the space of about half the stage. He and Berger also performed together on a couple of songs.

Berger stepped onto stage, wearing a stunning glimmering dress. The Sammie award winner brought her Americana folk brand of music to an intimate setting. The theater was full of Berger’s family, friends and fans.

Berger took the stage, welcomed guests and noted the show was a big deal for her. She's been working on her sophomore album and had taken a hiatus from performing. Berger was excited when the Crocker asked her to perform.

Audience members responded with much enthusiasm as Berger performed crowd favorites. Berger began the evening by playing “You're No Good,” and although she had an assortment of musical instruments on stage, she used her mouth to imitate a trumpet sound during the song.

As a true storyteller, Berger's second song, “My Permanent Valentine,” was dedicated to her mom, who was selling Berger merchandise. Each of her songs was introduced by a short reference as to what inspired it or how it evolved. Before “My Permanent Valentine,” the introduction and story behind it was used to introduce Berger's repertoire for the evening. Later, Berger dedicated “The Man of My Dreams” to her dad.

Several songs also included recorded background music, all performed by Berger as well. It was something she had not tried out before, but which I think shows more of her talent.

Berger delighted the audience with original songs, and also performed “I'll Be Home For Christmas.” Later, with Bourgeois, she performed the Simon and Garfunkel classic “The Boxer.” Both Berger and Bourgeois also sang “Baby It's Cold Outside,” their duos showing how well they performed together.

Through the evening Berger showed her musical and writing talent. She ended her show with an emotional introduction to a song about her grandparents, and “Why Be Blue,” a song dedicated to her sister.

After the show, adoring fans remained to talk with her, pose for photos and get autographs.

I was able to sit with Berger and do a short interview, posted below.

Sacramento Press: You're a storyteller in many ways. You tell stories when you introduce a song, as well as when you're singing and in your art. How did you come about, or to what do you attribute, your storytelling talent?

Ricky Berger: I think it all started when I was a kid. I started writing songs when I was about 4 years old. I didn't write them with words, but I started writing songs around that age. I think I was a very lonely child in many ways. I think I had a lot to say, but I didn't know how to say it exactly out loud. I needed a way to express it, and recently I started doing therapy and I started learning how to communicate my feelings better. That has opened me up to a world of possibilities, I encourage that to anybody. Therapy has been amazing for a crazy person like me.

SP: The times I've seen you perform you're surrounded by several musical instruments. Were there any that you did not play tonight?

RB: Oh sure, plenty. A whole scads worth.

SP: When did your love for music begin and what inspired it?

RB: Actually the first memories I have of music was through movies. Cartoons like Bugs Bunny, I think it's 1947, you might want to check that. The very first time I remember hearing music I was about 3, and it was a 1947 episode of Bugs Bunny, and it was called “Gorilla My Dreams,” and there's a song in it called “Someone is Rocking My Dream Boat.” I just remember I saw “The Wizard of Oz”; the impact that it had was so great. It expressed what I was feeling inside so much. I think I was born with the love for music. There's like no difference between me and the music, in a way.

You know, honestly, I feel that if music is going well for me, everything is going well. If it's not going well, then nothing is going well. It's just a part of me like nothing else.

SP: I've noticed you like to collaborate with other artists (like tonight). Have you ever been part of a group or have you, for the most part, been a solo performer?

RB: I've pretty much always been solo. I think the way I share music is not really in a band setting, for myself. I'm going to be going to Eastern Europe to record with an orchestra and a choir. I'm not really interested in playing with a band, I'm more interested in playing with orchestras and choirs, and you know, having a full ensemble like that, which one day I'll have.

I will probably be there for a couple of weeks to visit places like Berlin, Prague and Budapest.

SP: Have you seen the Norman Rockwell exhibit?

RB: I haven't, but I'll be doing that in the next two days. It's been a crazy busy month.

SP: Do you have any current projects you're working on? Any future projects?

RB: Gosh! I guess I'm just working on my second album, that's the biggest thing. That's really the focus of my life at the moment, working on the arrangements. It's a lot of work.

SP: Take us through your process in doing an album. How long did it take to make your first album?

RB: Well, it's really strange because I started recording when I was 14, but I did not put my album out until I was about 20. I actually had it done. I had it done when I was about 18, but I didn't release it because I was so scared. I was so scared; I thought everybody would hate it. My therapist helped talk me through it and told me to put it out.

As far as making an album, for me the process usually goes. I guess I choose my very favorite songs, the ones that make me the happiest to play, and I guess usually I sit at home and I stay in my room for days and days or months and months at a time, arranging the harps, violins and flutes and oboes, bassoons and clarinets and tuba, trumpet, triangle, all of the above and different choir parts, and I do all of that on my little laptop. Then I go in the studio and I go track by track and recreate it in a very nice environment.

I think it's important; people don't take the time anymore. I'm in love with it.

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up .

The Nutcracker 2012

2012-12-26T21:20:12Z

Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet brought its troupe to Folsom's Three Stages to perform The Nutcracker. Performances took place on Dec. 21 – 23.

Friday's sold out performance of The Nutcracker 2012 brought a large audience to Three Stages to enjoy a beautiful performance. Children, along with their parents and other family members as well as friends enjoyed art in motion as the Pamela Hayes Ballet brought a colorful spectacle to the stage.

The Nutcracker is based on the book by E.T.A. Hoffman "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King."

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was commissioned by choreographer Marius Petipa in 1891 to write the music for the Nutcracker Ballet.

Throughout its history the story of The Nutcracker remains the same. On Christmas Eve the Silberhaus family hosts their annual Christmas party as they welcome the arrival of their guests. Suddenly, Clara's beloved Herr Drosselmeyer appears. Drosselmeyer entertains guests with magical tricks and life-size dolls. Clara embarks on enchanting travels through the Kingdom of Sweets with her Nutcracker Prince.

Since 2000 Artistic Director Pamela Hayes has brought The Nutcracker to the stage and has successfully worked to make the production one of the most entertaining.

The Nutcracker showcased guest artist Michael Onstad in the role of Herr Drosselmeyer. His talents are sought-after to perform this role each year and his performance was splendid.

Another guest artist was George Rusafov who performed the role of the Cavalier. The Bulgaria native joined the National Opera and Ballet Sofia Bulgarta after graduating high school. His masterful dance skills highlighted a wonderful performance.

Allyn Ginns, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Sarah Beth Kosterman, as Clara and Aly Andersen, as Spanish dancer were other guest artists for The Nutcracker.

Ginns, Kosterman and company dancer Kristoffer Reyes were made available for a quick photo or two by publicist Jan Hurst of Hurst Works. Along with other marvelous Pamela Hayes Ballet company dancers and over 70 ballet performers they delighted the audience from beginning to end.

A graduate of London’s Royal Academy of Dance and an alum of the Royal Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater, Ballet West and Eugene Ballet, Pamela Hayes brought a delightful cast of dancers to Three Stages.

The audience was in awe during several scenes and oohs and aahs were heard from the audience. One memorable scene began with angels gliding through smoke machine fog looking like angels on clouds brought positive audible comments from the audience (specially from the younger fans).

This year new snow sets graced the stage. As if in a dream, sparkling snow flakes fell to the stage.

The costumes and stage production were beautifully designed. The Pamela Hayes Ballet production created visual spectacles on stage that went wonderfully with magnificent choreography.

The audience, as did I, enjoyed every aspect of the show. Families gathered in the theater lobby to share their experience. Jonathan Laundry and his family was invited by his neighbors and he shared a few words about what he saw. “I loved the scenery and I loved the dancers. I've always enjoyed the music of Tchaikovsky but I've never seen a live showing of The Nutcracker and I think it just might become a Christmas tradition for us.”

The Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet studio is located in El Dorado Hills and offers various ballet training classes and workshops that includes a summer workshop series. The series will feature Peter O'Brien's staging of “Giselle.”

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Christmas crafts, art, music and grand openings

2012-12-24T06:18:32Z

The last Second Saturday Art Walk of 2012 contained an assortment of events not only in Midtown and downtown but also in Granite Bay and Folsom.

Folsom hosted its 45th Annual Arts and Crafts Fair. Nearly 200 vendors, live entertainment and fun for the entire family was part of the event rescheduled from the week before because of weather.

Christmas craft vendors lined the middle of Folsom's Historic Sutter Street to sell goods suited for children, adults, pets and Christmas gift giving.

Businesses were open along Sutter Street as well and visitors were able to enjoy the pubs, restaurants and shopping areas in Historic Folsom.

The Folsom Historic District Ice Rink which had been closed because of the weather was re-opened for guests to enjoy. The rink will be open until Jan. 21 and is open seven days a week.

One of my favorite places for art, jewelry, and local crafts is Spanglish Arte. Their new location at 2512 J Street has more than double the space than their last site. The store also has a back patio that was available to house several art stations during Second Saturday.

Spanglish hosted a Holiday Bazaar that included holiday food such as pozole, hot chocolate, pan dulce and other items that went well in helping support local artists and vendors.

Artist John Huerta brought recently completed paintings and other items to the event. Huerta offered a large collection of art and had two tables set up, one was at the front of the store and the other at the back patio.

Lately, I’ve noticed new businesses starting up in Midtown, Oak Park as well as in other areas and December’s Second Saturday saw another grand opening event within days and within a block of each other. Muse Makeover held their grand opening on December 5 and Morris & Terry held their grand opening on Second Saturday.

Morris & Terry Athletic is located in an upstairs suite at 2115 J Street.

Many relatives and friends of owners Marisa Minasian and Terry Buccat attended the event. At times it seemed like a high school reunion as several friends indicated they attended high school together.

The J Spot, located next door to Morris & Terry Athletic, served as a gathering place where delicious food and drinks were served during the event. Kombucha Kulture served a variety of their organic and raw drinks for guests.

On the balcony outside the new shop artists and musicians entertained guests. Artist Gabriel Roberts and Samuel Ross Novinger exhibited their work. Martin Purtill and Jay Shaner shared their musical talents with the audience.

Buccat and Minasian were quite busy during the event but they took a few minutes to talk about the grand opening. In describing their business Buccat said, “We are Morris & Terry and we just opened our first women’s boutique which branches out from our women’s yoga active lifestyle line; Morris Terry Sport and we’re soon bridging more into day wear pieces and building a more overall Morris Terry brand and so you’ll see more of that transition in our store.”

Minasian and Buccat have been working together since 2010 and attribute their growth to word of mouth. Buccat shared that they were relying on word of mouth by friends, press outlets like Juniper James, Sister Brother Style, Eat Breathe Fashion, facebook and a segment that morning on Good Day Sacramento would help bring clientele to their grand opening.

Selection of their location was based on several factors. “We did a lot of research and it was good fit for us, for our size. We’re right in the middle of Midtown, it was a real nice space and our neighbors are so sweet we just kind of really love being back here,” Minasian stated.

Buccat and Minasian look forward to introducing new items to their store and holding future events. They also look forward to working with other local businesses saying, “Everything is made here in California we keep it as local as we can, we design everything ourselves here and we do a charity line that benefits foster youth.”

My last stop for December’s Second Saturday for the evening was a Christmas tree lighting event at the Quarry Ponds Shopping Center in Granite Bay. Artists Randy Rivera’s work was on exhibit at Crushed VLVT.

Fashion in the City

2012-12-23T01:51:57Z

Fashion in the City, a fashion, makeup and hair stylist competition was held at the Fusion International Art Center in Sacramento.

The event, held on Saturday, Dec. 15, drew a sizable audience where 15 of the best stylists in northern California competed for $3,000 in prizes.

The Fusion International Arts Center, located at 501 Arden Way has a large main hall that hosted Fashion in the City. A “T” shaped stage served as the catwalk for the fashion show. VIP tables were set around the stage and a DJ station were set up near

Beautiful gowns and dresses were provided by Georgene Originals. Georgene Scott, owner of Georgene Originals, is a fashion designer and pattern maker whose gowns are specially made for proms and weddings.

DJ Nez, DJ Memo Aguilera and DJ Essense shared their talents with the audience as they played music for dancing and listening enjoyment.

Rosa Jimenez and Sebastian Olvera C Bash served as hosts for the evening.

Each Fashion in the City model who walked the runway had their own following in the audience and wild cheering by audience members was loud and constant in an effort to sway the judges.

Solons and stylist participating in the event included Progressive Hair Salon, Expressions Hair Designs, Karina's Makeup, Maquillaje y Peinado by Sorelle, Irma Patiño, Chiklee Hair Studio and Rosario Tijeras Salon.

Also competing was Sandra de la Horta, Andre & Drea Designs, Judy & Anmarie, Beauty of the Art by Artemio Ibarra, Glammedup, Kurlz by Karla and Glamour Touch.

Fashion in the City is the brainchild of Vision Entertainment booking agent Cutberto (Beto) Aguilar. When asked about what inspired the event Aguilar said, “I came up with the concept because I think we need to showcase our local talent and this was the perfect event. This time I partnered with d'primeramano magazine and Borges Media.”

Aguilar indicated he expected an audience of about 400 guests for the evening's event matching last year's attendance.

This was the second year of the Fashion in the City event. Aguilar stated that last year's event was held at Antigua Ultra Lounge.

Aguilar explained why they chose to hold the event at the Fusion International Arts Center saying, “Miguel (Borges) has friends and he works here. I was looking for a good place that was larger and nice to make this a success.”

Aguilar is also CEO of Vision Entertainment a company that acquires and promotes talented entertainment for private and public parties and events. Vision Entertainment presented a well organized Fashion in the City event.

Sergio Romero from CBS TV, Cynthia Moreno of ~~Univision~~ Vida en el Valle and designer Rory Castillo were introduced as the judges for the evening's competition.

Miss Sacramento Latina Erika Vaca was introduced before the fashion show began and remained at the event socializing and posing for photos with guests.

Once the fashion show began models walked the runway and posed to showcase the hair and makeup stylist work as well as the beautiful Georgene Original outfits.

Three teams were selected as finalists; model Tania Cisneros represented Karina's Makeup, Yuri Munguia represented Chiklee Hair Sudio and Nancy Sanchez represented Irma Patiño.

After tabulation the Fashion in the City winner was Cisneros' team. The winning team, as expected, celebrated as their name was announced.

The Fashion in the City event was fun, well organized and showcased regional talent. Next year the event is expected to attract strong competition and local entertainment.

Editor's Note: Paragraph 15 has been edited. Cynthia Moreno is employed by Vida en el Valle.

Music brings warmth to the homeless

2012-12-21T03:30:50Z

It’s a wonderful feeling when doing something you love also helps someone else.

The Sacramento Women’s Chorus has found a way to combine their passion for singing with their commitment to improving the lives of women.

And Maryhouse, a daytime hospitality shelter for homeless women and children operated as part of the Loaves and Fishes organization serves plenty of women in need of a little help.

Each December, the Chorus hosts a holiday concert, featuring a variety of holiday music from many cultural traditions, a community singalong and reception, and an opportunity for audience members to donate items for Maryhouse.

“This year, the Maryhouse staff let us know that they had a serious need for sleeping bags, blankets, and quilts,” said Rita Birdsong, chair of SWC’s outreach efforts. With temperatures dipping into the 30s and 20s at night, sleeping outside is very uncomfortable and even dangerous for the women and their children.

The 2012 concert was titled “Holiday Quilt: a Patchwork of Seasonal Song”, and guests were asked to donate new or gently used clean sleeping bags and other warm coverings for the homeless women and families.

The response was terrific, and this week several people from SWC delivered an entire van full of donations to Maryhouse. “Our audience and our singers were very generous,” said Jeanie Schultz, SWC board president.

The staff at Loaves and Fishes and Maryhouse agreed. Garren Bratcher on the loading dock dispatched a forklift with two huge crates to collect the donations, which were stacked to the cieling in Birdsong's van.

Sister Libby Fernandez, Executive Director of Loaves and Fishes was wearing a cheerful set of elf ears beneath her jaunty hat, and she expressed her appreciation for the donation with twinkling eyes and good humor.

Alyssa Gerber, a staff member at Maryhouse, was on hand to receive the warm blankets, and she offered a tour of the Maryhouse operation. Noting that the center serves over a thousand homeless women and children each year, she cited the need for blankets, toiletries, toilet paper, towels, and diapers.

She also discussed the Maryhouse “Undercover” campaign, which seeks donations of the things many women take for granted, but which can make a huge difference in the life of a homeless woman: clean new underwear, new or gently used bras, and maxipads and tampons. The chorus members had collected quite a load of these items and delivered them with the sleeping bags, because “every woman can relate to the need for those things,” as Schultz said.

Years past have seen “Sock It to the Holidays,” when chorus and audience members collected warm socks and shoes, and “Hats Off to the Holidays,” which gathered hundreds of hats, scarves, and gloves. The 2013 holiday effort will likely focus on providing towels, as each guest at Maryhouse is afforded the opportunity for a hot shower and clean clothes laundered on site.

For both the Maryhouse staff and the women of the Sacramento Women’s Chorus, the collaboration is a natural fit.

To learn more about Maryhouse, or to make a donation, please visit http://www.sacloaves.org/programs/maryhouse.

To learn more about the Sacramento Women’s Chorus, please visit http://www.sacramentowomenschorus.org
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Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Disclosure: Writer Mary Nares Nikakis is a longtime community contributor to the Sacramento Press, and has a special interest in choral music. She serves on the board of directors of the Sacramento Women's Chorus and sings first soprano with the group.

Take 30 seconds and help Sol Collective win $10k for youth recording studio.

2012-12-20T21:39:35Z

For those of you who may not know about the Sol Collective, it is a cultural hub in Sacramento. Functioning as an art gallery, community space, and music venue by night, Sol Collective is also a non-profit youth center during the day offering Sacramento's next generation workshops in music production/recording, writing/blogging, urban gardening/sustainability, and art of all kinds. The Sol Collective was started by Director Estella Sanchez over seven years ago out of a necessity. An educator by trade, Estella met some young children (not even teenagers) in the Del Paso Heights area who were selling crack. Heartbroken by the painful realities facing youth in low income neighborhoods, Estella put a down payment on the first Sol Collective location that day. Since then, the story of the Sol Collective has grown to encompass an entire generation of Sacramento artists, musicians, activists, and entrepreneurs.

This year Estella was nominated as a finalist in the 2012 Women Who Inspire/Mujeres Que Inspiran campaign sponsored by CoverGirl and Pantene. The winner of the contest will receive $10,000 for the charity of their choice. If Estella wins, the money will go toward building the Sol Collective recording studio and helping to further the dreams of aspiring youth singers, musicians, poets, and more. The vote takes place on Facebook daily. You can vote EVERY DAY. As the deadline of January closes in, The Sol Collective and the youth of Sacramento could use your help.

To VOTE:

1. Go to https://www.readysetrocket.com/inspiran/detail/estella

2. Be sure to "Like" the page.

3. (The instructions are in spanish) Click the "Vota" button and cast your vote for Estella

Please be sure to share with your Facebook friends and get on to vote every day. Every vote counts in the lives and dreams of these kids.

Disclosure: I have been blessed to be the Marketing Director at Sol Collective and see all of the hard work this group of people has done in the community over the past three years. No one deserves it more. Find out more about all we do at www.SolCollective.org

Three Stages in Folsom hosts Posada Navideña

2012-12-18T08:12:35Z

An enchanting evening full of music and dance came to the Three Stages Performing Arts Center at Folsom Lake College. The Compañia Mazatlán Bellas Artes de Sacramento presented a festive Christmas performance on the main stage.

The “Posada Navideña,” a Christmas processional, was performed by a group of 30 dancers and musicians. They brought traditional live Mexican music and traditional Mexican dance mixed with ballet to the stage.

Executive director Yolanda Ramos-Colosio began teaching traditional Mexican folk dance in Sacramento in 1994. Four years later, as the school grew, she introduced a school (Instituto Mazatlán Bellas Artes) and a professional performing company (Compañia Mazatlán Bellas Artes).

Dynamic dancer and choreographer Steven Valencia became CMBA’s artistic director in 1998, and since 2000 the company has performed locally and internationally.

Under the direction of Valencia, the CMBA has toured throughout California, the Southwest, Mexico and China, and has won national and international competitions.

The Sacramento native announced his resignation as artistic director effective Dec. 31. Valencia's last performance was at Three Stages. The Posada Navideña in Folsom was also his final dance performance for CMBA.

Valencia's credentials as a dancer and choreographer are impressive. The award-winning director has also served as a grant writer for IMBA, and successfully secured several grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council and other organizations. Valencia has also been influential in creating in-school programs in the Sacramento region and partnering with the city's Any Given Child program.

Valencia's work in Sacramento is well-documented, and his work as a peace officer at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has helped him understand other local issues. His work at the CDCR made him see firsthand that many children may not have a positive outlet in life, and may turn to doing negative things.

He's been quoted as saying, “My goal has been to teach kids and young adults about culture, discipline and goal reaching through a positive forum: dance." Valencia's dedication as director, dancer and choreographer will be missed, and Friday's spectacular performance showcased his talent.

Three Stages at Folsom Lake College continues to attract top events and performances and Friday's Posada Navideña performance showcased the theater’s versatility, comfortable seating and magnificent stage.

A live band played in the background and brought life to the performances as regional dances came to the stage. Dancers in magnificent regional costumes began with a set of dances from Veracruz. The initial performance was choreographed by Valencia and guest artist David Lopez-Mancilla.

Wearing typical Veracruz outfits, dancers celebrated Christmas traditions. Several songs, including “La Bamba,” played during the visually enriching dances.

Other traditional dances and songs from Michoacán were highlighted by a whimsical dance in which dancers wore masks and costume to make them look like old men as they performed “Danza de los Viejitos.” The dance had guests laughing, especially the younger members in the audience.

"Yucatan- Fiesta del Pueblo" was a debut choreographed performance by Lopez-Mancilla.

Each dance was well-received by the audience, and regional pieces were welcomed by audience members with ties to those areas.

Christmas, or Navideña, songs and dances were performed, representing the pilgrimage made by Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem for the birth of baby Jesus. This posada celebration was celebrated on stage with classic ballet moves, and included a battle between the devil and the archangel Gabriel. The scene was colorfully performed and was followed by the arrival of the Three Kings at the site of Jesus' birth.

