Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "arts"

"Where We're Born" - Solid Ensemble Brings Big Talent to Small Space

2012-02-06T03:57:09Z

Where we’re born is more than a location, it’s part of who we are.

Where We’re Born, the stage play by Lucy Thurber, is a strikingly simple and honest look at a young woman’s struggle with life change, the desire to and difficulty of leaving the comfort of your home and history—however hurtful it may have been. It is not a story, but a more like a series of snapshots taken during the course of a few days when the relationships and potentially, lives of three people are forever altered.

The catalyst for all of this is Lilly (Jessicah Neufeld), on a quasi-vacation from college. She arrives back in the small Western Massachusetts hill town she calls home just as a domestic crisis is unfolding between her cousin, Tony, (Brian Harrower) and his girlfriend, Franky (Kelley Ogden), but rather than creating a welcome diversion, she unleashes unexpected drama of her own.

The cast of five, under the direction of Lisa Thew, gives solid individual performances, as well as performing keenly and comfortably as an ensemble.

Harrower gives an especially subtle, but emotional and compelling interpretation of Tony, a guy who spends most of his time drinking beer, smoking pot, playing pool, and listening to rock and roll with his best buddies, but also has a deep-seated need to keep all of the women in his life happy.

David Chernyavsky and John Gregory Young round out the cast as Tony’s ever-present pals.

Ooley’s is a little-known theater, intimate, but more than adequate. KOLT Run Creations makes good use of the space, and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Even the concessions are notable, provided by Num Nums, homemade for each performance and chosen specifically for each show. (Lime mini-cupcakes: To. Die. For.)

Having just seen another local show earlier in the week, it was impossible not to compare and contrast the quality of the productions. The lead actress in the previous show tripped over numerous lines (more than a week into the run) and--along with others in the cast--over the area rug that kept flipping up throughout the show.

Not fatal mistakes, but distracting flaws.

When the lights came up at the end of Where We’re Born, my guest and I turned to each other and marveled that two hours had already passed.

That’s a rare and excellent entertainment experience.

If only there’d been more people there to share it.

Where We’re Born, February 3rd-26th. Ooley Theater, 2007 28th Street (near T Street). Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM; Sundays, February 19th and 26th at 2 PM. koltruncreations.com or (916) 454-1500. This production contains adult content.

Sometimes All It Takes Is One

2012-01-18T18:21:18Z

The first question presented to the panel was "What does Sacramento have that other cities don't have, and what don't we have?", and with that, the passionate discussion about 'The State of Live Music in Sacramento' was off and running. It was one question that fueled one-and-a-half hours of enthusiastic discussion.

On Sunday evening The Sacramento Living Library (curated by Time Tested Books' Peter Keat and hosted by Midtown Monthly Editor Tim Foster) brought together five notable Sacramento music industry insiders to talk about music, politics, venues, history, and demographics. Jerry Perry (legendary Sacramento promoter), Brian McKenna (Abstract Entertainment), Rick Ele (KDVS), Mindy Giles (Swell Productions), and Olivia Coelho (Bows & Arrows), comprised the panel of promoters with Dennis Yudt (contributing writer for Midtown Monthly), acting as moderator. Among the audience members were other promoters, musicians and many, many fans.

Addressing the packed house, the one and only Jerry Perry picked up his mic and responded to the query knowledgeably and passionately, "First of all, Sacramento has the bands, bands that other cities don't have." Certainly Sacramento's music scene has had its ups and downs, but one thing that hasn't changed over time is the fact that there are an impressive array of really, really talented people in this city. Everyone on the panel nodded in agreement with Jerry's succinct and simple answer.

From that point on the conversation tried to answer other portion of the question - "What doesn't Sacramento have?" And over the course of the next eighty-nine minutes it became clear that mainly due to policies and politics that make live music venues the "red-headed stepchild" in a city that has a golden opportunity to become another Austin or Portland (cities that embrace their musical culture), there simply aren't enough venues showcasing live music in Sacramento.

Listening to Olivia Coelho recount her recent trying experiences with the permit process in bringing live music to Bows & Arrows, it's no wonder we don't have more venues. As Olivia put it, "minors have been criminalized"; crackdowns in the downtown area on minors who violate Sacramento’s 10pm curfew make it hard to fill seats at all-ages gigs. Those curfew crackdowns were spawned by Second Saturday incidences which had nothing to do with live music. Additionally, venues with a capacity over 49 persons must provide (i.e. compensate) two security guards on show nights; whether or not there are 5 or 100 people in attendance. (The higher the occupancy the higher the number of security guards is required; however, Olivia was able to work with city and received a modification of this requirement for her 105 person occupancy business.) Still the issue seems to be a lack of respect for businesses that offer live entertainment. Regardless of a venue's record of incidences, any place wanting to bring the art of "amplified music" to the community is instantly subjected to far more regulation and scrutiny than say, a gallery, or a diner.

As fans it is our duty to show support for the venues by showing up, paying the cover, and acting responsibly. But is there more we can do? Mindy Giles cited an article from Irvine.org titled "Getting Into The Act", which promotes an entrepreneurial shift towards 'arts participation': Traditional media outlets are laying off arts & culture reporters so if you want to help your favorite band or artist get noticed you must take matters into your own hands and help spread the word; share invites to shows on Facebook, Twitter a link to a favorite artist’s latest release, write a review, join a street team, start a fan club, start a record label, and if you have the ways and means, by all means open a live music venue.

One audience member pointed to a lack of diversity in Sacramento's live music scene. Mindy’s response made a lot of sense, "There are many diverse and talented bands from Sacramento and coming through Sacramento, but they need "a home." In other words, as Rick Ele reiterated, hip-hop doesn't really have a "home" in Sacramento, nor does traditional Dixieland or a multitude of other genres, so music lovers seeking a place to consistently be able to listen to their favorite type of music face a challenge locating where reggae, or grind-core, or bossa nova, might be happening on any given night. Adding multiple smaller venues to the current mix would greatly benefit the promoters, the bands, the fans, and this city.

Getting those venues approved (let alone encouraged) is another matter entirely. Sadly, it appears that rather than supporting live music in Sacramento, the city is currently planning to charge an even larger "entertainment permit" fee, raising the rate from $1400.00 to a whopping $4000.00. This is a permit that must be renewed every two years! Every promoter, every musician, and every fan in attendance decried this as unfair, unjust, and unnecessary. An unidentified gentleman suggested that a petition be circulated and presented to the city council renouncing the fee increase. All in attendance applauded in agreement. Another participant suggested creating an association which would act as a lobbying group when it came time to publicize and challenge city policies, and champion city politicians whose cultural agenda echoes those of live music proponents in Sacramento.

The State of Live Music in Sacramento boiled down to four major points that are in need of support from the city government and from music lovers across the region are:
1) A larger, scalable all-ages venue; seating 300 - 1500.
2) Many smaller venues to give local and touring musicians a place to call "home" in our fair city.
3) Policy changes to enable business owners to provide "amplified music" without going broke.
4) A way to reach people and get them excited about live music in the city. As Jerry Perry pointed out, the city seemed more "alive" when postering and flyering were acceptable forms of communication. The connection between the band, venue, and fan was made right there on every street corner via those flyers - we need to breathe that colorful life back into the Sacramento music scene!

One question was asked tonight, and after ninety minutes of impassioned, intelligent, inspiring responses, the unified answer I heard from promoters and audience members alike was, ‘The possibility is there, it’s time for everyone and anyone who appreciates live music to participate.’

Disclosure: I am a live music fan. I am not a critic, nor a musician. Just a fan that would love to see Sacramento embrace is wonderfully talented pool of bands and musicians and become a nurturing "home" for more of them.

Prelude to the Season 2011, Arts & Minds

2011-11-02T22:29:15Z

Prelude to the Season 2011 - Arts & Minds
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all our sponsors, volunteers and guests!

On October 14, 2011, Prelude to the Season debuted the theme “Arts and Minds” to recognize the unity of creative pARTerships. The event began with a video greeting from Congresswoman Doris Matsui and a welcome speech by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. The lineup featured entertainment by jazz duo Clemon Charles & Mike Wilson; the cast of Cosmo Cabaret’s current show, “Bingo!”; dancers from I Can Do That!, an arts and education group that works with young people of all abilities; a short film by BVA Volunteer Jayson Carpenter on the work of Heart to Heart Ministries; a song, “Rhythm of Life,” performed by the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus; and a parody number, “BVA Thing,” set to the tune of “My Favorite Things,” performed by longtime lobbyist/activist Dennis Mangers, emcee Kitty O’Neal and Volunteer of the Year award winner Carol Van Bruggen. Guests were also invited to join the Council’s new pARTnership Movement. Executive Director sponsors included Sports Leisure Vacations and Commerce Printing, and Director sponsors included Chevron, Raley’s, Wells Fargo Foundation, Western Health Advantage and Sacramento Magazine. Additional supporters are also recognized below. Congratulations to the 2011 Prelude to the Season award winners and finalists!

Arts Management Excellence
Honoring nonprofit arts or cultural organizations that have demonstrated significant achievement in arts management.

CROCKER ART MUSEUM
The first public art museum in the West, the Crocker Art Museum was established in 1885 and remains one of the leading art institutions in Northern California. The Museum offers a diverse spectrum of special exhibitions, events, and programs to augment its collections of Californian, European, Asian, African and Oceanic artworks, and international ceramics. The Crocker’s educational and community programs are designed for visitors of all ages, and include concerts, lectures, and films for adults, gallery experiences for families, studio art classes for children and adults, and teacher workshops. On October 10, 2010, the Crocker opened the 125,000-square-foot Teel Family Pavilion. The expansion more than tripled the Museum’s size, enhancing its role as a cultural and educational resource for Sacramento and the region’s many visitors.

Award Finalists: El Dorado Lake Tahoe Film & Media Office; Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission

Arts Executive of the Year
Honoring arts executives and managers who have demonstrated managerial effectiveness, community involvement and artistic excellence and in doing so, provides leadership to the arts/cultural community.

LIV MOE, VERGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Under Liv Moe’s leadership, the Verge Center for the Arts has grown from a for- profit gallery in 2008 to an innovative, sustainable nonprofit model today that has already made a marked cultural difference in the Sacramento region’s art scene, and equally as important, to the artists themselves. Verge provides art studios for a nominal rental fee to local artists, while simultaneously providing high-quality artistic programming under Moe’s guidance. Moe’s efforts were recently recognized by the Arts Innovation Fund with a $10,000 grant awarded for artistic innovation and sustainability. The award also recognized Verge’s ability to serve as an incubator for arts in the region. Moe recently instituted a quarterly film program in partnership with the Crest Theatre, drawing 100-150 attendees per screening, addressing a range of subjects and often involving partnerships with local retailers and educational institutions.

Award Finalists: Richard Lewis, California Musical Theatre; Sonny Alforque, Sinag-tala Filipino Theater and Performing Arts Association

Arts/Business Partnership
Honoring successful partnerships between business and arts organizations which exemplify cooperation, collaboration and creativity to mutually benefit both organizations.

SACRAMENTO365.COM: SACRAMENTO CONVENTION AND VISITOR’S BUREAU (SCVB), SACRAMENTO METROPOLITAN ARTS COMMISSION (SMAC)
Sacramento365.com is an online calendar that serves as a year-round source for Sacramento events, specializing in arts, recreation, and culture. The project is a unique cross-sector partnership between city organizations and arts groups that has become a massive asset to the arts community and to the general public as the centralized ‘go-to’ site for all things happening in Sacramento. SMAC’s executive director Rhyena Halpern developed the concept of creating an online community calendar. SMAC then brought in the SCVB (via Steve Hammond) and the CCL (via Barbara Bonebrake) to found Sacramento365.com with Rachael Lankford as Content Manager. The partnership developed well because of common and overlapping missions and goals to: 1. Increase visibility of local arts, culture & recreation events- to both residents & visitors alike; 2. Market Sacramento as a destination- increasing revenue for the City, stimulating our economy; 3. Support the local entertainment industry professionals, businesses, arts groups, and others by providing a resource for people to find event information and therefore: purchase tickets, go out to eat, entertain friends, etc. Three years ago in October of 2008 was the soft rollout of the site. Now, Sac365 gets nearly 4 million hits and an average of 40,000 new unique visitors monthly. There are about 600 listings at any given time. The site showcases the arts with artist profiles, artist resources, promotional partnerships with arts groups. Significant new features and developments are on the horizon.

Award Finalists: B Street Theater and Sutter Health; Sacramento World Music and Dance Festival and Fat’s Restaurants

Business Support of the Arts
Honoring businesses, business owners and executives who have shown outstanding support of one or more arts or cultural organizations in the Greater Sacramento Region.

HOT ITALIAN
Tutto e Possibile, the belief that “anything is possible” connected the two passionate, thirty-something founders of HOT ITALIAN. Andrea Lepore’s and Fabrizio Cercatore’s HOT ITALIAN brand blends Italy’s new generation of art, music, sport, food and wine with the urban California lifestyle. HOT ITALIAN opened in 2009 and integrated into the local arts community early, creating and supporting all areas of artistic expression including painting, music, performing arts, fashion design, film, and more. HOT ITALIAN commissioned artist Anthony Padilla to paint a permanent outdoor mural, presented the HOT LUNCH Concert Series and brought the New York-based Bicycle Film Festival to Sacramento which included a sold-out film at the Crocker Art Museum. Last year, HOT ITALIAN created the inaugural Modern Italian Film Festival, and 100% of the profits from the Modern Italian Film T-shirts benefited the Documentary Foundation’s “Doc School.” Additionally, HOT ITALIAN hosts events and has provided in-kind support for arts groups such as The Sacramento Ballet, The Sacramento Opera, the Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, the Sacramento Film & Music Festival, the French Film Festival, and the Center for Contemporary Art. In partnership with the Sacramento Arts and Business Council, HOT ITALIAN announced a Call to Artists to commission an original mural. HOT ITALIAN and the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC) launched the PIZZA AS ART T-shirt project with 100% of the proceeds from the $30 T-shirts benefiting the “Friends of the Arts Commission,” committed to supporting the arts by increasing arts funding and arts advocacy. The 2nd Edition T-shirt featured the work of Crandall-Bear and are still available at HOT ITALIAN.

Award Finalists: Bows and Arrows; Studio 24

Volunteer of the Year
Honoring volunteers to one or more arts organizations in the region for service, include consulting, fundraising, organization or hands-on contributions.

CAROL VAN BRUGGEN, FOORD VAN BRUGGEN EBERSOLE PAJAK
Carol Van Bruggen is an amazing woman who works in many areas of the arts. She has served as President of the California Musical Theater, President of the Foundation of the California Musical Theater and President of the Arts & Business Council of Sacramento. She is the founder of the Arts Registry, which links artists, arts organizations, and the general community. It is a wonderful resource for this city. Carol has introduced the registry to other cities also. She has chaired the Prelude to the Arts annual luncheon for many years. In addition to being a highly respected financial planner, Carol has won numerous awards for her professional activities, and has hosted shows and provided financial reports for many other media outlets. She is proudest of her volunteer work in Zambia, where she has spent much time and money to build school facilities and better the lives of its people. In addition, Carol is a vocal artist whose presence has delighted audiences in the region for many years.

Award Finalists: Susie Cano Guzman, Festival de la Familia; William Simi, CPA Corporation

Individual Leadership
Honoring individual businesses and civic leaders who have greatly contributed to one or more arts or cultural organizations in the region and demonstrated dedication above and beyond professional responsibilities, making a measurable impact on the region’s cultural landscape.

GARRY MAISEL, WESTERN HEALTH ADVANTAGE
Under the leadership of President and CEO Garry Maisel, Western Health Advantage has continued its decade-long commitment to the arts community. Through consistent funding, volunteering and dedication of staff resources, WHA has hoped to make a difference in organizations throughout the region. Garry, his executive team and Board of Directors believe great art is crucial for a healthy community. Supporting the arts is a core area of emphasis in our giving guidelines as well as a personal passion for many of our employee volunteers. Garry himself is a team leader for Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson’s Arts Initiative, “For Arts Sake” and moved to the leadership position, taking over for Mayor Johnson, in 2010/11. He is also past chair of the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. In 2009 and 2010 Western Health Advantage has been a financial partner of the For Arts Sake Mayor’s Initiative, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, Sacramento Theatre Company, and the Sacramento Ballet.

Award Finalists: John Crowe, Board Chair of Mondavi Center; Steve Hammond, Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau

Arts Journalism
Honoring journalists for covering the regional arts scene, during the past year with accuracy, vigor and relevance.

DAVID WATTS BARTON
David Watts Barton has been a part of Sacramento’s arts and culture scene for 35 years as critic, columnist, blogger, editor, radio host and performer. Starting with local music mags Rock ‘n’ Roll News and Tower Pulse, Barton became The Sacramento Bee’s first pop music critic and wrote about arts and culture for 25 years. He has since covered the arts for Sactown and Sacramento magazines, appeared in his signature segment “Plugged In” on KFBK, and until recently was Editor-in-Chief of The Sacramento Press. Barton currently serves as regular guest host of Capital Public Radio’s “Insight,” appears on KFBK, writes on business for Bloomberg News LLC and is working on a book. A singer/ songwriter himself, Barton has played many local venues and released an album of his own songs, some of which have been recorded by local favorites Mumbo Gumbo.

Award Finalists: Jeffrey Callison, Capital Public Radio; Jeff Hudson, Freelance Arts Corespondent

Artist of the Year
Honoring artists who have made a recent significant contribution to the cultural life of the Greater Sacramento Region including impacting lives either inspirationally or economically.

WILLIAM ISHMAEL
William Ishmael has developed a unique abstract style for his painted canvases that incorporates the essence of exposure and corrosion. In an attempt to capture natural erosion, for example, he has included organic materials, such as leaves and insects, into paintings, while also experimenting with unconventional textures and exposure effects. Believing that artists bring another dimension and viewpoint to community service, William serves as the President of the Sacramento Tree Foundation, as a Board Member for Valley Vision, a Senior Fellow and Board Member of the American Leadership Forum. His art donations to the community for 2011 have included the Tree Foundation’s Tree Heroes Awards Dinner, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission Fundraiser, and he is scheduled to donate to Roseville’s Blue Line Gallery’s “Lottery” in October. A long-time Director’s Circle member of the Crocker Art Museum, this year once again—as he has for seven years in a row—William participated in the Crocker Art Auction, submitting and selling his original art pieces. His art will also be featured this year in the Pence Gallery Auction in Davis and the Jesuit High School Art Auction.

Award Finalists: Felipe Davalos; Gerald Heffernon

Arts Educator of the Year
Honoring outstanding arts educators in the region in recognition of the development or execution of a curriculum or program that has demonstrated outstanding results by their students.

ERIKA KRAFT, SACRAMENTO METROPOLITAN ARTS COMMISSION
Erika brings nearly 40 years of performing, teaching in the arts and arts administration to her work as Arts Education Coordinator with SMAC. Since 2005, Erika has refocused the Arts Education Division at SMAC to increase professional development opportunities for hundreds of working artists to improve their teaching skills; developed model programs in schools and community settings across the region that use teaching artists to bring rich arts experiences to students of all ages; and helped teaching artists market their skills and develop their careers. Her programs in Creative Aging, Model Arts Programs in the Schools using community arts resources and the Teaching Artist Workshop Series and Artist Residency Institute have gained regional and national attention for their cutting edge programming. This past school year, Erika also administered educational programming for the J. F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts’ new arts education initiative in Sacramento, Any Given Child, bringing arts education experiences to over 37,000 students in 89 Sacramento schools. Erika holds BA degrees in piano performance and music therapy from the University of Wisconsin and University of the Pacific, and a masters in Community Development through the Arts from UC Davis.

Award Finalists: Sue Anne Foster, CSUS; Michael Morgan, Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra

Lifetime Achievement
Honoring an individual artist, volunteer, supporter or advocate who has made a long term commitment to and impact on arts and culture.

MURIEL JOHNSON
Muriel Johnson Muriel Johnson has an extensive history of government and community service, especially service to the arts and culture of the greater Sacramento area. She served multiple terms as Sacramento County Supervisor; was President of the California State Association of Counties; served as Chair of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments; and was Chair of the Public Library Authority in Sacramento. She’s a strong advocate for local investment in the arts and championed Sacramento County’s Art in Public Places, especially the public- art program by which 2% of eligible City and County capital improvement project budgets be set aside for the commission, purchase, and installation of artworks throughout the City. She helped raise $10 million for local charities and held key community positions as President of the Crocker Art Museum and President of the Sacramento Junior League. Muriel co-founded the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission in 1977. In 2004 she was the Chamber of Commerce’s “Sacramentan of the Year,” and in January 2005 then-Governor Schwarzenegger named her Director of the California Arts Council.

