Valentine's Day can be challenging for everyone out there, whether you've got a special someone to impress or not. The choices are limitless, and it can be hard to set something up that everyone will enjoy. This year, why not please the whole crowd with a just-before-Valentine's Day show starring local indie pop songstress Autumn Sky and up-and-comer Tre Burt?     Miss Sky, who recently won the Sac Show award for best Acoustic Show, holds a Valentine's Day show each year. 2009's show at Luna's Cafe drew a huge crowd, where patrons and audience members alike sat on floors and laps to fit in the tiny room. This year will prove to be no less of a good time, especially considering

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) is proud to host the Women’s Wisdom Teachers’ Art Show throughout the month of February. Teachers and volunteers who lead classes for the Women’s Wisdom Art program at SFBFS will have the opportunity to exhibit their art, a gift that inspires clients in the program year round. Designed as a uniquely feminine environment that supports the artistic and personal growth of women in all stages of life, Women's Wisdom Art believes that artistic exploration naturally brings greater self-knowledge. Classes are free to clients and include drawing, textiles, clay, mixed media, poetry, gourd crafting, creative writing and painting with acrylics and wate

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 ask

Following your dreams doesn’t necessarily mean following your checkbook -- a life lesson local painter Jeff Musser can relate to. Musser was born and raised in Sacramento and began sketching comics and actions figures when he was 5. He didn’t get serious about his work until he got placed into an advanced art class his freshmen year at Sacramento High School. "(I) was around 15 when I decided this is what I want to do with my life,” Musser said.  “I wasn’t sure in what capacity -- whether I would be a sculptor or a graphic designer or (do) paint installation, but I just knew being creative and being an artist was what I was supposed to do.” At the time, his work was mainly with pencil a

I woke up this morning thinking "hey, tomorrow is Second Saturday". Of course I am talking about the monthly Art Walk and experience that happens in and around Sacramento's Midtown area. Even though the forecast is calling for some chance of rain, that should be no excuse not to come to midtown and be a part of the monthly festivities and feel the season in the air. Since last Christmas there have been some additions to the monthly event. For one, Midtown is hosting an ice skating rink between  K St and L St on 20th St. Tickets: Admission: Adults, $8 Children, $5 Skate Rental: $2 Info Phone: (916) 442-1500 Secondly, artist Michael Kennedy opened the new Kennedy Gallery at 1114 20th St

The Wall Street Journal featured a story recently that held some tremendous promise for Sacramento Area small businesses.  The article titled “Three Best Ways to Win Community Support” outlines the some opportunities that small businesses can create or take advantage of.  I think these are particularly ripe for those businesses around the Sacramento community.   First off, a recent trend in small business marketing has been to develop community around your products and services.  Community is where loyalty comes from.  It is why we have newsletters, a social networking presence, and why we all wish there was a bar where everybody knew our name.  These tips will help you further to engage

"There's the normal world and then there's Dumbworld," according to filmmaker Jayson Woodward. Hundreds of people came out to see unique art at the first Dumbworld Expo at the newly renovated Capitol Towers apartments. All of the art, showing space, lighting, food, drinks, music, and entertainment were donated and dozens of people volunteered to work the expo. "Sometimes I buy spray paint before I pay the bills," coordinator Mary Louise Picerno said. The whole complex, which includes various restaurants that opened especially for the expo, participated. The restaurants, vacant stores, and top floor penthouse acted as galleries that held unique mixed media pieces as well as graffiti whi

Get ready Second Saturday, there’s a new gallery in town. Bridge to Art, KLSC Studio and AIM HIGHER are coming together on Second Saturday to celebrate the grand opening of a 10,000-square-foot collaborative gallery, the “U20 Artist Studio Club”. “With this particular location at U and 20 streets, you can truly have it all: great artworks in huge spaces, free parking, very good restaurants, easy freeway access and no mobbed congestion feeling. We call it a breathable fine art experience,” said Kevin Santos-Coy of KLSC Studio. The daylong celebration will feature live music, art from children's group "KidzArt" and more than 200 original landscape, abstract, figurative and architecture pa

This month's Second Saturday event will pay tribute to founder Michael Himovitz, who pioneered the Sacramento arts showcase before losing his battle to HIV 15 years ago. Julia and Lucas Himovitz organized this special Second Saturday to honor their father's legacy. Nine Sacramento art galleries will be dedicating their shows to Himovitz. In each gallery a mounted display along with a donation box for Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services will be set up. The CARES Are You the Difference campaign is working to end all new cases of HIV in the Sacramento area within the next five years. "He was very passionate about what he did," Lucas Himovitz said. "He wanted to educate and con

Milton Bowens would like to believe that when you look at his art work you're not merely viewing paintings, his personal opinion or guarded pieces of his soul. You the viewer are being asked to confront history, truth, cultural stereo types and engage the possibilities of the future. Because when he paints he is not just engaging the viewer or confronting the critic over artistic merit, style and validity, he is confronting the use of art as a tool to communicate. He is asking questions, He is seeking solutions. Born and raised in Oakland, Calif., Milton Bowens is the fifth boy of ten children. Milton’s artistic promise began at the age of five with nothing more than a few pencils and cut

This SECOND SATURDAY at La Raza Galería Posada will showcase the current art exhibition "Flying Solo/Visions of Aztlan" by Juanishi Orosco, a nationally known Chicano artist and LUVTAXI a Latin beat band who will perform two acoustic sets of original music from 7-9pm. The event is scheduled to open at 5pm and close at 9:30pm. La Raza Galeria is located at 1022 1024 22nd Street at "K" Sacramento 95816. (916) 446-5133 info@larazagaleriaposada.org  http://www.larazagaleriaposada.org/welcome/  http://www.reverbnation.com/luvtaxi