The final pieces performed included a full-blown fandango with traditional renditions of “La Piñata” and “Feliz Navidad” that also had audience members singing along.

The Posada Navideña was very colorful and the brilliant performances were very lively, leaving me with some lasting memories.

Some members of the audience shared that the program made them nostalgic for traditional celebrations. One member was Mona Almanza, who came to see her daughter Becca perform. When asked for her opinion on the show, she said, “Wonderful, it made me cry.”

The event continued in the lobby, as performers shared their experience with audience members who remained after the show.

Log on to Compañia Mazatlán Bellas Artes to find out more about their dance performances and programs. Three Stages' website has a full schedule of events for the rest of the year, as well as a 2013 schedule for visitors to view.

Arts Grown Locally: the arts flourishing in Yolo County

2012-12-15T01:22:49Z

[Note: text written by Natalie Nelson, Director of the Pence Gallery in Davis. Natalie coordinated and moderated the "Arts Grown Locally" panel discussion.]

For those living in mostly rural Yolo County, sometimesa town like Davis or Woodland can feel a little isolated. However, it means that you have a world of entertainment choices in terms of options for great art, music, and dance, despite Yolo’s small population of 200,000+ people.

This past year of 2012 was a watershed year for the arts in Yolo County. The Nelson Gallery of UC Davis received a large naming gift, and embarked on a campaign to build a new facility. John Natsoulas created a gallery of public art throughout downtown Davis, along with murals by local artists. Even the Downtown Davis Business Association got into the act, coordinating the city-wide Artober, a celebration of the arts and humanities, in which 75 separate events took place during October.

On Wednesday, December 12th, staff from four organizations located in Yolo County shared their insights at the Pence Gallery's panel "Arts Grown Locally". The panel delved into how the Mondavi Center, the Davis Art Center, the Davis Live Music Collective, and Yolo Arts try to stay local, serving their immediate audience, while remaining open to larger regional trends.

From the Davis Art Center's 52-year old organization, to the fledgling Davis Live Music Collective, just a toddler at 1-year old, the organizations present represented a diversity of experience and focus. Despite their different missions, each one agreed that the “Yolo” character of their audience was distinctive.

Jeremy Ganter, Associate Director of the Mondavi Center, commented on the Mondavi's annual Orchestra series and its popularity with the Davis audience. “It's our most expensive series, and yet it sells out every year with subscribers. And that just doesn't happen in other communities.” He went on to underline their collaboration with a Davis-based dance company-- Pamela Trokanski Dance, to involve adults with Parkinson's, and the positive impact of the program on participants. “It's very moving to see participants connecting with people further along in the disease, and in some ways, letting go of the disease, through dance.”

Other panelists, such as Kyle Monhollen, from the Davis Live Music Collective, were comfortable with the focus on serving a mainly local audience, given their success in building an audience of like-minded music lovers. “Our audience is mainly composed of people with school aged-children who still are interested in live music, who don't want to travel across the causeway to Sac or further afield to San Francisco. They want a shared experience that is enjoyable.” Emerging from the active house party concert scene in the college town, the volunteer-driven Collective has had great success in hosting distinctive performers such as Jolie Holland and the Sea of Bees. This June, the Davis Music Fest, a one day event featuring upwards of 100 musicians, pulled in anywhere between 1,200-1,500 participants, a huge increase that tripled their attendance in one year.

Dani Thomas, Director at Yolo Arts, shared her thoughts on how her organization has developed the Art & Ag program, reflecting the county's agricultural roots and its rich tradition of landscape painting. “Who would think that these two groups-- farmers and artists-- would have anything in common? But they do, and farmers love seeing the views of their land, whereas artists enjoy seeing the beauty of the land first hand, and what it takes to produce it.” To prove her point, National Endowment for the Arts chairman Rocco Landesman visited Yolo County specifically to see her program in action recently.

Erie Vitiello from the Davis Art Center also commented on involving the community in new ways, especially since the economic downturn of 2008. “Our 'Trash to Treasures' program, in which business teams compete to create a sculpture out of recycled materials in a two hour window, is really unique for this area. It harnesses the creativity of these different local businesses, and the sculptures that they make (and the Art Center displays) are truly inventive.”

Over all, panelists agreed that the recent burgeoning of the arts scene in Yolo was in some ways reflective of a larger trend during challenging economic times. “Community,” Dani Thomas explained, “the arts are about connecting people and building community.”

Disclosure: Rik Keller is a founding member of the Davis Live Music Collective.

NOFX brings their gritty style of punk to Sacramento.

2012-12-14T06:37:10Z

Ace of Spades plays host to NOFX Monday night, Dec. 12, 2012. There were three other bands that opened up for them: Elway, Concussion and Teenage Bottlerocket, three great groups with their own individual style.

Elway brought their aggressive punk style, which got the audience primed and ready to start the night off. Then Concussion came on. Concussion was an older-looking band with a youthful tune and spark that lit up the stage as they performed for the sold-out crowd.

Teenage Bottlerocket, on the other hand, blew the roof off the place. They had the crowd engaged and rocking. There was even a werewolf that came out with signs, which further encouraged the crowd to participate and have a good time. This tactic seemed to work. One sign read, "Pogo party," and the crowd got tighter and tighter, pushing toward the front. The members were introduced, the crowd swaying back and forth in anticipation. The music started and it seems as if the whole world started bouncing in unison with the band, as the audience was led through the stories of Teenage Bottlerocket through the pulsating beat.

NOFX was a great headliner. They all entered the stage with their favorite beverage, alcoholic, of course. NOFX led the audience in a medley of politically and racially laced music that lit them up with excitement From the ghettos, to the Mexicans, to the Blacks, to just their old smack-you-in-the-face-with-their-point-of-view, NOFX did not let their fans down Monday night.

12 things to do in Sacramento on 12/12/12

2012-12-12T17:13:13Z

People get gung-ho about repetitive dates, and so do we here at Sacramento365.com! In that spirit, we decided to get in the groove of 12/12/12 and round-up 12 fun things for you to do in Sacramento today.

1. See choirs from the Lodi Seventh Day Adventist Elementary School (11am) or the US Army Corps of Engineers (Noon) perform holiday tunes for free at the Capitol's annual Holiday Music Program.

2. Do a little shopping at Sacramento Downtown Plaza and then bring your receipt to the Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink for a free skate rental.

3. Learn about the local and regional impact of the arts at Pence Gallery's Art Grown Locally panel discussion.

4. Shop for wine while drinking wine at Enotria's Great Holiday Blowout.

5. Bring a canned food donation or a new and unwrapped toy to the Sacramento Zoo and receive $1 off your admission.

6. See B Street Theatre's holiday play, A Pail of Grace, which has two show times on Wednesdays to choose from: 2pm & 6pm.

7. Keep healthy this holiday season by attending Arden Hills' Live with the Chef: Healthy & Sweet Holiday Treats cooking class.

8. Hear multi-faceted musician Charlie Hunter live in concert at Harlow's.

9. Traipse from District 30 to Pizza Rock to Dive Bar at MetroWize's Party on K Street.

10. Celebrate Sacramento's finest at Sacramento Magazine's Best of Sacramento 2012 Party.

11. Laugh along at Bows & Arrows' free Stand Up Open Mic Night, and even try your own hand at humor if you're feeling brave.

12. Close out the 12 Days of Midtown at the Nutcracker Meet & Greet with dancers from the Sacramento Ballet.

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As an event partner for The Sacramento Press, Sacramento365.com provides information on activities happening in the Sacramento community. Find these and many more events on Sacramento365.com, the year-round source for Sacramento events.

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.

Disclosure: Alison Kranz is Assistant Editor for Sacramento365.com - the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Sac-Con fans pack Sacramento's Scottish Rite Center

2012-12-12T08:51:21Z

Sac-Con continues to be a popular attraction and the Sunday, Dec. 9 show once again packed the Scottish Rite Center.
The gathering was one of the largest and Sac-Con announced that nearly 2,000 fans attended the event.

Artists, authors, vendors and special guests talked to the many fans who stopped at their booths. In the spirit of the event, actor Ernie Hudson wore his Winston Zeddemore Ghostbusters costume. Long lines formed at Hudson's station as fans waited to obtain autographs and pose for photos with the popular actor.

Occupying the same area was Robin Shelby, who is known for her performance as Slimer in “Ghostbusters II.”

Long lines also formed at Steve Blum's autograph station. Blum might be best known as the voice of Spike Spiegel from “Cowboy Bebop.” Blum also does the voice for Wolverine in animated movies, games and the “Wolverine” and “X-Men” TV series.

Blum also participated in a Q&A session in the Back Panel Room of the Scottish Rite Center. The room full of fans asked questions related to Blum and his career as a voice actor.

Questions about other topics were also posed. One fan asked a question about prank calling people and asked if the actor had ever done that. Blum's answer was quite amusing.

“You know I used to do that before I became a professional voice actor,” he said. “I was always able to do a lot of different voices and what really ended up happening was I did, back when they had tape answering machines.”

Blum had a message recorded in a goofy sounding voice on his answering machine. He continued with the story saying that someone called the wrong number and got his answering machine.

“I heard them laughing in the background saying to someone else, 'you got to hear this,' and then click. Minutes later somebody else called and I could hear them laughing and so I guess they told their friends to call this number because they would call every week. Then this group of people started calling saying, ‘change your message; I want to hear something else.’ So I would change it to something else and so it kind of became a thing and I never thought I would get paid for that. I started doing something where I would aim the messages at different numbers.”

Using voices that sounded like Donald Duck and others, he finished that question saying, “That's as far as it went; I never really made prank calls.”

Someone else asked how many tattoos he had and Blum indicated he had three. One of them, on his left forearm brought forth other questions.

“Oh, yes this tattoo is my voice. That's the last thing that Spike says in the series,” said Blum, drawing oohs and aahs from the audience. The clever voice-inspired tattoo is a snapshot of the last words of the Spike Spiegel character.

Fans enjoyed a nice sunny day which allowed them to mingle with each other outdoors. Many attendees spend countless hours making their own cosplay outfits. Elaborate work showcases talent from cosplay costume makers, and many are worthy of being cinema costumes.

Other artists and vendors returned to showcase their newer creations in art, crafts and fashion. Carlyfornia Love had one of her latest creations on hand. A comic book-print dress attracted customers for a close-up view.

Anthony Leano occupied the space next to his longtime girlfriend, Carlyfornia. Leano, who books and promotes guests for Sac-Con, SacAnime and other events, sold movie poster prints and avant-garde DVDs as well as other items. Leano, like other artists, is more than happy to share expertise and talk about similar events around California.

Many other guests lined the main halls where a Christmas tree offered a festive mood amid the organized chaos. Vendors filled the stage areas and offered comic book-related items that included action figures, posters, swords, clothing and other collectables.
The stage itself served as a place to hold card tournaments that transpired throughout the day.

A room straight across from the main entrance housed the Small Press Zone. The artist-themed zone featured several comic book creators, writers and artists who showcased new works. The zone included amateur and professional artists.

Many of the artists lining the walls of the Small Press Zone have attended other Sac-Con events and understand the importance of meeting with their ever-growing audience. Fans, in turn, are appreciative of being able to talk to these artists about their talent and how they got started.

Jason Dube's Scattered Comics booth included a Shadow Hunters signing session. The Shadow Hunters #2 (Cosplay Edition) premiered at Sac-Con. I had spotted Dube earlier waiting in line to get Hudson's autograph; it was great to witness one artist appreciating the work of another.

Winning cosplayers from a Shadow Hunters contest were also on hand to sign copies of the new edition. Characters included Victoria Augusto as Firewire, Tina Bird as Eileen, Maria Crawdad as Kala and Iris Elvirus as Jessika. The cosplayers posed for photos and signed copies of the Shadow Hunters release.

The Shadow Hunters Cosplay Edition includes photos of the cosplay contest winners as well as a double-page centerfold suitable for decorating any wall.

Comic book writer Peter Quinones hosted a “Writing for Comics” workshop where he shared his expertise on how to develop a storyline and work with other artists to create a comic book.

Quinones' credits include: G.I. Joe, Phantom 2040, Quantum Leap and others. He is also the co-creator of the Epic/Marvel series, Dragon Lines.

Future writers and artists attended the workshop and were treated to valuable insights in creating a superhero comic book story from beginning to end. Quinones covered story development, plot, themes and touching on emotions such as fear, loss, love, laughter and loneliness. Touching on these emotions brings in the reader, as we all have these feelings. Quinones emphasized that loneliness is one aspect that touches most superheroes - as well as villains - and allows the audience to be drawn into and relate to this powerful emotion.

The Sacramento Ghostbusters were quite visible around the convention and their Ghostbusters vehicle was parked in front of the auditorium. The group participated in the Toys for Tots Drive along with the Bay Area Ghostbusters.

Hudson and Shelby co-hosted another Q&A session and many attended. Hudson is a likeable, laid-back guy who enjoyed the session and answered questions about his Ghostbusters experience, how he got started in the movie business and what he's been up to.

One of the recurring questions asked was regarding when and if a third “Ghostbusters” would come out and if he would be in the movie.
“Everybody says they would like to see it happen, but nothing yet,” Hudson said. “When I see the money, then I know it's for real, but until then....” Laughter from the audience erupted as he shared his insight.

When someone asked if he'd heard about what the next “Ghostbusters” movie might be about, Hudson stated, “I've heard Bill Murray is going to be a ghost and things are floating around. There's also a lot of fans who write scripts. My son wrote a script - you'd be amazed and it would be a great fan movie... Do I know anything about seeing a script? No, not really.”

Hudson's insights were quite revealing. He shared, to the amazement of many, that he's not a big movie fan and can not recite his roles line by line like some actors and fans do.

Hudson and Shelby answered many questions and then returned to the autograph tables to continue to talk to fans.

A charity auction was also held to benefit local charities such as Loaves & Fishes and the Mustard Seed School.

The ever-popular Cosplay Costume Contest took placed in a room full of guests, and again, the talent of the fans who attended was quite impressive.

Craftsmanship judging results were announced after cosplayers showed their talent in creating costumes or performing on stage.

Stephanie Rector, organizer of Sacramento Geeks, set the stage and introduced the presentation host for the Best of Geeky Sacramento awards.

The guest host was writer and comedian Robert Berry who announced and presented the winners for each category.

Poll award winners were the Sacramento Ghostbusters for Best Local Geeky Club or Social Organization, Seeker for Best Local Geeky Band or Live Entertainment Group, Chris Wisnia for Best Local Comic Book Writer or Graphic Artist, Best local Weekly or Monthly Event or Meetup went to the Sacramento Comic Creators Group, Best Local Comic Book Store or Anime Shop was won by Empire's Comics Vault, and Best Local Sci-Fi Fantasy or Horror Author was Nicholas Grabowsky.

Evangeline’s took the Best Place to Find Costuming Supplies in the Sacramento Area award, the Best Semi-Regular or Annual Local Event winner was Sac-Con, the Best Local Gaming or Hobby Shop was Great Escape Games, the Best local Maker/Inventor/Techie went to Fred Jeska, and the award for Best Place for a Geeky Date winner were the Sac-Anime and Sac-Con Conventions.

Sunday's Sac-Con was once again a fun-filled family-oriented event. Sac-Con will return to Sacramento's Scottish Rite Center on Sunday, March 3, 2013. Log on to the Sac-Con website to view who the invited special guests will be for the event or to find out more about participating as a vendor or artist.

Several artists from this year’s Sac-Con will also be participating at the Drawing for Toys event on Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. at Empire's Comics Vault. Artists will create original works of art, as well as commission work, to benefit Toys for Tots. Empire's Comics Vault is located at 1120 Fulton Ave.

Exploring HAIRitage in Oak Park

2012-12-11T08:31:29Z

This past Second Saturday, I ventured off the midtown grid, away from the usual suspects, to a cultural hotbed at the Brickhouse Art Gallery in Oak Park. The occasion was the launch party of HAIRitage: Celebrating the Legacy of the Barber Shop with Art, Poetry and Jazz, a book full of black and white photos taken at the Master Barber Shop and Beauty Salon by local artist Gerry “GOS” Simpson, and poetry centering around the barbershop experience and its positive influence in the black community. And community is just what I found there, in spades.

The exterior of Brickhouse was topped with a painting of President Obama, his smile shining like a beacon of hope and solidarity, and the atmosphere inside was celebratory and familial. Familial in the figurative and literal meaning of the word since the event centered largely around the Brown family, who own Master Barber Shop, but spotlighted many different poets all part of the barbershop “family.” Simpson captured this sense of family by taking over two thousand photos at Master, including in the book many candid shots of patrons primping and sharing a laugh.

Tajiye "Hypnotic" Antwine, the show’s DJ and MC, revealed that his connection to the barber shop was a result of his mother’s job as a hair dresser while he was growing up. He chuckled remembering how he was her guinea pig, and went through every hairstyle under the sun. “My nick name was ‘Jerry Curl,’ ‘S Curl,’ ‘California Curl,’ you name it,” he recalled. More passionately, he articulated, “Hair is part of our hostility, our culture; it’s a way to express yourself.”

Hypnotic then expressed himself with a poem called, “The Stars Are No Longer Bright,” which warned against worshipping man-made concerns, and used the idolatry of shallow celebrity culture to illustrate his point.

The Brown family, headed by patriarch and Marishal Brown, then followed with mutual gratitude to one another for helping to create the book, and an introduction to each family member. The youngest member of the family, 10-year-old RoRo Brown, then read a poem called “Witness the Future” from his own book he’d just released. That’s right, the 10-year-old boy wrote a whole book of poetry – deep, thoughtful, well-crafted poetry. This family is a true testament to artistry being genetic.

Ayla Dozier, a striking young lady with short hair, read her poem called “Here,” which painted a vivid picture of a barber shop with descriptions of buzzing sounds and conversations overheard, and contrasted it with the presence of the past – “My grandpa lives in these walls….”

The many poets who followed had clearly mastered the rhythmic cadence that transforms a poem into spoken word, or a song, or something lilting in between. A man in African garb padded lightly on hand drums to create a subtle beat, but for the most part, the poets’ intonation created the rhythm.

Since poetry is the mother, or sister, or daughter of music (or maybe all of those?), it only makes sense that the book was sold with a CD of jazz and R&B music inside, and that Hypnotic played bursts of musical interludes between the poems recited throughout the night, which kept the energy high.

The “word” community” was voiced many times at the HAIRitage event, and it was a challenge not to overuse it here, but rarely have I witnessed such authentic representation of the word. As part of millennial generation, whose idea of community is sitting at the local coffee shop in close proximity to assumingly like-minded people, it was refreshing to experience the actual embodiment of the concept. Even though it was my first time there, I felt like I was part of it, thanks to the visceral power of words to portray an idea – whether spoken rhythmically, expressed emphatically, or written (or even photographed) on the page.

HAIRitage: A Fine Art and Photo Exhibition will be on display through December 30, 2012 at the Brick House Art Gallery, and the book will be on sale from Dec. 16th on, from 7-10pm.

For more on music (and style), check out my blog Babe-sicle.blogspot.com.

Local artist Raul Mejia launches new national presence at raulmejia.com

2012-12-10T18:10:08Z

Local artist Raul Mejia is taking a big step in growing his business by launching his own online brand at www.raulmejia.com, featuring an online store offering original work, prints, shirts and more to a national audience. Mejia is a very well-known artist in Sacramento, having had his work exhibited in the SMUD Building, Spanglish Arte, Sol Collective, DEEDA Salon, CUFFS Urban Boutique, Centro’s, Ink, Borjon Winery, MoMo Lounge and Mixture. He has also had features in the Sacramento News & Review, Submerge Magazine, NorCal Magazine, Legend Magazine and on the TV show, Turf Wars.

An online store is a logical next step in the rapidly growing career of this local Sacramento artist. Allowing for easy browsing and purchase of items all featuring his artwork, his online store is poised to launch his brand to a national audience in addition to his local presence. According to Mejia, “Sacramento has been an amazing influence on my art and my life, and I want to have the chance to share that influence with more people. I see RaulMejia.com as the perfect opportunity to accomplish this.”

Having recently grown his sales presence in the area, with many of his original works selling immediately as soon as they are revealed to the public, Mejia saw the opportunity to effectively expand sales to a national market. “I’m just excited to be able to share my art and message with such a broad audience so easily,” Mejia says.

ABOUT RAUL MEJIA

Born in Mexico City, one of three siblings, Raul was only 8 months old when his mother carried him to the United States. As recalled by his mother, he was staring at the stars throughout the night’s journey, and his fascination for the universe continues as revealed in the most recent Celestial Beings exhibit. Coexisting between American and Mexican culture, Raul has remained fluid. Beginning roots as an artist with street art, he navigated around the art scene to ultimately create the well-recognized, distinctive, simple lines, crossed with complex subjects with a keen sense of design that always keeps it refreshing. Mejia’s art is non-traditional yet includes elements of his hybrid Mexican and American culture. Innately capturing metaphorical and spiritual elements captivates curiosity, distilling beauty and provoking thought - a reminder of life, death and all the beauty that exists in between in the here and now. Mejia is currently expanding to include graphic design, murals and screen-printing, and is stepping into a curator role.

Disclosure: Luke Miller is a designer, marketer, and PR professional living in Sacramento, CA, operating his own business "Miller Marketing Management"

Performance artist David Garibaldi returns to Sheldon High School

2012-12-07T19:16:06Z

If you watched the past season of America's Got Talent you were undoubtedly introduced to performance artist David Garibaldi. His style of art is quite unique and rather impressive, painting very large canvases in time to music in such a way that you're left guessing up to the end, and very often amazed at the outcome. For a further twist, sometimes he paints these pieces upside down, only rotating them at the end.

He had already built a solid career performing to sold out audiences and being commissioned for private pieces when he and his dance group, the CMYKs, auditioned for the show.

Garibaldi has performed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, opened for the Blue Man Group, Snoop Dogg, produced several successful tours of his performance art, and performed locally at the 11th Annual Sacramento Film and Music Festival, held at the Crest Theater.

