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

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

This weekend (October 5, 6, 7) is Norcal Noisefest, Sacramento's annual gathering of experimental musicians, noise artists and musical outsiders from around the country. This Noisefest is the sixteenth held since the festival's founding in 1995, making it one of the longest-running festivals of its kind in North America. Because noise is a profoundly unpopular musical genre, most people are unfamiliar with noise--there have never been any commercially successful noise musicians, although many successful musicians (from the Velvet Underground to Sonic Youth and Radiohead) have experimented with noise. The linked video below is a four-minute summary of what you are likely to see and hear at

¡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 o

Opening the selection process for Sacramento’s new poet laureate is one of the highlights of the four-day Open Daily event put on by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. Other events include a talk on the role of public artwork in private development, a symposium on how arts organizations can raise funds and a workshop to train artists on how to teach art in schools. “This is the first time we’ve run the SMAC Open Daily as a full-blown four-day symposium,” said SMAC spokeswoman Veronica Delgado. “Our overall goal is showing how the creative sector is influencing the dynamics of the economy in Sacramento.” Events run from Wednesday through Saturday. For a full schedule, click her

The 12th annual Sacramento Film and Music Festival opens its SummerFEST program tonight by honoring another long time Festival director.  This year's Film Arts Service Award will be presented to Cecile Mouette Downs, director of the Sacramento French Film Festival.  Cecille has worked previously for the Film Department of the French Embassy in New York City, and as a Press Officer for the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel in Paris. She has a master’s degree in history, is a regular contributor to “France Today” magazine, and was the 2010 recipient of the Arts Executive of the Year Award from the Sacramento Arts & Business Council. This is the fifth Film Arts Service Award to be presented

Two arts organizations – La Raza Galería Posada and California Musical Theatre – top a list of award winners announced by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission Friday. In all, 14 arts organizations and artists were named winners in SMAC’s District Awards Program – a program in which Sacramento City Council members and Sacramento County supervisors honor and recognize artists’ and organizations’ contributions to the arts. Organizations were nominated by SMAC commissioners based on a process involving artistic quality and community engagement. “This award program represents an important opportunity to recognize our outstanding arts community in Sacramento,” said Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Around 20 supporters of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission attended the City Council budget hearing Tuesday afternoon wearing buttons emblazoned with the SMAC slogan: “Arts Open Daily” in response to a proposal to cut arts funding. Barbara Bonebrake, director of the Sacramento Convention, Culture and Leisure Department, presented a proposal to reduce the city’s general fund contribution to SMAC by $152,855 for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. As a result of these cuts, funding for SMAC’s Cultural Arts Awards, a program that provides grants ranging from $1,000-$25,000 to nonprofit arts organizations, would be reduced by $64,000. During the public comment section of the Convention, Cul

Master Barber & Beauty Shop presents: Art on Stockton Blvd. - Art Panel Discussion "Art In Sacramento - Where do we go from here?" This is your chance to share and discuss with some of Sacramento's lead art professionals and artists! Join Master Barber & Beauty Shop and panel participants, Dr. Allan Gordon, Lorrie Kempf, Patris Miller, Daphne Burgess and James Sweeney for an evening of lively discussion on "Art in Sacramento." Come with your thoughts, stories and questions as professionals in the art world tell their personal and professional views on the Sacramento art scene. Keynote Speaker: Gerry GOS" Simpson - Artist, Photographer and Author Moderator: Tim Foster - Editor, Midtown

18 students from Sacramento County will begin competing this Thursday for a college scholarship in the Sixth annual Poetry Out Loud contest at Rosemont High School. Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation contest founded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. These groups generally collaborate with state arts agencies to promote Poetry Out Loud. For Sacramento County, the California Arts Council has collaborated with the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and Sacramento County Office of Education. Poetry Out Loud began as two pilot programs in Washington, D.C. and Chicago in 2005. After a successful turnout, community support and large student participati

On October 1 and 2, Sacramento's annual Norcal Noisefest returns for its 14th festival. Founded in 1995 with a two-year hiatus in 1998 and 1999, the Noisefest (sometimes known as the Northern California Experimental Music Festival) is a weekend-long gathering of experimental musicians from across North America who come to Sacramento to provide an audio experience unlike anything else around. The Noisefest was described by Sacramento News & Review writer Julie de la Torre as "the musical equivalent of taking sandpaper to your eardrum, but in a good way." (http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1747208) Noise is not for everyone--but for those seeking musical experiences ranging fr

The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission banded together Wednesday afternoon, bringing nearly a dozen arts supporters to a public County Board of Supervisors budget meeting that discussed funding cuts from the county's Transit Occupancy Tax, a hotel tax. It was the last day of public hearings on the county budget before deliberations. Rob Leonard, the director of the county's Department of Economic Development gave a report on the cuts. Among organizations facing cuts from the TOT budget were the Sacramento Tree Foundation, the Sacramento Sports Commission and Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. Despite their efforts to oppose the cuts, which included public service announcements

Vacant building or blank canvas? This weekend, local artists in collaboration with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership will blur the line with phantom galleries and temporary public art installations in vacant downtown buildings. Chalk artists Stephanie Olivera and Jen Cimeglio will transform the façade of 1018 J Street by painting a temporary chalk mural as part of a live Second Saturday show from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The two-panel mural will feature a Japanese theme and span approximately 320 square feet. A new mural will be painted live every Second Saturday throughout the summer to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of Chalk It Up! on Labor Day weekend. Contemporary artists Amber Dias, Sal

Chances are if you live in Sacramento, you know someone involved in the arts, or even a struggling artist. The greater Sacramento area is home to an estimated 1,515 arts-related businesses employing 7,061 people, according to a 2010 study by the National Arts Index. The arts contributed $350 million, $1.35 million in taxes and had the potential to make $2.8 million more for the city, according to a 2001 study by The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. However, SMAC and its current 10 full-time employees are facing further cuts by the city and county, the agency's two largest funding sources. County staff recommended cutting $134,655 in 2011, while city staff recommended cutting $150

Introducing Sacramento's next Poet Laureate: Bob Stanley. Last month The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC) voted to ratify Stanley as Sacramento’s fourth Poet Laureate. Yesterday, he was officially introduced to the SMAC as Poet Laureate. In a charming introduction speech and reading, Stanley promised to see through his vision of increased awareness of poetry in our region. He also believes poetry can reach a broad audience. He said, “Poetry is something everybody can get into.” Stanley added, “I like it when it’s just right there on the page. You read it and you know it’s poetry, but you don’t exactly know why. But you get something from it, and you feel like you’ve learne