Their backgrounds are as different as their ages but the love for their art consumes them. “When I first cut into stone something happened to me,” says 81-year-old Tony Cano. “I know it’s what I’m supposed to be doing.” Cano grew up in San Francisco, was raised primarily by his grandmother. Down the street from his grandmothher’s house lived a five foot tall, Italian-born, sculpting giant Beniamino “Bene” Benvenuto Bufano who handed Tony his first piece of clay. “I watched Bene, I learned from him but then I rebelled,” says Cano. Tony turned his back on his art in his late teens. Over the years he thought of sculpting but he had his family, his job, a busy life. He was a truck driver f

"The 2009-10 season is a dream come true," said dancer Alexandra Cunningham. A financial crisis in the 2008-09 season has given the 24 dancers a new perspective on their dancing career. Relocating from the 2,398-seat Community Center Theater to the studio with only two rows of seats was perhaps the biggest eye-opener. For the in-studio shows, only the bare minimum -- chairs, curtains and lights -- separated the dancers from the audience. Both the community and the dancers loved it. "Performing to sold-out audiences in our studios was exhilarating!" Cunningham said. "I felt that I could share so much more with audience members because I could see their every reaction." Cunningham praise

So -- you like Second Saturdays? Do you like the way this local arts night has morphed into a street fair? Have you watched the event grow so big that you've hoped it could take over the central city more than once a month? Your prayers may be answered this month when a new Saturday street fair debuts in Sacramento. Sponsored by Sacramento News & Review (SN&R), "Design Downtown" will bring mostly locally made or "do it yourself" (DIY) fashion and art to the K Street Mall from 3 to 9 p.m. every third Saturday starting July 18. "We looked at the success of Second Saturday and said, 'Maybe that's something we can build on,' " said Clay Nutting, the sales and marketing manager for the paper

Valerie Hart, owner of online fashion boutique itsMySecret, loves to be a vendor during the Second Saturday Art Walk. At 71 years old, Valerie Hart had a lot of challenges in starting an online business, so she enlisted the help of her husband, Dennis Hart, a photographer and computer guru. Even though her boutique is online, she vendors at Second Saturday selling accessories for women such as bags, jewelry, belts and watches. She orders her merchandise from other fashion designers around the U.S. and caters toward the youthful crowd with merchandise that is more affordable. "We really didn't feel like we wanted to have another type of store to walk into," she said. "We realized that th

If you're planning out your stops for the upcoming Second Saturday Art Walk, head for the alley in the center of 18th and 19th Streets and I and J. From 6 -10 p.m., BridgetoArt.com, KLSC Studios and Doolittle Properties are packing a musical and art overload into the open space. The idea for the festival was first conceived when longtime high school friends Kevin Santos-Coy of Bridge to Art and KLSC and Jeffrey Doolitte of Doolittle Properties met at Weatherstone Coffee about a year and a half ago. The conversation turned to the congestion of the streets and how nice it would be to have an open area for artists to perform. Inspired, Doolittle immediately offered up his own back lot. Aft

Ahhh, yes, it's that time of the month again folks. Second Saturday weekend that is! Although there are great things going on all month long throughout Sacramento, many locals will argue that the second weekend of the month in Sacramento is their favorite time to venture out on the town. In addition to the Art Walk on Saturday, this weekend has a plethora of cool things to check out. And for Sactown, mid-July is looking to bring us some relatively mild weather to boot! Take a look to see if any of these events can lure you to venture out...try something different this week! Thursday 7.9 Food & Wine: California Grape & Gourmet -- $50 ($70 day of) Where: Sacramento Convention Center When:

This will be a big, varied book week in Sacramento, with events ranging from a volunteer chapbook-making workshop to a Second Saturday reception for local art-book author Doug Biggert.  Monday, July 6, 8:00 p.m. The Moody Blues Poetry Series. A Taste of Laguna Southern Cuisine. Weekly poetry reading hosted by Ms. La-Rue, with music by DJ Barney B. $5. A Taste of Laguna. 9080 Laguna, Elk Grove 95758, (916) 691-663 Tuesday, July 7, 7:30 p.m Poets’ Workshop. Sacramento Poetry Center. Weekly workshop moderated by Danyen Powell. Bring 15 copies of your one page poem to be read and critiqued. Free. Hart Senior Center. 915 27th Street, Sacramento 95816, (916) 264-5462 or (530) 756-6228. Wednes

The Refuge took on its second concert Friday with performances from Will Craig, Crimson Sky, Method Echo and Dawson & Marie.  The Refuge is an all-ages venue where young musicians can play and show off their talent. These concerts are held at St. John's Lutheran Church off of L Street in Midtown.  The venue gives a concert-like feel where the audience can stand up and dance right in front of the performers. It also gives a cafe-like feel with a lounge area, chairs, couches and umbrellas. There's also a snack and coffee bar called Cafe Rwanda where all proceeds go to the Mumea Hospital project in Rwanda.  "We have two goals," said Amy Chance, organizer of The Refuge, "to create an all-ag

A press release from the Capitol Artists' Studio Tour organizers: The deadline to participate in the 2009 Capitol Artists' Studio Tour is July 2 (5pm). The CAST is an annual, self-guided art tour featuring Sacramento artists in their studios. Building upon the tremendous success of the last three years, the tour is open to all artists who have a studio within a four mile radius of the museum at 1519 19th Street, Sacramento. There are important changes this year, including the opportunity to have your work seen at the Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento in a show which will open August 21 and run through the tour, which includes the evening of Second Saturday, September 12. Please fi