His career in art began in what Sheldon High School Visual and Performing Arts teacher Shawn Sullivan describes as aerosol art, or as it's more commonly known, graffiti. Sullivan, a long-time animation and film teacher at Sheldon High School in Elk Grove, gave Garibaldi the chance, and the medium, to turn his passion for graffiti art into a successful career. The two have been close and have collaborated ever since.

Garibaldi frequently comes to Sullivan for advice on new pieces or tour ideas while either working in his Elk Grove studio or even while on the road and in return has given something back to the school where he found the guidance to turn his art into a career.

One such time was earlier this year when Sheldon's K9 Studios, the production studio of Sullivan's animation and film program, collaborated with Garibaldi on an opening animation video for his CMYK dancers. The class helped develop the story line, created the story boards, and handled the production from character art through the final edit, working in small department teams just like a professional film studio would.

Today David is back at Sheldon performing live for an audience, with several of the pieces created today being raffled off. If you tuned into Good Day Sacramento this morning, you saw brief clips of this performance and caught an interview with Shawn Sullivan, the teacher who helped him find the path that has led him to where he is today.

With so many talented students having launched their careers coming out of Sullivan's program, it's no surprise that Garibaldi has found the success that he has. He's been in great company and Sheldon High School, and the Sacramento area in general, is very fortunate that another hometown star continues to give back to the community and the people who inspired them.

Disclosure: Geoff Foley's oldest son, Nathaniel Foley, a senior at Sheldon High School, is in his third year of study under Shawn Sullivan's program and was one of the animators on David Garibaldi's CMYK animated video.

3rd Annual 12 Days of Midtown

2012-11-29T18:54:34Z

Your favorite neighborhood just got a little merrier.

Midtown is all dressed up for the upcoming holiday season with events and specials that are sure to fill visitors and residents with holiday cheer.

The 12 Days of Midtown festivities run from Saturday, Dec. 1 through Wednesday, Dec. 12 with festivities for all ages. The event, which is in its third year, features local businesses and showcases hundreds more throughout the district.

The annual holiday promotion is designed to engage the public and make Midtown a part of their annual holiday tradition. Throughout the 12 days, attendees can experience a variety of events and activities. Whether it's supporting our local retailers, giving to those in need, watching a performing arts production, or just going out for some good old fashioned holiday fun, Midtown offers many ways to participate in the winter celebration.

12 DAYS OF MIDTOWN SCHEDULE

DEC 1 l SANTA'S WORKSHOP l THE MARRS BUILDING
DEC 2 l SGMC LIGHT YOUR WORLD CONCERT l 1ST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
DEC 3 l GIRLS ON THE GRID WEAVE TOY DRIVE l 58 DEGREES & HOLDING
DEC 4 l HOLIDAY ART WORKSHOP l ARTBEAST
DEC 5 l MBA HOLIDAY PARTY l KUPROS BISTRO
DEC 6 l DRAG QUEEN BINGO l HAMBURGER PATTY’S
DEC 7 l HOLIDAY COCKTAILS & CHARITY TOY DRIVE l THE SUTTER DISTRICT
DEC 8 l A SIMPLE EMIGRANT CHRISTMAS l SUTTER'S FORT STATE HISTORIC PARK
DEC 9 l HOLIDAY MAKERS MART l BOWS & ARROWS
DEC 10 l SANTA'S TAVERN & HOT TODDY COMPETITION l THE GOLDEN BEAR
DEC 11 l SEASON OF GIVING BLOOD DRIVE l BLOOD SOURCE MIDTOWN
DEC 12 l THE NUTCRACKER DANCERS MEET & GREET l THE HANDLE DISTRICT – 1801 L

Please check out exploremidtown.org for more information specific to each event.

Disclosure: Heather Philpott is the Communication & Events Manager at the Midtown Business Association and is a producer of the 12 Days of Midtown.

Credo of the Coworker

2012-11-29T06:45:06Z

Out of the rubble of the recession, a concept of the communal has arisen: the coworking space. A communist atmosphere for the capitalist tradition of going into business for one's self, coworking exhibits the benefits of both physical and virtual infrastructures.

In opposition to our particularly modern kind of estrangement, the coworking space invents opportunities for comrades to collide. Creating casual spontaneity in lieu of the isolation of the compartmentalized human condition, spaces like Sacramento's Hacker Lab experiment with yoking people together through the construction of start ups.

Barely a decade old, the modern co-working space spawned from San Francisco’s consummate startup scene. The antithesis of the decadence of cubicular bureaucracy, coworking allows for modernity to seep into the office environment, particularly that of New Media. Artists, serial entrepreneurs, and the seasonally unemployed are the foundation of this generational movement.

Most notable of these bases is NextSpace, its many nuclei networked throughout the California coast. Marking the ‘21st century knowledge economy’, NextSpace produces an entrepreneurial ecology worthy of its membership fees, ranging from the “Cafe” to the “Galactic”. Be ye bohemian, be ye businessman, coworking may be your professional salvation.

Disclosure: Marie-Clare Treseder is the Content Curator for Hacker Lab.

'Silver Linings' Plays Well

2012-11-29T00:28:12Z

No main characters in “Silver Linings Playbook” exist that aren't Type A personalities. The energy runs high for nearly for every moment of this new film from David O. Russell that's been catching some kudos. In 2010, Russell did “The Fighter.”

“Silver Linings, now at four Sacramento theaters, is a date movie with cajones that touches all the right, giddy, holiday buttons in grand style. It might be such a overwhelming crowd-pleaser and blow up enough box offices across the nation to already have an Oscar lying somewhere in wait for it.

How can a film miss that's about contemporary, stressed-out people who are waist deep in the spasms of following professional American football with competitive dancing on the side? What else is there on the TV, I ask. And I ask since I no longer have one at my house.

It's almost impossible for a filmmaker to lose making such a movie as “Silver Linings” with actors like Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in the Type A leads...and Robert De Niro thrown in for more mature Type A activity from the gray-haired set.

Then there's the music that's been dubbed-in: “What Is Life?” by George Harrison, a Christmas standard from Sinatra and a Johnny Mathis hit love song recorded well before most in the cast were born. And be ready for Stevie Wonder's “My Cherie Amour,” the song that makes the leading man in this movie go ballistic. All the buttons are touched ... and well before Christmas.

Remembering what a fetching button Jennifer Lawrence was in “Winter's Bone, the young actor fetches again as Tiffany in “Silver Linings.” As such, Lawrence really gets her tough on. In fact, she's so hard ass, you'd think that Jen was channeling Julia Styles before the cameras. But whoa, Julia Styles is in the movie, too. She plays Veronica, Tiffany's married sister.

Good casting.

Bradley Cooper rules as a mentally riled dude named Pat Solitano. Pat's demeanor indicates he might be abusing methamphetamine, but he really isn't. It's more a matter of his beating up himself for catching his wife, Nicki (Brea Bee), taking a shower with another guy one day when Pat gets home early. Pat and Nicki are split; not yet divorced, but with Pat being smacked with a restraining order.
All this puts Pat in the looney bin for about 8 months after beating hell out of the guy washing Nicki's back.

The movie opens with Delores Solitano (Jackie Weaver) picking up Pat, her son, from a Philadelphia mental facility and moving him to the family home where Pat Solitano, Sr. waits (yip, Robert De Niro).
There isn’t a more devout fan of the Philadelphia Eagles than Pat Sr. If you're a real football fan, this will make “Silver Linings Playbook” even more endearing.

Tiffany is a lovely, deeply disenchanted, unemployed widow of a Philadelphia cop. She's in much the same mental state as Pat, Jr, and having slept around with several at work, Tiffany lost her job. Pat is playing it straight not being able to get Nicki out of his head; obsessed with patching up his marriage.
Tiffany puts herself on a platter for Pat, but he (if you can believe this) “ain't goin' for it.”

There is a noteworthy sequence in the film between Pat and Tiffany when, at Tiffany's urging and cajoling, the pair focuses on a dance competition she's preparing for in which he agrees to participate.
The terpsichore the two work out together has a positive effect that diminishes the couple's disturbing mood swings … if only for a little while. These brief moments showing them develop the choreography for the contest have their characters at complete ease as they move to the music.

But the Type A personalities flail on and on, as the story moves toward an ending that (How can I say this?) has about as few surprises as one could expect from an R-rated family, holiday-like motion picture. Even a private letter sealed in an envelope that plays an important part in the plot made my early suspicions about the missive come true.

On the other hand, folks in this film are good ... and they're game. They give it their all, including the indefatigable and enduring De Niro. Supporting players provide really fine, mostly Type A backup to all what's happening up front.

I felt a little touched and a lot tired as the final gun from the gridiron … rather screen ... sounded for “Silver Linings Playbook.” But I did give thanks that Sylvester Stallone wasn't around do his Rocky thing in the film since it was shot in the City of Brotherly Love.

Famous Poet reads in Sacramento Pubs and Beer Houses

2012-11-23T03:20:07Z

Their eyeballs rolled inside their heads while looking at me as if they had smelled rotten eggs. They flippantly dismissed my comment as they both turned away, irritated, like I was the one who fermented the cantaloupe in the kitchen or took Max’s potty from the outside lawn and put it in the corner of the living room.

“This morning I’m going to read you poetry,” I said. “It’s from a poet named Todd Cirillo. I wrote about him in an article last week and he asked me to review his new book.”

I might as well have said, “Hey, everybody, let’s spend the day watching NOVA’s space odysseys,” or “How about making popcorn and curling up to a National Geographic flick on the biological evolution of plants?”

Their reaction probably would have been the same. However, this morning, instead of taking offense, I had to smile, because I knew right then that I held in my hands a power stroke, strong enough to get them to drop their Us Weekly and People magazines.

Generally the rain and whippy wind is a downer. The idea of being stuck inside a small house with other people, watching TV and reading magazines, is enough motivation for me to put on my rain boots and chance the elements. But today I am not going to let the miserable weather get me down. Today, I am going to make lemonade out of lemons.

So I opened Cirillo’s new book, “Sucker's Paradise,” and began reading.

“The Idiot”

Sitting, waiting for you.
I fidget, I wait, I sit,
I get a glass, I drink,
I drink more.
The door opens,
the door closes.
I look every time.
I read the beer signs
and the chalkboard specials
many times.
I fidget, I wait, I sit,
I drink and I drink more.
When the place empties out
and the evening is done
I look at my phone again
and still wonder
if I’ve missed your call.

All of a sudden the critiquing began. My friends looked at each other, smiled and said, “Ooohhh … I hate it when that happens.” They both look at me and neither speaks, so I read another.

“A Poet’s Promise”

Soon enough
I’ll write myself
out of your bed

the same way
I wrote myself
in.

They both smirk, exclaiming, with shoulders shrugging, “Yep.”

Today the rain, the cold air and the wind have conspired to help me share a sliver of art, which perhaps wouldn’t have been possible had it been sunny, because it would have immediately caused the kind of irritation that only a mother knows when their child incessantly says,

“Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom…,” while she is on the phone talking to her sister.

Poetry for most people, when heard as a transitive verb, as in, “I am going to read you poetry,” conjures up visions of slobbering facedown in English class, trying not to snore.

The word “poetry” has lost its charm; it is antiquated and old. The tone in which the word is spoken shakes its way out of one’s mouth and into the ears of another, similar to the way the sound of a hypnotist’s snapping fingers puts a person to sleep.

“Rum Dreams”

Most of the time
I sit
with the dinosaurs,
drink cheap beer
grin and grin at the girls:
thin,
long legged,
out of reach,
spaghetti-strapped
black dresses,
shoes which show off the paint
so carefully put on
and
the lipstick,
so red and provocative,
it remains
long-long after
the dinosaurs and I
become extinct.

And so it went. I read the entire book of quick, punchy poems from Cirillo’s book, “Sucker’s Paradise.” It felt like we all connected in a strange new way, through the simple sharing of short, clear after-hours poetry, which had the quality of conversation, gossip and rouse.

It transported us from the muck and the mire of the cold, miserable day, to new, painfully joyous destinations under the neon, where people sit and look at each other, talk if they have to and simply enjoy the pleasures that life hurls at them.

“Sucker’s Paradise” takes you down Cirillo’s life journey like an 18-wheeler takes you down the steep, winding grade of Interstate 80. And then it gently returns you safely home to the ones you love.

Cirillo’s “Sucker's Paradise” is the newest of his five poetry books and is worth the $12 that you would spend getting him drunk in a bar anyway. But to me it had even more value that day. His book provided me with a channel to communicate with friends, and to give the gift of laughter and community. But more importantly, since I was trapped in a house with people I love, it was a lifesaver.

Editor's Note: The sixth paragraph has been changed to accurately reflect the title of the book.

Alternative Black Friday shopping options in Sacramento

2012-11-21T17:28:01Z

Avoid the dreaded long lines and crowds at retail chains this Black Friday and consider turning your attention to the local shops and vendors in town. In fact, you can even take a pledge to shop local this season, courtesy of the Keep Your Green on the Grid campaign, organized by the Midtown Business Association and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

Furthermore, Sacramento365.com's Local Marketplace section always fills up this time of year with myriad craft fairs, holiday shopping bazaars, and the like, which are great ways to get out and interact face-to-face with the people who create the gifts you are buying.

In addition to pledging to keep your green on the grid, here are some shopping suggestions to change up your Black Friday this year:

Black Friday Shopping with Local Art: Little Relics Boutique & Galleria; Fri & Sat 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Arts & Crafts Holiday Fair: California State Indian Museum;
Fri & Sat 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Black Friday Sale at Bows: Bows & Arrows; Fri 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Holiday Market: Pence Gallery; Daily 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. (except 11/22), through Dec 23
Holiday Art & Craft Festival: Scottish Rite Center; Fri Noon-6pm;
Sat 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Disclosure: Alison Kranz is Assistant Editor for Sacramento365.com - the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Grammy-nominee Ana Tijoux performs at Sol Collective

2012-11-21T09:31:49Z

Sol Collective hosted Grammy-nominee Ana Tijoux and other artists on Monday, Nov. 19.

Tijoux was up for Best Urban album at the Latin Grammy Awards that transpired on Nov. 15.

International and local talent continues to be showcased at Sol Collective and Monday night provided over five hours of entertainment. Andru Defeye served as host for the evening and kept things moving along.

Once onstage, Tijoux, who is currently six months pregnant, thanked the audience for attending and apologized for not being able to perform the last time she was scheduled to appear at Sol Collective, in late August.

Tijoux started off with “Obstaculo” (Obstacle) and “Partir de Cero” (Starting From Scratch) off her “1977” album. Rhythmic, thought provoking and catchy Spanish rap lyrics were presented with enthusiasm and expressive style. Five other songs from Tijoux's “La Bala” album followed.

Music provided by two talented backup musicians helped Tijoux deliver an impressive performance that showed how rap continues to transcend language and international borders to bring music and the voice of the people to all. Tijoux's talent also showed that rap in Spanish continues to grow and attract audiences throughout the world.

Before the show, I was invited to go backstage and hold a short interview with Ana Tijoux. We spoke in Spanish and I translated her answers for this story The interview has been included at the bottom of this article.

Sol Collective and its team of community members, educators, activists and volunteers put together a great show that showcased both local and international artists. They continue to make their building available for art exhibitions, community forums, and advocacy and other community programming. On Monday nights they make their space available for an open mic night as well as live art demonstrations such as those done by Fresno's Barrio Art Collective. The open mic is available for community members to share their poetic, rap, comedic, musical and singing talent.

Microphone Monday was held earlier than usual this week to accommodate the musical acts of the evening. Monday night's crowd welcomed over a dozen performances to the stage.

Monday's open mic brought some heart-wrenching spoken word poets to the stage and audience support was instrumental in allowing these artists to share their message. Some participants took the stage for the first time, and many awed the audience and inspired others to take the stage.

Topics covered during open mic included a gamut of topics including sex, drugs, politics, love, Kurt Cobain and comedy.

Performances by participants were very impressive. If you've ever had an inkling to share your talents, Mic Mondays at Sol Collective provide a great atmosphere in which to share those talents.

Host, Defeye, also served as the opening act for the evening full of music at Sol Collective. Defeye's rap and lyrics were well received by the ever-growing audience on hand.

Pro Mañon followed Defeye and also entranced the audience with their rap style. This was the first time I've seen Pro Mañon perform, and although I only caught part of their act, I became an instant fan.

Mentes Diferentes took the stage, and although they were missing several members, their performance had everyone moving to the beat. Mentes Diferentes continues to rap about political, social and community awareness. Their catchy beat and lyrics also capture the imagination as they reach out to English, Spanish and Spanglish speaking audiences.

Oakland's Bukue One brought his brand of rap to Sacramento and the audience loved the performance. The creative lyrics of Bukue One also had the audience moving, and he was not shy to get them involved.

As Bukue One performed, he threw in some Jamaican-style rap as well as some light-hearted lyrics dealing with taking long walks, hip-hop shows, being a momma's boy, sex, freakiness, Romney and more sex.

Bukue One's rapid rap style, lyrics and personality captivated the audience as he delivered an outstanding performance.

Ana Tijoux Interview

Sacramento Press: When did you arrive in Sacramento?
Ana Tijoux: We arrived today from Los Angeles.

SP: Can you tell us a little about yourself for our readers who may not know you?
AT: I'm a musician from Chile and I've been doing rap for the past 15 years. I have three solo albums. I used to be in a band before going solo. I'm a mother; I have a 7-year-old son and am pregnant with my second child.

SP: Do you know if you're having a boy or a girl?
AT: This will be a girl.

SP: Are you currently on tour?
AT: Yes, I am. It's not a long tour and this is our third stop.

SP: Have you played in Sacramento before?
AT: Yes, and every time I come to Sacramento I perform at Sol Collective.

SP: Do you have any other current projects?
AT: No, but right now we're touring to promote the last album entitled, “La Bala” (The Bullet), and possibly start the next record, so that's the plan at the moment.

SP: When did “La Bala” come out?
AT: It came out last year. Wait, it was released (in the U.S.) at the beginning of this year in January 2012.

SP: Have you picked out a name for your child?
AT: Yes, she'll be named Emilia.

SP: Is she named after a family member?
AT: It's my mother's name.

SP: So you were a Latin Grammy-nominee this year. What are your thoughts about that?
AT: It was held in Las Vegas. It was an interesting event to be in and enjoy. I was very grateful for the nomination. Although we did not win we are thankful for the opportunity.

SP: What are you doing after the show?
AT: Going to sleep (laughing). Like a good pregnant mom I need to rest. I'll drink orange juice, milk and go to bed.

SP: What kind of music do you listen to?
AT: Wow, let's see. I listen to a lot of Latin American music. I love Brazilian music, Chilean folkloric songs; well, I like a lot of other music like African music, jazz, soul...

SP: Any future plans for tours, books or records?
AT: Yes, I have several projects under my belt. At the moment creating a new album comes to mind. I hope to take the time to create and release it in the near future. I would also like to publish something but I don't want to rush any projects.

SP: Any closing remarks for the Sacramento audience?
AT: I would like to tell readers that it is always a pleasure to visit and perform here. We find it full of surprises and I like Sacramento. This city cultivates a lot of talent and there are many creative and inspirational people here.

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.

2012 CARITA Wine Label Finalists

2012-11-13T22:00:17Z

The CARITA Wine is probably one of best artisan wines produced in the Sacramento region. Produced and released exclusively by James Blake Wines to benefit Developmental Disabilities Service Organization (DDSO), the wine has become a signature of excellence and is mostly recognized for its charitable purpose.

The name CARITA was selected because it has several meaningful associations. In Latin “caritas” refers to love for all, but the love referred here is that of the altruistic kind and charity towards others. Each year the CARITA Wine labels are designed by DDSO artists. Each of our three Short Center arts-based programs submit their best art pieces to the Wine Label competition early in July for the great November Competition. The winning labels are unveiled at the Uncork for the Arts Benefit Event, which is also the time of the year when DDSO recognizes artists with developmental disabilities for contributing to the cultural and artistic make-up of our community and awards them for their amazing talent and creativity. This year we are proud to announce the finalist and winners of the 2012 CARITA labels:

Congratulations to our three 2012 CARITA Wine Label winners: Britanny Garcia (SCS), Rita Rosa Pasillas (ASC) and Liz Markham (SCN), and of course the finalists: Doug Clayton (SCN), Robin Vierra (SCS) and Robert Larson (ASC).

BRITTANY GARCIA - DESERT FLOWER (2012) Brittany is a gorgeous young woman who has been attending Short Center South for about a year and a half. She has many interests and enjoys exploring them at our program. Brittany excels at painting, ceramics and sewing. She is also employed in the Pilot Project. She served as president of the SCS student council and is often at the center of the program’s social circle.

LIZ MARKHAM - UNTITILED (2000) The main attribute that stands out about Liz’s work is the honest portrayal of her subject matter and her amazing color palette. Liz is one of Short Center North’s (SCN) visual biographers. Later Liz’s work evolved to include forest creatures. Liz also enjoyed doing “Country/Western” stars Johnny Cash and Hank Williams inspired many master pieces. Liz will always stand out as one of SCN’s premier artists and contributors in her community.

RITA PASILLAS - ROSA'S GARDEN (2012) Rita is a woman inspired by all types of art subjects and mediums. However, flowers are her greatest passion. She states that her fascination by all types of flowers began at a very young age. She is blessed with a take-charge personality, which translates into big, bold compositions. She is never at a loss of what to draw or paint and is undaunted by trying new mediums and techniques. She says that art is the one thing in her life that helps her calm down and relax during stressful moments.

To learn more about CARITA wines contact us uncork@ddso.org and to learn more about DDSO artists and program visit www.ddso.org

Disclosure: Sara Garzon - DDSO Admin Support

Eric Decetis signs G-Spot

2012-11-09T22:45:03Z

G-Spot launches its holiday greeting cards and holiday merchandise with a celebrity signing by Eric Decetis. Eric, known for his international bestselling hysterical cartoons such as “Lost Puppy,” will autograph merchandise and greeting cards to support G-Spot’s newly remodeled interior and holiday gift season. Along with intimate gifts, G-Spot has many Eric Decetis greeting cards available for purchase.