Award Finalists: Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda; Jose Montoya

THE ARTS & BUSINESS COUNCIL OF SACRAMENTO WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS:

Sports Leisure Vacations, Commerce Printing Services, Chevron, Wells Fargo, Western Health Advantage, Raleys, Sacramento Magazine, AdmailWest, ABK, Clement Charles Event Technology, Doubletree, PSAV Technology Meets Inspiration, iSnap Photo

Table Sponsors: B Street Theatre, Blanket marketing Group, California Musical Theatre, Capital Public Radio, Councilmember Rob Fong, Downey Brand, LLP, Employment Law Council, LLP , Family Law Center, Foord Van Bruugen Ebersole and Pajak, Gilbert Associates, Inc. , Goldman Communications, KFBK 1530, Lee Blachowicz Consulting, Romp Creative, Rogers Montgomery CPAs, Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, Sacrmaneot News & Review, Sacramento Phhilharmonic Orchestra, Sacramento Theatre Company, Sinag-tala Filipino Theater and Performining Arts Association, T2 Performance Solutions, Union Bank, William Ishmael, and Sacramento Region Community Foundation

Thank you to our amazing Prelude committee and volunteers! Maren Bijl, Lee Blachowicz, Kelly Borelli, Veronica Delgado, Carol Delzer, Priscilla Enriquez, Ann Freeman-Clement, Ed Goldman, Bethany Rhanes, Laurie Stoffel, Carol Van Bruggen, Julie Vatuone

The pARTnership Movement

When businesses partner with the arts, everyone profits. There's a movement afoot across the country. Businesses are using the arts to inspire employees, stimulate innovation and foster creative collaboration. National resources, case studies and tools to develop your own partnerships coming soon to http://www.partnershipmovement.org.
Please consider becoming a pARTner of the Arts and Business Council of Sacramento by contributing online at www.sacabc.org. Thank you for your support!

Disclosure: This story has been submitted by the Staff of the Arts and Business Council of Sacramento.

The Ripple Effect: "The Dark Pool" Showcases A Cooperative of Cross-generational Creativity

2011-10-11T18:03:42Z

[Jim Krall’s six year old daughter has just been kidnapped] ...from her own birthday party in front of his family and friends-and no one seems to care but him. Alone in his devastation, Jim Krall sets out on a nightmarish quest to find his child. This obsession will lead him into a world of Dark Pool investments, DNA manipulation, String Theory, time travel and alternate realities...

It started with Sam.

Sam was a graduate of Natomas Charter School.

He was bright and creative and bored.

He isn’t any of those things anymore.

Last year he took his own life. Now he is an inspiration.

Rick Gott is an actor.

Rick Gott is a teacher.

He was Sam’s teacher.

He sees a lot of students graduate from his classes in theater and film who are bright and creative. Many of them go on to community colleges or university programs.

But for many of them, formal education is not a good fit. Their talent and energy buzzes and crackles and smolders in a post high school limbo that is frustrating and often depressing.

It is a feeling not unfamiliar to actors and other industry professionals in this town, many of whom commute elsewhere to ply their trade with any measure of success; many of whom have simply resigned themselves to other peripheral or even unrelated careers after years of bit work and unreliable pay.

Gott, a long time local actor himself, was becoming more and more discouraged watching his students emerge into the already stagnant job market, in danger of becoming jaded before they’d even tasted the success he knew they had the potential to earn.

What if, he theorized, there was a way to bring all of these people together,
the young, energetic students, still honing their various crafts and the myriad of seasoned professionals who have so much to offer in the way of experience?

“I realized when I opened my eyes that I have a gold mine here!” said Gott, when we spoke recently in the black box theatre that serves as his classroom at Natomas Charter School.

So, last spring he started pitching friends and associates of mine on the idea of collaboration.

“No one had money, but everyone had value to contribute.”

The project they settled upon was a Web TV series.

“It just made the most sense, financially,” explained Gott.

The result is “The Dark Pool,” set to launch October 13.

Gott penned the episodes and five have been produced with support from students; Iron Mountain Film; actors from B Street Theatre and Capital Stage, as well as other local talent; Frank Casanova, who offered his studio; and many others. Nationally syndicated financial columnist Phillip Larrea is acting consultant for the financial matters in the series.

The protagonist, John Krall, works on Wall Street - timely, hmm?

Council Member Angelique Ashby even makes an appearance. Each episode has a different director and a different producer.

To date, about $200 has been invested.

“I had some problems with my printer that had to be dealt with,” shrugs Gott, “Or we might be able to say we hadn’t spent anything.”

The ultimate success would be to create a company with no venture capital.

“Facebook has a partnership program,” explains Gott, who has clearly given the process some thought. “We’d like to be able to use that to finance the next five episodes.” The next goal would be to pay people a small stipend.

But for Rick Gott, it will never be about money.

It will be about watching his students continue to grow under the mentorship of those who came before them, of reciprocal learning.

It will be about providing opportunities and exposure for local industry talent of all levels.

It will be about Sam.

Support “The Dark Pool” project by hitting “Like” on the Dark Pool fan page on Facebook and by jumping into the series October 13 on YouTube. Your support will create further opportunities for young people in projects to come.

"The Pillowman" amazes audience on opening night

2011-09-24T06:16:25Z

Big Idea Theatre’s production of “The Pillowman” opened Thursday night and led its viewers through a dark and sometimes painful statement about the importance of storytelling and art. The play, directed by Kirk Blackinton, is an adaptation of the 2005 Broadway hit by the same name.

Set in a totalitarian police state, the dark play chronicles the interrogation of Katurian Katurian, a brilliant writer with a tortured past. He and his older brother, Michal, who suffers from a form of mental retardation, are being held on charge of the murder of several young children.

The two cops, Tupolski and Ariel, are attempting to tie Katurian’s stories to the killings. Many of his stories portray gruesome descriptions of children being murdered.

The cast did an outstanding job at bringing life to the play. Scott Divine and Brian Harrower, who portrayed Ariel and Tupolski, respectively, had incredible chemistry and brought real depth to their characters.

Ariel, a hardened brute of a policeman who frequently beats Katurian, becomes surprisingly empathetic as the play progresses. In a final conversation with Katurian, Divine’s acting shone as his character’s abusive past is slowly unravelled.

Harrower also brought much to the stage. His character’s relaxed demeanor contrasted the intensity of Divine’s, and the communication between the two was often hilarious. During several scenes, Tupolski would repeatedly click his pen, adding a kind of background music that built energy and suspense.

“The acting was superb,” said Gregory Smith, an audience member. “I was blown away by how powerful it was.”

Shawn B. O’Neal, who played the older brother, Michal, was perhaps the highlight of the night. His performance as a mentally-challenged individual was deeply moving.

The character’s innocence in light of his terrible predicament was powerful enough to elicit laughs and tears from the audience. While locked up with his brother, Katurian, Michal frequently complains of his “itchy butt.” Then, without missing a beat, the character begins to describe terrible acts of murder, which shocked the audience.

“My emotions were all over the place,” said Justine Romeo, who said she enjoyed the show.

Benjamin T. Ismail, who played Katurian, was brilliant in his performance. In the beginning of the interrogations, his fear seemed genuine as he worriedly begged to know the reason for his arrest.

The chemistry he shared with O’Neal was very touching. When Katurian and Michal were locked in prison together, the realization of Michael’s wrongdoings starts a feud between the brothers.

But despite their argument, Katurian ends up telling Michal a story as he falls asleep in his brother’s lap for what may be the last time. When the tender moment between the two brothers took a dark and unexpected twist, several audience members were wiping away tears.

The play also featured Ruby Sketchley as the mother, Jes Gonzales as the father, and Josephine Longo playing all of the children.

After the show, many audience members raved about the play.

“It has everything you want to see in a play,” said Eric Orosco, who attended the play. “It will make you laugh, it will make you feel awkward, it will pull your heartstrings and make you want to look away.”

C. Quinn, another attendee, agreed. “I was quite taken aback by how it was portrayed,” she said. “I’m still feeling a bit high (from it).”

“This theatre is definitely worth looking into if you’re into having your mind blown,” added Quinn.

“The Pillowman” will be playing at Big Idea Theatre through Oct. 15. The theatre is located at 1616 Del Paso Blvd. Admission is $15 and discounts are available for seniors, students and children.

The Big Idea Theatre’s website states that the show is “intended for mature audiences only.”

Sacramento composer uses Kickstarter to educate

2011-09-23T04:18:54Z

Sacramento composer and band leader Harley White, Jr. is writing and arranging “Louis and the Gator,” a New Orleans-style Jazz re-write of Sergie Prokofievs’ musical “Peter and the Wolf.” White will begin to officially promote the project on the fundraising website Kickstarter.com starting Sep. 30.

His goal is to raise $9,000 by Nov. 10 to fund a live performance of “Louis and the Gator,” record a CD featuring his jazz arrangements of Prokofievs’ compositions, produce an interactive educational DVD and write a children's book.

Launched in 2009, Kickstarter.com allows entrepreneurs and artists to post projects and garner funding from investors who can donate any amount from $1 to thousands. By donating their money, these investors are in return promised something from the creator of the project. If the project is not funded by a specified date, no one pays.

“Louis and the Gator” has raised $192 so far. White has 48 days left to reach his goal.

This project is White's attempt at educating adults and children on the history of American music. The story is closely based off of USSR composer Sergei Prokofievs’ “Peter and the Wolf,” a musical about a young boy who captures a wolf and then convinces a group of hunters to take it to a zoo rather than shoot it.

But within this tale of childhood animal empathy is a composer’s desire to educate the Soviet youth on symphonic music.

“‘Peter and the Wolf’ was commissioned by Moscow to help their cultural arts program in the mid 30s,” White said, “to help children understand the four families of instruments that can be found in the symphony orchestra: the percussion family, the reed family, the brass family and the string family.”

Some of Whites’ changes for “Louis and the Gator,” include Louis Armstrong as Peter, famed jazz trumpeter Charlie Parker as the bird and New Orleans’ native alligator in place of the wolf.

The 46-year-old Midtown resident, professional composer and band leader has been involved in music since his childhood. He released two records with Papa’s Culture in the ‘90’s; played on albums by Cake, Blackalicious and Faith Evans; and he plays bass in the Harley White, Jr. Orchestra.

“I respect and honor music education,” he said. “I teach music, but I am not a music teacher in the traditional sense.”

White educates through conversation. This became clear as he spoke about the jazz roots of the wah-wah pedal, a brief biography of musicologist Alan Lomax, and Duke Ellington’s decision to place a microphone closer to the bassist which, White believes, acted as a catalyst for the heavier sound of the music in the 1950s and onwards.

“Louis and the Gator” is his attempt at making this kind of knowledge interesting to the public, and accessible to children.

“I’m doing my part to do programming that people can take their kids to, and that’s still fine art,” White said.

The performance of “Louis and the Gator”will be a completely live, all-ages show. The date and location will depend upon whether or not White gets enough funding.

“The musicians will be in a pit,” White said. “I will be playing bass, and I’m thinking about putting together a dance piece–a modern jazz ballet if you will.”

According to his Kickstarter page, White hopes to eventually tour the country to educate the public on American music, and entertain them too.

Producing the recordings of Whites’ Prokofiev arrangements is Tower of Power keyboardist Roger Smith. Smith has produced albums for Jeff Beck, Gladys Knight, and Willie Nelson among others.

Some of the gifts that White is offering to investors on Kickstarter are tickets to the performance of “Louis and the Gator,” interactive DVD’s, private music lessons and even a catered private Harley White, Jr. Orchestra performance for those who donate $1,000 or more.

For more information, or to donate, go to the “Louis and the Gator” Kickstarter page.

Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auctions to Benefit Cancer Research and Treatment Programs

2011-09-21T19:42:03Z

The greater Sacramento community is invited to live, silent and online auctions that benefit breast cancer research and treatment programs at Sutter Cancer Center. More than 600 handcrafted quilts and textile art are displayed at the Sutter Cancer Center during October.

Sutter Cancer Center is open daily from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. and the public is welcome to visit the quilt display anytime during the month. There will be a bid sheet for each item on display so that individuals may bid during their visit.

The Silent Auction takes place Oct. 3 - Nov. 5, 2011, while the Live Auction happens Nov. 5, 2011 at 10 a.m. The Online Auction takes place now through Nov. 5. Those interested can visit www.biddingforgood.com/smcfoundation.

Sutter Cancer Center is located at 2800 L St., Sacramento, CA 95816.

Every three years since 1999, California quilters have generously created beautiful quilts for the auction. The past four auctions raised more than $425,000 for Sutter Cancer Center programs. More than 1,900 quilts were donated to those auctions.

Programs that benefit from the Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auction include the Breast Cancer Navigator Program, Lymphadema Education, Nutrition Counseling and Classes, as well as Dance Movement, Art, Music and Massage Therapy. For more information, visit www.suttermedicalcenter.org/quiltauction.

Sutter Cancer Center does more than treat a disease. We care for people living with cancer and strive to meet their physical, mental and emotional needs. Through comprehensive programs and services, we support our patients and those who care for them. For more information, visit www.suttercancer.org.

Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, is affiliated with Sutter Health, a not-for-profit, community based health system located throughout Northern California. For more information on Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, visit www.suttermedicalcenter.org.

# # #

Disclosure: Liz Madison is a Communications Coordinator who works in Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region’s Strategic Marketing and Communications Department

Second Saturday in Mansion Flats

2011-08-05T22:00:56Z

It’s almost time for the August ‘Second Saturday’, where midtown SacTown comes alive with artists, musicians, art galleries, and shops in the evening hours. “K” Street is ‘kickin’, “J” Street is “jumpin’, and the surrounding streets are pulsing with the rhythms of the night.

But what about “E” Street over in Mansion Flats? Mansion Flats, the sister neighborhood to Alkali Flats, is located from 12th Street to 16th between “the Union Pacific Railyard & “J” streets.

Mansion Flats, Alkali Flats and New Era Park were the original City Street Railway neighborhoods and consisted of the wealthy and middle class families, according to the Sacramento History blog.

Have you been looking for some place new to have sushi? Just stop by Momiji’s Sushi & Grill at 14th & G. Momiji’s offers a wide variety of sushi items, and has a bright, friendly ambience.

After dinner, just head right next door to Barber Blues, located at 625 14th, and enjoy art, music and firewalkers.

If you travel just a wee bit further toward “E” Street, you will find SHINE Coffee*Art*Food on the corner of 14th & E, who will also be featuring live music and local artists’ work, as well as FREE chair massage by Body Blessings Massage & Aromatherapy.

After having a ‘Zen’ moment, breeze on over to next-door neighbor Yoga Seed non-profit yoga studio, 1400 E Street, Ste B, where Japaintin will be celebrating with an art exhibit .

What better way to celebrate midtown’s finest event by cruising on over to “E” Street and checking out these Mansion Flats establishments! You can always hop on Light Rail from K Street to the Alkali Flats station, walk over to E Street, then walk down to 14th to give your grand adventure a more authentic flavor. It’s a little less well lit, and just off the regular path, but is well worth the journey!

After all, “E” Street is for every body!

Disclosure: Elizabeth Edwards, owner of QuietProductions Conceptual Marketing and Body Blessings Massage & Aromatherapy, is a resident of the Alkali Flats, Mansion Flats, New Park Era area, and loves the honest simplicity of life that this area has to offer.

Wanderlust 2011: Could you be love – or be loved?

2011-08-03T11:05:33Z

We came. We lusted. We followed the sound wave of the ohm to Squaw Valley. We swam to freedom picking up the dreams we've forgotten and learned to love not just our lover, our children, and our neighbor, but ourselves. Boundaries were challenged. We twisted our squared lives through yoga, and turned it into a triangle, an oblong, a parallelogram, and finally the “star”. As in Franti’s song, Could you be love – or be loved? Here are ways the love was shared at the Wanderlust Festival.

We accepted that being a “Rockstar” has no age limit. Michael Franti & The Spearhead invited for his final song on stage, children of all ages. Mixed in with the group was a grandfather and a six year old kid. Franti quipped, “Now, when you grow up, wouldn’t you want to be the 69-year old dancing onstage at a rock concert?” The crowd cheered in agreement.

We danced for 90-minutes to a nonstop mash-up by Girl Talk: Girl Talk (aka Greg Gillis) gave a rocking, raucous hour and half musical tour that sampled at least 100 songs from the Beatles to Lady Gaga. A few thousand people danced without a break and, as he often does, Girl Talk, invited fans to dance on stage as he performed. Besides the high energy music, the crowd was throughly engaged as they rolled in toilet paper, bounced beach volleyball, showered in ballons, steamrolled in long air pillows, and was covered with confetti for the finale.

We felt like we were in an MTV spring break party in July: The pool at Squaw Valley was the hottest – and coolest – place at Wanderlust. Hundreds of healthy people showing off their yoga toned bodies at the pool and hot tub all at once; complete with hula hooping, go-go dancers, roller-skating dolls, buff guys playing tug of war as acrobats walked tightropes over the pool. More eye candy than an MTV spring break live special.

We released the energy of the rowdy and restless with Random Rab: Fusion fans like this San Francisco DJ so much, Random Rab played twice at Wanderlust anchoring late night shows on Friday and Saturday. His sets ranged from rowdy to chill. His musical background includes time as classical trumpeter and bass player in a country band. Perfect way to end a long day with dub step or start an even longer night.

We got real high with Portland’s MarchFourth Marching Band It’s rather funny actually! On the way up to hike the 2.2 miles up to Squaw Peak, we ran into the MarchFourth Marching Band’s go-go dancers. Hiking at high altitude on stilts, they were literally up 20 feet, as tall as the top of the ski lifts. MarchFourth’s eclectic brass marching band style, complete with visual theatrics of stiltwalkers, flag dancers, and sliding pole dancers spun Saturday night's party into a frenzy. Their one-of a-kind call and response technique prompted the crowd into action.

There was so much to go, see, and do, this barely touches the surface. We’ll need more time to give it all to you. So tomorrow, we will continue to share the love at Wanderlust ….

Congresswoman Matsui Announces $148K in Federal Funds for Crocker Art Museum

2011-07-29T18:49:28Z

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) announced that the Crocker Art Museum has been awarded a federal Museums for America grant of $148,441 by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). These funds can be used for a wide variety of projects, including research, planning, and new programs and activities that support the efforts of museums to integrate new technologies.

“The Crocker Art Museum is one of the jewels of Sacramento, and this grant announcement is great news for our region,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “The federal funding will further enable the Crocker to provide valuable programming for Sacramento families, and to be a catalyst for our local arts scene.”

Museums for America is the IMLS’s largest grant program for museums. These grants help support ongoing projects and activities that increase a museum’s ability to engage with and serve their surrounding community. Today’s funding will help support the Crocker Art Museum’s “All About Families” initiative, which is increasing the Crocker’s ability to engage family audiences by helping to build staff knowledge and skills to meet the needs of families and ensuring that exhibits and programs respect many voices and perspectives.

Lial A. Jones, Mort & Marcy Friedman Director of the Crocker Art Museum, remarked, “Ensuring that the Crocker Art Museum is a vital resource for all families in our community is critical to the Museum’s mission. We are thrilled to receive support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to strengthen our ‘All About Families’ initiative and to help us further our understanding of how we can better serve families in our region.”

The IMLS received 481 applications for Museum of America grants this year, and were able to fund 160 projects. Grantees are required to provide at least a 1:1 match; the Crocker will provide matching funds in the amount of $249,999.

Disclosure: Mara Lee is Communications Director for Congresswoman Doris Matsui.

‘King of Shadows’ revealed by Big Idea Theatre

2011-07-02T05:15:22Z

Though many find comfort in the familiar, there’s also an enjoyable thrill that only a bit of change can provide. Big Idea Theatre’s “King of Shadows,” which opened Thursday, finds a great balance using a familiar plot in a modern-day setting for an interesting theatrical experience.

I parked at the front of the building which faced closed business doors and a large locked gate. I was convinced that somehow this was the wrong location. As I frantically called around for someone to give me directions, I saw just behind me a small sign designating the location as Big Idea Theatre.

As I turned into the alley and parking lot area of the business, I was pleasantly surprised by the small art-filled courtyard that greeted me before I reached the box office. And I hoped that the play I was about to see would be just as pleasant and as magical as the location felt and how it sounded on paper. I was not disappointed.

“King of Shadows” centers on Jessica (Gina Williams), who is a graduate student studying teenage runaways in hopes of discovering a way to help them. In her pursuit of their perspectives, Jessica meets Nihar (Andrew Perez).

In their interactions, Nihar reveals a whole other world, a mythical world, ruled by evil demon-like creatures known as the King of Shadows and The Green Lady, who are hunting San Francisco’s homeless population in search of him.

As Jessica and the audience are deciding how much of the story is real or fantasy, Jessica’s police officer boyfriend, Eric (Brian Harrower), is adamantly against her desires to be helpful but her younger sister, Sarah (Josephine Longo), instantly connects with the young storyteller.

While the play takes place in modern-day San Francisco, the urban thriller incorporates enough talk of demons, supernatural fog, other realms and magical portals that you could be forgiven if you thought it was happening in the days of old with the great Merlin.

At one point, Jessica even compares Nihar’s seemingly tall tale to William Shakespeare’s famed “A Midsummers Night’s Dream” plot.

