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

It started more than 50 years ago as a fraternity drinking game and has evolved into a central event at house parties and bars across the country. Beer pong is a rising American pastime and the top team hails from Sacramento. Last month, roommates Michael Seivert and Byron Findley won the World Beer Pong Tour Championship in Atlantic City. Their two-man team, Drinkin', Smokin', Straight West Coastin', qualified for the event in April when the tour came through Sacramento. Beer pong, or Beruit, is a table-top game with triangular arrangements of Solo drinking cups, traditionally filled halfway with beer, on each end. Teams face off on both sides of the table, aiming to sink a ping-pong ba

Local homeless transition and recovery organization Cottage Housing Incorporated will celebrate its 15th year Wednesday with a fundraising celebration entitled "Beacon of Hope" at the Crest Theatre. The event will include and evening of reflection, entertainment and launch the program's Home Run! initiative. CHI President and CEO Robert Tobin has been deeply involved with Sacramento's homeless community throughout the past 10 years. "Homelessness is a symptom of larger systemic issues within our society," Tobin said. "Increasing challenges within our educational and medical systems affect some people more than others." To aid individuals and families in need, CHI opened its first living

Chocolate lovers gathered for their sugar high Saturday morning for a course in cupcake creation hosted by Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates. The class was taught by owner and world-renowned chocolatier Ginger Elizabeth Hahn. Students meet in front of the L Street retail store and filed across the street to a penthouse kitchen classroom in the 1818 L Lofts. Getting a spot in the class was highly competitive. Within 24 hours of the class' announcement, Hahn said the 35 seats were filled. A second afternoon class was added to accommodate wait-listed students and was filled within hours. In the end, more than 60 people were turned away. "I couldn't wait to see if my friends wanted to take the cl

For the second month in a row, Sacramento Poetry Center's summertime reading "Hot Poetry in the Park" had to relocate from Freemont Park back to their headquarters on the corner of 25th and R streets. For May's reading, the move indoors was due to poor weather, but technical difficulties and transportation were at fault this time. Even with the last-minute change of plans, the event still showcased incredible talent to an eager audience. The night was hosted by Trina Drotar, the new managing editor of SPC's literary magazine, "Poetry Now." Featured reader was local poet Keely Sadira Dorran. Dorran has played an integral role in the poetry community in Sacramento for more than 15 years bu

Around 80 women shuffled into the California Museum Thursday night with overflowing bags in tow. The baggage wasn't credited to a long day of shopping, but rather the beginning of a long night of swapping. The Diva Eve Clothing Swap was a eco-friendly evening of fashion, beauty and philanthropy, benefiting St. John's Shelter for Women and Children. Seventeen years ago, Clothing Swap founder Suzanne Agasi invited three close friends over for a wardrobe exchange experiment. Guests cleaned out their closets and poured their belongings into Agasi's Walnut Creek studio apartment. The evening was informal and intimate as the women picked through each other's clothing and donated the leftovers

Cummerbunds, up-dos and corsages were all the rage at the Park Ultra Lounge for Friday night's "Prom at the Park." The second annual event benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sacramento was hosted by its Young Professionals Committee. The patio was decorated with balloons, making the atmosphere reminiscent of a teen-age dance. But the scene was far from a high school gym covered in streamers. The lighting was romantic and since the crowd was 21-plus, the drinks were spiked. Antonya Williams has been a Big Sister for two years and involved with the YPC since its inception eighteen months ago. The idea for an adult prom came from her Little Sister, who was struggling to graduate from hi

The "City of Trees" just got a little bit greener. RecycleBank, a nationwide recycling incentive program, launched a pilot program May 24 in the South Meadowview neighborhood. Participants earn points for their neighborhoods recycling properly. Blue recycling containers often line the streets, but Jessica Hess of the Department of Utilities said they're often not used correctly. "There is a high amount of contamination," she said. "Many residents use the blue (recycling) containers for their extra garbage." Contamination occurs when nonrecyclable or unclean items are placed in recycling containers. When sorted, these items are taken to a landfill, which costs money and hurts the environ

It's time to stock up on Binaca and cherry lip balm.  Spit will be swapped and tongues may get tied at Sacramento Comedy Spot's upcoming stunt "Operation: Biggest Make Out Ever."  The event will take place during Second Saturday in front of the MARRS Building on 20th Street between J and K.   Couples, strangers, and friends with benefits are invited to gather around a giant white 'X' which will be painted in the middle of the street at 8 p.m.   Then a love song will initiate the slobberfest.  As the music begins, participants will embrace a partner and kiss for the duration of the song.  The crowd is asked to treat the event like an unexpected flash-mob by not puckering up prior to the mu