Located at 2009 K St., Midtown, G-Spot hosts Eric Decetis’s autograph signing for Second Saturday Art Walk, Nov. 10, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Disclosure: Susan Rabinovitz owns Little Relics Boutique & Galleria, the home gallery for original cartoons by Eric Decetis.

Local student videos receive awards & air on KVIE

2012-11-09T19:37:33Z

For nearly 50 years, California students with an interest in creating films have been recognized during the annual California Student Media Festival. This year, students in four Sacramento-area schools and one Stockton school were awarded for their videos at the festival, held June 2, 2012, at Orange County High School of the Arts.

In recent years, PBS SoCal has hosted the annual California Student Media Festival, which encourages project-based learning and meaningful student creations in media and multimedia and exists to acknowledge and reward successful classroom work.

This year marked the first time the event was recorded into an hour-long program, which includes clips of student media projects, and interview with the students, parents, and teachers who attended the event. The program, 46th Annual California Student Media Festival, will air on KVIE Channel 6 at 2PM Sunday, November 11.

Students from the following Sacramento-area schools were recognized with awards: Cosumnes River Elementary School, Independent Student Project (Award), for “Animal Ark”; Natomas Charter School, Best Acting and Best Adapted Media (Awards) for “Earthquake Preparedness,” and “Blood Blade,” respectively; Elitha Donner Elementary School, History/Social Science, School Information and Best PSA (Awards) for “Constitution Day,” “Stranger Danger,” and “Got Sugar?” respectively; and Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts, Best Artistic Direction for “Breaking Away.”

Students from Venture Academy in Stockton also received awards: Best Promotional Video for “PGE – New Energy Academy,” and Best Primary Use of Resources for “Holocaust Survivor.”

The California Student Media Festival is part of PBS SoCal’s local American Graduate Initiative. Youth-created media is a large part of the National Initiative, and this program highlights the great work of teachers and students in California schools.

For more information on the California Student Media Festival, including a full list of winners and links to their videos, visit www.mediafestival.org.

Learn more about KVIE Public Television at kvie.org.

Disclosure: Kate Gonzales is the Public Relations Assistant at KVIE.

Journey back to an era when square meals were king

2012-11-06T23:46:35Z

Remember when TV dinners were the norm and Swanson’s became a household name? Time travel back to the mid-century with Verge Center for the Arts' TV Dinner event this Thursday, November 8, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m., where these pre-packaged meals are revitalized and transformed.

The event—a brainchild of Mike Thiemann, executive chef at Ella Dining Room and Bar; Liv Moe, Executive Director of Verge; Becky Grunewald, Food Editor for Sacramento News & Review; and Ryan Donahue, editor of Edible Sacramento—will feature a three-course, sit-down meal plus dessert and art galore. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in period attire.

Arrive at the start for a no-host cocktail hour before the meal, which, Moe says, will be set within an art installation that fills the whole 1600 square foot space. During dinner, which begins at 7 p.m., a video installation will be screened and two DJs will play period-appropriate music.

Each course of the meal, created by Thiemann, is inspired by a different TV show of the period. Moe claims her favorite traditional TV dinners as Salisbury steak and chicken pot pies, but there's no telling what Thiemann will use for inspiration in creating his TV dinner masterpiece. You'll have to attend to find out! Get a taste of what's in store, both drink and food-wise with this preview video.

Tickets to TV Dinner are $75 per person and are available online. The event benefits Verge's general operating fund and will help support their myriad projects, including their expansion.

Not able to attend this Thursday? You can still contribute to Verge's success through their Kickstarter campaign, starting at $5.

Disclosure: Alison Kranz is Assistant Editor for Sacramento365.com - the year-round source for Sacramento events.

SFBFS Volunteer Spotlight - November 2012

2012-11-06T20:24:20Z

Twice a year, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) host a volunteer appreciation event in recognition of SFBFS’ long time volunteers. For SFBFS’ fall 2012 Halloween-themed volunteer appreciation, a whimsical haunted house scene graced the front of five hundred postcard invitations and grabbed the attention of SFBFS volunteers and staff.

The postcard design featured a haunted manor set against a purple and orange evening sky. Pumpkins are scattered throughout the foreground along with droopy leafless trees while witches, a scarecrow, ghosts and a skeleton look like they are set for a mischievous night of fun.

The design was created by SFBFS volunteer, Kara Schunk, who painted with acrylics on canvas the enchanting scenery and offered her artistic talents for free.

Robin Simpson, SFBFS Volunteer Services Manager, explained that Kara approached her and asked if she could create an original piece of artwork to be used for event promotions, flyers, etc. Robin and Kara both agreed that Kara would design something for the Fall Volunteer Appreciation event. When Kara sent over a photo of her painting, Robin was pleasantly surprised. “When I saw Kara’s first draft, I was in shock – in a good way! Her painting was above and beyond anything I expected. She had created an entire Halloween themed scene with an amazing amount of detail. I loved the haunted house, the jack-o-lanterns and all the warm colors she used. It was perfect for our invitation,” Robin said.

Kara, a full time staff services analysis at the State Treasurer’s Office, said that she always had an interest in art. In high school, Kara spent her free time painting water colors on small pieces of computer paper, but it wasn’t until recently that she began showing her art in public. Kara participated in one of SFBFS’ Art Bra shows a few years ago.

“The Art Bra shows was one of the first art shows I participated in that was supporting to a good cause. I realized I was capable of helping through my art and doing what I love opened up opportunities for me,” Kara said.

While Kara’s passion for art began at a young age, her experience with acrylics began in 2006 after her sister bought her an acrylics set for Christmas. From that point forward Kara began experimenting more and more with finding her own unique style of colorful, bright, landscapes. After graduating in 2009 from Sacramento State University, with a degree in English, Kara’s art career took off. In 2010, after showing her artwork in multiple venues, Kara held her own show at Gallery 14.

Along with balancing a full time work schedule and artistic endeavors, Kara is also a part of a Community College Faculty program at Sacramento State, teaching Developmental Writing at Folsom Community College. Kara credits SFBFS as giving her the opportunity of her first teaching experience as an Adult Education volunteer.

“I was really nervous to teach the ESL class, but afterwards it really helped me to confirm that teaching is what I want to do,” Kara said, “SFBFS is a wonderful organization and I don’t have time in my schedule to volunteer right now, but I wanted to do something, anything that involved my art, for organizations that I care about.”

Kara’s contribution highlights how volunteers can contribute to SFBFS in more ways that just providing direct service to clients.

“Kara has shown that volunteers can contribute to SFBFS in really unique ways,” Robin said, “I would love to have volunteers create designs for future events! I am definitely not a graphic designer, so I need all the help and creativity I can get. I love that volunteers can share their talents in so many different ways at SFBFS.”

Thank you Kara for all your wonderful and amazing work! See more of Kara’s artwork at Colfax’s Greek Bistro (30 N. Main St. Colfax, CA) or online at http://www.karasart.com/.

Disclosure: Jessy Wei is an Americorps VISTA at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.

Día de los Muertos celebrated in Midtown

2012-10-30T21:16:43Z

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a day for honoring the life and memory of loved ones was celebrated over the weekend of Oct. 27-28.

The event, known as Panteón de Sacramento (Sacramento Cemetery) was celebrated with dance performances, music and family oriented activities.

Dozens of altars honoring loved ones who have passed away were set up at the Native American Health Center’s parking lot on J Street.

I attended part of Saturday’s event and was captivated by many of the altars I stopped at. Individual and community groups participated in building elaborate altars.

The event is hosted by La Raza Galería Posada and many people and organizations that participated last year and years before returned once again.

One of the many altars was created by Marco Ferrero who returned to celebrate his new book Esperanza & Don Marco. Ferrero also worked on a painting at his altar station showcasing another of his many talents. Ferrero participated last year as he read part of his book on stage.

Other artists returned from last year's event with new altars and several performances were also part of the daily events.

The event included workshop classes offered by La Raza Galería where visitors could create sugar skulls or skull masks.

This year it took two parking lots to handle the many altars and activities offered. Yolanda’s Tamales sold its delicacies and many other eateries around the event benefitted by the many visitors who attended.

The 3rd Annual Día de los Muertos was once again full of activities and intriguing altars honoring the dead. Community information booths on hand disseminated valuable information for visitors who stopped at their booths and many vendors and artists who sold merchandise received exposure as thousands of visitors stopped at their stands.

The laughter of children at the Panteón de Sacramento reminded me that life is to be lived to its fullest and that death is imminent so why not respect and celebrate both.

La Raza Galería Posada’s Día de los Muertos annual celebration continues to bring many visitors to its free event. Follow their website for future events and if you’d like to participate next year, information will be posted as the event draws near.

This Weekend! Midtown Trick-Or-Treat & Pooch Parade

2012-10-25T21:41:43Z

Midtown Merchants are brewing up a bewitching good time for kiddos and pooches of all ages and sizes. The neighborhood’s Annual Trick-or-Treat and Pooch Parade are just a few days away on Saturday, October ~~29th~~ 27th from 10am to 2pm.

Enjoy an afternoon of Trick-or-Treating from over 50 participating Midtown businesses from 11am to 2pm. In addition to satisfying your childrens’ sweet tooth, you can bring the whole family down to Marshall Park for a variety of free family friendly activities presented by The Sutter District.

Festivities and their presenters include: Chilled Apple Cider by Blue Cue, Face Painting by Barwest, Caramel Apple Decorating by Centro, Yappy Hour by Cafe Bernardo & Monkey Bar, Fall Crafts by Harlow's, Pumpkin Decorating by INK, Balloon Animals by Paragary’s Bar & Oven, Bounce House by Red Rabbit, Fall Photo Booth by the Midtown Business Association and The Sutter District, and a a special treat for those .

For the four legged lovers, make sure to catch the 3rd Annual Pooch Parade and “Yappy Hour”. Registration for the pooch parade will be from 9:45am-10:15am at Marshall Park. Pooches will parade around Midtown and then return to Marshall Park for “Yappy Hour” and Judging. Canines of all shapes and sizes are invited to come out in their Halloween best, to try to capture one of the eight coveted Pooch Parade Awards. Awards included: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Overall, Midtown Spirit, Cutest Costume, Spookiest Costume, Best Duo and Funniest Costume Award. Afterwards while your precious pets are chomping on treats, check out the vendor booths dedicated to promoting a happy and healthy life for your pet.

A complete map of Midtown Trick-or-Treat locations and the Pooch Parade route are available at ExploreMidtown.org, as well as on-site during the event. You can also find information on Facebook and Twitter.

Families seeking a spooktacular experience are also encouraged to stop by Casa de Espanol's haunted house on J Street, or for evening fun check out the Haunted Fort at Sutter's Fort from 6:30 to 9:00pm.

Editor's note: A correction has been made to reflect the accurate date of the event, which is Saturday October 29.

Disclosure: Disclosure: Lauren Machi currently works with the sponsoring organization, the Midtown Business Association.

Festival signals start of the holiday shopping season

2012-10-24T21:39:01Z

Display It, Wear It, Show It, Enjoy It is the theme of this year’s 15th Annual Sacramento Arts Festival, November 2 – 4, 2012, at the Sacramento Convention Center. With over 225 of America’s best contemporary craftspeople and fine artists, the weekend offers a chance to become emmersed in more than 15,000 original works of art. In keeping with tradition, the festival theme is the holidays and the floor of the Sacramento Convention Center Exhibit Hall will be decorated accordingly. Tradditionally, the Sacramento Arts Festival signals the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.

From abstract to traditional, modern to whimsical, the festival includes ceramic artists, woodworkers, painters, sculptors and jewelers as well as a vast array of one-of-a-kind artwork. Three prominent art galleries, from the Sacramento, Davis and Grass Valley regions, will also participate. In addition to the spectaular art, interactive settings will put artists and fans together for fascinating close up demonstrations.

“I spend months visiting cities and artists around the country to find just the right mix of talent for the Sacramento Arts Festival,” said Warren Cook, Producer. “Northern California is home to many of the best, which will be reflected in the exhibitors at this year’s event.”

Alongside the professional artists, young local talent will also be on display. The Sacramento Area Schools Art Competition Gallery will showcase artwork from Sacramento area elementary, middle and high school competitions judged by two noted artists from the Sacramento Arts Festival.

An entertainment “rest stop” of sorts will provide talented performers of comedy, juggling, and music while Restaurant Row provides the good eats—a great place to relax between shopping sprees.

“The economy has forced people to contemplate their extra purchases—making every one a standout—unique, memorable and personal,” contemplated Warren Cook. “The festival is a great place to stretch your holiday dollars with one-of-a-kind holiday gift purchases.”

What: The 15th Annual Sacramento Arts Festival
When: November 2 – 4, 2012
Friday & Saturday 10:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m., Sunday 10:00 a.m.—5:00p.m.
Where: Sacramento Convention Center, 14th and J Streets
Ticket Prices: Adults-$8.00 Seniors-$7.00 Under 12 yrs.-FREE!
*Discount Coupons: $1.00 off admission available at: sacartsfest.com
Event Information: (805) 461-6700 or www.sacartsfest.com

Disclosure: Karen Bakula is President of Karen Bakula & Company, Inc. and provides marketing services to The Sacramento Arts Festival.

6th Annual Davis Jazz and Beat Festival

2012-10-18T23:07:23Z

The annual Davis Jazz and Beat festival is a free intimate festival filled with poetry readings and painting improvisation set to the rhythm of live jazz. Hosted by the Cultural Action Committee, this is a unique opportunity for attendees to experience exclusive performances, a thorough collection of Beat art, and later meet firsthand with the world-renowned poets, jazz musicians, and painters of the Beat Generation. Money raised will benefit the Davis High School music programs. The Sixth Annual Davis Jazz & Beat Festival will be held Oct. 19 from 7 to 10 p.m. and Oct. 20 from noon until after midnight.

The first day of the festival will be at the John Natsoulas Gallery on 521 First Street. It will feature the Linda Blair Dance Company and legendary beat poet A.D. Winans. The evening will be followed by the a reading of the Jack Kerouac Poetry Contest winners, and the Tony Passarell Trio as accompaniment.

Saturday October 20, bands such as Instagon, Tim Stephenson's Trio, Crazy 8's, Tha Dirt Feeling, and many more will perform at the Armadillo Records Main Stage at Davis Commons and the John Natsoulas Gallery Stage. Performance painters Jonqui Albin, Nancy Ostrovsky and Myron Stephens will paint along with the live music. A children's mural and craft tables will be set up for the public.

That evening the John Natsoulas Gallery will have a solo performance from renowned Jazz musician Roscoe Mitchell. Later performance painter Nancy Ostrovsky will paint along with Roscoe Mitchell and the Tony Passerell Trio. The evening will end with a rooftop party from 9-midnight with Midnight DJ Dr.Doktir and Garage Jazz Architects and Chikading.

More information can be found at www.natsoulas.com.

Disclosure: I work with the John Natsoulas Gallery .

Sofia Talvik migrates to California for the winter

2012-10-18T02:44:32Z

Swedish singer and songwriter Sofia Talvik will be spending the week in the Sacramento area. Talvik’s string of live performances began Tuesday night with a performance at the Coffee Garden in Curtis Park and will continue Friday with a stop at KDVS radio in Davis and another at ZuhG Life Store for a concert Friday night.

"What defines you as an artist is that you never give up."

This piece of advice was given to Talvik by her father, and she has clearly taken it fully to heart.

Achieving success as an artist signifies a life of constantly working to be seen, heard and hopefully remembered. For many, this is a lifelong effort. It takes energy and courage to step out of your shell and into a new world. For Talvik, a native of Sweden and self-taught guitarist, stepping out into a new world is nothing more than her personal way of life.

Her current U.S. tour, approximately two years in length and scheduled to last until next September, is not her first American can tour but her fourth or fifth, her first based around a performance at Lollapalooza in 2008. Talvik has performed at South by Southwest (SXSW) twice, and hopes for a third stop this year.

She has released five albums, the latest of which is titled, "The Owls Are Not What They Seem.” The album was released in January of this year. Talvik has almost exclusively produced her own records, in 2006 starting her own record label, Makaki Music.

Talvik began her Drivin’ and Dreaming tour by purchasing an RV in Florida. She and her husband have now put on more than 19,000 miles and she has played in 34 states in the last ten months, living out of an RV, mind you.

Now that the touring RV has reached California, they plan to stay for the winter, hoping to keep warm, though I can’t help but think that almost anywhere in the U.S. is warmer than Gothenburg, Sweden.

For the small group of people at the Coffee Garden Tuesday night, a night with Talvik was soothing relief after a workday. She sang from any number of her albums - all her own creations, of course - with cute little compulsive segues between each and every song. For more than an hour the plant-filled cafe courtyard was filled with smooth, pure folk with a delicate touch of pop. Notable tunes included “The War” and “If I Had a Man.”

Talvik will be on KDVS 90.3 FM on Friday, Oct. 19 from 11 a.m. to noon. Following her live session she will travel back to Sacramento to the ZuhG Life Store, where she is scheduled to perform at 6 p.m.

For more information on upcoming shows, visit one of the many Sofia Talvik social media hubs, taking your pick from her Facebook page, website and YouTube site, among others.

Sacramento's own Burning Man Festival, Burn The River, to take place Saturday

2012-10-18T01:22:06Z

The annual alternative culture phenomenon known as Burning Man has become highly popular since its inception in 1986; thousands of "burners" flock to Nevada's Black Rock Desert every year to participate in the festival. It's not surprising, then, that Sacramento has created its own smaller version of Burning Man. "Burn the River," set to take place Saturday, is in its second year and growing fast.

Burn the River was created last year when a group of local artists returned from Burning Man and created a nonprofit organization called Sacramento Valley Spark as an effort to bring the philosophy of Burning Man to the Sacramento area. Their first main goal was to throw a large community arts festival in the style of Burning Man, but on a smaller scale--what's known as a "decompression" in burner dialect. .

"Decompression is an attempt in the normal world--what's laughingly called the 'default' world--to create an environment that's indicative of Burning Man in your own community," said event producer Joyce Maund.

Last year's Burn the River took place on Nov. 5th, but the rainy weather forced a last-minute location change. Still, about 325 people showed up.

"Burners are a a very hearty bunch," Maund said. This year's forecast is sunny, and about 700-1,000 people are expected to participate.

Like its larger counterpart, one of the main philosophies behind Burn the River is that there are no spectators, just participants.

"We try to bring in as much interactive art as possible, so you're not just looking at something, you're part of it," Maund said. Burn the River is focused on community, self expression, and decommodification. There is no vending or selling at the event, only "gifting." In accordance with this philosophy, everyone involved in planning Burn the River is a volunteer (except for two paid security guards).

The organization of such a large event has been somewhat difficult for Sacramento Valley Spark. Due to air quality concerns, Burn the River will not be allowed to burn its "effigy," a huge piece of art that is set on fire to symbolize renewal. This is one of the most distinctive and popular aspects of Burning Man, but Maund's attitude remained unwaveringly positive. "We will figure something out," she said, "because we have to. That's the beauty of burners."

Participants will have plenty of other activities to enjoy at Burn the River, including DJs, live music, live performances, multiple bars, interactive art, costumes, hooping, dancing, gifting, and more. The festival is organized into "theme camps", such as body painting, Jedi training camp, and beer and wine. Some of Burning Man's distinctive "mutant vehicles" will be present at Burn the River, and there will be multiple art installations, including what Maund called a "relatively standard" art gallery featuring Sacramento artists.

Burn the River will take place on Oct. 20th from 4pm-2am at Rio Ramaza Marina & Event Park, 10000 Garden Hwy. The event is for people 21 and over. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Purchase tickets here. Advance tickets sales will end at 4pm on October 18th.

Arts, Music & Craft Beer Collide in Midtown

2012-10-17T04:54:53Z

Families, art enthusiasts, music lovers, beer aficionados and everyone in between are invited to the second annual Midtown Arts Festival (MAF) Saturday, Oct. 20th, from noon - 6 p.m. in the heart of Midtown on 20th Street between J and K streets. This free event is part of ARTober – Fall for the Arts, a Sacramento regional arts campaign running the entire month of October. This vibrant, artistically diverse outdoor festival will cover a broad spectrum of creativity, from the exquisite to the experimental, the visual to the performing, and every medium in between.

The festival will feature performance programs on two stages: The SMUD Performance Stage and the SUBMERGE Band Stage as well as artist and craft vendor booths, a kid’s Arts Area and interactive arts activities.

“The Midtown Arts Festival is a special experience. Families can enjoy live performance art as well as hands-on arts projects all in one place in one afternoon," said event organizer Heather Philpott of the MIdtown Business Association. "Celebrating and supporting the arts in Sacramento is easy with so many talented individuals and organizations … and you’ll find them right here in Midtown for the Midtown Arts Festival."

New to the event this year is a craft beer area, Untapped, which will feature at least 10 local breweries.

“MBA is excited to highlight the region’s most talented local brewers at the Midtown Arts Festival,” said Elizabeth Studebaker, executive director of the MBA. “Brewing is, after all, an artform that has been celebrated for generations. The growing Sacramento craft beer industry, as evidenced by the success of companies like Rubicon Brewing, Ruhstaller and Track 7, to name a few, contribute to the character of Midtown, and bring quality local products for our restaurants and bars to serve. Featuring brewers alongside painters, sculptors, dancers, and singers just makes sense.”

Patrons will have the option to purchase a beer sampling package or purchase pints of beer to enjoy.

Music lovers will enjoy an afternoon filled with local bands including the Live Manikins, The Royal Jelly, Sicfus, and Project for Trees.

In its first year, the Midtown Arts Festival received rave reviews and exceeded attendance predictions, bringing in more than 1,000 residents and regional visitors. With the expanded scope in 2012, including Untapped and increased live performances, the Midtown Business Association projects attendance of 3,000 throughout the day.

Full event details, including performing arts, band stage lineups, vendors, and arts activities can be found here.

Disclosure: Lauren Machi currently works with the sponsoring organization, the Midtown Business Association.

6th Annual Sacramento Horror Film Festival

2012-10-12T21:47:15Z

The Sacramento Horror Film Festival (SHFF) presents a weekend full of live and film entertainment. SHFF runs from Friday, Oct. 12 – 14 at the Colonial Theater.

