Art, Culture & Media Image

Santa Cruz County Art, Culture & Media Digest



Santa Cruz County Fair Theme Announced

03/14/2024

In a celebration of the old and the new the theme of the upcoming Santa Cruz County Fair September 11-14 will be "Pioneer Days and Modern Ways."

Photos: The Day the Presses Stopped Running | a Farewell to the Los Angeles Times Olympic Plant

03/11/2024

The March 11 edition of the Los Angeles Times print edition will be its last at the Los Angeles Times Olympic printing plant in Los Angeles.

The One Thing Reporters and Members Must Fight For

02/07/2024

Journalism and democracy are undeniably intertwined. As the late media critic James Carey put it, “No journalism, no democracy; but, equally, no democracy, no journalism.”

UC Merced to Feature on ‘The College Tour’ Show

02/07/2024

UC Merced will be highlighted on an Amazon Prime show that showcases universities around the world.

Jim Phillips Documentary to be Screened at Santa Barbara Film Festival

02/06/2024

"Art and Life: The Story of Jim Phillips," directed by John Edward Makens, tells the story of Jim Phillips, a graphic artist who has left his imprint throughout Santa Cruz and beyond.

Despite Disbanding in 1995, Grateful Dead Make Billboard History

02/05/2024

The Grateful Dead have broken the record for the most Top 40 albums to chart on the Billboard 200.

Was L.A.’s Ellen Beach Yaw the Proto-Taylor Swift?

02/05/2024

She toured the world wowing audiences, and she captured the public’s imagination for decades. No, not Taylor Swift; Ellen Beach Yaw, also known as Lark Ellen.

James Dean Made His Last Stop at This Lonely Gas Station

02/01/2024

James Dean’s last stop before he died in a car crash was at Blackwell’s Corner, a gas station in rural Kern County. His memory isn’t the draw it once was.

Space Shuttle Endeavour Takes Final Position as Star of New Museum

01/30/2024

A shrink-wrapped Endeavour was hoisted and then carefully placed in its final location at the still-under-construction Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

Gov. Newsom’s Budget Proposal Calls for Expanding Arts Ed Pathway

01/28/2024

The proposal aims to help working artists become arts teachers in elementary schools.

Collapse of California’s News Industry Is So Severe It’ll Require Taxpayer Support to Rebuild

01/25/2024

A combination of tax credits, revenue sharing and coupons could bring stability, writes Steven Waldman, president of Rebuild Local News.

UCSC Faculty Hoping for New Online Creative Technologies Major

01/12/2024

UC Santa Cruz will provide a ”first of its kind” bachelor of arts in Creative Technologies beginning in fall 2024.

Pasadena Named Travel Destination for 2024 by NY Times

01/09/2024

Pasadena is the only California city named a travel destination for 2024 by The New York Times. This comes despite the Los Angeles-area city being just the 45th-largest city in the state.

Audacy Bankruptcy Could Impact Six Bay Area Radio Stations

01/08/2024

Philadelphia-based Audacy, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $1.9 billion in debts, owns six radio stations in the Bay Area. These include 95.7 The Game, KCBS and 102.1 Jams.

Local Author Explores Childhood Guilt, Forgiveness in New Novel ‘Poor Deer’

01/05/2024

Although childhood is often considered the most innocent time in a person's life, not all memories are rosy.

American Graffiti is Back: Cruising Now Legal Again in California, But So Are Speed Cameras

12/27/2023

Under new state laws, five cities will test cameras to catch speeding drivers and cruising bans will be lifted statewide. The first is supposed to improve road safety, but critics of the second say it will endanger the public.

California Presses Universities to Return Thousands of Native American Remains and Artifacts to Local Tribes

12/25/2023

State audits of the University of California and the California State University found both systems have failed to comply with decades-old state and federal laws mandating the return of Native ancestral remains and cultural artifacts. Only UCLA and Cal State Long Beach have returned a majority of their collections.

A New Christmas Song Comes Courtesy of Aptos Church

12/20/2023

Those looking for holiday cheer can push play on “Good News Great Joy” from Twin Lakes Church. The tune can be heard on Spotify, iTunes and other streaming sites.

Graphic Novel by Reverberations Books Depicts Plight of Puma

12/12/2023

A new graphic novel by Santa Cruz’s Reverberations Books, “Tales of the Urban Wild: A Puma’s Journey,” depicts the life cycle of pumas, the challenges they face and what people can do to help.

Santa Cruz Couple Writes Book on Life Story, Miracles Experienced

12/11/2023

For the past 48 years, Barry and Joyce Vissell have been devoted to helping other people through their nonprofit, The Shared Heart Foundation.

Nonprofit Manager, Director Named Santa Cruz Shakespeare Managing Director

12/08/2023

In “As You Like It,” Jacques famously proclaims, “One man in his time plays many parts.” That is certainly true of Lorne Dechtenberg, who has served as a musician, nonprofit director and music director.

Christmas at Closter Park

12/04/2023

Christmas at Closter Park returns to Salinas for its third year with different family activities live performances, arts and crafts, real snow and raffled Christmas trees, which sponsors decorate and donate.

Creative Architecture Thrives in Los Angeles

11/20/2023

With its hilly terrain, parts of Los Angeles aren’t always the easiest to build in. But that didn’t stop an architect from building a unique structure in Silver Lake.

Tribute to Late Folk Singer Mary McCaslin, Pajaro Fundraiser Scheduled Dec. 3

11/19/2023

The Rotary Club of Freedom has assembled a group of local musicians to pay tribute to the beloved once-local folk singer while also raising funds for Pajaro flood victims.

Retired Journalist Peggy Townsend Is Living the Novelist’s Life

11/02/2023

Former Santa Cruz Sentinel writer Peggy Townsend has shifted her storytelling skills to the realm of fiction. Her latest novel, “The Beautiful and the Wild.” draws from her experiences as a journalist.

A Major California Paper That’s Now Alden-Owned Might Be Dying

10/31/2023

The San Diego Union-Tribune, which has operated for 154 years, sold to controversial Alden Global Capital last year. It’s not looking great for the paper’s future.

Remembering Robert Irwin: Influential Artist Dies at 95

10/30/2023

Robert Irwin, an artist and MacArthur genius grant recipient, died in San Diego at 95 on Oct. 25. Michael Govan, who heads the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, offers a colorful retrospective on Irwin's work.

Food, Race, Empacadoras, and Everything in Between

10/27/2023

Looking at a dearth of accessible textbooks reflecting the diversity of Chicano/Latino/Mexican American/Latinx lives, two local professors set out to write one.

California State Parks and Partners Launch ‘Arts in California Parks’ Program

10/26/2023

Through this new program, artists, culture bearers, and California Native American tribes will be eligible to receive funding to create artwork throughout state and local parks.

Graphic Novel Illustrates Plight of Mountain Lions

10/20/2023

Written by Center for Biological Diversity scientist Tiffany Yap and illustrated by artist Meital Smith, “Tales of the Urban Wild: A Puma’s Journey” takes the reader through diverse habitats, across busy freeways and inside science labs to learn about one mountain lion’s survival story.

Novelist Offers Supernatural Twist on Capitola Village’s Devastating Winter Storm

10/19/2023

“A Dark and Rising Tide,” the latest novel from former KION-TV news director Debra Castaneda, is directly inspired by Capitola’s experience with the Storm of ’23.

Ambassa’s U.S Debut Calls Out Caste

10/14/2023

Dust rises from the crowd dancing at the front of the stage. They mimic the dances of Arivu, the main performer of the night, chanting Tamil lyrics along with the performers.

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