The Quilt
Here are some images.
Cinematic Journey: Bill Raney’s Book
In 1967-68 Nickelodeon Theater founder Bill Raney took off in a VW van – with his wife JoAnne and their infant son, Zerky — for a year of quintessential hippie adventures around the world. Literally. From Portugal to Greece to Afghanistan to Thailand, with pitstops everywhere in between.
During the journey, Bill started writing letters to his little boy about the trio’s daily foibles and sweet moments, so that when Zerky grew up he would have a record of this amazing journey. But Zerky would never read those letters.
The following year – 1969 – Bill had just opened the new art theater in Santa Cruz, when both JoAnne and Zerky died. After 36 years stuffed into a back drawer, the letters Bill wrote were recently re-discovered and in a heroic labor of love (I’m still in tears over his introduction to the book), Bill published his chronicles as a legacy to his lost son.
The result – briskly edited from Bill’s letters and his late wife’s diary of the trip – is the rugged, fascinating, and ultimately almost unbelievable account of a year that couldn’t ever be repeated today.
Letters to Zerky will be unveiled at a kick-off book talk and event at the Nick, at 11am on Easter Sunday, April 12. Go find out that there was a whole lot more to the crusty movie maven than simply a crewcut and a few velour shirts.
Assemblage @ Santa Cruz Art League
A particularly juicy collection of eye candy loaded with intriguing psychological backstory – that’s the current Assemblage + Collage show filling the vintage digs of the Santa Cruz Art League, at 526 Broadway. The Art League’s installment of this multi-venue show — it’s pretty much all over town in selected galleries and museum spaces — was curated by Maureen Davidson and offers a sensory overload of professional artworks. Gorgeous stuff actually, utterly ingenious, some haunting, others displaying uncanny expertise with found and manipulated media.
We loved the work of laura laura – whose piquant mannikin “fountain” is shown here.
Strong and compelling, the show fills the Art League galleries through April 5. Don’t miss it!
Santa Cruz Art League: 831/426-5787 – Wed-Sat, noon-5; Sun, noon-4.
CSI: a loveletter
Who knows why I came so late to this juicy forensic party. But I’m definitely in the game now. Was it the intensely focused, true grit face of Gary Sinise that sucked me in? Partly. Was it the collage of digitized blood cells cross-cut with two or three up close and personal autopsies? Yup. It was also the cast (I’m talkin’ the NY version now) of attractively weary cops and coroners who swipe the bodily fluids, chase the slimeballs and celebrate, briefly, over their laptops before hunting the bad guys, ex-wives and drug lord scumbags all over again.
I adore these people – and it’s possible that I love the forensic nerds, dominatrices, and haggard detectives of the CSI Las Vegas branch even more. I even got my mom turned onto Sinise and his angry Boy Scout looks — as she reminded me, “there’s nothing wrong with watching a bunch of cute guys.”
So naturally I was so totally bent out of shape when my resident guy remarked, way too casually, that the show was “just a formula.” (more…)
Winfield Gallery
Arthur Osver’s The Return – on exhibit at Winfield Gallery.
Jewelry Sensations @ UCSC Holiday Craft Sale – Dec. 5
These sensational designer earrings fashioned of hammered gold-filled wire with freshwater pearls and crystals — made by Kate Coburn — are among the gorgeous handmade items available at this Friday’s noontime sale. Coburn’s earrings and necklaces, crafted of gemstones and precious metals, will be on sale at this rare event – so do not miss out! These accessories make memorable holiday gifts (although I recommend buying a few for yourself too).
The UCSC Women at Work Holiday Craft Sale, Friday, December 5, 11:30 – 1:30, happens at the Stevenson Event Center. 10% of sales will benefit the W@W Scholarship Fund. Expect to find major bargains for spectacular one-of-a-kind arts, jewelry and craft items. Checks and cash only.
Inside the Flame
A book of sensory adventure: The rituals, passions and discoveries of an engaged life.