Zombee Channel and Cinema Insomnia kicks off the Friday event with The Zombie Beauty Pageant. The event is scheduled to be hosted by Mr. Lobo and will feature over 30 short and long films showcasing horror on the big screen.

Opening night features a showing of 1988's "Night of the Demons," with director Kevin Tenney in attendance.

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show," will also be showing on Friday with live performers also taking the stage. The.1975 film will bring many fans to the event and is sure to make fans sing along as the film is shown.

Last month a fundraiser for the 6th Annual Sacramento Horror Film Festival was held at the Greens Hotel located at 1700 Del Paso Blvd., on Sept. 21. The fundraiser, known as Zombiefest, brought dozens of horror film fans to the Greens.

Zombiefest was a fundraiser that included live entertainment and zombie short films. Tim Meunier, Producer and Founder of SHFF and his crew put together an enjoyable show.

As guests mingled they also visited several vendors on hand. Anthony Leano had CDs, DVDs, posters and other horror genre materials on hand. Leano talked to visitors who came to view what he had available and many stayed to hear Leano’s tales about conventions he has attended.

Other vendor boutiques included Side Show Studios, Rain’s Embellishments and others.

A special performance by members of Amber’s Sweets kept the audience entertained underneath the stars at night.

Many fans came in costume and some participated in a costume contest. This was an all ages event but not many kids were in attendance.

The evening ended with a special screening of George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.”

Like many other independent events the support of fans goes a long way to keep festivals such as the Sacramento Horror Film Festival going. The 6th annual festival includes live events on Friday and Saturday. Log on to the SHFF for further details and for a complete schedule of the films and events planned for this year.

State Capitol Museum to Debut New “California Treasures” Art Exhibit

2012-10-12T20:16:31Z

Visitors to the California State Capitol Museum are in for a visual treat when an impressive new exhibit titled “California Treasures: Artwork of the Great Depression” debuts on Monday, October 15, 2012. The new exhibit will showcase some of the magnificent artwork that was commissioned by the California State Parks System and created under State and Federal Government work relief programs dating from 1934 to 1942. As background on the history of the art collection, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) created jobs for millions of people by organizing work for the public benefit in an effort to provide unemployment relief and stimulate the economy during the Great Depression.

The artwork commissioned by the California State Park System included mural paintings, easel paintings, watercolors, pastels, and ink and pencil drawings. In fact, the collection contains more than 450 art objects, many of which have not been on public display in decades. The new “California Treasures” exhibit will feature exquisite color drawings of the botanicals and birds of Mount Diablo; watercolors of the redwood trees of Big Basin, oil paintings of Clarkson Dye’s impressions of California landscapes and much more.

Once on display, the new “California Treasures” exhibit will be available for viewing in the California State Capitol Museum’s Historic Archives Room through May 17, 2013. For more information about this exhibit, or other events and activities at the State Capitol Museum, call 916-324-0333 or visit www.capitolmuseum.ca.gov

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento region including the Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks.

Local Art Evaluations at the Crocker: Photos

2012-10-10T23:38:02Z

The Art Service Group(ASG) of the Crocker Art Museum hosts monthly appraisal days for the public to have art pieces evaluated. This month's focus was on painting and sculpture. The service is provided for $10.00 per piece and the monies are donated to the Crocker Art Museum.

What follows are photographs showing the appraisers examining the pieces for the item's artist, authenticity, and value.

Karen Alkon and Sylvia Fitzgerald refer to auction books and online data sources in their search for an item's specifics.

Sylvia Fitzgerald consults with Karen about an item's dimensions.

Often a painting will come with reference data on the back and, as in this case, information sandwiched between the painting and the back cover.

This painting of a 5 masted steam ship included a full schematic of the ship in between the painting and the backgound.

An authentic painting, this would go for a few thousand dollars at auction.

Sylvia looks up the reference information on this bear.

Item defects such as the missing ear and to a lesser extent repairs made to the foot of the bear will reduce the item's value.

This bronze, in perfect condition, was determined to be exceptionally unique and worth several thousand dollars.

Sylvia examines this cider stein for specifics regarding the figure painted on the front.

The stein was manufactured by the Lenox Company and includes a unique artist signed painting on the front. It was thought that this was part of a set that included matching cider mugs.

This vase shown above was thought to be a mediocre knock off and of little value.

However, this husband and wife were pleasantly surprised by the value of this painting of a stallion. Only under magnification could one make out the artist's signature.

New mural coming to 26th and J streets in Sacramento

2012-10-09T20:05:37Z

The pictured mural is in the process of going up on the University Arts building on the corner of 26th and J streets.

Local artist Joshua Silveira is currently painting on the wall on most days. He also worked with Gabriel Romo to do the mural across 26th Street on the Bon Air Market & Deli.

Sacramento has a variety of murals, and most of the ones in the central city can be viewed here.

To learn more about Silveira, read a Q and A he did with Curiculum Magazine in 2009.

What do you think of the progress so far?

Sac-Con returns to the Scottish Rite Center

2012-10-04T06:10:39Z

The popularity of Sac-Con, Sacramento’s comic, toy and anime show, continues to grow, and this year’s event broke its previous attendance record. Attendance for the show brought over 1,900 fans to the Scottish Rite Center on Sunday, Sept. 30.

The day after the event, Sac-Con director Dan Houck and his team began preparing for the next convention, Dec. 9, 2012.

The comic book convention, which began in July 1986, had a long line waiting to enter the convention when I arrived.

Vendors, artists and fans dressed as comic book characters packed the Scottish Rite Center. Over 100 vendor tables carried everything comic book-related, including comics, and toys, as well as anime, sci-fi, horror and many other pop culture-related items.

Several artists posed for photos and signed items that became instant collector’s items after being autographed.

The growth in attendance was quite noticeable as guests maneuvered between spaces to view vendors’ tables.

The many trees surrounding the center brought great relief for those who wanted to enjoy the outdoors during the hot afternoon.

Groups of guests mingled with new and old friends. Although many visitors wear costumes to Sac-Con, I recognized several who attended the recent summer SacAnime event.

Sac-Con provides guests, panels and other activities for a low entrance fee of $6.

The event strives to provide a fun and safe family-oriented environment, and judging by the number of kids and adults that show up to Sac-Con, they succeed in meeting that goal.

Scheduled artists for Sac-Con included Tone Rodriguez, Jeffrey Combs, Hynden Walch, Liam Sharp, Joshua Ortega, Morrie Turner, Ron Lim, Dan Brereton, Mick Gray, Rafael Navarro, Andrew Yang, Mike Gray, Eben Burgoon, D. Bethel, Tomas Overbai and Brandon Bracamonte. These artists have made important contributions to the comic world, and are much sought-after as presenters.

Video game tournaments, art contests and card tournaments are also part of the event, and are popular gatherings.

Once again, a charity auction was scheduled. The auction proceeds benefit local charities such as Loaves and Fishes’ Mustard Seed School for Children.

Many vendors also return to the event, and I certainly expect to see them at other similar events.

As expected, Miss Carlyfornia, a designer, artist, seamstress and model was present at the event. Her charm and personality bring people coming back to her booth to see what new items her creative mind has come up with.

Most of the time, Miss Carlyfornia’s partner, Anthony Leano, occupies a booth next to or near hers. Leano is involved in programming, bookings and promotions for Sac-Con, SacAnime and other similar gatherings. His booth sells DVDs (music and video), movie posters and similar items.

Vendors like Leano and Carlyfornia also become involved in shows offering classes or information about upcoming conventions in California.

Jason Dube, head of Scattered Comics and Scattered Comics Studios, was on hand promoting his recently released “Shadow Hunters #2, Volume 1.” As always Dube re-directed my focus to celebrate the accomplishments of others.

Dube introduced me to Melissa McCommon who sat at a table next to his. Dube and McCommon had collaborated on the just-released “Caffeine Poisoned #1 Vol. 2,” from Scattered Comics.

Vacaville native McCommon and Dube met at a charity event when Dube noticed her talented work at an art charity event, and soon thereafter brought her into the Scattered Comics Studio.

In addition to the artists on hand showing their talented work, several panels and workshops were available.

I missed the morning events, but caught a couple of the afternoon artist events and part of the Combs Q&A. Combs continues to have a loyal following from the Re-Animator movies, and many came to listen to him speak.

Guests signed up for the Cosplay Costume Contest which is one of the most popular events. Other guests packed the hall to watch the contest performances.

The hospitality offered by the vendors, guests, artists, presenters and Sac-Con promoters created a great atmosphere for those in attendance. Sac-Con returns to the Scottish Rite Center on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012.

Miss Misery's Days of Terror

2012-10-03T07:43:50Z

Days of Terror brought horror, renowned guests and artists, movies and music to the Scottish Rite Center.

Miss Misery hosted the Days of Terror convention, a new event in Sacramento, on Friday and Saturday this past weekend. The convention was the brain child of its producer, Reyna Young, aka Miss Misery, and others.

Actors, writers, artists and vendors filled the hallways and main floor while horror fans walked the hallways and talked to artists, actors and vendors, often standing in line to get autographs from their favorite horror movie stars.

The Sacramento Ghostbusters were on hand to collect costumes for a kids’ costume drive. The Ghostbusters had their vehicle parked in front of the Center to collect costumes as well as a booth inside.

Many actors on hand had banners hanging behind them to help visitors identify some of their favorite personalities. Some of them were easily recognizable while others wore full makeup like Eileen Dietz, who played the demon that possessed the Linda Blair character. Sometimes you could not tell who they portrayed without makeup.

Guest appearances by Ari Lehman, Amy Steel, Lynn Lowry, Jimmy O & April Burril, Bianca Barnett, Jason Dube, Lord Blood Rah, Marlena Midnite, and many others helped the convention attract visitors.

Guests also shared some fascinating stories. Scott L. Schwartz, a 6’10” giant of a man who said he usually plays a bad guy, was unbelievably friendly. Schwartz has been in a variety of movies and television shows, “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Spiderman,” “Star Trek” and many others.

Schwartz hasn’t forgotten his roots and shared his story when he talked about “Killer” Kowalski, a well known wrestler. Schwartz indicated he attended the Killer Kowalski wrestling school in the late 70s, wrestling under the name, Joshua Ben-Gurion, "The Israeli Commando" for a few years.

Schwartz gave me a postcard that included photos of some of his characters. The actor stated that he carries these cards for fans.

“I get approached so many times at airports and I bring that for them,” Schwartz said.

Some fans tell him that their friends will never believe they met and him and Schwartz says, “If you show them one of these they will and I’ll sign it for them.”

In reality most of the invited guests were very courteous and extremely likeable. Their horror roles, however, have a different effect.
Screenings of several movies were also shown in a screening room at the Scottish Rite Center.

Films screened at the convention included: “They Came from the Attic,” “The Good Sisters,” “Frankenstein… Day of the Beast,” “Welcome to my Darkside,” “Bloody Bloody Bible Camp” and “The Black Dahlia Haunting.”

Brandon Slagle, writer and director of “The Black Dahlia Haunting” was on hand for the movie screening along with actors Jessica Cameron, Devanny Pinn and Britt Griffith, who talked after the screening about the movie and their other roles.

The wit, knowledge and down-to-earth personalities of Slagle, Cameron, Pinn and Griffith kept the audience longer than others as they shared their experiences in Hollywood. Each actor took turns talking about their acting careers while touching on the different aspects of creating films. Castings and raising money for producing a movie were also discussed.

A zombie walk, costume contest and a scream competition were also included as part of the show. The winner of the screaming competition won a screaming part in an upcoming film.

An after party on Friday night with live music also took place at the Rite Center. First Jason and Dammit! took the stage with their raw metal punk beats that kept the party going.

There were so many invited guests, activities, artists and screening during the two day event. I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of things to see and do.

Days of Terror show also revealed Jason Dube’s Shadow Hunters #2 comic that debuted during Friday’s show. The comic was delivered at nine that morning, making the artists a little tense in anticipation of the delivery.

The second issue release, which had arrived that same morning from the printers, was also complemented by a contest. Artist Benjamin “Benny” Jordan was on hand for the comic premier and to sign copies of the Shadow Hunters #2 comic.

The love and dedication for their art brings a sense of camaraderie among invited guests at the event.

The Sacramento Horror Film Festival (SHFF) will be held at the Crest Theater Oct. 12-14 and founder and festival director Tim Meunier has been hard at work promoting the event.

SHFF had a station set up promoting the event and selling other products, I was able to ask about the process of submitting films for the festival.

“We take entries year round through our submission site. Entry forms can be found there, where questions are answered. I get anywhere between 400-500 films and I review them all personally and try to select the best of the best,” Meunier responded.

I pointed out the SHFF booth to several vendors who had shown interest in participating at the next festival. Since many of the vendors and guests come from the Bay Area or Los Angeles, the Miss Misery convention helped in networking as well as just meeting and making new friends.

Kaci Hansen has many titles under her belt, but besides being the Miss Misery Costume Contest host she had a slideshow presentation running at her table where you could see several ghouly recipes.

As The Homicidal Homemaker, Hansen creates recipes in a fashion, as she states it, "Where home economics meets horror.” Her site includes some interesting recipes.

“They refer to me as the macabre Martha Stewart,” Hansen said.

She has started several clubs and events dealing with the macabre in the Central Valley and has a monthly horror movie night presenting B-movies and brews.

Two Itasha vehicles were parked at the front of the Scottish Rite Center and representatives from Team LoveHate handed out “Wanted” posters of characters from the Shadow Hunters comic book. Guests could participate in a Scattered Comics Monster Hunt.

Cosplay actors portraying Jessika, Kala, Eileen and Firewire signed the Wanted flyers and guest turned them in after getting all signatures for a chance to win prizes.

The convention also had another surprise, an official announcement of the pre-production for a Shadow Hunters movie.

Actor, casting director and producer Wolfgang Meyer occupied a booth right next to Dube and Jordan. Wolfe is active in several projects and he will be working with Dube in the Shadow Hunters film.

With so much activity going on I was still able to catch up with Miss Misery, who talked about her satisfaction with the convention, the turnout, and the enthusiastic guests in particular.

When asked if there was anything that she could have done but did not get a chance, Miss Misery said, “Yes, actually there is. We tried our best to get a haunted house person to come in and do a good haunted house and we couldn’t get one because it’s so close to October and everybody is getting ready for their own thing. So that’s why we put quickly put together the torture chamber photo op room where you could take pictures in the electric chair, the pillory and so on… if I could have done something different I probably would want to bring in that haunted house.”

Asked if she will bring back the event next year Miss Misery said she’s considering it.

“I’m thinking about it. I have to let the dust settle, I have to relax a little bit - it’s been stressful but great stress because I love doing this; it’s my passion, horror. I’ve had a lot of people asking to come back so that’s awesome.”

Miss Misery also has a couple of things going on, sharing, “We partnered up with Landmark Theaters and Clay Theater in San Francisco where we’ll host a midnight show once a month. During the first Saturday of the month we’re showing horror films, Italian horror films, all kinds of things.”

My last question had to do with the event taking place in Sacramento.

“It used to be the Sac Horror Sci-Fi show and (Dan) Houck who had it decided to change it. He approached me and asked, ‘Hey, you want to change it up, do something different? Miss Misery, do you want to come in and help me revamp it?’ I said, yeah, let’s do this. I’ve always wanted to do a con, you know you only live once, so I partnered up with Dan and here we are.”

The collaboration worked well and brought in many horror fans. Hearing vendors, fans and guests rave about the event, it may be that the Days of Horror will return next year.

Photos from the event can be found here.

Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra performs Viva la Musica

2012-10-02T05:59:59Z

The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra presented an afternoon full of dance, music, entertainment, community informational stations and children’s hands-on activities.

“Viva la música!” was performed at the Community Center Theater on Saturday, Sept. 29.

The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, in association with La Raza Galería Posada, Festival de la Familia, the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the San Joaquin County Chamber of Commerce brought a festive event to the Sacramento Community Center Theatre. Concert sponsors included the Teichert Foundation and Univision.

The cultural event opened the Sacramento Philharmonic’s 16th season. “Viva la música!” was a philharmonic concert celebrating Latin music, with musical influences from Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil and the U.S.

Before the concert began, several fun activities were set up inside the theater’s lobby.

The Instituto Mazatlan Bellas Artes brought a troupe of Mexican folk dancers to entertain, and Firehouse 5 Dance Studio offered a tango performance. A street parade of drummers and dancers from the Brazilian Center for Cultural Exchange of Sacramento paraded down 13th Street.

The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra’s principal flutist Matt Krejci led a 15-piece flute ensemble inside the theater lobby before the concert began.

The second-floor mezzanine featured several art activities, including Skull Mask and Sugar Skull workshops.

La Raza Galería Posada brought art supplies for visitors to use and create individual masks. Sugar Skull artist Rob-O shared his talent with attendees, who could also create their own sugar skulls.

The preconcert activities were free of charge, and the public was invited to attend and participate.

A brief presentation, “Speaking of Music,” by music director and principal conductor Michael Morgan, along with a Q&A panel, was a great addition to the event.

Guest host and attorney Gabriel Vivas introduced the concert.

Vivas said a few words in English and then repeated them in Spanish. He welcomed guests, saying, “Good afternoon and welcome. My name is Gabriel Vivas. I will be working as a co-host, and with me this afternoon I’m honored to say and I’m honored to introduce someone who is very special in our community, someone who really doesn’t need much of an introduction, but for those of you who may be living outside of where there’s newspapers, TVs, radios or anything else, I have the honor of introducing Congresswoman Matsui.”

Congresswoman Doris Matsui also welcomed guests to the philharmonic orchestra’s 16th season, saying, “I want to welcome all of you here today. It’s such a wonderful afternoon to welcome you to the opening concert of the SFO 16th season. The SFO is important to our region and the people who live here. Today’s concert is very special because it’s a celebration of Latin American and Central American composers who have contributed to much in the field of classical music.”

Vivas translated Matsui’s speech at several intervals.

Matsui stated that the philharmonic wanted to thank supporters who helped raise the base goal of $150,000.

Matsui said, “The need for support continues. In challenging economic times such as these, funding for the arts and cultural programs are all too often thought of as an easy area to cut. I can’t believe that at all, because without the arts there is no humanity, there is no soul; the arts provide us a way for communicating, and sometimes in nonverbal ways, with the richness of our diverse feelings, cultures and expectations. So enjoy the concert and activities today; please consider continuing to support the orchestra.”

As Morgan noted, the first piece performed, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” needed no introduction.

Morgan soon introduced the first composition by Jimmy López, saying, “Let’s start with our Peruvian piece which is the most modern of the pieces you’ll hear today. Actually, this piece of music ‘Fiesta’ (‘Fiesta! Four Pop Dancers for Orchestra’), which combines some elements that are somewhat folkloric but is more … I don’t know, hip-hop?” The piece began with several instruments playing a few solo chords and then mixing it all together for a dramatic and soul-touching composition.

Blas Galindo’s composition “Sones de Mariachi” was introduced by Vivas. This time around, Vivas said that audience participation was expected, and introduced the chant response of “Viva.”

After guiding the audience as to when to shout “Viva,” the audience enthusiastically responded “Viva” when asked for participation, something that ocurred throughout the concert.

The next piece was by M. Carmago Guarnieri, and was followed by “Homenaje al Tango: Double Concerto for Piano Bandoneón and Symphony Orchestra.”

Guest musicians Polly Ferman, pianist, and Juan Pablo Jofre, bandroneón player, accompanied the orchestra.

Ferman wore a glamorous outfit as she sat in the middle of the stage in front of her piano, and powerfully delivered an enchanting performance.

Fofre’s bandoneón was just as dramatic, and I’m sure it made many wonder what musical instrument the bandoneón really was. Its looks are similar to an accordion. The instrument is popular in Argentina and Uruguay, and is used in tango compositions.

When he first had the bandeneón, Jofre shared that he took it back to where he bought it because he thought the instrument was broken. He soon found that it was in perfect shape, and he needed to learn how to play it. Jofre played without instruction for about a year before deciding to look for lessons.

Compositions by Miguel del Aguila, “Caribeñ, Op. 105,” José L. Elizono, “Estampas Mexicanas,” Chirstopher Caliendo, “Construir” and Manuel de Falias’ “Three Dances from the Three-Cornered Hat” were also performed. Caliendo had earlier participated in the Q&A session.

The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra continues to bring music from around the world, along with world-renowned talent, to Sacramento audiences.

In my opinion, watching the philharmonic live is one of the greatest pleasures in life. How else can you enjoy timeless live music performed by musicians from around the world, listening to the greatest composers that ever lived? Where else can you enjoy world, national and regional music in the same venue? The arts continue to suffer during hard economic times, and they depend on the continued support of community members.

The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra is very involved with its community and has offered educational programs and open rehearsals for 16 years.

All-female team of street artists creates massive mural in Midtown alley

2012-10-01T23:06:15Z

Over the last weekend of September, while Sacramento was enduring record-breaking hot temperatures, a crew of artists from all over the nation descended into a Midtown alleyway for a transformative event. A large south-facing warehouse wall, long considered an eyesore by its surrounding neighbors because of its history of attracting vandalism on a consistent basis, became the canvas for an all-female team of street artists armed with spray cans and acrylic paints. In less than 48 hours’ time, the group completed more than 10 unique examples of colorful tags and impressive illustrations that, all together, stretch nearly two stories high and more than half a block wide.

The group is named Few & Far, and its organizer and founder, an artist who goes by the moniker Meme (pronounced me-me) started the collaboration in the summer of 2011. Their first project was a large wall in Oakland, where 17 different artists came together to craft a huge mural on two walls of an unremarkable old building. Since then, Few & Far has created similar pieces in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Tijuana, Mexico.

Meme, who declined to give her real name, said that it’s important for the crew to work together, especially since the scene is considered to be male-dominated.

“We also have a kind of chemistry, and that chemistry goes beyond friendships,” Meme said. “It goes into a place where we are admiring each other’s work and trying to push each other.”

Terry Mulligan, a local real estate agent who owns a property with eight residential rental units on the same alley as the mural, said he thinks that it’s wonderful to see the efforts of Few & Far in Sacramento.

