The American River College Theater was sold out Friday evening as the Sacramento Master Singers presented a wonderful ensemble concert to begin their 26th season. “From Sand to Pearls: A Choral Tribute to Perla Warren” honored the longtime music instructor with an ambitious program involving four choral groups, several supporting instrumentalists and a solo jazz pianist. Many of the musicians were former students of Warren and credited her with the transformation of young voices into accomplished musicians. Dr. Ralph Hughes, artistic director of the Master Singers and a colleague of Warren, is also the director of the 26-voice American River College Chamber Orchestra. He led his youn

As part of the Verge Center for the Arts’ second annual fundraiser jumble sale, VCA will host a preview party Thursday, where 20 artists will invite the public into their studios. VCA is a nonprofit organization that promotes career working artists by helping them display and promote their art as well as providing affordable studio space for rent. Funds from the jumble sale, which runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday, will allow VCA to continue the expansion project. The Verge Center for the Arts was founded in 2008 and expanded into a 22,000-square-foot warehouse space downtown in 2010, and the space is being developed to include a classroom for public art courses, a printmaking lab, extra

Today, the kids from The Salvation Army’s day care and summer day camp programs had a chance to see Stuart Little. Not the movie, but an actual live production, performed by the American River College Theatre Arts Department. The performance took place at the Salvation Army’s Oak Park campus. “It’s great that we can bring this to a warm and friendly environment,” said Tracy Martin Shearer, director of the play. “That’s the thing about the arts; it brings joy, entertainment, education and excitement.  We often find that more than half of children watching had not seen a play until our performance." The latest presentation was part of the theatre arts department’s “Children’s Theatre Tour

Drivers, bikers and pedestrians on Del Paso Road Boulevard may have noticed an 18-foot-tall steel post topped with an eyeball peering down upon a 10-foot-tall open book sculpture with giant spectacles on the side. What they are looking at is a piece of Sacramento's public art collection. “We have one of the best public art collections in the country. We have been doing it for over 30 years,” said Art in Public Places Education Coordinator and tour guide Dixie Laws. Art in Public Places is managed by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and is funded by the city and county through ordinances that dedicate 2 percent “of eligible capital improvement project budgets,” for artworks, La

Having special gifts are truly a blessing...for the most part. The Powers that Be, sometimes known as "God" or any of the other titles held, gives us these gifts when we are young. It is only the 'Prove it to me' scientific attitude of the World that makes us a little jaded and unbelieving and we begin to close off these portals of information; becoming one of those who rely on the scientific realm or begin asking for the tangible results. But what about those days when you just want to run into the market to grab a few things and the cosmic neon sign is on, blinking AND playing a message over the astral loudspeaker? Then the lady in line in front of you turns around and proceeds to give

Sacramento will be hosting the 2011 World Masters Athletic Championships, and registration is now open. The worldwide event draws track-and-field athletes from about 80 countries every two years and is rarely held in the United States, with the last time being 16 years ago, according to Bob Burns, spokesman for the Sacramento Sports Commission. “It’ll mean quite a bit of business here locally,” he said, explaining that most of the estimated 5,000 athletes and their families will be staying in the area for at least a week, as the event is held from July 6-17. The biannual event is open to everyone 35 and older, and Burns said there is usually at least one athlete 100 years or older. Reg

Thursday, Oct. 28 Noon - 12:30 p.m. – The Center for California Studies at Sacramento State will be photographing members of the 2011 Capital Fellows Program on the West Steps of the Capitol. Around 65 people are expected to attend. 1 - 3 p.m. McNally Temple Associates, Inc. will host a rally in support of Proposition 25 on the South Steps of the Capitol. Proposition 25 changes the legislative vote requirement necessary to pass the state budget from two-thirds to a majority vote. Around 100 people are expected to attend. Friday, Oct. 29 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. American River College will host a rally on the South Steps of the Capitol for Respiratory Week and promote awareness regarding respirat

There were several Earth Day celebrations and events Thursday. One of the biggest and most successful was the official City of Sacramento Earth Day Celebration. The event was held at Cesar Chavez Park and in the plaza of City Hall. An estimated 3,500 people of all ages attend this years' event. It was supported by Mayor Kevin Johnson and the City Council. The City of Sacramento Neighborhood Services Department organized the event.   I spoke with Neighborhood Services Department Director Vincene Jones. Jones and her staff started back in January giving early notice to Sacramento area schools, informing them of the event and its value as a field trip. Local media was enlisted to help get t

 Thousands of people from across California gathered at the Capitol to express their anger over continuing cuts to social services in the state Wednesday afternoon. The rally came on the last day of a 48-day, 365-mile march that started in Bakersfield in early March. While there were six main marchers, many other people joined them for certain days or sections of the march. The audience hoped that the march and rally would send a message of discontent with declining funds for social programs including schools, universities and homecare providers. "This isn't the end of a march, this is the beginning of a movement," said Doug Moore, executive director of the United Domestic Workers of Ame

Most 20-year-olds don't play over 15 instruments or write three songs per week. Nor have they traveled and lived all over the United States. But Sacramento musician Autumn Sky didn't grow up in a so-called "normal" household. Having played hundreds of shows, the ambitious Sky is on the rise. Sky (she uses her middle name instead of her last name, Hall) was born in Paradise, Calif. She and her family lived out of a Volkswagen Beetle near Puget Sound in Washington and spent time in Oregon and Wisconson before settling in Sacramento. She also recalled living in a log cabin in Mendocino as part of a nudist colony. "There is a whole [photo] album that my parents have and it's all these babi

In the now thriving Sacramento art scene, theft has been a recurring problem among college artists. Since 2005 American River College students and instructors have been seemingly targeted as victims of art theft. Within the past year the problem has become increasingly worse, with three pieces taken weeks apart from each other. On Aug. 15, 2005, Craig Schindler, an instructor at ARC had a painting titled, "Para Las Mujeres Victimas de Cuidad Juarez" [translated as "For the victims of Cuidad Juarez"], taken from the Kanakos Gallery, a gallery located on the campus of ARC for students and faculty. Schindler said the painting was a tribute to the women being victimized and found dead in th

Lisa Gorden and JDD Doran-Jammer, both blind, trailed behind the crowd of people marching around the Capitol, echoing their chants “Hey hey, ho ho, discrimination has got to go.” Although they are not gay and said marching with crowds is difficult given their physical disposition, the two friends joined in Tuesday’s rally against the California Supreme Court’s upholding of Proposition 8. “I’m just real sad and mad about the Prop. 8 decision. It just seemed important to come out in the heat and support this,” Gorden said. “We have plenty of noise to follow.” Gorden and Doran-Jammer were two of an estimated 2,000 who appeared at Tuesday’s rally, organized by Equality Action NOW, which ref