What started as an artist-centered event to draw attention to the work of local artists has evolved into something much different, but District 4 candidates still want to make sure the Second Saturday Art Walk reaches its full potential as a destination event. “It’s become segmented,” candidate Phyllis Newton said Monday. “There are essentially two Second Saturdays – a family-oriented one in the early evening, and then, toward the later hours, it draws a different crowd.” On the second Saturday of every month, local art galleries, restaurants and other small businesses open their doors to thousands of visitors who come for art exhibits, music, food and wine for the Second Saturday Art Wa

“Searching for Safe Ground,” a film series by Costa Mantis, reveals the daily struggles of being homeless in Sacramento and addresses the bleak reality of not having a safe place to sleep. Starting in October and continuing until February, a different episode of the five-part series will play at First Methodist Church on the corner of J and 21st streets during Second Saturday Art Walks. Mantis moved from his home in Pennsylvania to Sacramento on Apr. 1, 2009 on a “mission to give the homeless a voice,” he said. In 2009, an estimated 250 of Sacramento’s homeless lived in a collection of tents on the banks of the American River in a community called Tent City. Without running water, bath

The Axis Gallery in Midtown hosted a preview reception for the sixth National Juried Exhibition Thursday. Works of art by over 25 artists will be on display until Aug. 28. The national competition continues to bring notoriety not only to the artist but to the Axis Gallery and the Sacramento art community. The exhibition will be judged by Dena Beard, the curatorial assistant at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with an M.A. in art history, theory and criticism. Beard selected 38 pieces of two- and three-dimensional art for the exhibition, collecting work from artists all over the United States. The quality of

Introduction/Background: The purpose of the following open letter is to outline quality of life problems that many residential neighbors now face from over concentration of alcohol "entertainment" establishments in Midtown whether related to Second Saturday or other weekends as well. The article also includes recommended solutions to these problems but so far Midtown Business Association and city leaders have largely ignored them. This letter was written cooperatively by long-time Midtown residents, Bill Burgua, Karen Jacques, Dale Kooyman and Vito Sgromo, all of whom have successfully worked for years with many other residents to create a vibrant residential and business Midtown, which

A wave made entirely of plastic bottles will be shown at Midtown’s Sub-Q Body Piercing and Tattoos Saturday to raise awareness of large “trash islands” in the ocean. Built by 21-year-old Tahoe City artist “Sannazzaro,” the “Recycled Wave 1” is a prototype of a larger project that will be built with 6,430 bottles – the number of bottles dumped into the ocean every second worldwide, she said. The larger piece will be called “1 Second Wave.” She said her inspiration came from when “my husband and I were using plastic water bottles every day, and when I found out about the trash islands, I thought this project would be a really good way to raise awareness about all the pollution.” The fina

Almost six months have passed since Victor Hugo Perez Zavala was shot and killed at the September Second Saturday Art Walk, and no arrests have been made. According to police, gang-related crime like the Second Saturday shooting is hard to solve for a variety of reasons. “In a nutshell, (the case is) wide open,” said Sgt. Bob McCloskey of the Sacramento Police Department’s homicide division. “We’re still trying to run down every lead we have.” McCloskey said police are currently investigating leads, but declined to say how many or comment on how good the leads are, given that it’s an active investigation. “In each case, we’re going to take and fully investigate it,” he said. “On open c

Today I came across a comment on Bill Burgua's recent article about the Second Saturday Art Walk. Larry was exasperated about the crime he witnessed on our most recent art walk, specifcially citing the vandalism near his place of residence. He wrote: "The last Second Sat event I got graffiti outside on my apartment building as well as inside and this is a controlled acces building. Out of Control! City council talking about walkable alleys when we dont even have walkable streets." I often read the complaints from my neighbors concerning the escalating crime during Second Saturday. My personal feeling is that it's no different from the drunks and litterbugs I see roaming the streets ever

Lily Ann Lam grew up in two worlds. Her Chinese parents instilled traditional Eastern values in her, while her upbringing in Sacramento exposed her to American culture. She said the mix comes together in her Midtown salon – Hanami, which opened March 1. Hanami (HAH-nah-me) is a Japanese word that describes the beauty of cherry blossoms, and Lam said it was a natural fit for a salon. “The cherry blossoms are the result of a process,” she said. “They’re beautiful for two weeks ... and that’s like hair. It goes through a process, and then it’s beautiful for a couple of weeks.” Hanami is the first salon for Lam, who has been styling hair professionally for three years. Before that, she put

The city is addressing concerns about the Second Saturday Art Walk, Midtown nightlife and safety from a variety of angles, city officials said Monday night. During a meeting with the Neighborhood Advisory Group, City Councilman Steve Cohn and city staff from neighborhood services, police, parks, parking enforcement and community development discussed efforts to combat gang violence and other crime, rule changes taking effect for Second Saturday next month and parking issues. The measures are a first step toward tackling growing or ongoing problems that have been pinpointed by residents, businesses and the city. However, more steps may be taken down the road if needed, Vincene Jones, dire

A few more changes are in the works for the Second Saturday Art Walk in an effort to reduce problems and increase the focus on art, city and business leaders said Wednesday. The changes will take effect in April, when the event's crowds are expected to grow as warm weather returns to Sacramento. The city's Second Saturday safety team has come up with some modifications in the wake of a fatal shooting in September 2010. The biggest change is a requirement that vendors, musicians with amplified sound and other street performers who are set up on public property – primarily sidewalks or closed streets – operate from 4 - 8 p.m. Live music is part of a growing music scene that has emerged on