The set was both simple and detailed. Designed to fold and slide out, it was able to illustrate a number of different locations throughout the play with the scenic art-covered walls. The lighting followed suit, supporting the fantasy-versus-reality battle in the play with subtle and supportive spot lighting.

Last but not least, the four actors of the piece were all animated, making the unbelievable questionably believable and at the very least allowing the audience to trust in the sincerity of each character.

It was an intimate viewing. The small theater was filled with about 30 people Thursday night composed mostly of friends and family as well as a few regular patrons, all there supporting the company on opening night. The audience was very receptive and made for an even more enjoyable show.

Though the audience does not get to see much of the grand stories described by Nihar played out on stage, the play is well-written, and the audience remains engaged, wondering what will happen next and if it is all just one big extravagant lie.

In the end, with all these factors combined: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s words, the actors’ execution and the simple yet detailed stage decorating, envisioning it all was not difficult. One could even say it came surprisingly naturally.

For audience member Nicole Smith, there supporting her friend, Robert Perez, the whole play was “surprisingly sweet.”

So, if you’re looking for more than your average Shakespearean play, definitely check out Big Idea Theatre’s latest.

“King of Shadows” will run through July 23, starting at 8 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Ticket prices range from $13 to $15.

For more information on “King of Shadows” and Big Idea Theatre, click here.

Congresswoman Matsui Announces $35,000 in NEA Grants for Local Organizations

2011-05-17T17:00:27Z

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) announced that two local organizations, the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra Association and California Presenters, have been awarded grants by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The Sacramento Philharmonic will receive $20,000 to support an educational outreach series featuring Carnegie Hall's LinkUP! for Music “Orchestra Rocks” program; and the California Presenters’ $15,000 grant will support their 28th annual Artist Information Exchange Conference.

“Investing in the arts is an investment in the creativity and innovation of our community,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “This federal assistance will help California organizations continue to educate our youth and support our local artists. I am so pleased that these programs have been recognized with these awards.”

“The Sacramento Philharmonic is extremely proud to have been an NEA Grantee every year since 2006,” said Marc Feldman, Executive Director and CEO of the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra. “The NEA’s support has enabled the Philharmonic to fulfill our mission of bringing music to a new public, as well as thousands of children and family members. Thank you to Congresswoman Matsui and all those who help to raise the bar for the arts in Sacramento.”

“California Presenters is so pleased to receive this much valued NEA funding,” said Ruth Rosenberg, Administrative Coordinator, California Presenters. “Funding will be used in support of our 2012 Artist Information Exchange conference, during which time leaders in the presenting field work together to bring the best artists to the people of California.”

These NEA matching grants will help support projects that involve the creation and presentation of artistically excellent work – both new and established. This round of grants amounts to nearly 800 awards and over $25 million in funding for programs that provide access to the arts in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts generate, on average, six dollars from non-federal sources for each dollar awarded.

In addition, this round of NEA grants includes partnership grant awards made to each state’s state arts agency and to the country’s six regional arts organizations. These partnership awards amount to over $50 million in arts funding. The California Arts Council, which is based in Sacramento, received $1,162,700 during this round of funding to support their Partnership Agreement activities.

For more information on Congresswoman Matsui’s work in Congress, please visit www.matsui.house.gov. For more information on the NEA, please visit www.arts.gov.

Mara Lee is the Communications Director for Congresswoman Doris Matsui.

Opera needs $37,000 to keep this year's season

2011-05-07T00:48:25Z

May 12 is the deadline for the Sacramento Opera to raise the final $37,000 of its $122,000 goal by that date – or there will not be a 2011-2012 opera season.

In all, the opera must raise $175,000 of pledges and gifts for the season.

The opera recently reorganized, strategically aligning with the Sacramento Philharmonic as both organizations continue to suffer from funding slumps as a result of the recession.

A meeting last week with 123 opera subscribers and donors to discuss the reorganization, and Sacramento Opera officials described it as “just the kind of engagement needed” in a press release this week.

If the $37,000 is raised, the opera season will include “Opera at the Cathedral” on Oct. 6, a double-bill feature in late November with the opera and Sacramento Philharmonic and “Rigoletto” by Guiseppe Verdi next February.

Pledges are currently being accepted, and they can be sent via email to info@sacopera.org, by calling 737-1000 ext. 305 or by mail to Sacramento Opera, P.O. Box 161027, Sacramento, CA 95816.

Pledges must be for donations within the next 12 months, and those payments can be made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or in one lump sum.

Camellia Symphony: Great Food and Wine for a Great Cause

2011-05-06T04:17:57Z

The Camellia Symphony will wrap up its 48th Season with a “Toast to Music” - Food and Wine Benefit taking place at the Old Sugar Mill Clarksburg on Saturday, May 7th, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Funds raised will provide program development support for the 49th Season which begins in September, 2011.

Participating wineries include: Carvalho Family Winery, The Solomon Wine Company,Three Wines, and Brew it Up just to name a few. Participating restaurants include: Entoria Restaurant & Wine Bar, Tuli Bistro, River City Cakes, Capital Confections and many more.

Admission at the door is $40 per person- if you cannot make it to the event, The Sacramento Press will be live-streaming photos of the event from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Photo stream of the event will be through Liveshare, a photo-streaming application available for download to your iPhone or Android smart phone. Photos of the festivities will be uploaded throughout the evening on The Sacramento Press, (www.sacramentopress.com). The photos will appear in this article starting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and continue until the end of the event.

Sacramento Opera unveils a new plan for next season

2011-04-30T02:37:25Z

Representatives of the Sacramento Opera unveiled their plan for saving the company in a presentation Thursday night for supporters of the only professional opera in the Sacramento region.

Rod Gideons, Sacramento Opera general director, and Michael Nelson, president of the board of directors, shared the stage at Antiquité Maison Privée in Midtown. During the two-hour presentation, they outlined “what’s happened, what’s changed and what’s next” for the Sacramento Opera.

“We have no cash reserves, no endowment, and we’ve been entirely dependent on ticket sales up to this point,” Gideons told the audience of more than 60 opera subscribers and supporters.

If something doesn’t happen – and happen soon – the opera may have to close its doors for good.

“There is no silver bullet or magic pill,” Gideons said. “The only way out of this morass is what we are outlining tonight.”

The planned new approach, developed after nearly six months of deliberations by board members, includes restructuring the opera’s budget to rely less on ticket sales and more on individual donations, grants and corporate contributions.

“For the past few years, 65 percent of our budget was coming from ticket sales,” Gideons said. “By and large, people just closed the purse this year.”

Previously, the opera company received the remaining 35 percent of its income from donations, grants and other sources of community generosity. Recent changes in the local economy and decreased ticket sales have forced company directors to adjust their budgeting plan to better reflect the realities they face as operagoers tighten their belts.

The opera has set a new budget expectation for the 2011-2012 season of only 49 percent of total income from ticket sales, placing greater pressure on the company to seek the remaining 51 percent of the budget total from outside sources to keep operations going next season and beyond.

To meet that expectation, the company set a goal of $175,000 in individual donations during the upcoming season. However, since a large part of production and expenses are upfront costs, the company needs to reach 70 percent of that goal ($122,000) by the end of May.

“We need (supporters’) help,” Nelson said. “We need to know that we have a solid, viable financial foundation to move forward.”

In addition to the contributions goal and budget restructure, a strategic alliance with the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra is a significant part of the organization’s new proposal.

Far from being a total merger, Gideon said the two companies would only combine administrative and support services behind the scenes in order to scale back on expenses while still operating as independent entities.

“We will keep our separate identities,” Gideons said. “We’re just getting into the same sandbox to share what we have.”

As part of the new alliance with the Sacramento Philharmonic, the two organizations would collaborate on new productions for the upcoming opera season and coordinate marketing and outreach efforts to build stronger subscriber bases.

Nelson and Gideons said the Sacramento Opera board is optimistic that the new approach will be successful, but it depends on a number of factors outside their control.

“They can come up with the best plan in the world,” said former Sacramento Mayor Anne Rudin after the presentation. “But if people won’t do anything with it, it won’t work.”

Rudin said she’s been a longtime opera fan and Sacramento Opera supporter and hopes more people will get involved in keeping the company alive.

“If (community members) just had an introduction to (opera), they’d get hooked on it,” Rudin said.

Gideons encouraged attendees to not only pledge their support for the upcoming season, but to spread the word within their individual spheres of influence in order to “open doors” to other as-yet-untapped sources of donations to the Sacramento Opera.

“Corporate money is out there,” Nelson said. “We just need (supporters) to open those doors for us.”

The Sacramento Opera will hold another informational presentation on its planned operational changes from 2 - 4 p.m. on Saturday. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at Antiquité Maison Privée, 2114 P Street in Midtown.

For more information, contact the Sacramento Opera administrative office at 737-1000.

City loans California Musical Theatre $300,000

2011-04-28T01:17:51Z

The struggling California Musical Theatre in Sacramento will receive $300,000 from the city to help it stay afloat.

The Sacramento City Council unanimously decided Wednesday to loan the amount to the theater over the next three years. The theater can withdraw the money in $50,000 increments each quarter until the $300,000 total is reached, according to a report by city staff. The money will go toward the theater’s operations.

California Musical Theatre runs Music Circus, the Broadway Series and Cosmopolitan Cabaret.

“It’s an important piece of downtown,” Councilman Jay Schenirer said, referring to the theater. The business the theater brings to downtown is “incredibly important,” he added.

The city is taking $300,000 from its Community Center Theater Renovation Project for the loan.

Councilwomen Sandy Sheedy and Angelique Ashby noted that the money for the loan is designated for the arts and cannot be used in the city’s general fund.

When the theater withdraws money from the loan during a fiscal year, it must pay back the city the amount plus interest by June 30 of that fiscal year, according to the city staff report.

The theater cannot receive a bank line of credit because of its financial situation, the staff report said.

Still, the theater provides benefits to the city, according to the report. The theater employs more than 550 people, and pays $800,000 to the Sacramento Convention Center in rent annually, the report said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

CORE performance advances the arts

2011-04-23T01:17:57Z

“Awake My Soul,” the final performance of CORE Dance Collective’s season, opened Thursday night to a crowd of more than 300 at the Benvenuti Performing Arts Center.

The evening was filled with contrasting elements. One moment soft jazz music played and the next, groans, moans and cries were heard from the dancers. Some of the dancers spun around gracefully, while others were swift, powerful and intentional with their movements.

CORE, which stands for Collections of Real Experience, is a nonprofit dance company with 12 dancers that was founded in 2007 by Kelli Leighton, who currently serves as the artistic director.

“We are innovative. What we do is so different … whatever preconceived notion of dance (a person) has, (this) is so different – you have to see it,” assistant artistic director, Blair Cacanando said.

“Awake My Soul is the ending piece of the season. It is an explanation of feeling alive, celebrating being alive and being able to dance – to move,” Cacanando said.

The performance is broken into two parts: “Silent Noise” and “After the Storm.”

“Silent Noise” started out dramatic. The whole theater was dark, and then suddenly dancers with bandages covering their eyes and military jackets that shielded their white, flowy dresses slowly and deliberately approached the stage from the front and the back of the theater, stiffly and slowly.

Their hands were rigid, and they walked intently toward the stage, where they stood emotionless.

Suddenly, minutes into the show, they were moving faster. They were jumping, rolling, lifting each other, and then they reverted to a much more serious style again.

“We call it contemporary – actually, it is athletic contemporary. It is very technical. Ballet and jazz movements are heavily incorporated,” Cacanando noted.

“ ‘Silent Noise’ has a storyline,” Cacanando said.

It is based off of Gottfried Helnwein’s painting, which is on display at the Crocker Art Museum.

Leighton attended Tueller school of dance, worked in Los Angeles with the Screen Actors Guild and has been featured on “The Today Show.”

When she moved to Sacramento, she was seeking involvement in a dance company, she said, but was unable to find anything that fit her – so she rented a space and got started on her own.

They have performed at Sacramento’s Second Saturday Art Walk events and in other places, including San Francisco and Utah.

The group’s objective, according to Cacanando, is to educate the community on performing arts and to motivate the community to take interest in funding the arts.

Jacob Montoya, 25, is a dancer for the company.

“I prepare for the ‘Silent Noise’ piece by going some place deep in myself,” Montoya said. “I think of my grandma, who is going through a lot, and she is suffering, and this piece deals with suffering.”

“We do it because we love it. We have a talent that should be shared, and the world should see it,” Cacanando said.

Corie Rubiono, 20, is from Sacramento and came to watch CORE perform Thursday. She said she knows some people from the dance company, and she used to dance with them.

“My favorite part is when they take off the military jacket. it was as though they were breaking away from conformity,”Rubiono said.

Kim Smith, 46, from Folsom, also came to see “Awake My Soul.” Her daughter takes dance classes taught by one of the dancers.

She described it as “...beautiful, energetic, creative, athletic, upbeat.”

There are two remaining performances of “Awake My Soul”: 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at Benvenuti Performing Arts Center, 4600 Blackrock Drive. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $15 presale and $20 at the door.

“We are here to expose (the community) to an artistic vision. Without our audience, there is no us,” Leighton said. “This is when people need – (the) arts more than ever – it’s a good time to come and escape and be moved.”

For more information visit: www.coredancecollective.org or contact kleighton@coredancecollective.org

Little Sacramento Monsters at Lady Gaga's Monster Ball

2011-03-25T04:51:32Z

The first impression concertgoers had upon approaching the Power Balance Pavilion on Wednesday evening for the Sacramento stop of Lady GaGa’s Monster Ball World Tour was of fantastical scale. A herd of semis corralled on either side of the arena, 24 of them, quietly announcing that this was to be above and beyond your typical rock show.

The crowd was populated with the expected hordes of spangled women (and not a few men) dressed in their favorite imitation of the Lady Herself, mixed with bewildered suburban dads being dragged to the merchandise table by their teen daughters. What shouldn’t have been surprising was, in keeping with Lady GaGa’s message of inclusiveness, there were just as many boring squares willing to dance their feet off and scream their lungs out at the Monster Ball as there were genuine flag-waving freaks.

Openers the Scissor Sisters took the stage at 8:30 to a house already packed with excited fans. Typically, the opening act performs to a half-seated house while most of the audience meanders up and down the aisles from the merchandise tables or the concession stand, waiting for the headliner to appear. This was far from the case. There is obviously a significant overlap in Lady GaGa and Scissor Sisters’ fan bases, as from the moment they started playing, every seat filled and every eye was on the stage.

Scissor Sisters ripped into the title track from their recent album, “Night Work,” kicking off their set with a high-energy opener that immediately turned the general admission section into a bouncing carpet of heads. They kept up the excitement with another from “Night Work,” “Any Which Way,” followed by “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” and “Running Out.”

Co-lead singer Ana Matronic then took the opportunity to chat with the audience, asking how many people had brought their mothers to the show. The crowd responded with a roar and they segued into “Take Your Mama.” Scissor Sisters closed their (sadly too-short) set with “Filthy/Gorgeous,” in which other co-lead singer Jake Shears managed to lose most of his clothing, ending the show in a pleather thong and shoes, to the surprise of practically no one.

In between the sets, the audience amused themselves with alternately “the wave” and chanting “Ga-GA, Ga-GA…” until at last, a white screen descended around the main stage and the show began with the anthem “Dance in the Dark.”

This incarnation of the Monster Ball tour is ostensibly about GaGa and her friends (of which she includes the audience), the “Little Monsters,” trying to get to the “Monster’s Ball” where everyone is free. This mostly allows GaGa and her entourage to dance all over sets ripped from “The Warriors: The Musical,” whirling through a dizzying number of costume changes while showcasing all of the not-inconsiderable number of hits Lady GaGa has amassed in her relatively short career.

While the show was primarily her signature high-energy dance pop, Lady GaGa did take an opportunity to play a stripped-down version of her current ubiquitous hit, “Born This Way,” on piano. However, since it is Lady GaGa, the piano was … on fire.

The show culminated with GaGa performing “Parapazzi” while facing down a giant tentacled sea-monster with glowing teeth and eyes. At the climax of the song she disappeared under the stage and reappeared to defeat the “Fame Monster” with a bra and panties that shot fireworks from her unmentionables.

The curtain fell but the audience did not have long to wait as Lady GaGa returned for the encore, announcing that we had arrived at the Monster Ball and performing “Bad Romance” dressed as the spangled offspring of Optimus Prime and the Statue of Liberty.

Toward the end of the song she seemed to lose focus as the relentless pace of the show threatened to overwhelm her. However, that did not stop Lady GaGa from changing costume one last time and returning to perform a full dance version of “Born This Way” before releasing her “Little Monsters” out into the night.

Summer in Sacramento just got warmer!: Sacramento Public Library to host Smithsonian traveling exhibition celebrating influence of Latinos in American Popular Music, May 25 through August 7

2011-03-21T16:04:23Z

The Sacramento Public Library has been selected as the inaugural host site for American Sabor: Latinos in US Popular Music, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) that highlights the musical contributions of U.S. Latinos from the 1940s to present, and explores the social history and individual creativity that produced stars such as Tito Puente, Ritchie Valens, Celia Cruz, Carlos Santana and Selena.

Developed by the Experience Music Project and SITES, American Sabor (sabor is the Spanish word for “taste” or “flavor” and is commonly used to describe good music) will travel to 12 cities over the next four years. The exhibition, its national tour and related programs are made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company.

“The Sacramento Public Library is honored to host this traveling exhibition that highlights the musical contributions of Latinos. It is a fitting tribute to this community with our rich Hispanic heritage and large Hispanic population,” said Sacramento Public Library Director Rivkah K. Sass. The exhibition will open to the public on Friday, May 26, and will be free to view during open hours at the Central Library, 828 I Street, Sacramento (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays, 12 noon to 5 p.m.) through the exhibition’s closing on August 7.

“Music is an important part of American culture and the impact that Latino musicians have had on American popular music is both moving and significant,” said Smithsonian Regent Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento). “‘American Sabor’ will give Sacramentans an opportunity to explore the broader story of Latino communities and how their artistry expresses their experiences as Americans.”

American Sabor documents the roles of post-World War II U.S. Latino musicians as interpreters and disseminators of Latin American genres, and highlights their innovations in various traditional U.S. genres. The exhibition focuses on five major centers of Latino popular music production – New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, San Antonio and San Francisco – that represent the remarkable diversity of this music. With dynamic bilingual (English and Spanish) text panels, striking graphics and photographs, and personal listening stations, each city section explores the broader histories and cultures that created the music from those areas, including how the musical innovations of Latino youths crossed ethnic and racial boundaries and helped shape American popular music. It also examines how immigration and migration influenced Latino and U.S. popular music, and the ways in which Latinos have musically expressed their experiences as Americans.

“Ford Motor Company Fund is proud to support American Sabor as part of our long-standing commitment to Hispanic arts and culture,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “Visitors to the exhibition will experience the many contributions that Hispanic musicians have made to American music and the richness of Latino sounds.”

The exhibition is complemented by an interactive website – www.AmericanSabor.org – that includes expanded exhibition content, historic photographs, lesson plans, video oral histories from Latin music stars, a jukebox featuring a special “American Sabor” playlist and a mixing-board interactive activity. A preview site is currently available; the full bilingual website will launch March 23.

For more information about the American Sabor exhibition, telephone the Sacramento Public Library at 916-264-2920 or visit www.saclibrary.org.
# # #

B Street Theatre Moves Confidently into 2011 with $200,000 Grant from Bank of America

2011-02-07T19:00:35Z

One of Sacramento’s leading theatre companies is enjoying some positive financial news during a time of economic uncertainty for the region’s arts scene. B Street Theatre was awarded a $100,000 check from Bank of America during the theatre’s weekly staff meeting last Thursday afternoon. The check is the first half of a $200,000 grant provided by Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative.

“We are pleased to support the B Street Theatre’s extensive outreach to children in our region. We selected B Street Theatre because of their professional leadership, thoughtful programming and the impactful work they do in schools and hospitals throughout our community, said Lori Rianda, Market Manager at Bank of America for the Sacramento region.

Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative has a multi-tiered program of support for the arts in neighborhoods around the globe. The organization believes that contributing to a climate where innovation flourishes will revitalize communities and help economies grow.

Buck Busfield, the theatre’s producing artistic director, said the money will be used to build staff and program infrastructure.

“Like so many other nonprofits around the country, we’ve had to operate on a very small budget the last several years. Money has been tight and we made cuts to programming as a result. Bank of America’s grant allows us to have better financial footing as we move into 2011,” Busfield said.

The theatre plans to resume a full slate of programs in 2011 including four family series productions, four shows in the B3 series, and seven productions in Mainstage.

The Bank of America grant is not the only thing looking up for B Street Theatre. Designs are complete for a new, two theatre building on 27th Street and Capitol Avenue. A capital campaign is currently underway to raise the remaining $9.2 million needed to begin construction in 2012. In the meantime, ticket sales at the current location have improved significantly since a year ago. This year the organization has sold over 350 Mainstage subscriptions compared to this time last year. The strong sales are indication the theatre’s 20th Mainstage season may be one of its most popular yet.