“We’ve had so many problems with this wall, with the graffiti,” Mulligan said. “I’ve been out here painting over poorly scrawled names and profanity for years, but this is great. It’s so impressive and a huge improvement for the neighborhood. I’m so glad these artists picked this wall.”

The theme of the Sacramento installation is animals, as one can deduce by observing the cartoonish giraffe, panda bear, monkey and other figures all over the piece. It took dozens of cases of Ironlak paints and an electric scissor lift to pull off the colorful display.

While Few & Far artists had permission from the building’s owner to make their inspirations into reality, there’s no saying how long it will be before it’s either defaced or painted over. That’s the risk they crew takes when they put on a project, and they know it. But they also know that it’s about the moment, and creating something that makes the passerby stop and acknowledge what they’ve done.

You can check out the mural for yourself in the alley between 24th and 23rd streets and S and R streets in midtown Sacramento.

Few & Far X Ironlak Road Trip Tour 2012 from Lea Bruno on Vimeo.

Sacramento Press Editor's note: Isaac Gonzalez is the publisher of the blog RanSACkedMedia.com, where he wrote an earlier post about this mural.

The Expanding Definition of Indie

2012-10-01T18:29:50Z

The term "indie" has been around a long time and it certainly doesn't mean what it used to, kind of like the phone. The word "cash" also used to mean something slightly different before the digital age, yet it still has the same general meaning. Most people know that indie is supposed to mean independent, but many people have their own independent definition for the word. My latest SacTV.com video explores the origin of the term.

If you ask a punk, indie strictly means underground punk and nothing else. If you ask someone who is into hip hop, indie means hip hop that doesn't conform to the same old school beats that still flood the pop charts. If you ask a rocker, indie means rock that doesn't sound like cookie-cutter hair bands. The folk scene also has their definition, which leans toward acoustic coffeehouse music. If you ask someone who studies the entire history of music, you might get a very diverse definition. To be clear, indie is not so much a genre as a collection of niches that might not even fit any genres.

For the most part indie has meant music, films and fashion that does not get over-exposed in popular media. Terms such as underground, counter-culture and alternative have been used as synonyms, but each of those terms ended up meaning lots of different things. This week Mumford and Sons, an indie band, find themselves at the top of the national album charts, so indie no longer means something that isn't popular. They are an indie artist, such as Adele, by virtue of recording on an independent label, although they are distributed by one of the major labels. Why does Rolling Stone still call them an indie band? Probably because indie represents something different from the same old copycat music on the charts that hasn't evolved in over a decade. After all, how often does banjo music make it to the top?

I've always known that popular trends sometimes grow from independent movements. That's how the United States, a country that fought corporations to become independent, gave us lots of blues, jazz, r&b, rock, punk and rap. Each of those genres started out on independent record labels. The idea that these genres became huge over time doesn't bother me the way it might disturb someone who found the music first and feels betrayed that their secret little world got exposed to the whole world.

Independent labels, films and lifestyle have been around for the past century but I wanted to find out when the word "indie" started being used to reflect this culture. What I found online was lots of disagreement that seemed to hinge on the age of the historian. For example, people who started listening to "alternative" music in the 90s commonly thought that's when indie music started, not knowing that the UK Indie Chart started in 1980. Although my 1979 Webster's dictionary does not list the term "indie" at all, I did find that in the UK there was a book that came out in the late seventies called The 77 Indie Scene: The Story of British Independent Music. Even though the Sundance Film Festival started in 1978, I'm not sure they called it indie films back then, although independent film festivals go much further back.

If the argument is about when the term "indie" first started getting used a lot, I'll go with the punks who say it started in the late seventies, even though the term may have been quietly introduced earlier in music magazines. But as far as independent pop culture, there is no doubt that its roots go back as early as World War I when the three original big record labels refused to put out blues records, even though blues was spreading across America. As I mentioned in my SacTV.com video "The History of Indie Music," when the patents expired in 1917 for the original record players, that's when tons of independent labels began to issue blues and jazz records. R&B blossomed in the 1930s and 1940s for the same reasons, just like rock and roll in the 1950s and psychedelia in the 1960s, followed by punk in the 1970s.

Today indie has a wide definition probably because so many people are bored with the mainstream and are looking for something different. To me, indie doesn't necessarily mean anything that's not on the charts, because a lot of unpopular niche music is made by beginners or artists who copy popular artists. Each level of popularity and unpopularity has its segment of disposable trash. I think of indie as any type of art that expresses originality and is independent of calculated conformity.

Just like how the word "alternative" started out meaning something of value that didn't imitate the watered down mainstream, the word "indie" is becoming part of the mainstream. It doesn't mean it lessens the quality of the art, it just means more people know about it. I actually hope the rise of indie music strengthens the quality of the mainstream with more diversity instead of a narrow selection of the same corporate formulas over and over. You can't really blame today's embarrassing disposable mainstream music on the public as much as the companies who control the channels in which this carefully filtered cookie-cutter music is distributed.

The idea that anyone now can express themselves by uploading a recording to sites like ReverbNation and SoundCloud is exciting ... until you listen to all the under-developed art out there.Then again, it's very encouraging to innovative artists who don't want to conform to last century's tightly controlled model that required spending thousands of dollars on recording and access to big channels even though the chances of making it big were pretty slim. So if indie music continues to overthrow the mainstream to the point the charts are not so controlled by just three companies, that can only be good for pop culture. Instead of three companies dictating what most of the nation perceives as popular, it would be much more refreshing if the national scene was fed by a wide variety of regional independent scenes.

Disclosure: I own SacTV.com

Where's Newton? Unexpected Art

2012-09-30T04:05:42Z

What's a Newton Booth? A tiny building where you can buy cookies?

Wrong.

Newton Booth is a cool neighborhood in the lower right corner of midtown, and there are a bunch of artists who live and work there.

On Saturday, October 6, from 11 am to 3 p.m. those artists are going to be making stuff, teaching stuff, showing their stuff, and, of course, selling stuff.

Anybody who wants to visit the neighborhood that day will get an eyeful.

Interested in welding? Gina Rossi will let us wander through while she's teaching a class. Her studio, tucked away on 20th street is a great place to see the fanciful bike racks she creates as well as the fused glass she both creates and teaches.

Kristen Hoard is a favorite at various arts and crafts shows, and will also have her studio open. She creates outdoor and indoor metal sculptures at her S Street digs, some of it with flames. She also donated the metal sculptures that stand in the traffic circle at 26th and S.

Miriam Estrada does oil paintings which hang in galleries up and down California. Her work will be in the cool, inviting courtyard of 2208 T Street.

Tim Lazer and Lynda Wysocki Lazer are glass artists whose work is in high end galleries and museum gift shops around the nation. Dennis and Ana Kato have collected Mexican folk art over many years. Chemical House, once a firehouse on 22nd Street, will be open for the day showing the glass and folk art of the Lazers and the Katos.

Shimo gallery on 28th Street is relatively new to the neighborhood—a professional gallery with crisp white walls, currently showing works by Gregory Kondos, as well as those of Chinese artist Shimo, whose studio is upstairs. Next door Side Show Studios, a new combination framing shop, gallery and tattoo parlor is getting ready to include more art work. Definitely worth checking out, especially because it’s a great rehab of an old house.

There are also plenty of creative folks in Newton Booth who don’t actually make a living from art, but are committed and talented nonetheless. A number of them meet in a group called Morning Coffee at the grandly named Castle Dab – one of the two highest places in the neighborhood. On October 6 they will be displaying paintings, jewelry, rocks and who knows what else. This is also where the passports will be distributed.

Racks, a shop about the size of an SUV and conveniently located just behind the Round Corner bar on 24th Street has an assortment of vintage clothing, tschachkas and other interesting things. Right behind Racks, in the alley between R and S and 23rd and 24th, a brand new wall mural srpouted overnight on September 28th. It's a block long and two stories high and is the work of a group of women artists.

The northernmost point on the tour will be Bows and Arrows. This charming spot sells vintage clothing, handmade jewelry and artwork, as well as hosting a first class restaurant. Their gourmet frozen fruit bars have been featured recently in Sunset magazine.

The law offices at 1901 21st Street will host Barracuda Bait jewelry, John Ives fine art and a fanciful collection of hand-made stepping stones.

But wait, there’s more: To fully participate on October 6th, pick up a passport and a map at Castle Dab, 2014 23rd Street. During the day, get the passport stamped at each of the venues. Once it’s stamped, bring it back and you’ll be able to enter the drawing for the door prizes.

Contact Alex Ives at alexives12@yahoo.com for further information.

Disclosure: Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association, is sponsoring the show. I'm a Board member.

Faces owner Terry Sidie opens new club, domino effect for other businesses

2012-09-27T23:42:26Z

There’s a business shuffle in Lavender Heights.

The Kennedy Gallery left its space adjacent to Headhunters and moved into the Victorian house on the corner of 20th and L streets. The owners of the costume shop that formerly occupied the space retired, and it was all so that Headhunters and Faces owner Terry Sidie could relaunch his first Sacramento nightclub – Club Bojangles – in the art gallery’s recently vacated space.

Club Bojangles is a rebirth of the first club that Sidie owned, back in the 1970s. His subsequent establishments, like Club Bojangles, all cater to the gay community, but welcome straight people as well.

“I opened Bojangles in ’76 on Folsom Boulevard,” Sidie said. “I started with it, and now I’m ending my career with it. Almost everything I own is up for sale. I’ll have my 67th birthday soon, and I realize I’m not 30 anymore.”

Headhunters and Club Bojangles are joined by a patio and occupy much of 20th street between K and L streets. The whole complex is more than 9,000 square feet, with 3,000 for Headhunters, 3,000 for the patio and 3,400 for Club Bojangles. Sidie said that, all told, it can accommodate 400-500 people.

The space was originally intended to serve as a club, but Sidie said he leased it to the art gallery because he didn’t want to overbuild.

“Because I had most of it done, we probably put $100,000 into lights and stuff to make it pretty,” he said.

Cornerstone, the restaurant that moved into Headhunters from its space at 24th and J streets two years ago will still be a part of the business, and Sidie said he plans to bring in a chef to prepare dinner options.

The Kennedy Gallery’s move to the Victorian house increases its size by about 1,000 square feet, taking it to approximately 4,000 square feet, owner Michael Kennedy said. That translates to an approximately 50 percent increase in the number of artists who can show in the space, from 11 to 17.

“It’s got a lot of interesting history and character,” Kennedy said, adding that a section of the basement will be dedicated to the house’s history. “It really melds well with our artists.”

Kennedy said the additional basement space will allow the gallery to host classes on art techniques capable of holding 15-20 students, and artists will have more space to work than they did at the old location.

The bigger space is a calculated risk, businesswise, Kennedy said, but the art gallery brings between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors during Second Saturday Art Walks. He said he thinks it complements the nightclubs, helping keep the area vibrant.

All work shown in the gallery is approved by a jury, and Kennedy said work ranging from students to Sacramento art legend Gregory Kondos has been shown in the space.

Improvements are being done to the Victorian house, but the gallery is currently open. Its first major showing in its new digs, however, will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 11, when it will feature works depicting animals.

The Sacramento Zoo is also bringing by some animals, and artwork created by monkeys and elephants for the event, Kennedy said.

“One of the things that lets us succeed right now is that we have something for everyone,” Kennedy said, adding that subject matter and media displayed in the gallery are varied. “We have something whether you live in an apartment or in a house in the Fab 40s.”

Kennedy Gallery is open from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Club Bojangles will be open from 10 p.m. - 2 a.m.

The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Gale Hart: Show Some Emotion Exhibition by Bree Garcia

2012-09-26T04:38:46Z

Gale Hart’s Show Some Emotion exhibition is where fine art, activism and a hint of graffiti collide. It produces great social commentary on topics such as our conditioned behaviors toward the mistreatment of animals, feminism, and gun control. Her artistic activism allows her to translate those messages into a visual language which conveys a great impact on her audience. This month The Sacramento Art History Consortium had the opportunity to sit down and meet with Gale at her studio and attend her artist talk at Elliott Fouts Gallery, it is from those gatherings that this interview was formulated.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to view the show it runs through October 4th at the Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento.

Interview written By Sabrina Garcia

Show Some Emotion Exhibition Interview

Gale how long have you been creating art, and working as an artist here in Sacramento?

Professionally since the early eighties

Your work sets out to impart a specific idea, and address many of today’s social concerns can you discuss the significance of you current exhibition?

Show Some Emotion is a way to speak to others and call out the atrocities without being on a soap box. Personally, I strive to do as little harm as possible especially to animals. The apathy towards the treatment of innocent creatures and the participation in the process of using them is beyond my comprehension. I have a difficult time tolerating people choosing to participate in our cruel system with regard to animals. This is not the only social issue that gets under my skin; women still struggle so I like to address women’s empowerment in my work. In this exhibit I also commented on guns in our society, not to choose a side but to state a fact: Close to half of gun fatalities are from accidents.

How did you come up with the concept and the exploration of apathy?

I used a lot of emoticons in this show, but it is more of a twist on them and not your traditional happy, sad, etc face. I was inspired by a stay in the hospital for a pelvis fracture from skateboarding. Emoticons were used as a pain assessment chart, I thought they were cheesy and I wanted to bring an edge to them. I could not think of an emoticon that would represent apathy other than a face without any features so I experimented with that idea a bit.

Is there one specific work in the show that you feel is a statement piece, one which encompasses your artistic vision and the significance of your message?

Would you Could you Should you (Installation) is a replica or a traditional old barn. The kind you would see driving in the country that may make you feel warm or nostalgic or maybe just enchanted with its architecture. There are no windows and the door cannot be opened. Around it are animals that are made out of saw horses that have feed sacks for heads. They have mostly happy expressions on their faces, one looks surprised. They are gathered around the barn. There is a lever on the front of the barn that the viewer is asked to pull down. When you give it a good pull it makes a thud sound and a feeling you have hit something and then a sign pops out the roof that says OW! The message is pretty clear. We hide the cruelty of the killing of animals for food. We deny our participation by not looking at it or refusing to see. We tell ourselves it is normal and natural to harm, cows, chickens and pigs while we have disdain for abuse to dogs and cats. If one allows themselves to fully experience the installation then they can imagine the act of taking a life and the painful reaction of the animal victim. Some people don’t have to imagine and have a more immediate sense of dread after pulling the handle. I have wanted to give people the experience of the kill for a long time without being graphic. I thought if it was subtle and to the point it would have a greater effect; but I am not opposed to taking the piece in a darker direction at some point. I do prefer sarcasm and humor over graphic images though.

A portion of your exhibition focuses on how animals are perceived and treated; for example in the series of wood painted panels you use animals and text which pertains to how society may see animals a resource or as a commodity, can you expand on the impact of artistic activism and how you are trying to change that perception?

It seems in western society we are obsessionally driven by money and success. Most of us are, or at some point have been willing to use another person or animal to get something we wanted. Our focus generally is outside of ourselves to obtain happiness and I think that leads us to objectify each other and animals. We are morally stunted because we make choices to do harm instead of finding ways to support one another, nature and the animal kingdom. Extermination and disregard are normal ways to treat animals and some people. Living animal beings are referred to as “its” not only is it an incorrect use of the word but it helps us keep the notion in place that animals are a commodity and not a living being with feelings, needs and a desire to live. As an activist I just look for ways to bring awareness in creative ways to the viewer. We are very brain washed so that is a big challenge, as well as our apathy and belief that we were given animals to do what we want to them.

There is reference to very familiar imagery in your works; such as in Mickey Stop and the Power of Minnie, can you explain the juxtaposition between the subject matter and such familiar animal characterizations?

Mickey has a lot of meaning to me. I think all the historical drawing and deviations of Mickey are some of the best illustrated cartoons to date. Mickey represents a man’s wonderful dream, to build an empire of entertainment. Mickey is the epitome of capitalism. Watching the growth of the Disney industry during my lifetime has been impressive, but ultimately it is a corporate giant. Mickey’s ears are recognizable throughout the world so when I use them the viewer immediately can feel familiar with the piece. There are a lot of copyright rules that say I cannot use Mickey Mouse; but he is so familiar using him is almost equal to using a tree. Mickey is kind of “ours” and I feel he is mine in a sense. I have a personal kinship with him. Some people do not think I should take such ownership over him and dislike it when I dismember Disney characters for the purpose of politics; but that just makes Mickey that must more meaningful and appealing to use.

Mickey Stop and the The Power of Minnie are women empowerment statements. Mickey Stop is a look into the last few decades of the feminist movement. Women are now able to say no to domestic violence and discrimination. The Power of Minnie is a woman who is living a life of integrity, self-love and empowerment with a bit of attitude. Using Minnie Mouse ears in the works brings a timeline to the history of the women’s movement. In Minnie’s lifetime so much has taken place with regard to women struggling for equality. So many of our older cartoons were racist and sexist; I remember lots of Minnie cartoons were she was in trouble, needed to be saved and Mickey would rescue her. I have taken her out of that dependent role.

Have you started developing a concept for your next exhibition?

I am not planning another show yet, but the gun sculptures In Plain Sight and Just in Case have got some interest from others and even some on my part so I may explore it some more.

Is there anything that you would like the public to know about Gale Hart?

That having my talent is not as easy as it looks. I struggle with putting so much activism in my work when I could choose a path and make art that matches couches and decors. I divide art in to two categories, art that is meant for our souls and art that is meant for our walls. I can do either but feel empty when I do art for walls. Maybe because I am just more interested in tearing walls down!

www.galehart.com

Disclosure: After a series of conversations with the artist Gale Hart, SAHC member Sabrina Garcia conducted and finalized this interview for the artist and her new how "Show Some Emotion" being exhibited at the Elliot Fouts Gallery in Downtown Sacramento.

Rio Linda Artist awarded Best of Show in KVIE Art Auction

2012-09-25T20:18:38Z

Rio Linda resident and former art teacher Maureen Hood was awarded Best of Show in the 2012 KVIE Art Auction for her collage “Shop Girl.”

After about a 15-year hiatus from the KVIE Art Auction, Hood’s piece was awarded top honors during the 2012 Art Auction Preview Gala, held Monday evening at KVIE.

The collage shows a young woman on the telephone surrounded by colorful books and magazines. Hood said the inspiration for this piece came from her mother’s collections – a hobby she developed later in life – and images of magazine vendors in cities from San Francisco to Paris that she has photographed in her travels.

Creativity has been a lifelong passion for Hood, and it did not take her long to realize her goal of becoming an artist.

“I decided when I was five years old that was what I wanted to be,” Hood said, adding that her parents enriched her life with constant exposure to creativity and the arts. “It began again with my mother sewing, and piecing things together,” and her father, a carpenter who built the homes she grew up in. “I enjoy (mixed media) because it has such a tactile quality to it. I’m touching the materials and shaping them. … The linear quality around collage fascinates me, too.”

Hood spent 25 years teaching art at Deterding Elementary School in Carmichael and Mira Loma High School before retiring. When asked if art-lovers would be seeing her work in the 2013 KVIE Art Auction, she said there is a good chance she’ll be back next year.

“I just really appreciate the professionalism of the whole show (preview gala) last night. … It was a very nice experience and the people who joined me last night were very impressed.”

First place award winners were also announced during the Preview Gala in seven categories: California’s Gold, “A Bend In The River,” by Bob Miller (7:30pm Sunday); Photo/Prints, “Water World,” by Bob Androvich (7:30pm Sunday); Non-California Landscape, “Hawaiian Color,” by Jay Welden (2pm Saturday); Still Life, “Plums Are Good Too,” by Kathleen Davids (2:15pm Saturday); Figurative, “Eric’s Ride,” by Sherie Drake (7:30pm Saturday); Contemporary Classics, “Untitled Card and Top Hat,” by Corey Okada, (7:30pm Saturday); and Sculpture, “Miller #15” by Robert Hossack, (7:30pm Saturday). Italicized times are when the piece will be up-for-bid in the live televised auction.

Each artist’s work, and about 350 other pieces, will be showcased in a live three-day auction broadcast on KVIE (ch 6, check local listings) that starts Friday, September 28 from 8pm to 11pm and continues Saturday, September 29 from 11am to 10pm and Sunday, September 30, from 11am to 9pm.

This year’s auction is sponsored by Wells Fargo, The Niello Company, Mansour’s Oriental Rug Gallery, The Sacramento Bee, and Warren G. Bender Co. Proceeds from the event and auction help support KVIE local productions and community outreach services.

Preview all the art and register to bid at kvie.org/artauction.

Disclosure: Kate Gonzales is the Public Relations Assistant with KVIE Public Television.

Folsom Live

2012-09-25T03:52:47Z

This year’s Folsom Live event had 15 bands performing on five outdoor stages. The event took place in Folsom’s Historic District on Saturday, Sept. 22.

Folsom locals could use shuttle service to get to Sutter Street, and out-of-towners could access free public transportation with their Folsom Live ticket. Extended rail service out of Folsom lasted until 11 p.m.

Lines materialized early to purchase tickets and drink tokens, and to gather other information. Drink tokens were available at many parts of the venue in order to save some time and shorten lines.

Each of the five stages had two or three bands playing, and each band had a lengthy amount of time to play in front of their fans.

East Bay Soul, Journey Unauthorized and Jack Ingram played at the Main Stage.

The new Amphitheater Stage included the Battle of the Bands winner, Maxx Cabello, Jr. and Arden Park Roots. The Battle of the Bands winner was Kattywompus but due to a booking conflict they conceded the Battle of the Bands to first runner up Old Screen Door.

The Hacienda Stage featured the Chris Gardner Band and Inspector 71.

The Balcony Stage scheduled Tom Rigney & Flambeau and the Rhythm Vandals.

Wonderbread 5 and the Atomic Punks performed at the Powerhouse Stage.

It was impossible to see all the bands, so fans had to choose which bands they most wanted to see. Fans who did not allow for enough time to stand in line for food or drinks were disappointed. Some complained that the lines for drinks were too long, and missed most or all of a performance they wanted to see.

Mark Kessler showed up at the event for the third year.