Sacramento chef Jason Lockard is drawing up plans to entice customers to his new restaurant and bar, Blue Prynt, expected to open this month. The 30-year-old will use social media marketing, drink specials and tie-ins to popular community events to attract clientele to a somewhat hidden spot where several restaurants have failed. Lockard, who has been the chef at Brew It Up! for seven years, is opening his first business inside the Best Western Sutter House at 11th and H streets. After Sofia restaurant closed in that location last September, Lockard is developing plans for events and specials to coincide with the Second Saturday Art Walk and Friday Night Concerts in the Park at nearby C

One of Sacramento’s biggest controversies in 2010 centered on the Second Saturday Art Walk. Initially intended to be a family-friendly arts showcase, it had, before 2010 started, turned into two events – the art walk, and the after party – according to many Midtown residents. On the morning of Sept. 12, the issue got the attention of the entire city when 24-year-old Victor Hugo Perez Zavala – who police say was not affiliated with a gang – was killed in a gang-related shooting outside a bar on 18th and J streets. Several others were injured, but it was Zavala’s death on September’s Second Saturday event that brought increased scrutiny to the event. One Sacramento Press community contr

This weekend's Second Saturday Art Walk will end a little earlier and see an increased police presence, one month after a fatal shooting rocked Sacramento's central city. While art galleries and other businesses taking part in the event can stay open, the city is now requiring them to stop serving alcohol under Second Saturday special event permits at 9:30 p.m. Previously, permits for the monthly special event set a 10 p.m. closing time. Vendors operating on public sidewalks are also being asked to close down, although they aren't regulated with permits yet. Vendors selling wares on private property can stay open later. Restaurants and bars operating under regular licenses aren’t impacte

Sacramento Police continued their search Wednesday for the suspect in a fatal shooting after the September Second Saturday Art Walk, while community leaders continued talks on possible solutions to the violence and problems plaguing the event. With the city still reeling in the wake of the killing, city officials will hold a public forum on the shooting on Sept. 25. And on Wednesday night, the Midtown Business Association agreed to spend $19,000 to fund a three-month pilot program using volunteer guides to assist people on Midtown streets weekend nights. Officers in the homicide, gang, forensic and crime scene investigation units are working on the investigation of the shooting that left

Sacramento Police said Monday that gang violence led to a fatal shooting within a crowd gathered outside a Midtown bar after a Second Saturday Art Walk. Police presence was stepped up Saturday, and for the first time, officers enforced the 10 p.m. curfew for minors, which coincides with the art event's official closing time. But the killing early Sunday has pressed city and business leaders to find additional ways to address growing concerns rather than end the popular event. On Saturday, 20 Sacramento police officers and at least eight undercover officers from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control worked to combat underage drinking and public partying or "tailgating,"

TEAM MARIA hosts spin-a-thon & auction during Second Saturday Art Walk. WHAT: TEAM MARIA, lead by First Lady of California, Maria Shriver, will ride in the Audi Best Buddies Challenge – a 100-mile bike ride on September 11 from Carmel to San Simeon to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With a goal to raise $200,000 for the Challenge, TEAM MARIA is hosting a silent auction and spin-a-thon at 1801 L Street on August 14, 2010. Listed team members set to spin for dollars: Emilie Cameron, Lucas Public Affairs; Tamara Torlakson, Robert Rodriguez, Dayanna Macias-Carlos and Claire Cullis, all of Dewey Square Group.   WHERE: Between L Wine Lounge and Buckhorn Gr

local.indie.music.photos combines photographer Amy Scott's love of both music and photography into a visual glimpse of the Sacramento music scene. As a regular in the Downtown/Midtown scene, throughout the past few years, she has shot hundreds of local Sacramento music shows and has uploaded literally thousands of photos to her Flickr page. Oftentimes you will find her near the stage at the latest show, camera in hand, ready to capture a band in all its glory.    On Friday, June 11, local.indie.music.photos, in collaboration with Luigi's Slice and Fungarden, present a showcase of around a hundred of Scott's local live band shots from the past year and a half. The show will feature live p

At the corner of S and 12th Streets, a large green building is home to Patris Studio Gallery and her Capitol Art Center at S12 along with The Bold Mark Gallery. Artists and art lovers from near and far visit the exhibitions, meet the artists, and observe artists in action as they paint or draw. During Second Saturday Artwalk, visitors can view life drawing and painting classes that incorporate classical traditions of the Renaissance masters. Working from live models, artists from beginning to advanced levels, can develop and refine their artistic skills with potential art buyers watching. Gallery owner Patris and Curator Gayle Rappaport-Weiland offer an invitation to see first-hand how

Members of the Sacramento County Historical Society were treated to a guided sneak-peek tour of the Rock and Radio Museum and a talk from music collector Dennis Newhall and Mick Martin of Mick Martin's Blues Party Tuesday night. The museum, packed with Newhall's personal collection, normally only offers tours during Sacramento's Second Saturday Art Walks, but owner Newhall opened his doors to around 30 members as a part of the society's monthly meeting. As an example of one of Sacramento's low points in music and a nod to how far the city has come, the talk opened with a story of the cancellation of Lou Reed's show at the Memorial Auditorium after being oversold by just two rows. While t