“Subscriptions are affordable yet the caliber of actors and the quality of the shows they select are surprisingly good and professionally done,” said Jaime Wilson, a B Street Theatre Mainstage subscriber. “We are always entertained, engaged and keep talking about the plays well after the final bow.”

B Street Theatre is currently showing The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow on Mainstage, and their newest family series show production, The Young Abe Lincoln. Written by B Street veteran, Jerry Montoya, The Young Abe Lincoln presents the adventures and trials that shaped the childhood of the 16th president of the United States of America. Ticket prices and show times are available at www.bstreettheatre.org.

Disclosure: Lesley Miller is the Director of Public Relations for 3Fold Communications. B Street Theatre is a client of 3Fold.

Sister and brother filmmakers work to make second film in Placerville – Utilize new fundraising site for grassroots artists

2010-11-03T17:38:43Z

Honored at film festivals nationwide, the independently produced and locally filmed “Elsa Letterseed,” has far exceeded its modest beginnings.

Gathering up no-longer-needed clothes, books and other items collecting dust in closets, Northern California sister and brother duo Sarah C. Kreutz and Paul A. Kreutz funded their first film project’s tiny budget on garage sales.

Over the course of two years, the funds needed were raised while filming took place in Placerville over three-day weekends.

“Garage sales are probably not the most conventional way to fund a film, but we were eager to get the project off the ground, and the timing was right. We had to get creative to raise money,” Sarah Kreutz said.

Six years later, the Kreutzes are gearing up to make their second film – a ghost story called “Gardner & Wells.” Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s philosophy “You can get an audience worried terribly without any violence,” Sarah Kreutz said she wants to make a “classic gothic ghost story.”

“I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I want to see a ‘frightening’ movie, but I don’t want to see blood and gore,” Sarah Kreutz said.

As with the first film, the Kreutzes have chosen Placerville, a town with many of its own ghost stories, to be the filming site. Sarah Kreutz said independent filmmaking in the Sacramento region is unique: “People here are not jaded by movie-making. The process is still fresh and exciting to them. From acquiring locations to getting permits, most everyone is so very helpful.”

But when it comes to funding this project, the Kreutzes are going a different direction this time around. Like many grassroots artists, they are utilizing social media and the threshold-based pledge website kickstarter.com.

Kickstarter facilitates the gathering of funds to back a variety of creative arts projects through a new type of fundraising platform dubbed “crowdfunding.” The project creator determines a target minimum of funds and a deadline by which the funds must be raised. People who want to support artistic endeavors pledge whatever amount they choose.

If the project creator’s target amount is not reached by the set deadline, no money is collected or distributed. According to the Kickstarter website, the “all-or-nothing” funding approach involves less risk for everyone involved and motivates people to work to get their projects funded.

"We know there’s a chance we will run up against the deadline to fund the project, but we want to spread the word about our feature film to a large audience because we know this is a fun ghost story they'll want to see. This was the way to do that,” Sarah Kreutz said.

To date, more than 3,000 projects have been funded through Kickstarter. One example of local success: In September, Walking Spanish, a Sacramento-based independent rock band, funded its second album by raising $10,405 – 104% of its goal.

The Kreutzes need to raise $12,500 to subsidize the creation of “Gardner & Wells.” They’ve raised 91 percent of their goal and have 11 days left to raise the remaining $1,045. Their deadline is 4:56 p.m. Nov. 14.

“I grew up watching spooky movies and love watching ghost stories on a rainy afternoon, but there are very few modern stories available. I really believe there is a huge audience out there hungry for what we want to give them: a classic gothic ghost story,” Sarah Kreutz said.

For more information on “Gardner & Wells,” click here. To learn more about Kickstarter, visit kickstarter.com.

The much-anticipated Crocker opens

2010-10-11T18:38:49Z

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for The Crocker Art Museum Sunday morning, Congresswoman Doris Matsui said what many were feeling: “It’s been a long time coming, but it’s surely worth it.”

The expansion to the Crocker has been in planning for more than 10 years and under construction for about three years. A few hundred people crowded together and listened to the speakers, ready to see what was held inside the modern white building of steel and glass that was about to be handed over to the public. More than 14,000 people took the free tour by the day’s end.

Citing the (nearly complete) $100 million campaign to fund the project, Mayor Kevin Johnson announced, “To anyone who says Sacramento is not valuing art, that simply is not true.”

The 125,000-square-foot expansion was designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects and triples the size of the museum. The new space includes a cafe run by Mulvaney's, a large outdoor courtyard for live performances, studio art classrooms, an expanded library and an auditorium. Perhaps most notably, though, the expansion provides more space to display artwork that would have otherwise not come to Sacramento.

“There has been a perception of Sacramento as not the greatest cultural center,” Chief Curator Scott Shields said.

Shields said he hopes the new Crocker will be a game changer for Sacramento, a transition away from the “cow town” image to something more metropolitan. Progress has been good so far, he said – a lot of the new artwork on display came to the museum based on the “build it and they will come” principle.

“Before the expansion, there would have been nowhere to put it,” Shields said. “They would have said ‘We like your museum, but if you can’t display it, then we’ve got to go somewhere else.’ ”

The museum now dedicates 57,000 square feet to displaying artwork, which is the size a football field without end zones. The Crocker is known for its large collection of California art as well as one of the most comprehensive international ceramics collections in the country. It has a large collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries and many notable pieces originating from 19th century Central and Northern Europe. The African, Oceanic and Asian collections are all popular and also growing quickly.

Among the new collections, one of the most talked about is a retrospective featuring 50 paintings and drawings by Wayne Thiebaud. Thiebaud is now 89, and his artwork spans 70 years. Much of his work could fairly be labeled pop art. Solid blocks of bright color depicting still life and portraits can’t help but remind the viewer of Warhol, while Thiebaud’s California landscapes wield fantastical trappings reminiscent of Dr. Seuss as he plays with perspective and scale to great effect.

After looking at Thiebaud’s paintings of Sacramento farmscapes, Bobbin Mulvaney said, guests can visit her cafe downstairs and eat food that came from those same farms.

The menu at the cafe takes from the same philosophy that drives the Mulvaney couple’s restaurant: locally grown organic food and sustainable practices makes for a delicious meal. In addition to the cafe’s regular menu, groups of up to 40 people may schedule lunch at the museum for special events, requesting any menu they want.

“With all this expansion,” Patrick Mulvaney said, “(visiting the museum) becomes a day-long event.”

Just then, while standing in front of the cafe and almost as if on cue, Patrick got spotted by an excited fan who asked if she could take his picture.

“I’m going to be coming to the museum a lot more now that Mulvaney’s is doing the restaurant,” she said excitedly.

This is exactly what the museum wants. Visiting the old Crocker took an hour or two, but it wasn’t servicing the community as well as it could have, said Randy Roberts, deputy director.

The museum brought Roberts in about a year ago because she’s been in the business of growing museums for 31 years and she’s good at what she does. The new Crocker faces a difficult challenge by opening a large new space and simultaneously starting lots of new programs.

“It’s like your learning curve is happening at the same time you have to make a good impression on someone,” Roberts said.

From 10 a.m. - 10 p.m., there were performances, exhibits and activities to showcase the types of programs Sacramentans can expect to see come out of the museum in the future.

ArtCar Fest 2010 set up shop across the street while Chalk-It-Up! Sacramento led a street painting activity in front of the museum. The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra performed throughout the day while the main stage in the courtyard featured 14 performances of dance and music from around the world. There were workshops for kids in the classrooms, gallery talks throughout the museum, multi-media presentations introducing the new building, a beer and wine gallery, a magic show and various musical performances throughout the day on a second stage. A laser light show ended the night.

Between these types of events and the art on display, the museum is an institution that brings a lot of pride, Roberts said.

“This is something we built,” she said. “And it becomes part of our identity. It becomes part of the identity of the area.”

One of the museum’s aims has been to enrich local education with what they call experiential learning. Yearly, 35,000 students engage in some activity associated with the museum, including 14,000 on-site. Stacey Shelnut-Hendrick, director of education, said they now expect to double the number of on-site children who participate in their programs.

Not originally from Sacramento, Hendrick said she believes the museum’s expansion is a response to Sacramento’s artistic streak.

“It’s a very creative community,” she said. “What they drive, what they wear, how they live...it’s a very soulful city. This museum might give people a sense of who they are.”

Photos by Kati Garner

Dry Creek art docent program pops

2010-10-07T20:58:35Z

Despite scaled-back school budgets, art education is flourishing in the Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District in west Roseville.

The Sacramento Press observed an art docent lesson in Annette Willis’ fourth-grade class at Coyote Ridge Elementary School last month. The art docent program is one of a variety of measures the district is using to incorporate art into the curriculum.

The hour-and-half-long lesson began with art docent and parent Stephanie Jones asking 33 attentive students to think of different modes of transportation. The children quickly identified the subject of the day: trains.

Jones held up a large Currier and Ives print entitled “American Express Train.”

“What do you think about it?” she asked.

Children excitedly described aspects of the picture that interested them. Jones added further information about the picture as students noticed its different stylistic characteristics.

“The thing about art that I love is that all you guys can look at it and have a different opinion about it,” she said.

Students viewed five more paintings of trains by artists Lyonel Feininger, Joseph Anderson Faris, Paul Delvaux, Grandma Moses and Claude Monet.

Then they had the opportunity to create their own works of art.

The art docent program is a packaged curriculum designed for delivery by non-artists. Volunteers receive instructional materials containing background information on several pieces of art, directions for student art projects and tips for interacting with the children.

Art docents teach one art lesson per month.

“Without the support from the community, it doesn’t work,” Coyote Ridge Principal Michelle Harmeier said.

There is at least one art docent for every class at Coyote Ridge.

“If a class doesn’t have an art docent, it’s a crisis,” Harmeier said. Due to the wellspring of support for the art docent program among parents of students at the school, a volunteer always steps forward to teach an extra class when necessary.

Two parents volunteered as art docents in Willis’ class this year.

This is the fifth year Jones has volunteered as an art docent in one of her children’s classes. She studied art as an elective in high school.

Jerusha Freeman is the other art docent. Freeman has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. Although this is her first year at Coyote Ridge, she volunteered as an art docent for the last two years at Green Oaks Elementary in Orangevale in the San Juan Unified School District.

Freeman and Jones are alternating as teachers. Freeman will teach the next lesson since Jones delivered this lesson. The docent not teaching the lesson assists with supervising the art project.

Children crafted pictures of trains following guidelines from Jones.

First, students sketched out plans for their pictures using pencils and rulers; then they outlined their pencil drawings in black marker; next they applied oil pastels; and finally they applied a watercolor wash.

Jones helped a girl stuck in the drafting stage of the project determine how she wanted to finish sketching her train.

Freeman encouraged a boy not satisfied with his picture to appreciate the artistic impact of the bright orange oil pastel he had used on his train.

Willis remained in the classroom during the art docent lesson and students proudly showed her their completed pictures.

Students demonstrated familiarity with using oil pastels and watercolors.

The art docent program begins in kindergarten, and there is a separate curriculum for each grade.

The instructional materials incorporate California’s Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) standards, which address education in music, art, theater and dance.

Individual school districts decide how they will meet the VAPA standards, said Dry Creek Assistant Superintendant of Educational Services Evonne Rogers. Dry Creek has decided to employ the art docent program among other strategies, Rogers said.

The art docent program is not new to Placer County.

The program has existed here since 1985, Office of Education Executive Director of Administrative Services James Anderberg wrote in an e-mail.

Office of Education staff provides optional training for art docents in addition to instructional materials.

“There have been updates to the curriculum as the years have passed and changes due to economic conditions” Anderberg wrote.

Individual schools determine how they will fund the art docent program. Like other schools in the Dry Creek school district, Coyote Ridge holds an annual art auction.

Each child selects one piece of art from his or her portfolio of projects completed through the art docent program. Parents are encouraged to purchase a piece of their child’s art for a minimum bid of $1. With more than 900 enrolled children, the Coyote Ridge art docent program raises about $1,500 toward replacement of art supplies such as pastel chalk, paints, charcoals and art paper.

This year, Coyote Ridge also participated in the annual Race for the Arts, held in August. Runners collected pledges for participating arts organizations. Coyote Ridge raised $150, and staff hopes to build upon that next year. Antelope Meadows Elementary, also in the Dry Creek school district, participated too.

In addition to the cutbacks in school funding necessitating such fundraising, changes in teaching methods have also contributed to changes in art instruction.

“The important thing for parents to understand is the transition from ‘art,’ ‘music,’ ‘drama’ to a more thematic approach that says kids don’t learn pieces of information in separate chunks,” Rogers said.

In place of permanent art staff, schools now weave art into curriculum in myriad ways. In addition to art docent programs, textbooks incorporate art into language arts, social studies and math lessons, and teachers initiate art projects in the classroom.

Willis described how she uses art to teach her students about the desert region of California. Instruction on the four regions of California is a fourth-grade curriculum standard.

In the project, students paint sunset desert scenes using “warm” watercolors. They also learn the term “translucent.”

Willis led an art club at Coyote Ridge for two years. She said the club was “a way for students interested in art to express themselves and be exposed to different mediums.”

Willis said she is glad Coyote Ridge’s PTA decided to purchase the art docent materials from the Office of Education.

Since the school owns the materials – including scores of large prints – they are available for the school’s use at any time. Schools that don’t own the materials must borrow them from the Office of Education and may retain them only for a specified period.

Jones and Freeman will present the October art docent lesson on tribal art of the United States and Canada to correspond with Willis’ lesson about Native Americans.

Free Tickets to Live Theater Performances!

2010-09-24T20:12:06Z

Free Night of Theater returns to Sacramento and cities across California for a 2010 season.

Free Night of Theater California will offer 10,000 free tickets to theaters around the state throughout the month of October.

B Street Theatre, Benvenuti Performing Arts Center and Chautauqua Playhouse will be among the Sacramento region companies participating in the first round of ticket giveaways this year.

Free Night Theater tickets will be distributed online in two rounds of giveaways. The first chance to claim tickets online is Sept. 29, starting at 6 p.m. New theater audiences can visit tixbayarea.com/free to register for tickets and find out more about available shows.
Participants who join the Theatre Bay Area Facebook group (facebook.com/theatrebayarea) or follow TBA’s Twitter stream (twitter.com/tixbayarea) can get a head start on snapping up tickets to the shows they want to see.

This is the sixth year Theatre Bay Area, the League of Sacramento Theatres and Theatre Communications Group have hosted Free Night of Theater in California. The purpose of the campaign is to foster a new generation of theatre audiences. Beyond a night out, Free Night’s new online communities offer community-building space for these new theater attendees to connect.

Brad Erickson, executive director of Theatre Bay Area, said, “California is one of the great theater producers in the country, if not the world. With over 500 world premieres and hundreds of theatrical revivals each year in beautiful theaters from Ukiah to San Diego, California is truly bursting with amazing live performance. We’re thrilled to mount this statewide Free Night of Theater campaign to bring California’s vibrant live theater community into the spotlight.”

A five-year study concluded that Free Night of Theater attendees are substantially younger and more diverse than regular theatergoers. Free Night of Theater has been very successful in pursuing its mission to develop a new generation of performing arts audiences. Almost half of Free Night participants return to the same theater within six months of attending their free performance.

Disclosure: Brad Erickson is the executive director of Theatre Bay Area

Community Brainstorm: Second Saturday Solutions

2010-09-17T20:28:07Z

Victor Zavala will not be a martyr but he will be remembered. The shooting that injured three people and caused his death has been a catalyst for a community discussion of social, cultural and political issues.

When we are through discussing our differences, we may discuss what we have in common: our love for the history and beauty of our central city, rivers, climate and region; our pride in our diverse population and our commitment to continue to grow Sacramento into a wonderful place to live, work, play and visit.

The recent tragedy and ensuing community conversation has many aspects. Some are contentious and difficult to deal with. An open community meeting has been scheduled to discuss these issues later this month.

In the meantime, the call for solutions continues. If we, as a community, share our ideas, as fantastic as they might be, it may help the leaders and policy makers get a spark of an idea that could become reality.

Let's use this space to brainstorm and visualize some possible alterations to the Midtown and Second Saturday overgrowth of converging events, to spread the good parts and ease up some of the bad ones.

Please reply with your ideas, as solid, serious, silly, imaginative or fantastic (or not currently budgeted) as they may be:

Here's a start:

Spread Second Saturday out in space and in time, across the city and throughout the days of the month

Link clusters of galleries associated with one time period of gallery hopping and use RT shuttles to interconnect them (possibly from East Sac to Midtown to the downtown core ... and beyond)

Show films on outdoor walls in different parts of town during good weather (most of the year, here)

Create a community arts center as a hub for events, art shows, shops and performances

De-emphasize alcohol use and offer attractions for all ages and income levels of our broad population

Bring back Thursday Night Market to the K Street Mall

Use empty storefronts on the K Street Mall for art shows and installations

Require people crossing J Street illegally at 20th Street to stop and have their face painted first

Include kids crafts booths on Second Saturday and street fairs

Spread arts opportunities and gallery outreach into other neighborhoods

Feature live painting demonstrations

Develop yearly art auction to cover some of the costs

Generate jobs with some of these ideas so people aren't so desperate to get drunk or violent to deal with anxiety

Ask the Kings to pay their loan back immediately; use the money for the arts

Use the gorgeous new river promenade for regular art displays

Include more of the public in decisions made by city and business leaders

Have artists paint Porta Potties and trash cans

Create a gallery or shows specifically for area art students

______ add your ideas please ______

Music is a fancy word for life!

2010-07-12T12:51:23Z

By night, percussionist Alex Jenkins has gigs with bands including Sound Immersion, Kairos Quartet and the Nada Brahma Music Ensemble. By day, Jenkins is at William Land Elementary School, teaching world rhythms and drumming to students in second to sixth grades.

This summer, Jenkins is dedicated to raising funds for the drum program, which he started in 2003 with seed money from Best Buy.

The drum class meets four times a week after school for free one-hour lessons. Students learn to play rhythms from around the world, including India, North Africa, West Africa and the Middle East.

They play a variety of drums, including djembe, Darbuka, conga, bongo and snare and learn the history, application and cultural heritage of each instrument.

Students perform on-campus throughout the year and at locations such as the Asian Community Center and Westminster Presbyterian Church.

But now, the program faces severe cuts or even elimination because of reduced federal and corporate funding.

William Land Elementary School, at 12th and V streets, has a diverse population that reflects the neighborhood. Of about 300 students in kindergarten through sixth grade, 47 percent are Asian American, 27 percent Hispanic American, 13 percent Caucasian, 11 percent African American and 2 percent American Indian, according to Public School Review.

A 2002 TIME magazine article, Welcome to America’s Most Diverse City, noted William Land Elementary's ethnic diversity. It claimed that 189 out of 347 students spoke a language other than English at home.

While the median income for households statewide is $50,780, in the ZIP code for the school, it's $27,429. And 83 percent of William Land's students are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunches.

The William Land Drum Program is particularly beneficial to these students because their families have limited resources for extracurricular activities.

Brain studies in the past decade confirm that music stimulates all areas of the developing brain and correlates with literacy, mathematics and spatial-temporal reasoning, as well as improved behavior and grades.

Referencing a 2006 study conducted by the Rotman Research Institute, an international center in Toronto, Canada, that is dedicated to human brain functioning, Dr. Takako Fujioka said, “Our work explores how musical training affects the way in which the brain develops. It is clear that music is good for children’s cognitive development and that music should be part of the preschool and primary school curriculum.”

Jenkins, 35, attended Sacramento Waldorf School. Waldorf schools have an interdisciplinary curriculum that balances humanities and sciences with art and music. Jenkins attributes his success as a musician and social consciousness to his early education.

Losing the William Land Drum Program would have a devastating impact on students and the community, according to Jenkins. “Students would no longer be able to express themselves through rhythm and music. They would also be missing out on learning how the various rhythms learned in class fit within a cultural context. History, geographic location of the beat, as well as musicianship like soloing and creativity, are all a part of drum-class experience.”

”This drum program is unique in that there isn't another program like it in the Sacramento City Unified School District," he continued. "Students perform for both the school and out in various community locations. The performances provide a rich musical and cultural experience for all who attend a drum class concert. Without this program, this culturally enriching experience would be lost to both the school and the community at-large.”

City arts organizations are struggling to stay afloat, according to a recent Sacramento Bee entertainment blog: “Area arts nonprofits struggles no rarity," it said, pointing out that many have reduced staff and shortened performance seasons.

Arts organizations and public schools are re-evaluating fund-raising strategies in this depressed economic climate, and are forced to be creative.

William Land Elementary and its PTA hosted a concert in June that raised $1,400 for next year’s drum program. The $6 adult admission included student performances and a spaghetti dinner donated by parents. Westminster Presbyterian Church was the largest donor, with a $250 check.

“Music is a fancy word for life!” was printed on admission stubs.