Kessler noted that he liked the two-day event last year, and wondered why it had returned to a one-day event. Kessler compared last year’s and this year’s event, saying, “I liked last year’s lineup that included better-known bands. This year I came to see and support one of my favorites, Arden Park Roots. They’re a Sacramento band that I think has a chance to make it big in the larger markets. Not only that, they have a large following here in Sacramento.”

No matter which band people came to see, each stage was packed and each band provided great entertainment for its audience.

Every year the streets of the Historic Folsom District are packed with people attending this event. Historic Folsom establishments also planned their own activities in an effort to attract their share of visitors from the Folsom Live event. Other businesses took advantage of the evening’s traffic and remained open late.

Art galleries like Gallery Impasto were open during the event, and were able to get some foot traffic. Other new businesses in the 700 block of Sutter Street also had heavier traffic in their shops.

Across the street, the Rainbow Bridge Band played inside the Sutter Street Theatre. The theatre also held an after-Folsom Live practice performance of “Evil Dead: The Musical,” which will run Oct. 11-28. Their whimsical production was done well, and showcased the talent of regular performers at the Sutter Street Theater.

Other after-hours entertainment was also included, and visitors could use their Folsom Live wristband for free entrance at the Powerhouse Pub, Folsom Hotel and other places.

Folsom Live continues to be one of the biggest attractions in Folsom, and the Folsom Chamber of Commerce continues to improve this event.

This year several Sacto MoFo food trucks served food until 11 p.m., and some local restaurants and pubs were also open late.

Once the event was officially over, Folsom Hotel & Saloon, Lockdown Brewery, Samuel Horne’s Tavern and the Powerhouse Pub continued to provide live music and drinks for visitors who were still around.

Folsom Live is organized by the Folsom Chamber of Commerce, and next year will celebrate the venue’s 10th anniversary.

The Folsom Chamber of Commerce requests suggestions for improvement on the Folsom Live Facebook page.

Without the organization by the chamber and its recruitment of the many volunteers that come to the event, Folsom Live would not be as successful in attracting large audiences. The event also allows visitors the opportunity to visit Historic Folsom’s many shops on Sutter Street.

The Great California Paint Out Returns to Davis

2012-09-22T00:29:57Z

September 29, 2012, 100 artists of all mediums will flock to Davis to create their own masterpieces for the Great California Paint Out. People everywhere are encouraged to come to participate or just watch the show. Completed works will be exhibited that evening from 7-10:00 pm at the John Natsoulas Gallery with a juried event and awards sponsored by Ultrecht Art Supplies. A silent auction of the work will follow. Last year's event almost sold out. This is a great way to observe the artistic process and support local artists. For more information contact John Natsoulas Gallery at 530-756-3938 or go to the website at www.natsoulas.com.

Disclosure: I work with the John Natsoulas Gallery .

Top of Folsom

2012-09-18T06:17:48Z

With a beautiful panorama view of night lights in and around Historic Folsom, guests at “Top of Folsom” enjoyed a festive evening of fine art, food and wine.

On Saturday, Sept. 15, a couple of hundred visitors enjoyed a gathering on the upper deck of the Folsom Historic District parking garage.

The garage is located at the corner of Leidesdorff and Reading streets in Folsom. “Top of Folsom” offered a delightful vista of Historic Folsom, the Lake Natoma Crossing bridge and the Folsom Boulevard area.

Over 20 artists, 15 chefs and 20 Northern California wineries were invited to share some of their creative specialties.

The unusual setting atop a parking garage worked well for this event. Wineries, eateries and artists occupied spaces, and live musical entertainment provided an elegant and joyful atmosphere.

“Top of Folsom” also brought TV personalities from DIY’s “Yardcore” brothers Joel and Jake Moss to create an on-the-spot urban sculpture. Together with licensed contractors Doug Tolson and Terrance Martin, the foursome created an art piece that will be displayed at the Folsom Zoo.

The “Top of Folsom” affair was a benefit for the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary and the Folsom Historic District. Some art pieces created by animals of the zoo were also available for purchase. These creations would look great in any home, not only because they were made by an animal, but also because some of them were quite creative and well-done.

The Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary has housed hundreds of animals since it opened in 1963. The zoo is adjacent to Lions Park, Dan Russell Arena, the city library and the Folsom Valley Railway.

Janet Cho and her husband Matt were guests at the event. Janet Cho said, “When I heard this was an event being put on to help the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary, I knew I wanted to attend. It wasn’t hard to convince other friends to attend, especially when they heard wine tasting would be included. We had a great time this evening, and hope the event comes back next year.”

The price of admission included wine, beer and food sampling. The price of the ticket also included entertainment and a commemorative wine glass.

One of the evening’s highlights occurred when Karen Holmes, of Folsom’s Karen’s Bakery Café, demonstrated the art of making a salad. The super-sized salad made was poured into a tarp from the fourth story of the parking garage. Culinary students from American River College caught the salad ingredients on the third level of the garage, as Holmes poured from above.

Pitchforks were used to toss the greens and dressing, and the unique salad-making showcase provided delicious food for the many attendees.

“Top of Folsom” guests sampled delicious treats from local eateries that included Bidwell Street Bistro, Sutter Street Steakhouse, Karen’s Bakery Café, Source Global Tapas, Mulvaney’s B&L, Red Rabbit, Hawks, Matteo’s Pizza & Bistro, Bacon and Butter, Bistro La Petite France, Dry Creek Olive Co. and Snook’s Candies.

Visitors sampled wines from several wineries, including David Girard, Madroña, Boeger, Miraflores, Skinner, Shadow Ranch, Bumgarner, Helwig, Petra, Fiddletown Pruett and Cielo. Samples from the Sonoma and Napa Valley wineries included Schrader, Trefethen, Trattore and Rutherford.

A couple of local breweries, Track 7 Brewing Co. and Lockdown Brewing Company, provided samples for the beer drinkers in the crowd.

“Top of Folsom” was an enjoyable event that offered great entertainment, sips of local and regional wine and beer, delicious food samples and beautiful art.

Nostalgia for a different time in Sacrament's art scene: Belmonte Gallery panel at Time Tested Books

2012-09-17T15:30:13Z

An avant-garde art movement swept the art world in the 1960s, and its unofficial headquarters in Sacramento was the Belmonte Gallery, which was opened by Sal and Masako Yniguez in 1962.

On Sunday, The Sacramento Living Library's Tim Foster hosted a panel discussion on the Belmonte at Time Tested Books, featuring Masako Yniguez and three artists whose work was displayed the gallery, Irving Marcus, Peter Vandenberge and Kurt Fishback.

Fishback, who is now known principally as a photographer but at the time was also a sculptor, discussed his memories of the gallery and his nostalgia for what he said was an exciting and headier time in Sacramento's art scene.

The following is a selection of what he had to say:

"It was funny. Everything outside of us tried to pin us into pigeonholes, but all we were doing was enjoying our connection with Sal and (Masako) and making art.

"In those days, there were four art critics in Sacramento. Two newspapers and four art critics that any artists could call on the phone and say, 'Would you like to look at my show?' Remember? There was just all these people that were open to talking about art. I got lots of reviews by just calling people.

"There was an openness that doesn't really exist anymore. There doesn't seem to be real interest in local art in the Bee anymore. It doesn't sell papers and, of course, papers are hard to sell anyway, right?

"It was a time when it was necessary to have an open space that would allow you to be yourself, and that was the Belmonte Gallery. That's its biggest legacy, and I've been hungry for that kind of energy and thought, and watching gallery after gallery close in this town, there's just no real support for art. In fact, a friend of mine (who runs a gallery) was at my house Friday morning, and he said somebody actually called the day of a Second Saturday opening to ask if he was serving wine, and that was that the determinate as to whether they were going to come to the show. I mean, it used to be that if you didn't have cheap wine there wasn't much of a turnout, but that wasn't at least spoken quite that bluntly.

"I miss the '60s for many reasons, and one of the biggest is the Belmonte, and what happened -- the freedom, the love, the caring, this passion, this passion for art, for making it or discussing it or sharing it.

'It was a different time. It was a time that will never happen again, I don't think."

To learn more about the Belmonte Gallery, read Tim Foster's article in the Feb. 2010 edition of Midtown Monthly, Memories of Belmonte.

Catwalk on K Street

2012-09-13T07:01:57Z

The Vibe Foundation Urban Youth Lounge and Career Center is a teen operated center where Sacramento teens acquire academic and vocational skills. Vibe Lounge encourages members to engage in service learning, socialize and network with Sacramento based private, public and nonprofit organizations.

The Vibe Lounge is located at 1725 K Street and teens, with adult supervision, conduct the daily operations of the center. In exchange for running the daily operations teens earn ROP school credit.

Teens that live in the Sacramento region can use the center and its resources that include job search assistance, monthly events for youths in the 14-18 age group and scholastic activities such as preparing for SAT, job fairs, life and skills workshops. Tutoring is available and the VIBE has laptop computers with internet access that can be checked out.

Fun and learning activities are always sought. One of the newest events created by the Vibe is Catwalk on K Street. The event is presented by the Vibe Urban Teen Lounge and will take place on Sunday, September 23.

For the past few weeks Vibe, Chaez Boswell, Interim Executive Director at Vibe Urban Lounge created a team to help make Catwalk on K Street a successful and fun event for teens.

Designers, local boutiques, hair and makeup artists, stylists and other community members involved in the fashion industry have also collaborated by mentoring Vibe teams.

Nayshia Streator helped with registration and shared some thoughts about the casting. When asked about her role at the Vibe she said, “Well I’m an intern here at the Vibe and I’m also an event planner. I came up with this fashion show concept. We’re working hard for the event and have encouraged hairstylists, makeup designers, stylist for teenagers and those that want to be models to become involved.”

Streator has been involved at the Vibe since it first opened. Speaking about the Vibe, she continued, “We heard many kids saying that there’s nothing to do for youth here in Sacramento if you’re under 18, especially downtown.” The center has created a fun and educational atmosphere and continues to look for events to bring teens together.

Teens on hand filled out their paperwork to be involved in the Catwalk on K Street event. Some parents were on hand and signed off on their child’s participation. Teens also noted on their paperwork if they wanted to model and/or be involved as a stylist.

As paperwork was being filled out announcements went over the speakers going over some future events and to help with the paperwork. Teens were advised to ask questions, listen to music and enjoy socializing.

Chaez Boswell also made some announcements and described the fashion show event that will include a red carpet event, food and vendors will also be participating, DJ music will be played and radio 102.5 would also have a booth.

Boswell also made an important announcement regarding how they would be evaluated saying, “Remember that it’s not how you look but your attitude that will get you a spot.”

Some of the boutiques showcasing at the event were announced and Boswell also talked about a t-shirt designed by the Vibe and indicated other designs were being worked on.

Forty modeling spots were open and stylist spots would also be available.

Models, 10 at a time, were called to walk at a hall where several judges would be evaluating them and asking pertinent questions. Boswell tired to encourage the teens telling them to try and show their personality, not to worry and to have a good time.

Models were shown how to walk and each teen walked towards the judges' table and back twice giving judges time to evaluate the walk and ask the modesl questions.

Given a sample walk, ten models lined up. Several models exhibited confidence, good personality traits, courtesy and intelligence when answering questions.

As each set of models were evaluated they made their way back to the main hall and later were told they could go home once they walked. Announcements as to who made the cut would be made at a later time.

In the main hall I recognized one of the models by the name of Elizabeth Green who had performed at the Hair & Fashion Battle as a dancer.

Green shared how she found out about the event saying, “My cousin told me about it. I’ve been modeling since I was 12 and I’ve been looking around to see if there were any other modeling things I could participate in. It’s been kind of hard because I’m short.”

When asked what type of modeling she liked Green stated, “Anything that I can find that’s runway, because I really love runway.”

The Monterrey Trail High School student has many interests sharing that she likes to dance and model and also noted she’d eventually like to be in involved in the medical field or engineering.

Teens selected for the event will now begin rehearsals as they’re paired with boutiques and stylists.

Some of the stores and boutiques participating include Express, Crimson & Clover, Heart Boutique, Racks, Freestyle, Getta Clue, Legacy and Salvation Army.

Vibe hopes this will be the start of a long lasting collaboration with community and business groups. The first annual Catwalk on K Street features a wide variety of clothing styles and entertainment that reflects the interest of Sacramento teens.

Local businesses are encouraged to partner with Vibe and a long-term partnership would help Sacramento youth and give them exposure to different businesses. Sponsorships are also available.

The event will provide a safe and fun event for local area teens, showcase diversity, bring awareness to Vibe and bring local community business together.

Crocker Art Museum to host classic cars from California Auto Museum, fashion show by Sarah Kreutz and Cast Images

2012-09-11T22:11:11Z

The Crocker Art Museum’s Art Mix is pairing hot rods and haut couture on Thursday with the Va Va Vroom Art Mix.

A collection of classic cars brought together by California Automobile Museum Curator Nathan Smith will be on display in the Crocker Art Museum courtyard at 216 O St., and a fashion show presented by Sarah Kreutz and Cast Images will follow.

Part of the museum’s Thursays ‘til 9 series, the event is free with museum admission, and it runs from 5 - 9 p.m.

Music will be provided by Phono Select Sound System, and pop-inspired art-making will be on-hand. A live painting demonstration by Arturo Balderama will go from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m., and docent-led tours will be offered at 6 and 8 p.m. of the exhibit titled “Mel Ramos: 50 Years of Superheroes, Nudes and Other Pop Delights.”

For more information, check out the Crocker Art Museum website.

Sacramento Ballet auditions for Ron Cunningham's The Nutcracker

2012-09-11T06:57:29Z

Hundreds of Sacramento Ballet fans lined the streets at the corner of 17th and K streets. Parents brought their children for the Sacramento Ballet’s auditions for “The Nutcracker.”

Several tables selling sweets and merchandise to raise funds for the ballet were set up in front of the 17th Street entrance. Parents and other volunteers staffed the tables.

The Sacramento Ballet estimated that over 800 kids and their parents would attend the audition that took place from Sept. 5-9.

Inside the studio, a lot of activity went on in different rooms. Sacramento Ballet dancers rehearsed for upcoming shows, while other rooms housed the many dancers onsite.

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Ballet’s artistic director, Ron Cunningham, and the children’s cast coordinator, Marla Quinn, conducted auditions in another room.

I sat in for part of the “Clara Party and Prologue Girls” audition, in which 23 girls participated. Cunningham showed the group steps to a routine he wanted the girls to perform.

After showing the dancers what to do, they came up, five at a time, to showcase some of their talent.

Once the girls performed their routine, Cunningham and Quinn evaluated their performance, and told the girls that they would be asked to return to continue the audition. If they were not called back, the young participants could audition for another role if they met height and skill requirements.

The little dancers were also told to smile, and the smiles showed off a little bit more of their personality.

Cunningham and Quinn held auditions Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., making for a long day. They followed on Sunday with more auditions that lasted from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Cunningham’s and Quinn’s dedication was just as obvious with the parents that volunteered.

Michelle McKibben and Michelle Martin attended to a food table and other activities inside the studio. “It has become a Christmas tradition,” said McKibben, referring to “The Nutcracker.”

McKibben relayed a brief description of what the audition process entails and how Cunningham makes his selections, saying, “He kind of likes to see what he has to pick from. He has this vision in his head about what he’s looking for, and evaluates the talent of each dancer. So, every year it’s different.”

Martin added, “Cunningham is also looking for the dancers’ personality, manners, behavior and ability. ‘The Nutcracker’ is such a huge production, and he’s looking for children that can cooperate and follow directions.”

When asked how they became involved as volunteers for the ballet, both moms indicated they had daughters who took lessons from and danced for the Sacramento Ballet. McKibben noted that their daughters had been in the ballet for eight to nine years.

They also noted that once children audition for “The Nutcracker,” many return for lessons, having had a good experience in the audition process.

Once callbacks are announced, children who get a role receive a packet with more details about their role, rehearsals and other valuable information.

Children who are not selected are encouraged to return and audition for another part.

Parents sat on garden chairs outside the ballet studios, waiting to see if their children were given a role.

Jennifer Toy shared her experience. “I have one child auditioning today. She’s auditioning for the role of a party child.”

When asked if her daughter Kylie had auditioned before, Toy said, “This will be her sixth time auditioning for ‘The Nutcracker.’ She was a party girl last year.” We laughed at the sound of “party girl.”

Toy arrived at the audition around 10 a.m., and sat with a group of other moms and a couple of other children. When asked how long she was going to be at the audition, Toy stated, “We could be here all day; it depends on whether she gets the part or not.”

Selections for the roles are made the day of the auditions and Toy added, “They’ll release them at 2 p.m., but if she doesn’t get the part she’ll just get back in line and try for the next part.”

Many roles are offered for casting, and more than one person at the audition indicated that Cunningham selects as many dancers as possible. Sometimes roles are expanded, or more soldiers, attendants, party boys and girls, mice, bunnies, cooks and other dancers might be added.

Cunningham’s “The Nutcracker” comes to the Community Center Theater for performances Dec. 7-23. Log on to the Sacramento Ballet website for more information about “The Nutcracker” and other performances.

Creator of the Award-winning Web Series “Dark Pool” to Share Insights on Tuesday Sept. 18

2012-09-11T00:54:57Z

Decades ago the biggest artist goal would have been to write the “great American novel.” But in today’s technology age, it might instead be to create the “great American web series.” Local actor, teacher and producer Rick Gott – the producer of the award-winning web series “Dark Pool” – is living that creative goal. He and others from the “Dark Pool” cast and crew will speak to the local film community others at the Art Institute on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, at the monthly speaker series from the Capital Film Arts Alliance.

“Dark Pool” is making headlines, gaining fans, and getting awards. A recent Sacramento Bee article describes Rick’s experience winning a handful of awards at the L.A. Web Series Festival, and another story in the Sacramento Press gives some insight to why Rick started the low-low-budget project in the first place.

• Sacramento Bee article on local web series

• Sacramento Press article on Dark Pool

Come hear the story of how the web series came to be, who is behind it all, and what people are saying about the series’s success. Key topics include how to monetize web-based content, how to market through social media with no budget, and how to put together a quality project on the web.

The September 18th meeting is one of a monthly speaker series from the Capital Film Arts Alliance. Experts in the filmmaking field – from camera and sound to contracts and funding – are asked to share their expertise and insights to Sacramento are filmmakers. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm at Art Institute of Sacramento at 2850 Gateway Oaks Dr., Sacramento. For more information about this meeting or the Capital Film Arts Alliance, please contact Laurie Pederson at 916-600-6477 or info@capitalfilmarts.com.

The CFAA September 2012 industry meeting featuring Rick Gott, the producer of the award-winning web series “Dark Pool,” a uniquely Sacramento production. The meeting with Rick Gott and others from Dark Pool will be held on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, at 7:00 p.m., at The Art Institute of Sacramento, 2850 Gateway Oaks Dr., Sacrament.. Free for members, $5 for non-members. CFAA membership rates are $35 for individual members and $15 for students. Business and corporate sponsor members available as well. Contact the CFAA at info@capitalfilmarts.com for more information.

Disclosure: Mary Beth Barber is a board member of the Capital Film Arts Alliance

KVIE Art Auction spotlights Northern California talent

2012-09-06T18:01:07Z

From the Sierra Nevada foothills to Sacramento and into the Bay Area, Northern California artists will be highlighted in the 2012 KVIE Art Auction.

Celebrating KVIE Public Television’s thirty-one years of creating an accessible venue to bring art into the homes of Northern Californians, this year’s Art Auction will showcase over 300 works of art by the area’s emerging, well-known and world-renown artists. In addition to art in the juried competition, the auction will also include works by master artists Annie Murphy Robinson, Eric Dahlin, Gregory Kondos, Mel Ramos, and Clayton Pinkerton.

Five of the artists featured in the 2012 KVIE Art Auction have been recognized with the curator award.

Realtor and art gallery owner Tim Collom was the sole Sacramento artist to receive a curator award for his oil on canvas titled “Silverado Trail,” a colorful depiction of an orchard stretching into distant mountains.

“Tim is one of Sacramento’s rising stars,” said curator D Neath. “He is known for his vibrant landscapes and had a piece commissioned for the popular ‘Pops in the Park’ that appeared on the cover of Inside East Sacramento. … His midtown studio is a favorite Second Saturday destination.”

Three Tuolumne County residents also received the curator award. Cary Bauer McGrew of Columbia earned an award with her oil on canvas of two jackrabbits, “Jack and Jill.”

“My fascination with jackrabbits began when I spotted several of these quick little creatures hopping hither and thither while I was walking my dogs early in the morning,” McGrew said. “It seemed quite natural that in my painting I would include Jack’s friend Jill.”

Allison Blansit of Sonora also received a curator award for her oil on board titled “Finally…A Day at the Beach,” which shows a joyful dog at the ocean.

“We all love to go to the beach, and we say when we get there, ‘It’s been too long.’ I’m thinking dogs feel the same way,” said Blansit.

Fellow Sonora resident Robert White earned a curator award for his black and white photograph, “Sonora Pass.”

“I’ve always loved clouds in my work, especially in black and white,” White said. “I was lucky to be in the high Sierras as a late afternoon storm began to build.”

Vacaville ceramicist Shenny Cruces also received a curator award for her ceramic piece, “Prairie Girl.”

“I collect, cast, and alter existing porcelain objects into sculptural forms to expose the underlying issues of class, identity, memory and the meaning of objects in our lives,” Cruces said of her artistic process. “‘Prairie Girl’ is the embodiment of all the sweetness of girlhood in direct conflict with the seductive qualities of feminine sensuality.”

Each artist’s work will be showcased in a live three-day auction broadcast on KVIE (channel 6, check local listings) that starts Friday, September 28 from 8pm to 11pm and continues Saturday, September 29 from 11am to 10pm and Sunday, September 30 from 11am to 9pm.

KVIE will host a Preview Gala to announce and honor the first place winners in six categories, and the Best of Show winner. At the event, guests can mingle with artists, try local wines and brews, hors d’oeuvres and chocolate desserts from 20 of our region’s finest wineries and restaurants. The Preview Gala will be held from 5:30pm to 8:30pm Monday, September 24, at KVIE Studios in Sacramento. Tickets can be purchased online at kvie.org/artauction or by calling (916) 641-3663. Proceeds from the event and auction help support KVIE local productions and community outreach services.

