This past Saturday, May 18, I went to view Richard Hallmarq’s ready-to-wear collection at The Park Ultra Lounge. It was exciting to see someone who’s from Sacramento (he attended John F. Kennedy High School) flourish in the fashion world. Before we viewed his collection, he made an inspiring speech showing that hard work really does pay off. I could see that all the love and time he put in was definitely reflected in his sexy collection of evening wear for women. Hallmarq also talked about his experience on “Project Runway” and how it helped him develop as a designer. He realized men’s wear was not his specialty and he laughed about it. I really admired that. Most of the time when I fail i

  Dear Council Members: Let me acknowledge the tough job you face addressing the financial challenges our city and our nation faces as we move slowly out of a massive financial melt-down.  Adding to our worries are continuing closures of our business, and those in neighboring areas, such as Campbell Soup, Comcast and Coca-Cola to name a few. Despite tough financial times, this council is poised to make monumental decisions in this budget that will affect quality of life for years to come.  In many cases, in well known dangerous areas, your decisions will truly be a matter of life and death. I have grave concerns about violent crime and police staffing and how we address both in this

Join us on Wednesday May 22 at 6 PM sharp for the 14th "Place Called Sacramento Film Festival - Cast & Crew Call". Curious and want to know more? Professional judges have been reviewing the "PCS" script entries. Each is ten minutes or less, and a family friendly story, with a theme and characters that shed insight on what it is like to live in a place called Sacramento. All are character and dialogue driven but range widely in subject matter. Want to see what has been produced in the past? Go to www.AccessSacramento.org and watch films from the past several years. Now the 2013 judges have selected ten for production and the writers now evolve into producers, eager to see their film come

Instead of looking back, as one might do when celebrating a 25th anniversary, Ron Cunningham of the Sacramento Ballet seems always to look forward. The latest ballet company production is Modern Masters Proteges, in which Cunningham invited three former dancers with the Sacramento Ballet to create new works for it. Jared Nelson, a Yuba City native who, after a stint with the local company, has danced for about a dozen years with the Washington Ballet; Ilana Goldman, who danced several seasons in Sacramento before moving on to the Trey McIntyre Project and then to the University of Washington where she’s soon to graduate with an advanced degree; and Amy Seiwert, who became resident choreogr

Multiple bold explorers and a proxy for Monsanto While the big buzz this week will be focused squarely on the latest entry in the decades-long Star Trek franchise, there are also a couple of smaller, counter-programming opportunities, one of which is oddly related to Star Trek. There’s also a second opinion included in today’s column on the Star Trek movie itself, but be warned in advance: Malcolm’s comments contain a character spoiler (although many viewers probably know this particular detail already).   Star Trek Into Darkness Directed by J. J. Abrams When the last “Star Trek” movie came out, I strongly praised its balancing act in terms of respecting the canon and the knowledge of

This month's Second Saturday Art Walk in Midtown included a Créateur Hair and Fashion press party show at Hot Italian. The fashion affair was a mixer to present the work of fashion, hair and makeup artists Yennie Zhou, Nikki Tran and Ling Chan. The mixer also served to introduce the upcoming May 18 Créateur Hair and Fashion Show. Two models wearing Zhou's designs showcased not only her designs but also the artistry of the “Nikki+Ling” collaboration. The pairing will be featuring futuristic designs, fantasy hair and makeup at Friday's fashion show. Several representatives, designers and photographers from Sacramento Fashion Week attended the mixer. A video showing the much anticipat

    For the 14th year, Access Sacramento launches “A Place Called Sacramento” (PCS), a scriptwriting and short film production project for local writers and producers. PCS challenges local scriptwriters to write ten-minute scripts about the people, places, and events that make our community such a unique place to live (entry guidelines on-line at www.AccessSacramento.org). The PCS production format is unique to Sacramento. All PCS scripts entered are reviewed by local professionals and ten are selected. All ages are welcomed to get involved - both experienced filmmakers and newbies are welcome to attend. These ten scriptwriter/producers are introduced to actors and production teams at Th

This Friday I will be checking out Tyler, the Creator, and Earl Sweatshirt at Ace of Spades. These rappers come from the provocative Los Angeles hip-hop collective, Odd Future. Tyler works on music, artwork, and clothing designs for for the group, clearly defining the group’s “swag.” Check out "Rusty" by Tyler, the Creator, featuring Earl Sweatshirt and Domo Genesis performing on Late Night with David Letterman! Tickets can be purchased online or at The Beat on J and 17th, Armadillo Music in Davis or any Dimple Records store in Sacramento. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Be sure to purchase your tickets early because this show may sell out and get excited to hear some dope beats at Ace of Spades!

For Matt Castle, a New York-based jack of all musical trades whose work can currently be heard in Sacramento Theatre Company’s lauded world-premiere production of “A Little Princess” (extended through the evening of May 19), taking on the task of orchestrating Eric Rockwell’s score was a multi-layered labor of love. Not only did it allow Castle, a Sacramento native now living in New York, the opportunity to participate in the gifting of his hometown with an original musical adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved novel, but it provided yet another project on which he and husband Frank Galgano could collaborate – further establishing the duo’s reputation as go-to guys for musical t

California Montessori Project (CMP) Capitol Campus is a Montessori public charter school in its twelfth year of providing education to Kindergarten through 8th grade students in Sacramento.  We are a non-profit organization serving the educational needs of over 300 students.  Our mission is to offer a high quality, tuition-free, Montessori educational program to every child in California.  A Montessori education enables students to develop themselves to their fullest capacity as competent, happy, productive individuals and contributors to a better society.  This is achieved through a heavy commitment from the community: parents, teachers, community groups, and most importantly, the individ