On July 25 at noon, Jenkins and some of his students will provide a drumming demonstration at the Southside Park playground at U and 6th streets that includes children’s craft activities and frozen yogurt, courtesy of a parenting group funded by the First 5 Sacramento Commission. The park is across the street from the farmers market under the freeway.

Jenkins is working on a communitywide benefit concert this fall to save the William Land Drum Program from the chopping block.

Alex Jenkins has a website at <http://www.alexdrums.net/>. Tax-deductible donations for the drum program can be made to William Land Elementary School at 2120 12th St., Sacramento,CA 95818.

Screenwriting class returns to Sacramento on July 17th

2010-06-30T23:16:21Z

Nine students who entered the doors of Curtis Park's Tangent Art Gallery on May 11th will be leaving with something more than a stimulating experience in a room full of eclectic art. They'll be leaving with a ninety-to-one-hundred-ten page document tucked under their arms, and a clear vision of what this sheaf of paper could look like on a big screen.

These nine students are in the process of completing their first full-length screenplay or teleplay, and for every one of them, this journey is the culmination of years of dreaming a story inside them, and longing to get it onto paper.

The class that started it all is called Screenwriting 101, an introduction to the screenwriting process. Screenwriting 101 was the launching pad for a slate of classes on the art and business of screenwriting that began with a three-hour introductory class and continued with an eight-class program entitled Screenwriting: An Eight-Week Intensive. With the eight-week program nearing it’s end, a new cycle is about to begin.

The second offering of Screenwriting 101 will be held on Saturday, July 17th from 1-4:30 pm. It’s being taught by transplanted Los Angeles screenwriter and actor Gary Weinberg. A member of the Screen Actors Guild, Weinberg has accomplished the rare feat of selling screenplays in the entertainment industry, an accomplishment he’d like to share with his fellow Sacramentans.

Weinberg lived in Sacramento from 1988 through 1998. A regular on the stages at Garbeau's Dinner Theatre, Sacramento Theatre Company, Theatre El Dorado, Woodland Opera House, and others, Weinberg, along with former American River College theatre arts instructor and director Melanie Smith and Sacramentan Mark Sage, went on to found film production company Generation Next Media, LLC. Since its inception, Generation Next Media has developed a variety of entertainment projects, including documentaries, live action and animated feature films, episodic television, and live theatre.

In 1998 Weinberg and Smith, who are married, moved to Los Angeles, where Weinberg performed in Equity-waiver theatre, got his SAG card, appeared in television, independent films and national commercials, and co-produced movies for Alpine Pictures. He also wrote. Everything from TV pilots to full-length feature films. Now that he’s back, he is eager to communicate what he’s learned about the idiosyncrasies of screenwriting and the ups and downs of the business with local writers.

“One of the first things I noticed after I got back a few months ago,” says Weinberg, “was the amount of people in Sacramento who know how to write. There’s a keen interest here, too, in exploring different styles. I am committed and honored to be a contributing member of the Sacramento writing and film community.”

Screenwriting 101, a three-and-a-half hour workshop, guides students through basic screenplay formatting and structure, plot and character development, how to write great dialogue, and how to get a script seen. It’s a class that is designed to give students an overview of the screenwriting process that will be covered more thoroughly in a follow-up eight-week program.

“If you aren’t able to take the eight-week class,” says Weinberg, “you can still get a solid understanding of what it is to write a screenplay, just from Screenwriting 101. If you are clueless as to how to begin, once you’ve taken the class you’ll not only have a clue, you’ll have a good head start. And for someone with a little more experience--for someone who’s looking for that next step to take in his or her writing process--this class will reveal some of the unwritten rules that are so necessary to know before you dive into the Hollywood arena, the rules that the vast majority of hopeful screenwriters know nothing about.”

Students agree. As Marsha Briggs of Roseville says, “This is a fantastic class! I’ve never had so much fun learning so much. The hours went by way too fast!”

Some students who take Screenwriting 101 are just curious about the process of writing a script for film. Others have had an idea inside them for some time that has been aching to get out. Linda Middlesworth of Curtis Park is one of the latter. A local expert on plant-based diets and an advocate for the humane treatment of animals, Middlesworth has wanted to write and produce a film about these subjects for years. Screenwriting 101 gave her the answers--and the focus--that she needed. “I loved finding out how to structure a screenplay, and how to make characters come alive. I also got tips on how to help my screenplay get seen.”

The “getting it seen” aspect is huge in screenwriting. It’s a two-part process: first you write the script, and then you work to get it into the hands of the people who can make the film. As Weinberg says, “Unlike a novel, the writing of a screenplay is precipitously dependent upon others. The goal for every screenplay is to ultimately become a movie. The script, as a piece of art, cannot, stand alone.”

And although neither Screenwriting 101 nor the follow-up program is entirely devoted to getting the script seen, this aspect is an inherent part of both classes. Students are learning how to write a “spec script”--an unsolicited screenplay that’s dependent upon the blessings of a network or film company story analyst to move it up the ladder towards production. And if you want the story analyst to like it, the screenplay has to be written in a certain way.

“Format is crucial,” Weinberg explains. “Story analysts can smell amateur writing in the first half-page of a screenplay. They read so many bad scripts, just having yours look right, having it follow basic formatting rules, will ensure that the analyst gets through the first ten pages. Then the pull of your story will take over.”

The next step after Screenwriting 101 is to register for the follow-up class, in which students produce that ninety-to-one-hundred-ten page screenplay at the end of eight weeks of production.

Kristen Mackey of Roseville did just that. She took Screenwriting 101, and is hard at work on her screenplay in the follow-up class. “Screenwriting 101 gave me so much insight,” Mackey says, “especially in how much I had to learn. But it also gave me a place to start! Now that I’m in the second class, I’ve gotten the direction and encouragement in my writing that I needed. I’m looking at the movie industry in a whole new light.”

Screenwriting 101 will be offered on Saturday, July 17th at the Tangent Art Gallery at 2904 Franklin Blvd in Sacramento. The Tangent Art Gallery is adjacent to Coffee Garden in Curtis Park, which allows student writers the opportunity to enliven their brains with caffeine and their souls with fine art as they learn the craft and business of screenwriting.

To register for Screenwriting 101, or for more information, contact Gary Weinberg of Generation Next Media at (818) 458-6637 or at cpmaurice@hotmail.com. To visit Generation Next Media, LLC, go to www.GenerationNextMedia.org.

FREE Celebrate America Event in Rocklin

2010-06-26T19:16:48Z

The people of Rocklin and its surrounding communities have picked up again this year where the City left off. Celebrate America took the place of the Rocklin Jubilee last year when the City of Rocklin cut the funding for the decades-running event. But never fear - the private sector is here!

With the help of K-Love/Air-1 and dozens of other sponsoring businesses and donating individuals, Sunset Christian Center is hosting the 2nd Annual Celebrate America event at the Twin Oaks Park in Rocklin tonight. Gates open at 4PM, and the patriotic musical extravaganza begins at 8PM and ends with an aerial fireworks show. This free family-friendly event will be a treat for young and old, and be especially poignant for our veterans, police, and firefighters.

Activities from 4PM to 8PM include several local food vendors; bounce houses and inflatables, including water slides, in the kids Playland; a military display with all branches of the service, including rock climbing walls, a Blackhawk helicopter, and more; face painting and balloon twisting clowns; and local talent acts on the main stage. Entertainers include dance troupes, martial artists, an illusionist, and surprise crowd pleasers. (We could tell you who they are and what they do – but that would ruin the surprise!)

At 8PM over 150 cast, choir and crew members who have been working hard for months bring you the Celebrate America show. This colorful, flag-waving celebration is a patriotic salute to our great country. It incorporates music, dance, drama, a full military processional, fun sing-a-longs, and features 4-time Dove Award Artist of the Year Natalie Grant as the guest performer. K-Love's Larry Wayne will narrate the show, and special guests include Congressman Tom McClintock and Assemblyman Ted Gaines as well as Sunset's own Pastor Greg Fairrington.

And what would an Independence Day celebration be without fireworks? At the end of a rousing rendition of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "You're a Grand Old Flag" medley, the show ends and an aerial fireworks display begins. You’ll “Ooooo and Ahhhhh” over this perfect exclamation point to a moving tribute to everything good about America. Celebrate America is an event you won't want to miss. For more information, and to see blogs, photos and videos, please visit CelebrateAmericaOnline.com.

SMAC hit with budget cuts

2010-06-11T03:46:17Z

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 $150,000.

SMAC was established in 1977 thanks in part to the efforts of then-mayor Burnett Miller. It helps promote arts and arts organizations in Sacramento. In the last two years, SMAC had its funding reduced by 50 percent (more than $1 million), forcing the agency to lose three full-time staff and cut re-granting efforts to arts education programs.

"Many of our funds help leverage education funds, and others go to train artists to teach art in the schools," SMAC commission chair Dan Gorfain said. "Some of our grants go to social service organizations to serve after-school youth, seniors and mentally challenged people. So our funds are really for (benefiting) education, social services and economic impact."

In light of these impending cuts, SMAC has taken action in two ways.

Earlier this week, the organization released a number of public service announcements for their marketing campaign "Arts. Open Daily," which began appearing on buses, billboards and local media last year. The new PSAs feature local artists and representatives from arts organizations speaking on the importance of the arts. They will be aired on local radio stations KFBK, KSTE, KHYL, KGVY and KHLX, and local television stations KVIE, KCRA, KMEX, KOVR, KQCA, KTXL and KXTV. They are also available online.

"What we hope to accomplish is to raise the community's awareness of the arts in Sacramento," Gorfain said. "(Another goal is) marketing the website Sacramento365.com as a centralized bulletin board for arts-related events."

SMAC also began circulating a petition last week for those who want to preserve and protect arts funding. The petition, which at the time of publishing this article has more than 800 signatures, will be presented to the City Council Thursday night. Gorfain plans to circulate a similar petition and present it to the county Board of Supervisors.

Gorfain praised Mayor Kevin Johnson's For Art's Sake initiative for complementing SMAC's mission.

"The mayor recognizes the value of SMAC to the arts community," he said. "I think it's been a very valuable resource, and we expect to continue to be involved. That's why Sacramento is the first pilot for the Any Given Child program and the mayor asked SMAC to run the implementation of that program."

Those who wish to help SMAC can contribute money to Friends of SMAC, the agency's non-profit wing. As a government agency, SMAC cannot accept donations from non-governmental sources.

"If we had adequate funding and adequate staffing, well, the sky's the limit," SMAC executive director Rhyena Halpern said. "We really are the hub of the arts community, we have a lot of partnerships, we have a good reputation, we have a lot of goals. For now, we need to get through this economic downturn and embark on envisioning ourselves."

Photographs depict painter David Garabaldi, the recipient of a SMAC scholarship to attend the California State Summer School for the Arts.

First R25 Festival

2010-06-07T03:36:27Z

The local R25 art center at 25th and R streets celebrated its first “R25 Festival” over the weekend, hosting puppet shows in Spanish, an enormous necktie collection, and silent and open art auctions.

The complex, opened in 1994 by local artist Dennis Wilkerson, is home to three theaters, a poetry and art center and 14 artists' lofts.

The festival had multiple acts on on a small stage made just for the weekend. Performances included stunning monologues, a folk trio and a local theatre company performing songs from its recent shows.

“I love it that this is a complex filled with art and theatre,“ said Christine Nicholson, a local director. “It has three theaters! In one space! And almost all the time there’s something in every space.”

Ray Tatar, complex facilitator and artistic director of California Stage, said he was excited to show off the art in the complex.

“You have a thriving arts community here,” he said. “The art here really has an interesting range.”

All pictures courtesy of Maxwell McKee

Dance Company brings Broadway to Oak Park

2010-06-03T09:27:43Z

The 34th Street Dance company put on another high energy performance last Saturday at the Guild Theater. The theme was Fiat Lux, which is Latin for "let there be light. The show wrapped up with a tribute of dance routines to the late Michael Jackson, along with a heart felt and tearful ceremony to the seniors graduating from the company.

“Our mission is to use dance as a tool to build community and develop each dancer as a creative thinker, dance technician, and a leader” said Sheila Coleman, the founder and director of the company. The company trains in modern, hip-hop, and contemporary movement forms and for seven years, has shared its passion for dance with audiences all over California. The Sacramento-high based company is proudly led by Coleman , assistant director, Janay Hood, and dance coach and 34th SDC alumna, Rachel Hylton.

To view the photo gallery of the performance Click Here (photos by Ray Johnson/Npaphoto.com)

For more information on the 34th Street Dance Company, please visit Sheila Coleman's Facebook page

By Ray Johnson/Npaphoto.com

For Art's Sake looks to make impact

2010-05-31T17:56:38Z

Sacramento's arts community is looking for more than just 15 minutes of fame.

"There's a stigma that artists can't communicate what they do," said artist Milton Bowens. "Or that our profession is all Andy Warhol's personality."

An effort to change that started in June, when Mayor Kevin Johnson's For Art's Sake initiative was begun to raise the profile of arts in the city. "We are going to promote the arts in a real way," he said.

It got off to a running start. To fund the monthly meetings, Johnson raised $100,000 within a week of starting the initiative.

The last 12-months, the planning stage of the initiative, were managed by Sharon Gerber. She owns Six Degreez, an event-planning company, and is the mayor's arts liason. Each meeting was open to the public and showcased an arts venue, giving hundreds the chance to experience different sites.

Meetings also provided each person the chance to work with specific aspects of the arts community: facilities, marketing, education, funding and film. Subgroups met monthly to discuss each of these areas.

"Celebrity" artists with local ties came to the hourlong meetings. Highlights included performances and speeches by painter David Garibaldi, singer-songwriters Jackie Greene and Lee Greenwood, Poet Laureate Bob Stanley, Bowens and actor/directors Logan and Noah Miller. Trumpet player and music educator Wynton Marsalis also joined the lineup of inspirational speakers.

For Art's Sake came up with a creative action plan that will implement three strategies over the next few years: strengthen cultural infrastructure; improve access to the arts and arts education; and invest in talent and the creative economy.

Implementation of the plan will begin in September. Two managers will help oversee it: Don Roth, executive director of the Mondavi Center, and Garry Maisel, president and chief executive officer of Western Health Advantage.

Gerber said that the biggest thing Sacramento's arts community lacked was a leader. She said that this initiative differs from other efforts to do something for the arts because it has quantifiable expectations.

"I think what is the most important element is the funding, and we'd really like to find a permanent source of funding, whether public or private," she said. "We're still looking at other cities to see how they do that."

It's expected that arts education will be impacted positively by the inaugural Any Given Child program run by the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. The program promotes art in city schools. Sacramento was chosen from 27 cities in part because of the For Art's Sake initiative, said Kennedy Center officials in October. The program will begin in the fall in the Twin Rivers and Sacramento City School districts.

"(I'm excited for) actually having an opportunity to show just how impactful art, when it's viewed as education, can be," said Bowens, who is a spokesperson for the program. "The one beautiful thing about art with young people is the process of getting them to think on their own. That can never start too early. If I'm giving them a blank white piece of paper, they're going to come up with something that is result oriented."

Photographs:
1. Sharon Gerber

2. David Garibaldi

3. Kevin Johnson

In The Flow is coming this weekend!

2010-05-12T19:53:18Z

*Note, there is a bias here because I'm directly involved with the Festival's organizaiton, etc.
-RH

In The Flow 3!

The 3rd annual In The Flow Jazz/Improvisational Festival will be at Luna's Cafe, R5 Records and Beatnik Studios this weekend (Friday, 5/14 through Monday, 5/17). The lauded young improvisational music festival will feature musicians from all over the West Coast, including Vinny Golia, Nels Cline, (guitarist from super group Wilco and the Nels Cline Singers), Lovely Builders, Gerry Pineda, Tony Passarell, Henry Robinett and many more.

In The Flow 3 Festival, produced by area guitarist Ross Hammond along with a group of volunteers, will post up over thirty music groups at two major locations--Beatnik Studios at 17th & Broadway and new this year, the venerable Luna’s Café at 16th & N Sts. Tickets are $10 per day or $30 for a 4-day pass. Tickets are available at www.intheflowsacramento.com. “All of the artists presented are representatives of Sacramento, Los Angeles, SF/Bay Area and Portland. In The Flow 3 is a great chance to experience what artists from out West have to offer,” says Hammond.

The returning title sponsor of the weekend events at Beatnik is the Greater Broadway Partnership Neighborhood Association, in conjunction with the Jazzhouse and SMF Music.

Pre-fest events at Russ Solomon's R5 Records (corner of 16th & Broadway) and also Records at 1618 Broadway will be announced shortly.

Friday night, May 14 will feature a special night of poetry and music collaborations at Luna's Cafe. The event, hosted by local poet phenom NSAA (a.k.a. Lawrence Dinkins) will be a night of surprises as regional poets trade verses with area jazz and creative musicians.

On Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16 In The Flow 3 returns to Broadway for two full days of music and art at Beatnik Studios. This year there will be terrific jazz and improvisational musicians from Los Angeles (Nels Cline, Vinny Golia, GE Stinson, Steuart Liebig, Tom McNalley), Portland, Oregon (Rich Haley), The Bay Area (Phillip Greenlief, Scott Amendola, Darren Johnston, Lisa Mezzacappa), Grass Valley (Randy McKean, Murray Campbell), plus Sacramento and Davis (Ross Hammond, Tony Passarell, Electropoetic Coffee, Alex Jenkins, Gerry Pineda). Over twenty different groups will be playing throughout the weekend.

In addition, there will be a special showing of regional visual artists Mark Fox, Nicole Fox, Milton Bowens, Greg LaTraille and Kathy Blackburn at Beatnik Studios all weekend during the Festival.

Monday, May 17 will be dedicated to late Sacramento bassist and In The Flow co-founder Byron Blackburn, as his final recording session will be released at Luna's Cafe. The Labor Day Session CD features Blackburn along with Ross Hammond, Tom Monson, Phillip Greenlief, Jaroba and Tony Passarell. The remaining band members will be playing music from the new CD. Since November 2009, a weekly jazz/improvisational series at Luna’s, “Nebraska Mondays” named in honor of the Nebraska-born Blackburn, has grown in popularity.

A detailed 8 page program guide (available in late April at many Broadway and Midtown restaurant/cafe/shop locations, as well as greater Sacramento locations) will give fest-goers both artist bio info and a handy walking map to the neighborhood cafes restaurants and businesses.

More information, and tickets can be found at www.intheflowsacramento.com.

Crocker director explains expansion

2010-05-08T03:38:45Z

On June 6, the Crocker Art Museum will close its exhibits in preparation for an Oct. 10 reopening that will unveil a 125,000-foot expansion. During the four-month closure, new exhibits will be installed and many existing installations will be moved.

"We're closing all of our galleries, but we're still going to be open for programing like Third Thursday Jazz," said Lial Jones, museum director. "During the time we're closed, the first floor of the building gets renovated and turned into an education center. All of the artwork in this building has to be moved out for construction and then all of the collections will be rehung because pieces will not be where you've known them to be."

Jones explained the expansion process in a "Director's Preview" presentation Friday evening. The project was being discussed when Jones became director in 1999. At that time, the museum had two computers -- one with Internet access -- and no voicemail.

"For me, our expansion is about our service to the community," Jones said. "It's really about how we operate as an institution. Two major parts of design tenets behind the building: We wanted to improve operational efficiencies and the visitor experience."

She noted that with the expansion, the museum will move into the 21st century. There will be a new loading dock, storage facility, freight elevator and a conservation lab to take care of the collection.

Currently, less than 4 percent of the Crocker's collection is on display. The addition will nearly triple the size of the museum, enabling it to show 10 percent to 15 percent of its 15,000-object collection.

With 96 percent of the collection in eight storage facilities, no one from the museum has seen the entire collection nor have hundreds of items been photographed.

"One of the things we're doing when we move it to the new building is explore it," said Jones. "We need to go through all the materials, see what's there and determine the best work we can put out."

There also will be a new art studio, a library, courtyard, cafe, auditorium and the building will be wheelchair accessible. Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, which renovated the Guggenheim Museum in New York, was chosen from a pool of 34 other architects to design the master plan in 2000.

Four exhibits will be featured at the reopening:

"Tomorrow's Legacies: Gifts Celebrating the Next 125 Years," 125 pieces that will become part of the Crocker's permanent collection. Through Jan. 9.

"Wayne Thiebaud: Homecoming," works from the internationally known Sacramento artist. Through Nov. 28.

"The Vase and Beyond: The Sidney Swidler Collection of Ceramics," international vessels. Closing date not established.

"A Pioneering Collection: Master Drawings from the Crocker Art Museum," 56 drawings. Through Feb. 2.

And there are post-reopening plans, Jones said, to make Crocker Park an outdoor sculpture area.

Photographs 1-3 credit the Crocker Art Museum.

Photographs 4-6 by Jonathan Mendick.

Matisyahu, Grandpa. Grandpa, Matisyahu.

2010-05-06T03:20:10Z

The world’s most popular reggae singer came to Sacramento Sunday and played a show in front of 4,000 ecstatic fans.