A complete list of artists juried into the collection, as well as information about a companion online auction held from September 24 to September 30, is available online at kvie.org/artauction.

Disclosure: Kate Gonzales is the Public Relations Assistant at KVIE Public Television.

Hacker Lab Re-opens its Doors

2012-09-06T16:08:15Z

Entrepreneurs and impresarios unite! Hacker Lab, Sacramento’s patented start-up incubator, is hosting its inaugural Fundraising Party this Friday, September 7th. Transplanting to 10,000 sq. ft. of fertile hacking space, Hacker Lab intends to make good on its mission to “educate folks and seed startups”.

With the advent of their new location (on 17th and I), Hacker Lab hopes to facilitate further hackathons, educational events, and entrepreneurial opportunities for the Sacramento and surrounding communities. A veritable trough of talent; come experiment, edify, and be enlightened!

Think donating is for dummies? Minnick Web Services, (a Hacker Lab affiliate) will be giving away a limited number of tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Hacker Lab is a Non Profit and community-funded space.

Event Details:
Donation tickets are available on eventbrite at: http://hackerlab.eventbrite.com/
Friday, September 7th, 2012: 6pm-11pm
Pot Luck and BYOB
Location: 1715 I St Sacramento, CA 95811
Phone: 916.514.7044
Email: info@hackerlab.org

Disclosure: Marie-Clare Treseder is the Content Curator for Hacker Lab and In-House Philosopher for Minnick Web Services.

Labor Day Weekend events in Sacramento

2012-08-30T00:01:00Z

Everyone loves a good three-day weekend, and what better way to celebrate than in Sacramento! Enjoy a fun-filled and relaxing Labor Day weekend by checking out some of the activities and events listed below, which are sure to keep you happily busy all weekend long.

Food, Music, & Art Galore!
Chalk It Up! to Sacramento Festival: Fremont Park, Sat-Mon 10am-6pm
Enjoy three full days of fun, family friendly outdoor activities. This event will feature live musical performances, art, and great food.

4th Annual One Love, One Heart Reggae Music Festival: Rio Ramaza Marina & Event Park, Sat-Sun 11am-Midnight; Mon 10am-2pm
Experience a multicultural collection of world music, dance, and cuisine.

6th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival: Cesar Chavez Plaza,
Sun 1:30pm-8:30pm
This Festival hosts four music events in one weekend as well as dancers, a Selena singing contest, and an abundance of Tex-Mex food.

Celebrate History & Heritage
Gold Rush Days: Old Sacramento: Fri 9am-4pm; Sat & Sun 11am-7pm; Mon 11am-6pm
Transport yourself back to the days of gold and glory. This event will feature gold panning, period artifacts, storytelling, horse-drawn carriages, and much more!

Sacramento Greek Festival: Sacramento Convention Center,
Fri-Sun 11am-11pm
Enjoy a culturally rich weekend filled with plenty of Greek food, Greek dancing, and much more.

African Cultural Festival: William Land Park, Sat & Sun 9am-6pm
Travel across the globe and immerse yourself in African culture without ever leaving Sacramento.

Fun-Filled Festivals
Rainbow Festival: Midtown - 20th & K Streets, Fri 8pm; Sat 10pm-2am; Sun 10am-6pm
Raise money for charities that have a significant importance to the lesbian and gay community and enjoy a celebration of pride.

The 2nd Annual Show N' Shine Car Show: Southgate Plaza, Sat 11am-5pm
This event will include a car show, live DJ, free kids crafts, a rock wall, dancers, raffles, and much more.

The Five-O-Show-Rodeo: Sacramento Horseman's Club, Sat 1pm-3:30pm
Enjoy a day of BBQ, raffles, a rodeo-inspired equestrian show, and more!

Unique Family-Friendly Entertainment
Pop-Up Cinema: The Wizard of Oz: Fairytale Town, Fri 7pm & 10pm
Celebrate the completion of the Yellow Brick Road play set with two screenings of the beloved family classic.

The Bone Zone Grand Opening Weekend: Discovery Museum, Sat-Mon 12:30pm-4pm
Bring the whole family to learn about skulls, bodies, and health, all in a fun and exciting way with this new exhibit!

Sacramento Anime Convention: Woodlake Hotel Sacramento,
Fri & Sat 10am-2am; Sun 10am-6pm
SacAnime is the Anime convention where fans come to play, providing the Japanese-influenced pop culture for fun for the entire family.

After Hours Activities
Dirty Kitty 6: Summer Finale: The Park Ultra Lounge, Fri 9pm-2am
The Park will be shining through with a black light party featuring DJ's Eddie Edul and Peeti-V on the turntables.

MiX LDW2012: Donald Glaude: MiX Downtown, Sun 4pm-8pm
Come out and see one of the heroes of the West Coast house music scene, Donald Glaude perform live.

Monday Specials:
Sacramento Free Day of Yoga: Sacramento Yoga Studios, Mon, times vary
All day long, participating studios in the Sacramento area will be offering free classes as an opportunity for people of every age and fitness level to try yoga for the first time.

Free Treat Monday: Unleashed by Petco - Elk Grove, Mon 9am-9pm
Bring your pets and celebrate Labor Day by getting them free treats just for stopping by!

Little Buckaroos Day: Crocker Art Museum, Mon 11am-3pm
Families with young children will have a yee-haw time at the Crocker in celebration of Sacramento's annual Gold Rush Days. The West will be wild with wiggles and giggles at this event!

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This information provided by Sacramento365.com, an event resource partner of Sacramento Press.

Disclosure: Alison Kranz is Assisting Editor for Sacramento365.com - the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Prelude to Niello Concours at Serrano

2012-08-25T02:00:28Z

The 2012 Niello Concours at Serrano will take place on October 7, 2012. Automobile enthusiasts throughout northern California and beyond look forward to this annual event.

On Wednesday, August 21 the final Concours Raduno at Sienna, a prelude to the Niello Concours at Serrano, took place in El Dorado Hills.

Sienna Restaurant located at 3909 Park Drive in El Dorado Hills hosted the event where vintage vehicles were showcased around the restaurant.

The 2012 Niello Concours at Serrano will take place on October 7. This elegant event will feature the Marque of Pierce Arrow and will be celebrating 50 Years of the Cobra honoring Carroll Shelby. The gathering at Sienna included several Cobras that sat in front of the restaurant.

The powerful streamline Cobra vehicles at the Sienna grounds attracted the attention of many spectators.

Guests were treated to hors d’oeuvres, wine tasting and DJ music. Several automobile owners form the June 19 Concours at Sienna returned. A comradely has been established among these car owners and many of them will be showcasing their vehicles at the October 7 event.

Hor d’oeuvres were available at the back patio of Sienna. Borjón Winery, a family owned winery located in the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County served wine samples. I sampled the two red wines, a Barbera Reposado and their Sangiovese Reposado; both wines were very tasty.

A flyer near the wine offerings advertised Borjón Winery’s “Revolución De Vino” event. The second annual event will take place on September 1 and will feature live music, sale of select wines and new releases as well as authentic Mexican food by Nora Borjón.

The Concours at Sienna was hosted by Brian and Michele Moore, Premier Concours Promotions. Throughout the evening the hosts mingled with guests and provided information about the October 7 event.

Serrano at Concours will showcase hundreds of vintage vehicles in an elegant and family friendly atmosphere. The Serrano Visitor’s Center, located at 4525 Serrano Parkway will serve as the setting for the event.

The event runs from 10 am – 5 pm., parking is at a premium and shuttle services will be available at Oakridge High School.

Classic vehicles will be on exhibit and several awards will be presented. A fashion showfeaturing Felicia Strati's newests trends will also be included as part of the event. Many vendors from the El Dorado and Sacramento area will have booths at the event.

A portion of the net proceeds from the Niello Concours at Serrano event will benefit The Concours Foundation. The Concours Foundation is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation.

The Concours Foundation’s mission is to, “Provide education, resources, grants and funding to teenage youth in the areas of safe and sober driving practices. Work to encourage and reward outstanding achievements in automobile restoration, preservation and education.”

The Niello Concours at Serrano is a fun event that will capture your imagination and keep you coming back.

CFAA Executive Director Laurie Pederson receives Film Arts Service Award

2012-08-23T00:22:25Z

Laurie Pederson, known in Sacramento as a leader in the film community and the executive director of the Capital Film Arts Alliance, was honored with the 2012 Film Service Award on Wednesday, August 15, 2012, at the opening of the Sacramento Film and Music Festival at the Crest Theatre.

"She is amazing," said Cécile Mouette Downs, Executive & Artistic Director and co-founder of the Sacramento French Film Festival who introduced the Sacramento Film and Music Festival's Film Service awardee. Downs specifically noted Pederson's work building the Capital Film Arts Alliance and helping local filmmakers. "Laurie is dedicated to local filmmaking," said Downs.

Members and friends of the Capital Film Arts Alliance know Laurie's dedication to local filmmaking. She's at every monthly "Third Tuesday" meeting of the Capital Film Arts Alliance. She attends almost all the film festivals and film-related events in the Sacramento region. She goes to as many screenings and announcements of local film as she can. She helps with the monthly script-readings/screenplay workshops from the CFAA. And she is the voice behind the CFAA's weekly eNewsletter that keeps over 1,000 creative people in the Sacramento region informed about filmmaking news, casting needs, crew calls, and other key information.

"Sacramento has a tremendous amount of filmmaking talent, and a pool of film-related workers that gets bigger and bigger each year because of Laurie's efforts," said Mary Beth Barber, board member of the CFAA. "Part of Sacramento's creative success is because the filmmaking community is extremely entrepreneurial. Local filmmakers share information and best practices – all the technical, creative and administrative parts of the craft -- through the Capital Film Arts Alliance. And the CFAA wouldn't exist without Laurie."

Pederson's work extends beyond being the public face of the organization, notes Barber. "There is a ton of work that goes on behind the scenes to plan and operate the Capital Film Arts Alliance, from budgeting, to nonprofit paperwork, to the hours of basic administrative work that needs to be done," said Barber. "The bulk of this work is done by Laurie. With her determination building a thriving filmmaking community in Sacramento, a film-service award for her has been long overdue."

The CFAA has gained national recognition due to Pederson's work. "SMALL BUDGET, BIG REACH" reads the sub-headline about the Capital Film Arts Alliance in California Arts and Cultural Ecology, a report commissioned by the Irvine Foundation about California arts and creative organizations. "Sacramento-based Capital Film Arts Alliance provides networking support for local actors, filmmakers, and writers of all ages and skill levels," notes the report. "Through monthly meetings, workshops, and script readings, the Alliance has built a dynamic and talented film community, reaching thousands of people while spending less than $5,000 a year."

This isn't the first award Pederson has received for her work with the Capital Film Arts Alliance. The Sacramento Arts and Business Council awarded her the "Volunteer of the Year" award in October 2009 at their annual "Prelude to the Season" event. Pederson's work building the CFAA and local filmmaking community was noted then as well. Since then, Laurie's dedication to local filmmaking and filmmakers has only gotten stronger.

"Sometimes I'm asked 'Why do I do it,'" said Pederson when she received the Sacramento Film and Music Festival award on the stage at the Crest Theatre last week. "I do it because I love it. I love the people, I love the craft – Sacramento is a great place for filmmaking. That's why I do what I do."

Disclosure: Mary Beth Barber is a board member of the Capital Film Arts Alliance.

2012 Banana Festival

2012-08-22T08:16:25Z

The Sacramento Banana Festival returned to William Land Park this past weekend for the third time. This year’s theme was Bananarama. Dozens of performances took place during the two-day festival celebrating community involvement, art, music, food, diversity, health, wellness, culture and of course, bananas.

Two acts performed simultaneously throughout both days. In between the two stages, the Children’s Stage and the Main Stage, an open air marketplace housed vendors, informational booths and a food court that offered an assortment of banana and other dishes.

This year’s hosts were poet, Frank Withrow, and former News 10 reporter, Karen Massie. The hosts kept things moving at the main stage and were full of inspirational messages.

Local chef Richard Pannell brought a comedic blend to the show and also presided over the chef challenge and other events. For cooking enthusiasts a chef’s challenge was held featuring several of Sacramento’s finest chefs. The “Smashed Challenge” was very popular and showed several novel ways of cooking or using bananas in flavorful dishes.

The children’s area included rides, jump houses, games, educational exhibits and a children’s stage featuring educational and fun performances. Dance, music, magic, storytelling and other fun activities kept the audience entertained.

The Children’s Stage featured acts like Rappin Ratz, an adorable rap group in rat costumes rapping positive and safety messages for children. As with many of the performers on the Children’s Stage, audience participation made faces light up.

The Banana Slug String Band from Santa Cruz graced the Children’s Stage several times throughout the weekend. The band promotes conservation and the importance of math and science. The Banana Slug String Band also encourages support for music appreciation, building children’s self esteem and other positive community qualities.

In fostering positive attitudes the Banana Slug String Band played wonderful music. Their performances included one of my favorites, “Dirt Made My Lunch.”

The Banana Festival is hosted by the Sojourner Truth Multicultural Art Museum and its founding director, Shonna McDaniels. Event organizers would like for the Banana Festival to be a catalyst to support local non-profit organizations in their efforts to benefit the Sacramento community. In striving to achieve this goal the festival collaborated with several local non-profits to assist them in their fundraising efforts.

The Main Stage had dozens of performers filling the two-day event, bringing the audience to its feet and to the dance floor in a shady area in front of the stage. Acts included the Ras D Reggae Band, Umoja Productions, Tina B. Soul Line Dancers, Fenix Drum, Jodama African Dance, Ital Reggae Band & Urban Fire, the Latin Magic Band, Obsidian Butterfly Silk Dancers and others.

Several groups returned from last year’s festival and delighted the audience with their colorful performances.

Marie Clark has brought her family to the event for the past three years. When asked what keeps her coming back Clark said, “The first year I went because I was helping one of my friends who had a booth. I fell in love with the event and when the festival moved to Land Park, which is closer to home, I brought my kids. We look forward to trying new dishes, learning about other cultures and meeting other people from our community. I love it because we get to see Brazilian, Polynesian, Latin, European, African and other cultural performances. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.”

A new Banana Festival Queen was also coronated. The two finalists had a very close contest, with Tyniece Hall and Jade Ross vying for the banana crown. Last year’s winner, Marisa Adams, crowned Hall as the 2012 Banana Festival Queen.

Last weekend I attended the Fire Spectacular where I saw several fire dancing groups. The main act at that event was Obsidian Butterfly, who brought another aspect of their performances to the Banana Festival stage. Their daylight spectacular was nonetheless just as entertaining and enjoyable.

The International Academy of Design &Technology (IADT) brought a fashion show to the Main Stage. The IADT student fashion showcase showed designs by Eshonna Trice, Jasmine Sewell, Stephanie Harris, John Thao and others.

Sharon Sutherland provided wonderful jewelry designs for models to wear which accentuated the designer’s work. Several hair and makeup artists applied their stunning art to the models. Overall, more than 30 models, hair and makeup artists, designers, students and mentors participated in the fashion event. An IADT booth offered information about the many programs offered at the academy.

The Banana Festival provided a great community event to celebrate community, culture, health, dance, fashion, music and much more. Besides festive activities and performances, the Banana Festival also provides an educational scholarship for a community youth demonstrating exceptional artistic talent. This year's scholarship winner was Faison Jackson. Jackson is 21 years old and is currently a Senior at Clark Atlanta University studying Biology.

More photos of the 2012 Banana Festival can be found here.

Musicians featured in 'Musicians of Midtown' art exhibit to play benefit concert at The Urban Hive Saturday

2012-08-22T01:23:13Z

Local artist Brooke Walker-Knoblich’s “Musicians of Midtown” art exhibit will be displayed in a unique setting Saturday: alongside some of the depicted musicians as they perform live in a benefit concert at The Urban Hive.

“The exhibit that will be on Saturday is how I always wanted the musician series to be – not just my own interpretation of it, but for people to actually hear the music as well – sort of a multimedia visual and aural experience,” Walker-Knoblich said.

“Musicians of Midtown,” a display with 10 paintings and 20 sketches of Midtown artists, debuted at Gallery 2110 in Midtown earlier this year.

For the project, Walker-Knoblich sketched more than 450 artists. She said Monday that she has added more sketches, but no new paintings, for Saturday’s show and concert.

At least four of the bands featured in the series will be playing for a free charity benefit concert hosted by Concerts for Charity, which will seek to raise enough funds to purchase a square for the upcoming Chalk it Up! event in Fremont Park, according to Clay Nutting of Concerts for Charity.

The exhibit begins at The Urban Hive, 1931 H St., at 5 p.m. on Saturday. The music starts at 6 p.m., with performances by Element Brass Band, Marcus Cortez, Dean Haakenson and Ricky Berger.

“I’ve seen Brooke’s work around town, and I always appreciate when someone is passionate about music and art like I am, so I was happy to help,” Nutting said Tuesday. “She’s giving some of the proceeds from her paintings, and we’re selling beers and wine to make a little money for charity.”

Walker-Knoblich said she thinks the local music scene is one of the big draws to the Midtown area, and her goal with “Musicians of Midtown” was to visually demonstrate the way she feels when she hears music.

“I want people to think about music differently and think about how different notes can have these emotional impacts on our lives and foray into the visual landscape,” she said.

Rather than just an art show, Walker-Knoblich said she is hoping it proves to be educational.

“While music is one of the most accessible artforms, I don’t think the visual and auditory get merged very often,” she said. “It’s usually one or the other. The intention behind this exhibit was to bring out the full quality of these two senses and help people understand the artform.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

With so many exciting events taking place in Sacramento each week, narrowing down the options can be a daunting task. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right in time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

SMUD Art Exhibition features work in the tradition of Dia de los Muertos

2012-08-18T16:19:30Z

¡Viva la Vida! Sacramento Area Artists and the Art of Dia de los Muertos, features the work of 12 Sacramento area artists and opens at the SMUD Art Gallery, 6301 S Street, Sacramento on Thursday, September 6, 2012. The public is invited to meet the artists at a FREE reception on Thursday, September 6, 2012, from 4 to 6 p.m.

The exhibition includes works by Raul Mejia, Rob-O, Gustavo Reynoso, Ryan “El Dugi” Lewis, John S. Huerta, Lila Solorzano, OC Thomas, Rosita Favela, Trent Harger, Ivan Rubio, Francisco Franco, and Sergio Martinez.
Paintings, tapestry, tattoo art, cut paper, and sugar are just some of the media being explored by these artists to illustrate the traditions and symbolism of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Dia de los Muertos is a day of celebration observed throughout the world, though perhaps most commonly associated with the people of Latin America, particularly in Mexico and Central America, and more recently with Mexican Americans. The origins of the holiday trace back hundreds of years to observances and rituals of the Aztec people in Mexico. It is linked to a rich variety of popular customs resembling Halloween in many ways, but with a different origin and practices. The holiday honors the spirits of departed ancestors and loved ones who are believed to return to earth to celebrate with the living. It is a joyous occasion when the memory of ancestors and the continuity of life are celebrated.

Although the skeleton is a strong symbol for both Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, the meaning is very different. For Dia de los Muertos the skeleton represents the dead playfully mimicking the living and is not a macabre symbol. A great example of this is “Amor Eterno”, a diptych by Ivan Rubio, which depicts a playful, ongoing love affair between two souls in skeletal form. Another recognizable image of Dia de los Muertos is “La Calavera Catrina” or “The Elegant Skull”, a zinc etching done in 1910 by Mexican printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posada. The image, often incorporated into artistic manifestations of the Dia de los Muertos, can be seen in a 36” x 60” tapestry by Sergio Martinez.

In the tradition of Dia de los Muertos, skulls, known as calaveras or calacas are a positive symbol, not only of death but also of rebirth. One of the main symbols or images seen during the festivities is the sugar skull – a decorative confection that traditionally bears the name of those being honored. Sugar skulls are typically decorated with stripes, dots, flowers and swirls and are usually whimsical and brightly colored - not morbid or scary. Artist Rob-O started working with sugar as a sculptural medium upon the passing of his mother and has since found his artistic passion. Imbued with metaphor, he has taken the tradition of sugar skulls to new levels with his elaborately decorated, inedible, framed skulls - ten of which will be on view.

Another traditional ritual is the donning of skull masks. A popular variation to this custom is the painting of skull imagery directly onto the face. Integrating the whimsical nature of the sugar skull with other symbolic and artistic influences has given birth to a more pop-culture quality in present-day sugar skull drawings, paintings, and tattoos.

Examples of this iconography can be seen throughout the exhibition, with paintings, such as Lila Solorzano’s “Marley”, which depicts a sugar skull mask painted on a small child’s face, to John S. Huerta’s vividly colored “Mariposa”, and most subtly with Raul Mejia’s “Alive”, in which the painted face is merely hinted at. Also on view will be a photographic series of sugar skull tattoos by Ryan “El Dugi” Lewis.

The Art in Public Places Program was established by the City and County of Sacramento to provide visual art experiences in public locations through a percent-for-art program which reserves a portion of construction dollars from City, County or Redevelopment projects for public art.

The SMUD Art Gallery is a partnership between the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission with additional funding from the City and County of Sacramento.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission is devoted to supporting, promoting and advocating for the arts in the region. For further information on programs and opportunities through the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission go to: www.sacmetroarts.org. SMAC is funded by the City and County of Sacramento.

Disclosure: Lorrie Kempf is the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission's Art in Public Places Program Curator

San Francisco realist painter Wayne Jiang at Beatnik on Thursday

2012-08-15T18:57:39Z

Wayne Jiang will host an artist's reception and talk at Beatnik Studios, 2421 17th St., from 6 - 8 p.m. Thursday.

Also currently showing in Beatnik Studios are collage and mixed-media artist Cassandra Reeves, painter Joseph Peters and painter Les Brileson.

"In my paintings I enjoy creating an ambience that reflects on stillness, solitude, and mystery," Jiang wrote on his website.

Originally from China, the artist has lived in the United States since age 15.