Downtown Sacramento was a blur of baby blue T-shirts Saturday during the 2nd Annual Race for the Rock. More than 250 two-member teams competed for bling in the scavenger hunt, in which clues were sent via text message. The grand prize was a $20,000 Hearts on Fire diamond ring donated by Rogers Jewelry. Proceeds benefited Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services (SFBFS). Unlike many other nonprofit fund raisers, donors got the ball rolling, not the charity. "We wanted to do something that brought the community together and where people could have a good time," said Calvin Curtin of Rogers Jewelry. After deciding to do a scavenger hunt, Rogers chose SFBFS as its community partner. "We tol

A crowd of more than 500 Henry Rollins fans poured into the Crest Theatre on Thursday to hear the punk rock frontman turned spoken-word madman spill his opinions about the world. The audience ranged from teenage to old age, from followers of Rollins' former band, Black Flag, to people who simply had seen him as a commentator on VH1's "I Love the '80's." Whether a diehard fan or just curious, no one was guessing what Rollins' would say or do once he took the stage. Dressed in black pants, a fitted T-shirt and skateboarding shoes, the tattooed Rollins grabbed the microphone vigorously at 8 p.m. sharp. Throughout his two hour and 45-minute set, the 49-year-old kept the same level of intensit

"Great cities deserve great art," Mayor Kevin Johnson said as he addressed an audience of 400 Thursday night at Sacramento State's University Theatre. The occasion was the final monthly meeting of the For Art's Sake initiative, an effort to revitalize the arts in Sacramento. Good Day Sacramento's Mark S. Allen hosted the event. The main objective of the evening was the unveiling of the organization's Creative Action Plan, a detailed guideline to invigorate the local art scene over the next four years. The three central goals of the plan are as follows: to strengthen cultural infrastructure, improve access to the arts and arts education and invest in talent and the creative economy. At th

Around twenty-five eager writers gathered at 5th and H Cafe Wednesday night for Sacramento Press' Interviewing Techniques Workshop. The audience included Sacramento Press community contributors and interns as well as career writers looking to strengthen their interviewing skills. Pizza and pasta salad were provided as well as an array of beverages. The event was taught by Sacramento City College English and journalism professor Doug Herndon. Herndon used a metaphor to emphasize the role of a good interview in the process of writing a story: "(Writing a story) is like cooking a meal. It's all in the ingredients." The workshop began with the audience jotting down a few questions which the

More than 4,000 people gathered Sunday at Soil Born Farms' 40-acre American River Ranch for the second annual "Day on the Farm." The family-oriented festival celebrates farming and gardening and emphasizes the importance of eating locally grown food. Along with tours, classes, music and a farmers market, 35 community organizations passed out information on healthy living and being conscious of the environment. The day began with the "Veggie Chase," a 5K run in which children chased runners dressed as giant vegetables. Other physical-fitness possibilities included rock climbing, yoga, martial arts and an obstacle course. There were offerings for the mind as well as the body, with classes

More than 400 Harvey Milk admirers gathered Wednesday night at the Crest Theatre to watch the 2008 biopic "Milk." The event, entitled "Milk and Cookies," was part of a celebratory week leading up to the inaugural "Harvey Milk Day," which will take place Saturday. In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Fransisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man elected to public office in a major U.S. city. He was a leader in the gay rights movement and was murdered on Nov. 27, 1978. Last October, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed S.B. 572, establishing the day of remembrance to take place every May 22, Milk's birthday. The evening started with a VIP reception where milk and co

Due to Monday's gray skies and chilly breezes, Sacramento Poetry Center's series "Hot Poetry in the Park" had to move indoors.  Originally scheduled for Fremont Park, the reading was transferred to the organization's hub on the corner of 25th and R streets. With some of the audience lost in transition, the show went on for a crowd of a dozen.  The featured acts included Boston-based touring duo Carrie Rudzinski and April Ranger. Currently halfway through their American Northwest tour entitled "A History of Silence," the poets both said they've had an amazing time so far. "The train ride from Portland to (Sacramento) was unbelievable," Rudzinski said.  "The scenery here is awesome." Both