This, in and of itself, doesn't seem like it would be all that noteworthy. Big stars play shows in Sacramento, if not all the time, at least semi-frequently. I mean, John Mayer is coming to the Sleep Train Amphitheater in August, right? And Carrie Underwood is coming to Arco in a couple of weeks.

But Matisyahu, the Jewish reggae artist whose album, "Bright Side of Life," has been at the top of Billboard’s reggae charts for six weeks, didn't play at Arco for $45 a seat, or Raley Field for 35 bucks a pop, or even Harlow's for 18 a ducat. He played for free, on the Capitol steps, at the Jewish Heritage Festival.

His opening acts? An eco-friendly fashion show, the L.A. Israeli Youth Dance Team and a raffle drawing. To be fair, a juggler, a face painter and Kings’ Mascot Slamson were also running around, but they spent most of their time in the Kids Zone, so I don't really count them as openers.

When I first heard that Matisyahu would be playing a free show on the Capitol steps, I flat-out did not believe it. "You're lying," I commented on a friend’s Facebook post. The man is an international superstar. He's gonna play a free show at a small heritage festival? Yeah, right. Weird Al Yankovic, maybe, but Matisyahu? Not a chance.

I arrived around 1:15 in the afternoon and got confirmation that the Hasidic beatboxer was, in fact, coming, and the performance would start at 3:15.

My next thought was that someone in Sacramento must have compromising photos of the reggae star. Now, this theory is still entirely plausible, but I no longer consider it likely.

I wandered around the west steps of the Capitol, taking in what was an otherwise average heritage festival:

-Informational booths for places like Hillel, Chabad, Knesset Israel Torah Center, European Wax Center and, of course, The Sacramento Press.

-Food carts, heavy on the falafel.

-A street market featuring vendors selling arts, crafts, clothing and specialty foods, including 2 artisan honey vendors.

-A rock climbing wall, bungee basketball, a blow-up slide and other carnival-type attractions in the kid zone.

When I got there, the crowd was about what you'd expect at a Jewish heritage festival. There were a lot of families, a fair amount of seniors and a gaggle of kids. Nothing out of the ordinary. Everybody was in a celebratory mood, smiling and happy. I was often asked enthusiastically about my shirt, which spelled out "Temple Alameda" in Hebrew. No one seemed the least bit disappointed when I explained sheepishly that I was, in fact, a goy, and wore it for solidarity. Actually, I ended up being invited to more than one upcoming Shabbat dinner.

The only inkling of the concert to come was a smattering of hippy-looking kids and a few dreadlocked truststafarians floating around. But as 3 o'clock approached, the demographic began to shift...dramatically.

Kids on skateboards and BMX bikes started streaming in around 2:30 p.m. Next came the beer-soaked college kids and 20-somethings. The main contingent of the Rastas and 4:20 crowd rolled in in a haze of smoke just before Matisyahu was set to hit the stage

"If my boobs had mouths they'd be so drunk right now!" said a particularly buxom young lady who had apparently been spilling most of her drinks down her shirt.

By 3:15, the west steps of the Capitol were overflowing with one of the strangest, most incredible hodgepodge of people you could ever hope to see. From babies in Pampers to octogenarians in Depends, this truly was an all-ages show. Hasidic Jewish rabbis intermingled with high school punk kids and 30-something hipsters, all of whom wore big smiles on their faces.

It was a beautiful day. Nobody seemed to mind much that the star didn't arrive until close to 3:45. When he did show up, his only accompaniment was a buddy on an acoustic guitar. He had a mellow, conversational tone that he maintained throughout the performance. At one point, his cell phone rang. "Should I answer it?" he asked the audience. He did, on speaker.

"Even if I weren't in front of 4,000 people, I couldn't understand you," he said to the guy on the other end of the line. "This guy’s from Long Island. Even New Yorkers don't like Long Island...except Jones Beach," he joked before hanging up and getting back to the music.

His performance was great – a full hour-and-45-minute set without breaks (not counting several interludes to banter with the crowd and one giant hugging session).

He played a bunch of his hits, a cover or two, and some new stuff. He discussed his newly adopted veganism, his guitarist’s upcoming foray into "master cleanse," lamented that he never got to play football ("I had to go to Hebrew school"), recommended a book (“Eating Animals,” by Jonathon Safron Foer) and queried us on our local rivers. He named both the American and the Sacramento, and he even went for a swim in the former!

The show was set to end at 4:30 p.m., but he stayed on a full hour past the scheduled end time. It would have been totally understandable had he decided to blow through a 30-minute set of a few of his hits and ditched town. I half expected it.

But he did nothing of the sort. He put on a fantastic show and really endeared himself to the crowd with his playful engagement. He seemed genuinely happy to be here, playing a free show at a heritage festival. There aren't many artists of his ilk who'd do the same, let alone be happy about it. But Matisyahu isn't just any artist.

Toda, Matisyahu.

As always, the high quality, professional looking shots are the work of my good friend Ahsan Awan. The others are yours truly throwing darts with a point and click.

If you have any thoughts, questions, or angry diatribes you'd like to direct at me, lindol@gmail.com should do the trick.

Los Angeles writer teaches screenwriting in Sacramento

2010-05-04T20:08:54Z

On May 11th, the doors of Curtis Park's eclectic Tangent Art Gallery will open to admit Sacramentans who would like to explore the world of professional screenwriting. From May 11th through July 27th, Los Angeles writer-actor-producer Gary Weinberg will guide Sacramento students through the ins and outs of the art of screenwriting in his class entitled "Screenwriting: An Eight Week Intensive." Students who take the class will learn the craft and business of screenwriting, with an emphasis on how these manifest in the current Los Angeles film and television industry.
"Screenwriting: An Eight Week Intensive" will begin with the basic elements of narrative, and then move to story structure, screenplay and teleplay formatting. Weinberg, a SAG actor, will elucidate his talents for constructing great dialogue and strong, nuanced characters. As a writer who's accomplished the rare feat of selling screenplays in the entertainment industry, Weinberg will be sharing tips on the business of screenwriting, too.

     "I appreciate the fact that everyone in my class most likely connects to screenplays via the aesthetic and the emotional. But, like stage plays, screenplays don't assume the second half of their lives until they're seen." With that in mind, Weinberg will also present different options that students have for getting their work seen and produced, and will discuss the 'unwritten' rules that help or hinder the screenwriter's efforts on that behalf.
     The goal by the end of "Screenwriting: An Eight Week Intensive" is for each student to have a completed screenplay. To help make this possible, the class will be taught for four consecutive weeks from May through June, and then every other week until July 27th. This format will afford students time, from June through July, to actually write a finished screenplay or teleplay.
     As Weinberg says, “I know what it’s like. As busy, creative people, our lives can be hectic. This is why I have designated the 'off Tuesdays' in the second half of the class as 'writing nights.' Students are not required to show up in class so that they can spend the evening writing their screenplays instead.”
     And Weinberg will be there to help them along the way. “I will be available for students--in person, by phone, and by email--to help with any questions or challenges they might encounter as they transform their ideas into finished scripts. They won’t be writing alone.”
     Weinberg lived in Sacramento from 1988 through 1998. During that time he was a regular on the stages at theatres such as Garbeau's Dinner Theatre, Sacramento Theatre Company, Theatre El Dorado, Woodland Opera House, and others. Along with former American River College theatre arts instructor and stage director Melanie Smith and Sacramentan Mark Sage, Weinberg co-founded the film production company Generation Next Media, LLC.  Since its inception, Generation Next Media has developed a wide variety of entertainment projects, including documentaries, live action and animated feature films, episodic television, and live theatre.

     Weinberg is an actor, writer, producer and composer. As a screenwriter, his commissioned scripts include "Ninja Nun" for Cimero Productions and "Magical Planet" for Bloom From Within. He wrote and directed a pilot for the episodic TV series "The Asylum," currently in pre-production as a web series. For Alpine Pictures, Weinberg co-produced the comedy "LA Twister," and was managing partner for the teen comedy, "Daze of Summer," and associate producer of their current film "Dorothy of Oz," starring Dan Akroyd and Jim Belushi. A member of Screen Actors Guild, Weinberg has been seen in national commercials, independent films, network TV, classical and contemporary theatre, and concerts. His television and film credits include Dick Wolfe’s "Arrest and Trial," and the feature films "Miriam," "My Sweet Suicide," and "LA Twister." Weinberg was a member of the improv troupe, Lost Marbles, which performed regularly at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
     "Screenwriting: An Eight Week Intensive" will be offered May 11th through July 27th on Tuesday nights at the Tangent Art Gallery at 2904 Franklin Blvd in Sacramento. The Tangent Art Gallery is adjacent to Coffee Garden in Curtis Park, which allows student writers the opportunity to enliven their brains with caffeine and their souls with fine art as they are learning the craft and business of screenwriting. Each class will run 7-9 pm.
     Registration is $200 if paid on or before May 11th. Students may also pay in installments, submitting $125 on May 11th and $125 on the fifth class of the session.
       Anyone who would like information on "Screenwriting: An Eight Week Intensive" can contact Gary Weinberg of Generation Next Media at (818) 458-6637 or at cpmaurice@hotmail.com. People who would like information on Generation Next Media, LLC are welcome to visit the film production company at www.GenerationNextMedia.org.

Fairytale Town Goes Green!

2010-03-11T02:33:57Z

Fairytale Town's second annual Goes Green! event is back this weekend.

The family event will feature educational displays, activities and crafts aimed at promoting conservation and environmental awareness.

"When the director of Fairytale Town approached me with ideas about hosting an agricultural event, I wanted to tie in a green theme," said Education and Program Manager Sharlene Lal. "But as we developed the event, we realized that going green is a big idea and a movement that needs its own outlet."

Several local organizations have partnered with Fairytale Town to provide learning tools. Representatives from Solar Cookers International, the Department of Utilities, the Air Resources Board and more will be on-site, offering educational materials and handouts sharing easy ways families can change their habits to be more environmentally friendly.

Y-Not-Recycle representatives will be in attendance, handing out free coupons for electronic waste pick-ups.

SMUD will also be on-site, presenting a solar-powered demonstration trailer and promoting an upcoming mow-down lawnmower exchange. SMUD Board President Genevieve Shiroma will be offering a short presentation around noon about energy conservation.

For the kids, several hands-on activities will be available, including arts and crafts activities using recycled materials. There will be stations helping children create crowns and jewelry from newspapers and magazines as well as painting stations utilizing recycled bottles. Children are also welcome to participate in creating the "Helping Hands" collage, which involves contributing hand tracings and conservation pledges.

At three times throughout the day, the Puppet Art Theater will be performing a conservation-themed puppet show at the Children's Theater.

"The performance will be 'The Three Little Pigs' with a green twist," Lal said.

Fairytale Town Goes Green! will be held Saturday, March 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
General Admission is $4.50. Children 2 and younger are admitted free.

Kathy Kieth and Medusa's Kitchen - providing a recipe for Sacramento's poets

2010-02-01T08:00:36Z

Born and raised in Sacramento, Kathy Kieth now lives in Pollock Pines. A musician, music teacher, music therapist, psychologist and poet, her work has been published in many journals, including Atlanta Review, California Quarterly, Main Street Rag, Möbius, Potpourri, Ekphrasis, PDQ, Poetry Now, Slant, and Tiger’s Eye. Kathy has also published four chapbooks: Night Full of Owls from White Heron Press, Keeping Time in the Clock Shop from PWJ Publishing, Why We Have Sternums from Rattlesnake Press, and Sex—For Animals from Rattlesnake Press. She was also nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize.

In the last six years, Ms. Kieth has published hundreds of Sacramento-area poets in her quarterly literary journal, Rattlesnake Review. She’s also selected and published about 50 chapbooks, organized readings, and supported venues by publishing special editions such as La Luna: Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe (edited by Frank Andrick), and Keepers of the Flame – The First Thirty Years of the Sacramento Poetry Center (edited by Mary Zeppa, Kate Asche and Emmanuel Sigauke). Kathy has built a remarkable legacy of publications assisting poets and writers from all around the capital region. The scope of her work as an “enabler” for other poets is perhaps best displayed on her popular poetry website Medusa’s Kitchen.

http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com

With an endless supply of poems, photos, upcoming events, forty links to other poetry blogs and sites, and drawings by Sam the snake man, Medusa’s Kitchen is a site to explore, and most importantly, a great place for poets to submit poems. She encourages first-time writers: “Get your poetry, art, photos and announcements out to all the corners of the earth on a very frequent basis; the snakes of Medusa are always hungry, especially for NorCal poetry.” So don’t be shy; since poetry is for sharing, send yours to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726.

These poems are from her upcoming chapbook from Tiger's Eye Press, Emily and the High Cost of Living, which will be released on February 10th, 7:30pm, at The Book Collector on 24th Street. Tiger’s Eye editors Collette Jonopulos and JoAn Osborne will also read at that event. A week later, Kathy will be releasing another of her free publications – the fifth issue of WTF – at Luna’s Poetry Unplugged, 8pm on February 18 at Luna’s Café, 1414 16th Street. Please enjoy the work of Kathy Kieth – poet, publisher, tireless and talented friend of Sacramento’s literary scene!

When Things Get Too Tough,

Emily checks out of the café: dreams
of that pool in the forest where
weeping willows graze the water, where

the night birds sings at dusk and
crickets open their voices at
just about the same time: dreams

with dark eyes of cool shadows and
the scent of the blue hibiscus, of
long shafts of light like waterfalls that

reach down through the trees to
stroke her back: of moonlight and
nightingales and the bright eyes

of owls: cottony clouds: quilts made
of fallen leaves—all soft, sweet dreams
for poor, distressed Emily when

things get too tough at the café…

Like a Bubble

she perches
on the tip of
your finger: silver-
coated meniscus
embracing air like
fairy wings as she

perches
purses her lips
then tries to lift off
sighing and pouting
staring away at

some secret
space, some
deep, deep darkness
where you’re
simply not allowed…

She Leans on Her Coffin

—checks it for comfort: sizes up
its length (too short) and width (too

narrow): squints at the cheap wood
and faux lining, the tarnished brass

fittings: handle with a loose screw,
filigree chipped and crooked, scroll-

work amateurish and dull… She leans
on her coffin to assess its durability:

notes the stray creak and groan of
its ill-fitting joints: cites for future

reference the phone number of
the manufacturer. Finally, she

sums up her opinion of her future
in one single word: shoddy…

Amicus Books in Marysville to Close March 1st

2010-01-25T01:25:49Z

Sunday, January 17th, 2010, marked the last book signing and presentation by an author at Amicus Books Literary Arts Center and Community Bookstore, located in the older part of Marysville, California, on 413 D Street. Author Michael Don Hubbartt presented his newly published book, The Sutter Buttes (Arcadia Publishing, 2010), to a large turn-out in spite of the weather forecast of a major storm. Mr. Hubbartt offered a comprehensive history of the Sutter Buttes, known as the world's smallest mountain range, a familiar landmark to residents of the Sacramento Valley.

Since its inception in 2005, Amicus Books' primary purpose was as a community literary arts center serving readers, writers, authors, and publishers. Some examples of the center's fine work follow:

Wordcolors, an anthology of poetry, short stories and photography, in collaboration with the members of the first literary program, Poetry from The Green Chair.
Downtown Marysville Art Chautauqua, in collaboration with local businesses, artists, and writers as a regular venue for the literary and visual arts.
Intrepid Press, a 'zine, written, edited and directed by local writers and artists, ages 16 to 23.
Educational and literary events, including presentations by authors Chris Enss, Jennifer Basy-Sander, Candy Chand, Richard Beban, Selden Edwards, Lueza Gelb, Erica Ross-Krieger, and John Esam.
Moments in Marysville's History, a bi-monthly history discussion group, hosted by Marysville City Historian, Henry Delamere.
The Better World Book Club that meets once a month to discuss a literary selection, and then applies what they have learned toward bettering their community by volunteering, continuing education, and starting other local programs, projects and non-profits.
Events for the Literary Lounge's authors, poets, and illustrators in collaboration with the Yuba-Sutter Regional Arts Council. For example, in 2008, there was a fifties' style “mock-tail party”, and in 2009, the theme for the event was the seventies', complete with hors-d'œuvres and disco music.
Annual Christmas teas with various themes, such as Victorian and mystery.
The Literary Lounge, a group of writers, poets, publishers, and illustrators.

According to co-directors James and Kara Davis, Amicus Books was a unique experiment in funding a community project, in this case a literary arts center, solely through community support without grants or handouts. As James Davis explained, “Once the bookstore and community center have been closed, the project will be reorganized and evolved to focus on services that best meet the needs of the literary community—editing, publishing, publicity, freelance writing, and author coaching. We are grateful to all our community supporters for their past support and ask for the continued support in fulfilling the goals of this new venture.”

When Louise Miller, who was a Better World Book Club member, Literary Lounge board member, and a Victorian tea host learned of the closure, she was saddened. “My home away from home is closing,” she said. “The friendships I made at Amicus will endure, but the sparkling events hosted in this beautiful book-filled space will end. The loss makes me sad for myself and for the community.”
Amicus Books will remain open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 am to 5 pm, and on Saturdays from 10 am to 5 p.m. For more information, please see www.amicusbooks.com.

Leverage Sacramento offers open mics, entertainment

2010-01-14T07:51:05Z

What do a Sac State student, an entrepreneur, an emcee, a visual artist, a photographer and a sound technician have in common? They're all part of Leverage Sacramento, a new arts organization seeking to expose untapped local talent.

The group threw a launch party Monday night at Tré Nightclub with several local spoken word performers, comedians, and hip-hop, soul and R&B performers. Hosting the event was The CUF emcee Marc "Crush" Hayes, who also sits on the seven-member Leverage board of directors.

The party, which was only expected to draw 50 people, drew an estimated audience of 200.

The idea of creating an arts promotion company began when 24-year-old entrepreneur Justin Eve was asked to promote a Second Saturday event for Bisla's Sports Bar. He realized that he had several friends involved in art, music and fashion, but none of them worked with each other.

Of the seven friends, three have strong ties with the hip-hop community — emcees Crush and Carlos "Cawzlos" Lopez and Sacramento Hip Hop Congress Administrative Chair Nina Rebultan.

But it's not about hip-hop, or any other artistic genre for that matter. It's about talent.

"We're a very modest board, and we're worried about helping the lives of the music scene in Sacramento," Rebultan said. "Eventually we're making this a non-profit organization. We would like to make money to donate to sponsoring charities, and we're planning to have a quarterly event."

Aside from quarterly events at My BBQ Spot, the group also plans to have weekly open mic nights and a competition for entertainers vying for a prize. Their next event, Feb. 1 at Tré nightclub, will be a free open mic night.

"The goal is to change Sacramento so that every day of the week you'll be able to go somewhere and see entertainment," Eve said. "We're the capital of the greatest state in the world and we have to show people that."

The group will post events on their Twitter and Facebook page, and is developing a website at whatisleverage.com.

"It's unification of every aspect of Sacramento that we're striving for, (and) we're going to lead by example," Eve said. "The more people involved in a process, the quicker things move."

Photographs credit Zaved Khan.

'MLS' CD-release show highlights Sac hip hop

2009-12-18T05:32:52Z

Dennis Weaver Jr., better known as Rapper Monotone, has opened for Michael Franti and Spearhead, Talib Kweli and De La Soul. But the 34-year-old West Sacramento resident doesn't usually perform in the big shows that hit the area.

However, people who love the music of Monotone's group, MLS, can hear the musicians play Saturday when they release their EP "Target Practice" at Capitol Garage. Local hip hop acts Mahtie Bush, Tribe of Levi, Izreal, 2-4-1 and Torrance the Poet also will perform. Those in the know can recite the double meanings behind the initials MLS: "Monotone and Lou Slugga" and "Major League Spittaz."

Monotone's a valley guy. He was born in Fresno and moved to Sacramento when he was about 11. Monotone grew up singing in church. In high school, he began sneaking into his brother's room to listen to his EPMD, Kool Moe Dee and NWA tapes.

In his sophomore year, he began purchasing cassette singles such as Nas' "The World is Yours." When Monotone attended Sacramento City Community College, he was introduced to A Tribe Called Quest and Wu Tang Clan. "That did it," he said. "It was a wrap."

From then on, Monotone immersed himself in hip hop culture, learning to break dance, emcee, write graffiti and even mix a little bit on turntables. He said he wanted to be like local hip hop artists E-Train, Soul Clap and N8 the Gr8.

Six years ago, Monotone formed MLS after hearing his brother's friend Darren "Lou Slugga" Heath rap over the phone a cappella: "Some of these fools spit trash/they call me the cleanest/I bring careers to short stops/but not Derek Jeter." Impressed by Slugga's lyrics, the members of MLS began performing and hired DJ Kool Kuts as their DJ.

Their beats sound like highly-polished mainstream hip hop, while their raps are both hardcore and poetic. Kool Kuts brings back the essence of 1980s DJs such as Grandmaster Flash with quick scratching, while the emcees pay homage to vintage East Coast stylings.

