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San Benito County Art, Culture & Media Articles



Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Gilroyan prepares for San Francisco exhibit

Gilroy artist Steven Pattie is featured in a new solo exhibition at the San Francisco Zen Center. Titled “Perambulations in Words, Art, and Spirituality: The Art of Steven Pattie,” the exhibit features Pattie’s recent photographs, paintings, words and constructions. Pattie …

Image caption: New legislation will impose penalties on local school boards that ban books for covering issues of diversity.
New California Bill Slaps Back at School Book Bans

California will penalize school boards that ban books based on inclusion of certain groups under a bill the governor is expected to sign into law. But some fear unintended consequences.

Image caption: Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to wait for more information before signing a bill that would remove TikTok from most state smartphones.
Newsom Halts TikTok Ban, App to Stay on State Phones

A bipartisan bill to prohibit TikTok on state phones is shelved until 2024. It had breezed through the state Legislature, but the authors want to tweak the measure. It's the latest social media regulation to get stalled in California.

SanBenitocom logo LOCAL NEWS
Applications now open for Arts Express Grant Program

The San Benito County Arts Council is seeking applications for its 2023 Arts Express Grant Program. The goal of the Arts Express Grant Program is to promote artistic and cultural engagement, accessibility, equity and diversity in San Benito County. Local …

SanBenitocom logo LOCAL NEWS
Local Scene: San Benito Oriana Chorale searches for singers

Chorale searching for singers The San Benito Oriana Chorale is searching for singers for its fall season. All voices are welcome, and no auditions are required. Rehearsals begin Aug. 28, and are held at Christ Fellowship Church, 2066 San Benito …

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
New murals celebrated in downtown Gilroy alley

Two massive murals were unveiled Aug. 18 on Railroad Alley, part of an effort to revitalize downtown with vibrant colors in a highly visible corridor for train passengers. The works, located on the alleyway between Martin and Lewis streets, were …

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Local Scene: Downtown Gilroy murals to be unveiled

Downtown murals to be unveiled 6th Street Studios and Art Center, MANOS and the Gilroy Foundation will unveil two murals on Aug. 18 that were completed during a Youth Mentorship program early this summer. The murals, located on Railroad Alley …

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Pintello Comedy Theater’s encore season continues with ‘Pumpboys and Dinettes’

For its 20th anniversary season, Pintello Comedy Theater is digging deep into its archives of more than 80 shows to bring back its audience favorites from over the years. “Pumpboys and Dinettes,” which got all ages laughing and rocking to …

Image caption: Rip Off Press, once located in San Francisco's Sunset District and now headquartered in Auburn, was part of a movement that blossomed in California.
Graphic Content

Comics may have been born in New York, but they came of age in California. And there’s more to the story than San Francisco comix.

Image caption: Dramatic coastal views, barren deserts, a lush Central Valley, and multiple mountain ranges allow California to emulate many spots around the globe.
California Plays Itself

The Golden State has masqueraded as everything from the Sahara Desert to the Swiss Alps. But which films best capture the real California?

SanBenitocom logo LOCAL NEWS
Free Comic Book Day offers something for everyone

Bill’s Bullpen in downtown Hollister is one of thousands of comic book shops around the world that will participate in Free Comic Book Day on May 6. “Free Comic Book Day is a great event for the whole community,” said …

Metro Silicon Valley logo LOCAL NEWS
Poppy Jasper International Film Festival Opens in South County

Sometimes people ask Mattie Scariot if she is Poppy Jasper. She is not. She is, however, the director of the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival. For one week each spring, PJIFF turns humble little Morgan Hill and the greater South …

Metro Silicon Valley logo LOCAL NEWS
Chicano Film Icon Lupe Valdez Honored With Icon Award

Lupe Valdez says she never tried to be at the forefront of anything. “But at this point in my life, I’ve stopped saying no to a lot of things.” For over five decades, the San Juan Bautista-based playwright-actress-costume diseñadora has …

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Gilroy concert lives to see another Day on the Ridge

Day on the Ridge, a popular benefit rock concert held at a home in the Eagle Ridge community, is back after a three-year pandemic-related hiatus. To celebrate its return on May 28, organizers hosted a party at the Milias Restaurant …

SanBenitocom logo LOCAL NEWS
Jennifer Laine honored as Assembly District 29 Woman of the Year

Hollister resident Jennifer Laine—who has had a lifelong passion for art and creativity and dedicated her career to arts advocacy—was honored this week as the 2023 Woman of the Year for the 29th Assembly District. Assemblymember Robert Rivas, who represents …

SanBenitocom logo LOCAL NEWS
Local Scene: Bach to Blues; Community Solutions gala

Bach to Blues Concert returns March 18 The Bach to Blues Concert returns to the Gavilan College Theater on March 18 at 7:30pm. Bach to Blues is a fundraising concert that showcases faculty, students and local talent. This year's guest …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
Balers get creative in upcoming art show

Students at Hollister High School are drawing up plans in preparation for an art show designed to help art students prepare for their finals. The show, titled “Forest of Mind” will feature over 100 works of art—from scientific illustrations and …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
Crave Wine Bar celebrates new look

A champagne reception was held at Crave Wine Bar & Shop on Feb. 28 to celebrate the completion of a mural depicting a vineyard silhouetted against a mountain range. Guests including Hollister Mayor Mia Casey, Grillin & Chillin Alehouse owner …

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California's library system dates back 171 years.
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California has gone from one library to more than 1,100 in the last 171 years.
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