"Sculpture doesn't have to answer to society or beauty," Japanese contemporary ceramic artist Takako Araki once said. Referred to by some as sacrilegious, her lifelike tattered Bible sculptures, one of which she made by silkscreening text from the Bible onto fired clay, are part of the Soaring Voices ceramic exhibition at the Crocker Art Museum in Downtown Sacramento. The exhibition opened to the public Saturday and features a collection of more than 80 ceramic pieces by 25 female Japanese artists. Until the 1950s, the world of ceramics in Japan has been a "man's world," exhibit organizer Maya Nishi told an audience at Sunday's gallery talk. She elaborated on how Japanese women had been

40 IS the New 40 By Michelle Gamble-Risley, co-author, Second Bloom Who started these phrases, "40 is the new 30," or "50 is the new 40?" We have a question, "Why isn't it okay to say, "40 is the new 40?" Our youth-obsessed culture drives so many women to feel anxiety around birthdays and add increased digits to their ages. In fact, dozens of famous women have outright lied about their ages just to avoid the public perception that they're getting e-gads, "older." Oh, the very idea of "older" sends many women to the bar to down a few Margaritas and forget their age sorrow. Getting "older" comes to us all. You can take as many trips to the Botox bar as you like and age will still tick for