MLS gained underground recognition, but its management company "screwed them over," Monotone said, resulting in a two-and-a-half-year hiatus. The group recently started fresh and added a third emcee, Courtney "Century" Turner from New York.

Monotone sounds as starstruck as his students might when he recalls his favorite moment in his musical career -- hanging out with De La Soul all day before performing with them in 2002.

"I was doing (Black Sheep's) 'Flavor of the Month' live onstage live with these cats," he said. "We (got) liquor, I was on the tour bus with them, and we ended up going to a club. I remember calling my wife and telling her, 'I'm not coming home tonight and this is why!' "

It's not all fun all the time, though. A lot of hard work goes into Monotone's music. Nighttime often finds him in his home studio composing beats, rhymes, hooks, designing album graphics and editing music videos.

"I have enough music done (that) you could pick your favorite local rappers (and) I've got enough beats to supply at least 20 artists for their album," Monotone said. "I don't sleep very much."

MLS will release its first full-length recording, Sharpshootaz, on Jan. 15.

Show: Saturday, 9 p.m., Capitol Garage, 1500 K St. Meant for 21-and-older audience. Tickets and EPs are $5.

Photographs credit Monotone

Any Given Child survey for arts education

2009-12-15T23:17:24Z

A little over two months ago, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts chose Sacramento over 27 other cities as the first partner for the "Any Given Child" program. The program, which promotes arts education, will be developed in Sacramento over the next two years before rolling out nationwide.

Mayor Kevin Johnson emailed the following survey regarding participation in the Any Given Child program:

In October, the Kennedy Center announced that it would pilot its Any Given Child program here in Sacramento with the goal of providing access and equity in arts in education to all students. Since then, we've been hard at work focusing on this welcome opportunity to expand arts opportunities for all children in Kindergarten through eighth grades.

Part of the Any Given Child work here in Sacramento is an audit of arts education resources that are currently available in and out of schools. We need your help to gather this information.

If you are a teaching artist, a representative of an arts organization or of community-based organization with an arts program, I ask that you complete the appropriate online survey below by January 8th. The survey should not take more than 8 minutes of your time. The survey is being conducted by Meta Research, an independent research firm.

We expect the data that results from the survey will lead to recommendations for ways more teaching artists and organizations can be more involved in working with students in and out of schools. We will share the survey results with all who participate in the Spring. Your participation is key to a future where ANY given child has access to the arts.

For Art’s Sake Education Initiative Survey Link:

http://www.keysurvey.com/survey/284698/9ac5/

The survey will be open until January 8th. Please fill it out today!

Feel free to forward the survey to others you think should fill it out.

Sacramento Small Business Celebrate the Holidays in a BIG Way!

2009-11-29T07:29:42Z

There is no doubt that businesses in general have suffered through our ever-changing economy. Businesses on multiple levels have had to make sacrifices; downsizing, cutting salaries, furloughing, laying off, and certainly cutting expenses.Small business, especially in Sacramento, is no exception. One expense that seems to be a commonality, is the Company Holiday Party.

Historically, no matter how large or small an office or business is, company's have celebrated the holidays and their accomplishments with their partners, employees, and sometimes, vendors and customers. It is a time when people put work aside, and come together over food, drinks, entertainment and memories that often survive the company itself.

This year, small and medium sized businesses, consultants, solopreneurs, coaches, recruiters, relators and attorney's are all invited to participate in Get Networking Now's inaugural "Sacramento Region Company Holiday Party"! On Thursday, December 17, business owners, their employees, their vendors and key clients will enjoy a "BIG" celebration on a small business budget! Part of the proceeds will also benefit a local childrens' arts organization, Chalk It Up!

Chef Simon Mandell, co-owner of Courtyard D'Oro a new restaurant and banquet faciliaty in Old Sacramento, is preparing a "feast" for these hardworking entrepreneurs consisting of four cuisines, followed by dessert, dancing, music, entertainment. and "swag bags" with special offers, samples and promotions from local businesses. The event is scheduled from 6-10 pm at Courtyard D'Oro, which is located at 1700 Front Street under G Williker's Toy Emporium.

Ticket prices are $40 at the door, $35 presale. Special Pricing is available for small businesses with profiles on www.sacgnn.com and is FREE with paid monthly membership to Get Networking Now. Tickets may be purchased at: http://sacareacompanyparty.eventbrite.com/

Get Networking Now (SacGNN) is a local networking resource assisting small and medium sized businesses to grow "small talk" into "BIG Business" through education, training and networking events. SacGNN offers a free online community for local business owners to exchange leads, information, and resources and assist one another in growing their businesses in Sacramento.

For more information on this event, or Get Networking Now, please contact Rebecca Johnson 916-868-7562 or rebecca@sacgnn.com

Mayor announces major Kennedy Center arts program in Sacramento

2009-10-09T19:05:16Z

With members of the Sacramento arts community, the local education establishment and a representative of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at his side, Mayor Kevin Johnson Friday morning announced a major new arts education initiative in Sacramento.

Sacramento has been chosen from 27 cities to be the Kennedy Center's first civic partner for the "Any Given Child" program, an effort to match arts groups, school districts and the Kennedy Center itself in the promotion of arts programs in the city's schools. After being developed in Sacramento over the next two years, the program will be rolled out nationwide.

"We need to redefine how we look at the arts," said Johnson, standing in the west lobby of the Convention Center. "We need to make sure...arts is an integral part of our community."

Johnson introduced the Kennedy Center's President Michael M. Kaiser, who spoke of the need for not just some children, but "any given child to have a great...systematic arts education." He also praised Johnson's commitment to the arts, citing it as a reason that the Kennedy Center had chosen Sacramento out of all the contending cities.

The emphasis of the speeches was on a "systematic" approach to what has been an ad hoc way of teaching arts in underfunded schools. Kaiser - who has run such storied arts organizations as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and the American Ballet Theatre - introduced his comments by contrasting the treatment of arts in the public schools to that of other subjects, which are often considered to be more essential. "Kids don't come home and say, 'We're not going to learn math this year'," he said.

The goal, said Kaiser and other participants, is to create a comprehensive kindergarten- eighth grade system of arts education that is interdisciplinary and in which each year's work builds on the previous year, the same way that mathematics classes move from algebra to geometry to calculus.

Jonathan Raymond, who has been in his job as superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District for only six weeks, said that the first step will be "to understand where we are now," and then to figure out "how we do what works systematically, and sustain it."

The Kennedy Center's Kaiser also noted that this pilot program is entirely funded by the Kennedy Center, a concrete expression of support for an arts community that Johnson touted strongly in his opening comments. Kaiser also said that once the program is developed in Sacramento over the next two years, it will be rolled out in cities across the country.

"But Sacramento will be home to this program," he added.

There was some levity at the conference as well, as when speaker Dr. Ziggy Robeson, assistant superintendent of the Twin Rivers Unified School District, compared favorably a passion for the arts to that for sports, causing Johnson, a former basketball star, to shift with mock discomfort behind her.

Johnson's monthly "For Art's Sake" meetings will continue to be held the fourth Wednesday of every month, from 10-11 a.m., at various locations around the Sacramento area.

Photo credit: Kati Garner

Wynton Marsalis inspires crowd For Art's Sake

2009-09-24T04:18:57Z

After an inspiring talk from Randy Weeks, the director of Denver’s Center for the Performing Arts, the crowd was already charged up to work on behalf of Sacramento’s arts community. Weeks explained how Denver’s seven-county region came up with a sustainable approach to help local non-profit arts organizations. In 1988, a recession year, Denver-area voters created a Scientific and Cultural Development Fund and by a three-to-one vote, approved a tax on themselves to support that fund. Since then, Denver arts organizations, both large and small, have been able to thrive, thanks to the stabilizing effects of this initiative. They’ve attracted more community support as well. The 150 arts volunteers that heard Weeks tell his story Wednesday morning in Sacramento Ballet’s Studio Two were excited to hear that a major metropolitan area had implemented such a program.

But the fireworks were still to come. More precisely, the trumpet was about to sound, because surprise guest speaker Wynton Marsalis had just arrived. Marsalis, who is a tireless supporter of arts and music education, and an eloquent speaker on world cultures, addressed the electrified crowd for about half an hour. The world-renowned musician had come at the behest of Mayor Kevin Johnson, who created this arts initiative (For Art’s Sake) to help Sacramento develop and market its arts programs. Marsalis thanked Mayor Johnson for the opportunity to help, and spoke about American culture, and what concerned citizens can do to help.

We must educate kids about culture, he told the crowd. “The arts are what nourish the soul. While technology has changed, the technology of the human soul has not changed.” Marsalis pointed out that many older nations have a better understanding of the value of their artistic heritage – he mentioned Vienna, where Beethoven and Strauss lived, composed and played. Today, centuries later, that city’s culture thrives, because its citizens keep this heritage alive. “We are a very young nation” he explained, “and our biggest problem is our lack of cultural identity… There is a shared culture” – he mentioned Walt Whitman, Winslow Homer, Duke Ellington, William Faulkner, and a number of folk music traditions – “but we haven’t been successful at coming together – we need to teach what shared culture is.”

Marsalis, in a black suit and striped tie, was warm and engaging, just as he is on the stage when he banters with audiences all over the world. He encouraged arts groups to collaborate with each other, to cross genres as he has done, working with collaborators such as dance groups, visual artists, musicians and educators. His advice? Just call someone up on the phone, and talk about your ideas. Marsalis pointed out that America is all about business, so our system doesn’t value the arts as much as it should. But we need to remember that “the importance of the arts is not quantitative, it’s qualitative.”

American culture does exist, and it’s a rich blend, Marsalis told the rapt crowd, but we don’t know the recipe, we don’t teach the recipe. He exhorted artists and organizations to be vigilant. Dance. Play music. Tell stories. Sing. “If you want to make gumbo, you have to have roux,” the New Orleans native told the hungry crowd. “If it doesn’t have roux, it’s just soup.” Is a city without a thriving arts scene like gumbo without roux? “Art is soul food,” Marsalis smiled. “We have to fight for that!”

Wynton Marsalis speaks to the arts community

2009-09-24T02:26:21Z

Wednesday's For Art's Sake meeting at the Sacramento Ballet studios feautured a surprise visit from musician Wynton Marsalis. The nearly 100 audience members were treated with a speech from Marsalis, who Mayor Kevin Johnson had previously mentioned in June's For Art's Sake meeting.

After the normally scheduled meeting, Marsalis entered the room to a standing ovation. He gave a 30-minute speech followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer session.

Marsalis, a jazz educator as well as nine-time Grammy winner and Pulitzer Prize recipient, spoke of the importance of music education.

"How can we get kids to our shows?" Marsalis asked the audience early in his speech. "We need to get kids to go to events whether they like it or not!"

California Arts Council director Muriel Johnson noted that California ranks 50th in providing state money to the arts and that music programs in schools have lost 50 percent of their funding in the last decade. She asked if Marsalis could back her up in speaking to state legislators.

"I talk to legislators all the time, and they smile, but they're not going to do anything," Marsalis said. "Our system is based on money, and we have to change [legislators'] consciousness [of the arts].

Marsalis also answered questions about jazz and its importance. "All music is becoming less important because we're not teaching it," he said.

"The root of the arts is humanity," Marsalis said. "I did a better job when I understood all the other jobs connected to my job, understanding the perspective of everyone else."

Marsalis described the arts as a "nourishing soup." It can be "soul food" in that it helps shape a community's intelligence, as well as preserve culture, but its ultimate goal is to create a "healthier populus."

Johnson retold a story of how he first learned about Marsalis in the early '90s when he was in the NBA and Marsalis and was on the ESPN show "Up Close" with Roy Firestone. Firestone called Johnson a hypocrite for speaking of the benefits of education while not finishing his degree at UC Berkeley before entering the NBA.

Marsalis, a devoted Johnson fan, stood up for Johnson back then, arguing that he might be planning to finish his degree after his NBA career (which Johnson did in 1998, earning a bachelor's degree in political science from UC Berkeley.

Ever since then, Johnson has respected Marsalis, and even spoke to him after a concert in Arizona back in the 1990s. Backstage at the concert, Marsalis promised the young Johnson that he would do whatever he could do to help Johnson's career.

Tuesday, Johnson finally took him up on the offer. Marsalis also happened to be in between shows in Monterey and Davis, where he will play this Friday at the Mondavi Center.

The first half of the meeting described the arts initiative's progress: creating a logo, creating a website and developing an "action plan." The action plan will be carried out over the next 12 to 18 months to help the arts in Sacramento secure continuous funds.

After the meeting, Michael Collett, an employee at La Raza Galeria Posada, described his feelings about the arts initiative. More "press and awareness" is always helpful, he said, "but I'd like to see a serious effort from the city to push the envelope."

"It's in the formative stage, but it's gaining a broad base," Donald Sronce, a past chairman of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, said of the initiative. "Each meeting has grown, and it's indicative of the community's support."

The next meeting will be at Hot Italian, 1627 16th St., Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. Pizza will be served following the meeting. Those who wish to participate should email Sharon Gerber at sharongerber@sixdegreez.net.

Elly Awards Celebrate Sac Theatre

2009-08-09T01:04:59Z

The Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA) will announce the nominations for the most outstanding theater performances of 2008-2009 at its Elly Nomination Party, said SARTA office administrator Benjamin T. Ismail. Sacarmento City College will host the celebration on Aug. 9 from 6 to 10 p.m.

Held and named in honor of the late Eleanor McClatchy, a devoted patron of local arts, the Elly's are in its 27th year. On Sept. 20, SARTA will honor the winners with a ceremony at the Crest Theatre. Tickets are $25 general admission, $20 for group rate and SARTA members. They go on sale Aug. 10 and can be purchased by calling SARTA's office or the day of at the Crest box office.

There are seven categories from which theatre members are nominated: comedy, drama, educational musical, educational play, musical, original works, young people's musical, young people's play. Within each category, awards are given to the best in costume design, direction, lead actor, lead actress, lighting design, overall production, set design, supporting actor and supporting actress.

The judging is done by theatre members and enthusiatsts referred to by SARTA as "super-volunteers." Judges cannot be involved in any theatre company in the category they are judging, said Ismail, and usually have backgrounds in theatre. There are five judges in each category, and each of them may attend between a minimum of 15 and maximum of 45 shows during the year-long season.

This year's event will be arranged so that the first two hours focus on the awards to the educational categories while the last half focuses on the adult and musical categories. Some of the night's highlights, said Ismail, will be the performances from musical-nominated companies.

"All the best musical nominees bring their shows back together and they do a performance, Ismail said."[The process is] very similar to the Tony's."

The performances are as full-production as possible, Ismail said, including full costume, make-up, choreography, sound quality, and theatrical lighting. Besides putting on a dazzling show, the Elly performances allow for company member to reunite and redo the number that got them noticed.

"What's really cool is you will get casts of 30 people who all come back to do the Elly's," Ismail said. "Its a fun reunion opportunity for these casts."

Being nominated for an Elly is no walk in the park. According to Ismail, there are around 50 shows in each category and for awards like supporting or lead actor/actress, there can be two or three leads per show. Therefore, the five nominees for each award have gone up against hundreds of people, Ismail said.

"It's a very competitive award—I mean musical judges go to a show a week," Ismail said. "A lot of theatre happens in Sacramento so it's quite an award to even be nominated for. There are so many things you go up against."

While the Elly's offer prestige for theatre companies and entertainment for the general population, the award ceremony also facilitates a wider purpose of bringing together participants, lovers and new talents of Sacramento theatre.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for unification among over 100 theatres, to get to know other people and showcase what we've done for the past year," Ismail said. "SARTA has really worked so that Elly's meet the needs of the community in offering different aesthetics and styles."

Ismail said Elly attendees can expect not only to see talented people performing the best and most exciting numbers of the year, but also to learn what productions may interest them in the future.

"People will really enjoy getting to see, especially in musical category, what has been going on in the community," Ismail said. "You get to get excited about the next season, get to see what's available. Also, you get to see and hear from a lot of new companies coming up. There has been 10 or 15 new companies nominated this year."

"Its a review of the year when you think about it, it's quite a fun thing," Ismail said.

For more information, Click Here for SARTA's website.

Sacramento Opera going strong

2009-08-01T02:59:58Z

One local arts organization not in need of financial aid is The Sacramento Opera.

In the 2008-2009 season it not only ended the year in the black, but the organization eliminated all its debt, exceeded its budget goal and grew its ticket sales by nearly 38 percent.

After disappointing ticket sales in 2008, the opera was fortunate to have extra income contributed from private donors such as the Mildred Reis Estate and other corporate sponsors such as Raley's and Marriott. The organization also paid back a city loan incurred in 1992.

Attendance for the season's four feature shows totaled 17,414, while the community programs saw an all-time high in participation with 6,152 audience members. All shows were held at the Community Center Theater, which seats 2,398.

"We were just very fortunate," said Executive Director of the opera Rod Gideons. The success was based on two major things, he said: partly the popularity of the music performed, and also the strength of the social media marketing.

The two popular shows that sold the most tickets were The Marriage of Figaro and The Pirates of Penzance, Gideon said. He also noted that the Opera's Facebook and Twitter websites had more than 1,000 followers combined.

"After everything is said and done, you have to have control of your budget," Gideon added. "If there's anything we've accomplished, it's that we've tightly controlled our expenses."

Single tickets for the Sacramento Opera's 2009-2010 season are currently on sale. Prices range from $18 to $130.

The following is taken from a press release containing information about The Sacramento Opera's upcoming season:

The Elixir of Love is Gaetano Donizetti’s comic and wistful look at the foibles of young love and the misguided belief that true love can be bought in a bottle.

Show times are at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009.

The Sacramento Opera will update this gem of the bel canto repertoire to post-World War II in a small town in Northern California’s wine country. The Elixir of Love is a timeless view of passion and longing, pathos and youthful exuberance. Be sure to listen for the famous aria, "Una Furtiva Lagrima."

La Traviata is Giuseppe Verdi's gripping melodrama based on the novel and play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, Jr. La Traviata is one of the 10 most popular operas in the repertoire.

Show times are at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, Sunday, 2 p.m. Feb. 28 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 2.

The story was immortalized in the classic movie Camille starring Greta Garbo and later given a popular update in Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts. Listen for the famous “Drinking Song” and "Sempre Libera" aria. The story revolves around the relationship between a stunningly beautiful but frail courtesan and her well-born lover. Don’t miss this romantic tale of love, passion and betrayal.

A Russian Affair: Highlights from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades is opera at its grandest in a Russian double-bill featuring concert stagings of two of Tchaikovsky’s greatest works, both based on the writings of one of Russia’s most acclaimed writers, Alexander Pushkin.

Show times are at 8 p.m. Friday, May 7 and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 9

This production features Tchaikovsky’s stunning music for the lyric stage performed by a cast of acclaimed singers. Eugene Onegin gives us a glimpse of life among St. Petersburg’s wealthy in the 1820s, capturing the essence of a unique world in all its glory and despair. The operatic masterpiece of obsessive love and greed, The Queen of Spades follows an army officer who deviously learns the "secret of the three cards," which costs him his possessions, lover and ultimately his own life. Featured artists include Emily Pulley, Dana Beth Miller, Richard Crawley, Malcolm MacKenzie and Andrei Codrescu (narrator).

Season subscriptions are still available through the Sacramento Opera office, 737-1000. Season subscribers save up to 26 percent off single-ticket prices and receive priority seating, among other benefits.

*Photographs credit: Sacramento Opera/Eleakis Photography

Meetings "For Art's Sake" gaining momentum

2009-07-23T02:50:55Z

Wednesday morning Mayor Kevin Johnson held his second "For Art's Sake" meeting, which saw an increase in attendance over last month. More than 100 people crowded into the Verge Art Gallery on 19th and V Streets.

To open the meeting, Dennis Mangers, senior adviser for Senator Darrell Steinberg, summarized the previous meeting. Afterward, Johnson took the podium to lay down his vision for the arts initiative.

"What is our vision? What are our goals? Who do we want to be as an art community? Those are things we are going to start answering ourselves," he said. "Over the next 11 months, we're going to create a sustainable arts community."

He mentioned that as a whole, an estimated $100,000 would be necessary to fund the initiative. This would enable the group to build a website and hire consultants and interns to help organize logistics.

"I need you to understand that there's no 'I' in 'art,' and there's no 'I' in 'team,'" Johnson added. "For the next three and a half years, the arts initiative will be something I'm fighting for."

Johnson then announced the creation of a leadership committee, and five committee subgroups. These subgroups will concentrate on arts issues such as funding, facilities, marketing and education, and one group will concentrate on film.

The film subgroup will meet to ensure Sacramento is perceived as a great filming location for studio productions. Johnson invited Jeremiah Jackson, a Harvard Fellow working with the mayor's office for eight weeks, to speak about the film industry.

Jackson noted that the group will raise the profile for the city, expose youth to the arts, and bring in revenue. Over the past few weeks, Jackson has been studying ways to change the perception of the city and raise the city's profile as a good location for filmmakers.

