The cool breeze that swept through Sacramento Wednesday was perfectly timed with the first Brown Bag Art Chat hosted by the Crocker Art Museum in partnership with the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. More than 25 art admirers gathered on the corner of 3rd and P streets to discuss Roger Berry’s steel sculpture, “Eclipse.” The outdoor lunchtime discussion was led by Christian Adame, the museum’s manager of lifelong learning. Adame said the event had two main goals. “We want people to get involved with the museum while we’re closed (for renovation),” Adame said. “But we also want people to really slow down and look at a piece of art.” “Eclipse” is a curved sculpture located on the

Let the countdown begin for the second annual LAUNCH, Sacramento’s indie design and music festival. The one-night showcase features runway fashion, architecture, live music, furniture design and an array of other art forms all in one location: the Artisan multipurpose art venue on Del Paso Blvd. Planning of the festival started more than two years ago with a group of friends passionate about two things: art and Sacramento. “There’s a different side of Sacramento than most people think,” said Michael Hargis, the event’s coordinator. “A lot of creative people want to go other places.” Hargis and his team set out to represent the local art scene while also bringing in talent from other par

Every Friday evening this summer, up-and-coming local artists present their latest pieces at Mix Downtown’s The Gallery. Friday’s happy-hour event featured painter Mariana Alvarez. In 2006, Sacramento native Alvarez graduated from California State University, Chico, and moved into a white-walled apartment. “My landlord said I couldn’t paint the walls,” she said. “But I couldn’t stand the stark white.” Alvarez, who had never taken an art class before, decided to buy a few canvasses and brighten up her house with some original pieces. A few friends noticed the paintings, which encouraged her to take her art to the next level. “I started to call different nightclubs to see if I could show

All the world’s a stage at the Sacramento Theatre Company’s 2010 summer camp. STC is currently hosting its eighth annual program for children in first through ninth grades. From improvisation to audition techniques, scene study to puppetry, students are able to learn about theater life from all angles. Jeremy Gray first attended the camp in 2005. “I was a nervous, prepubescent boy,” Gray said, explaining his initial apprehension with the stage. “But the camp really introduces you to theater and focuses on stage presence.” Now Gray is a dedicated actor in STC’s Young Professionals Conservatory, a rigorous theater training program for middle and high school students. Gray is also an inte

Genelle Chaconas remembers the first time she read poetry in public quite vividly. It was a few years ago at Luna’s Poetry Unplugged open mic. “I was shaking head to foot,” she said. “A fire truck blared past, three lines into my poem, and someone from the crowd shouted, ‘Start over!’ I thought I was going to just disappear.” After a timid finish, the audience erupted in rowdy applause. Chaconas decided to speak with the host, longtime Sacramento poet B.L. Kennedy. “That’s how I got to know B.L. Nobody else knows more about what’s going on artistically in Sacramento,” she said. Three years later, Chaconas is organizing her own reading at Beatnik Studios. Along with Charlene Ungstad, Ke