Each committee will meet at least once a month, and the team's leader will research how to build an "action plan" for the group's issue. Each person who attended the meeting was told to write down two subgroups they would be interested in.

There was a similar crowd at last month's meeting, consisting of representatives from organizations like the Sacramento Ballet, Chalk It Up! and Sacramento Theater Company. Sacramento's Poet Laureate Bob Stanley also attended.

Every fourth Wednesday of the month, "For Art's Sake" will meet in a different venue. Next month the meeting is on Wednesday, August 26 at Capitol Public Radio from 10 to 11 a.m.

Sharon Gerber, the mayor's Arts Liaison will be the point of contact to tie all the subgroups together. Anyone interested in funding the initiative or attending the meetings should contact Sharon Gerber by emailing her at sharongerber@sixdegreez.net.

'Altar Boyz' harmonize in comedy

2009-07-16T06:30:50Z

Move over, Jonas Brothers. There’s a new boy-band in town and they’re determined to save the souls of Sacramentans.

The off-Broadway musical hit "Altar Boyz" opened last Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Pavilion and kept the audience laughing and toe-tapping the entire 90 minutes.

The comedic story of five Catholic boy-band members, as passionate about saving souls as they are about their clothes being glitzy, will run through Sunday.

The group leader Matthew (Devin DeSantis), "sensitive" Mark (Jamison Scott), street-smart Luke (Ryan Nearhoff), "Latin lover" Juan (Andres Quintero) and the Jewish, yarmulke-sporting Abraham (Tim Dolan) are a talented cast that keep the audience laughing, line after line.

Using the "Sony DX 12 Soul Sensor," the boys attempt to sing and dance their way to salvation of the 999 souls in the audience that need it. The numbers fluctuate throughout the musical until it’s down to four and the boys struggle to save the final few as well as keep their group together despite solo offers.

The audience is invited to join in the action, too. In the Pavilion’s courtyard, ticket holders are invited to confess their sins on an index card. During a "confession session," the boys read several sins out loud and attempt to absolve them with humorous solutions and naughty double entendres.

Juan helps one audience member who covets her neighbor's ass (donkey) by suggesting she feed it a carrot in hopes that she might be allowed to pet or even ride it. Luke tells another that although his girlfriend might be "Mary Magdelicious," he should save his virginity for later.

The audience can’t help but clap their hands to the rhythm of catchy lyrics like "Who needs a G-E-D? I got my B-I-B-L-E!" and songs like "Jesus Called me on my Cell Phone." But don’t worry, the Altar Boyz reassure, they didn’t incur any roaming charges.

The boys make light of religious topics with pop-culture references abounding, discussing Lethal Weapon and Luke checking into rehab for "exhaustion," and subtly poke fun at boy-banders with over-the-top dance performances (conga line, anyone?) and serenading.

The somewhat-flamboyant Mark tells the audience of his struggle growing up and feeling different while being harassed by "thuggish Episcopalians." The audience is ready for a confession of his sexuality when he admits to an entirely unexpected confession.

Audience members of all faiths can appreciate the lightheartedness of the religious-themed musical, and comedy aside, the cast are more than talented in the vocal and acting departments. Dolan, Quintero and DeSantis have all held roles in various tours of "Altar Boyz."

Photos courtesy of California Musical Theatre and Charr Crail.

The Green Room - the College Musical Northern California Premier

2009-07-16T04:27:26Z

The Green Room - the College Musical opens at The California Stage on August 7th starring Courtney Parks, Jacob Montoya, Jessica Goldman and Lafras le Roux. The Green Room is a new backstage musical illustrating the journey of four best friends determined to make it out of the Green Room and onto the Broadway Stage. Premiering in Hermosa Beach Beach in May 2009 to audience acclaim and great reviews, Friends of Dorothy Productions is proud to present the Northern California premier of this new musical with a rocking score and witty dialogue.

Music and lyrics by Chuck Pelletier
Book by C. Stephen Foster and Rod Damer

Directed by Kevin Caravalho
Musical Direction by Jane Viemeister
Choreography by Terri Taylor

The California Stage
August 7th - August 29th
Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 pm
Thursdays August 20th & 27th at 8:00 pm
Saturday August 27th at midnight

“The Green Room is an entirely enjoyable musical bonbon…”
Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA

“A bright, beaming cherub of a fledgling musical…”
Philip Brandes, LA Times

For more information visit www.fodproductions.com
To view cast photos and preview some of the songs, visit www.myspace.com/fodproductions

Weekend jazz festival flows down Broadway

2009-06-29T02:04:12Z

The second annual In the Flow jazz festival brought music and art fans out to Broadway's hub with more than 30 bands, poetry readings and live painting.

For $20, ticket holders were given wristbands that allowed entrance into all of the weekend's shows, which spanned five different venues along Broadway. For those who weren't wearing wristbands, several free performances were hosted at Records, Java Lounge and Records.

The back-to-back schedules at the venues allowed for a constant stream of activity, and if ticket holders didn’t like one performance, they could walk down the street to the next one.

The goal of the festival was to "showcase all of the different kinds of jazz you'll find in the area...not smooth jazz though....yikes," said Ross Hammond, who was the weekend's main coordinator and also a co-founder of the festival.

Hammond, himself a jazz musician, made an appearance with Vinny Golia on Saturday at Beatnik. He said that there is a huge jazz scene in Sacramento and the festival is a way to make people aware of the artists' presence.

“It was really hot, but the people were fun and I liked that there were so many performances to choose from,” said Mathew Zvonicek, who attended the festival Saturday evening.

Other highlights of the weekend's various shows included Byron Blackburn's CD release at Java Lounge Friday evening featuring Tom Monsoon, Alex Jenkins and Hammond. Jacob Felix Heule, Arom Shelton and Tony Dreyer performed a unique jazz set at Records on Saturday, using unusual techniques like scratching cymbals with drumsticks and vibrating objects on their drums.

Beatnik had a constant flow of talented musicians coming through its photography studio all weekend, including DJ Tommy V, the Harley White Orchestra and Tony Passarell and the Thin Air Symphony.

Jazz music wasn't the only form of art that made an appearance at the festival, however.

Java Lounge hosted the "Scary Art Collective Reception" Saturday to showcase works by local artists like Kathy Blackburn, who also has work on display at Beatnik. The walls of the cafe were filled with paintings and drawings of skeletons, owls and ghouls. Music served as the background to the reception, with five groups performing during the afternoon.

Saturday, a group of artists from the Pacific Art Collective in San Jose set up an art station in front of Beatnik, open to anyone who wanted to stop and paint. They said their inspiration for the music and art collaboration comes from "live paintings" that are popular in the Bay Area.

On Sunday, The Comedy Spot hosted music, poetry and the spoken word with Josh Fernandez, Frank Andrick, Mike Farrell and other artists.

Hammond and the other organizers were given a grant by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission that made the festival possible and enabled them to give all money raised through ticket sales to the artists.

The festival also received sponsorships from Swell Productions, The Greater Broadway Partnership and local businesses like Sacramento’s Skip's Music and Kline Music.

"We're planning on doing this festival annually, so just mark your calendars now," advises Hammond.

A.ll photos were taken by Paula Aguirre

Courtney Parks hosts Dinner for the Arts

2009-06-09T04:59:57Z

Although not quite as well known in Sacramento as her native home of Alaska where she performed the lead roles in many musical theatre productions and sang at political fundraisers and sports events, Courtney Parks’ reputation as an extremely talented vocalist is catching on quickly in Sacramento.

Prior moving to Sacramento Courtney won Spokane Idol and sang live onstage with Beth Hart. Locally, Courtney has performed on Good Day Sacramento as Judy Garland in December of 2008. She also co-wrote and performed a one-woman cabarets titled Under Their Influence: A Tribute to Judy Garland, Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand at The Studio Theatre and It’s All About Me at Badlands Nightclub featuring the award-winning title song from the upcoming production of The Green Room at California Stage. Courtney was also chosen by C. Stephen Foster and Chuck Pelletier, book and songwriters for The Green Room - the College Musical to play the part of Divonne.

Courtney will act as host and entertainer for Dinner for the Arts, a weekly event that will give local arts organizations the opportunity to promote their productions or events and reach out to new audiences. Dinner for the Arts will feature local theatre companies, dance troupes, singers and other artists each week. In addition to live entertainment, each week will also feature local artists giving live demonstrations in various mediums such as painting, jewelry-making, metal-work and many others.

Dinner reservations will be limited to 50 people each Tuesday night. Additional seating for those wishing to see the evening’s entertainment will also be available. Featured drinks include the Judy Garland, Liza's Martini, Sinatra's Manhattan, Bernadette's Red Apple and the Elphaba. There is no cover charge for this event.

The Kick-Off for Dinner for the Arts is June 30th.

Headhunters Patio (20th & K Streets) at 7:00 p.m.

Reservations: Contact Headhunters at (916) 492-2922 until 5:00 p.m the Friday before the show. Friday evenings through Tuesdays, contact Friends of Dorothy at (916) 534-7496.Arts organizations or entertainers wishing to be a part of the Dinner for the Arts entertainment and promotions, please contact Courtney Parks at friendsofdorothyproductions@gmail.com Please type ‘Dinner for the Arts’ in the subject line.
For more information visit www.fodproductions.com

Arts in River Park on Saturday

2009-05-29T02:49:03Z

This Saturday, Arts in River Park features music, artists and vendors. Held at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center at 6151 H Street, the fifth annual festival will feature some unique family fun including Afro-Cuban dance and percussion, Mediterranean food from Crest Cafe, and the traditional Chinese medicines acupuncture and qigong (pronounced "chee-gong").

It all began when funding was cut from the California Arts Council (CAC), putting many arts organizations out of business in 2003. Brenda Waters, winner of the 2003 CAC Director's Award, felt that the best way to help artists was to bring them together to show off their diversity and promote them at the same time.

So in 2003 she helped organize an event called the H Street Festival in which 50 local arts organizations, artists, and vendors participated. In 2006 the festival moved to River Park and changed its name to Arts in River Park, and it has been held at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center on H Street since 2007.

Last year there were 300 artists performing, and in previous years, between three to four thousand people have shown up. Waters stressed that the entire event is free of charge, and not-for-profit, though performers will earn a stipend or honorarium.

"I put [artists] on a pedestal and promote the heck out of them," Waters said in an interview with The Sacramento Press.

"We take a lot of groups that are not known but would like to be, and we put them on a pedestal, and they get honored by other people, and get jobs," added Waters, who has been an arts promotions coordinator for over 21 years.

"This is their career," she added. "They have to spend a lot of money to buy their supplies and they spend an inordinate amount of time to do their art. I'm not doing this for myself, I'm doing this for the artists, and hopefully I've made a difference [because] arts and culture can really break down a lot of barriers."

One successful artist who has previously performed at the arts festival is Michael Bayard, who is returning this year to play a composition with keyboardist Doug Matson. Bayard, who has performed with such world-renowned artists as Ray Charles, Tony Bennett and Paul Simon, also held the post of percussionist for the Sacramento Symphony for 17 years from 1980-1997.

It was Christmas Eve 2008 when Bayard posted his now famous video "Spin Cycle" on YouTube, which subsequently has been featured on the local PBS station KVIE and still receives regular airplay. Besides creating an educational percussion program called Rhythm Magic, he is now "finding and using unusual objects to create unusual music."

He will be performing a piece called "The Typewriter" for piano and typewriter, which was originally written by Leroy Anderson for the Boston Pops, as well as more traditional music by Gershwin, Cole Porter, and classics from Bennett and Sinatra.

"This Saturday, people will have fun, and I would encourage people to come for a unique and innovative experience," Bayard said of the festival.

"There's a great multicultural element, giving the opportunity for artists to share their talents," he added.

The event takes place on three stages. Here is the schedule:

Outdoors
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Everyone in Rhythm
1:30 - 4:00 p.m. Sacramento Fire Department Engine 8 display of engine

Main Stage
Emcees:
John Embrey III, Community Volunteer
Nick Toma, Co-host Good Day Sacramento
Mike Montgomery, Board member, River Park Neighborhood Association
Greig Gorman, Stage Manager

9 a.m. Introductions and announcements
9:15 - 9:35 a.m. Ebo Okokan, African Cuban dance and percussion
9:45 - 10:15 a.m. Cherry Fizz, a capella quintet
10:30 - 10:50 a.m. Flying Monkey Productions, youth musical theatre
11 - 11:35 a.m. Earl J. Rivard III, Argentinian bilingual folk singer
11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. The Kennelly School of Irish Dance
12:30 - 1:15 p.m. Michael Bayard and Doug Matson, percussion and keyboard duo
1:30 - 2:15 p.m. Anderson-Gram, folk singers
2:30 - 3:00 p.m. Dragon Fire Martial Arts
3:05 - 4:15 p.m. Prima, band performing original and cover songs combining rock, reggae and ballad

River Park Stage
Emcees:
Alex Read, Board Member, River Park Neighborhood Association
Kristy DeVaney, Assistant Editor/Art Director for Senior Magazine, Chef at RH Phillips Winery, and author of cakegrrl.com

9 - 9:45 a.m. Anderson-Gram, folk singers
9:45 - 10:15 a.m. Tabin Crume, Central Library storyteller
10:30 - 11:00 a.m. Laugh and Sing with Michael
11:15 a.m. - Noon Cousin Jimbo, banjo player/fiddler
12:15 - 1 p.m. Earl J. Rivard III, Argentinian bilingual folk singer
1:15 - 1:45 p.m. Tabin Crume, Central Library storyteller
2:00 - 2:30 p.m. Flying Monkey Productions, youth musical theatre
2:45 - 3:45 p.m. - Singer/songwriter, recording artist Janis Kelly will be joined by special guests for her final appearance in Sacramento

In the lounge area, qigong classes will be taught by licensed acupuncturist Joe Macchiavelli at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., and free acupuncture at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.

*Images courtesy Brenda Waters and Michael Bayard

250 Join forces to "Make a Movie This Summer" - 10th Year of "A Place Called Sacramento" Intros 12 Movie Projects"

2009-05-21T19:16:03Z

Access Sacramento welcomed more than 250 eager filmmakers to the Coloma Community Center last night for the Tenth Annual "Cast & Crew Call" event. Twelve short films were "pitched" to the large group, short video auditions of each participant were recorded by Access Sacramento staff, and sign-up sheets for each film invited all to "make a movie this summer".

The festive evening was kicked off by welcoming comments from Executive Director Ron Cooper and Lucy Steffens, Sacramento Film Commissioner. Youth and adult mentors visiting Sacramento from their community media center in Honolulu, Hawaii offered a welcoming chant and presented Cooper with gifts from their home state.

Each of the 12 filmmakers then presented their film ideas to the crowd and asked for their help. When completed and shown on the big Crest theater screen October 4, 2009, the 12 films will round out 100 completed films in the ten years of "PCS" filmmaking. Most of the past films are available for viewing at any time at www.AccessSacramento.org or on You Tube's Access Sacramento channel.

There is still time to get involved. Go to the Access Sacramento web site, read the log lines for the 12 films, and contact the films you find most interesting via the e-mail addresses provided. Cast and crews are still being formed. "We build our community by working together, asking others for help, and sharing our stories with all our neighbors", said Cooper. "We had a great time and the real fun has just begun."

Photos by Kati Larson Garner

The 12th Annual Sacramento Jewish Film Festival

2009-02-05T22:16:06Z

As a film festival director myself, I’m always intrigued to talk to other directors about their festivals and their process. For every film that makes the cut, there are a mountain of discarded others that may never see the light of day (or the light of projection) and hundreds of unseen administrative tasks associated with presenting the program. I recently asked Sid Heberger, General Manager of the Crest Theatre and Co-Director of the Sacramento Jewish Film Festival about their upcoming event:

Q: This is the 12th Annual Festival: How did the Festival get its start?
A: Margi Park, the co-founder of the Festival, contacted me about starting a festival because she was tired of schlepping to San Francisco for her Jewish Film Festival fix. So, in 1997 we partnered on a screening at the Festival of Cinema to “test the waters” and had a tremendous turn out. The next year we branched out on our own and have been at it ever since.

Q: How do you find films for the Festival?
A: In the beginning, we sought films from other festivals and combed the internet for films we thought would be of interest in Sacramento. Now that the festival has matured we are receiving submissions from film makers and film companies from around the globe.

Q: This year’s festival includes the Oscar Nominated short film “Toyland”. Is that a concidence?
A: Yes, As I was looking for short films for the comedy program I came across this dramatic short film. I actually booked it long before it was nominated. It’s satisfying to know that my taste in films is validated by the Academy!

Q: You’d added a late night slot on Saturday, is this new direction for the Festival?
A: Yes, we’ve been looking for ways to engage a younger audience and then we found this hilarious film “Circumcise Me” and decided to build a lineup of comedy shorts. It’s an experiment for us but so far the response has been positive so we’re thinking this might become a regular program. We recognize that if the festival is going to grow and continue that we need to engage younger people now before our older audience is no longer able to come out to the shows.

Q: What makes a film “Jewish”?
A: Some film festivals accept anything that is made by a Jewish director whether the film is about the Jewish experience or not, but we feel that that just about includes every film out of Hollywood since 1920! A film has to have a substantial part of the plot dedicated to showing the Jewish experience.

Q: So, is the Jewish Film Festival just for Jews?
A: (Laughs) No, and it’s not just for breakfast anymore! Actually, as we look at the film submissions we give weight to films that we think will have cross-over appeal to other festival demographics. We have strong partnerships with the Sacramento French Film Festival, The Sacramento Film and Music Festival, and the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. You don’t have to be Jewish to connect with the dramatic, funny and touching human stories that we feature.

The 12th Annual Sacramento Jewish Film Festival takes place at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street, Sacramento on Saturday, February 7th and Sunday, February 8th. Full details, schedules, and ticket information can be found online at www.thecrest.com. Note: “Toyland” and all of this year’s other Oscar Nominated short films open at the Crest on Friday, February 6th.

Mazal Tov!

Tony Sheppard is a Co-Director of the 10th Annual Sacramento Film and Music Festival, July 24th-Aug 2nd, 2009, also at the historic Crest Theatre (Full disclosure!).

Oklahoma! ... okay.

2009-01-20T02:39:08Z

Yesterday I went and saw Oklahoma! at Magic Circle Theatre in Roseville. I have seen many shows at Magic Circle, and I was even in A Chorus Line there. They pump out a lot of musicals and often have a lot of talent in their shows.

Oklahoma! is Rodgers and Hammerstein's first Musical. It has never been one of my favorite musicals, and think it has issues. Regardless, I am just going to review this specific production.

The full house starts with a corny yeehaw lead by the director Brent Null, but c'mon this is Oklahoma! so I was down. The curtain reveals the typical set I have seen for every production of this show ever (the technical aspect is where Magic Circle has always fallen short sadly). Then Curly (Tevye Ditter) begins the show with a great voice, but when he began to speak his diction was poor and my friends and I lost a lot of what he was saying in the beginning. Aunt Ella (Patty Lewis) does a good job throughout the play and is very committed to her character. Laurie (Katie Veale) was very good playing the sweet and innocent character, although this was starting to look like the Wizard of Oz for a minute because Laurie comes on wearing a Dorothy outfit on the farm, odd. But this play was definitely already enjoyable. Will Parker (Nicky Garcia) did a great job, good voice, good acting, but sadly he was just not the type for the character and was miscast. Ado Annie was one of the highlights and has a really powerful voice. The ensemble starts to trickle in and much more energy is brought to the stage, the pace picks up, the ensemble was pretty solid. By the time Curly is in Judd's smoke house the play has a certain intensity it was lacking in the beginning, and Curly was much more on now. Judd (Jeffery Heatherly, who I previously saw as Tateh in Ragtime and was my favorite thing in the show) does not disappoint and has some very intense moments and makes you sympathize for poor Judd Fry.

Which brings us to the dream sequence ballet, my favorite part of the show. Emily Cook plays "Dream Laurey" and performs a piece that starts out very poignant and beautiful, she is a natural Dancer. The sequence gets muddled when the guys come in without conviction and riding invisible horses and "two steppin", the choreography was an issue throughout. Although some moments had very good elements, it was across the board very simple (step, pivet, step, grab your belt and cowboy hat and spin, and you're done).

Another highlight is Ali Hackem(Ryan Adame) great character, perhaps my favorite part, and Gertie(Monica Wright) who has a laugh I cant attempt to recreate or describe and is a very fun part of the show. The orchestra lead by Jennifer Vaughn was on, I have never been disappointed with any orchestra at Magic Circle.

This is a fun show with some weird casting, great voices, some great characters, sub par choreography and costumes(one bright orange shirt that stood out way too much), a solid ensemble, and a few real good numbers("I can't say no!", "Lonely Room", "Oklahoma"). See it if you get a chance, it is worth seeing. And I am a huge supporter of local theatre, so everyone should try to see it for at least that reason.

Run through February 7th Fri-Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm. At the Roseville Theatre in Roseville. http://mcircle.org