230 Gault Street

Santa Cruz

Since early in the 20th century there has been a library on the east side of Santa Cruz. At first it was in the Seabright area, but in 1913 the city obtained Carnegie funds to build a new facility and it was decided to build the new library in the triangle park where Water Street and Soquel Avenue fork off at Morrissey.

World War I put a damper on the plans, but after the war they were revived. Architect William Weeks designed a bracked bungalow reminiscent of some Eastside farm houses, and construction began in September 1920, with opening in September 1921. Total cost of the project was about $4,500; community donations and fundraisers covered the portion exceeding the $3,000 Carnegie grant.

That facility served the Eastside well for more than 40 years, but by the 1950s, funding cutbacks and problems with the site led the city to move forward on a new and larger facility. In November 1964 voters approved a bond measure that included funds to build a new library on Gault Street.

Plans for the facility were drawn up by the firm of Spencer, Lee and Busse, who incorporated elements of Frank Lloyd Wright’s techniques to blend styles of an alpine lodge and adobe. Roy Rydell, the premier landscaper in Santa Cruz, designed the grounds, and the new library opened Oct. 8, 1967 during the Branciforte Days festival. It was at that time that the name was changed from Eastside Branch to Branciforte Library.

In 1974 the Santa Cruz Genealogical Society agreed to leave its library materials and a reader/printer at the branch, thus making that information more broadly accessible to the general public. That collection was eventually moved to the Central Branch in 1991.

The Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989 caused no serious structural damage to the library, but a fair amount of the shelving had to be replaced or re-anchored. Branciforte continues to be a busy and well-used branch of the system.

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

230 Gault Street

Santa Cruz

Hey scholars! The Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries invite you to end the silence in our libraries with us and Poet Laureate David Swanger. At this after-hours event, we’ll honor our libraries’ tutoring program. To ensure that all students in need can visit their library after school, get your ticket today! $15 online, $20 at the door. Purchase in advance: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/391973 The Wine in the Stacks evening will include a reading by Poet Laureate David Swanger, an interactive photo booth, and of course wine and light appetizers!

Join us at our first event to end the silence at the library. Make a donation in honor of one of featured reader David Swanger’s favorite programs today to keep SCPL’s tutoring program going: http://fscpl.org/donate/

224 Church St

Santa Cruz

Children’s section of Santa Cruz’s Downtown Public Library

Fashion Animal ABC’s by NIna Lutz

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

224 Church St

Santa Cruz

“Fashion Animal ABC’s” by Nina Lutz

Art Exhibition on the children’s floor of the Downtown Public Library

June, July and August

Opening reception (and art activity) Friday, June 7th, 4-6p.m.

Artist and Santa Cruz High School graduate Nina Lutz will be exhibiting her newly published book and original illustrations, as well as other illustrations and paintings. Nina created “Fashion Animal ABC’s” after being diagnosed with bone cancer last May. She drew and painted her way through intensive chemotherapy and surgeries. Her book is a fundraiser for Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and the donations go to childhood cancer research. She has already raised $2,000. Nina wrapped up treatment this spring and will be attending UCLA next fall with a scholarship. The works exhibited are a manifestation of her creativity, sense of humor, and perserverance.

719 Swift Street, 56-A

Santa Cruz

Greenspace is an eco-friendly home decor showroom located off of Swift Street on the westside. (Across from Kelly’s Bakery)

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

719 Swift Street, 56-A

Santa Cruz

Greenspace Eco-Friendly home decor showroom is featuring the work of multiple mixed media artists this month. Addie Rementer and Giorgia Siriaco will be displaying their brand new CLAY PAINT PAINTINGS– modern botanic geometric paintings on wood and canvas. Sasha Wylde will be showing a collection of steel etched prints and there will be other surprise artists as well– including a metal worker.  Please join us for our FIRST EVER First Friday!

106 Lincoln Street

Santa Cruz

We are a unique family-owned tasting room and retail boutique specializing in the freshest, highest-quality boutique extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar from around the world. Experience a broad selection of estate-produced and award-winning olive oils, as well as naturally flavored and fused olive oils and the finest traditionally aged and naturally flavored balsamic vinegars, all at an affordable price. Our complimentary tasting is encouraged and our friendly, knowledgeable staff is ready to help you make your own blend or choose one of our favorites. Stop by and try as many extra virgin olive oils as you like; they represent extraordinary examples of fresh, unique quality and value impossible to duplicate in traditional supermarket brands.

6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

106 Lincoln Street

Santa Cruz

Evelyn Jenkins Drew is a fifth generation California artist. She studied at San Jose State University in California , receiving a bachelors’ degree in art in 1980. Evelyn paints bright and colorful “beachy” scenes with turquoise water and banana trees and palms that evoke the warmth of the tropical breezes of the Caribbean , California , Hawaii , and Mexico . Her art is about good times in fun places with old cars such as beautiful woodies and Volkswagen buses. In 2011 she was invited to have a show at the Murphy Auto Museum in Oxnard.

Among her local awards are two Capitola Art and Wine posters, five Capitola Begonia Festival posters, a 2004 Wharf  to Wharf  Race poster and a 2011 Woodies on the Wharf poster.

Evelyn licenses art for posters, cards, metal signs, and wine labels, etc. Her art has been chosen for North Light Book’s Splash 10: The best of Watercolor. She is a long time participant in the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County’s annual Open Studio Art Tour and her work has been collected internationally including in England , Canada , the Caribbean Islands , South Africa , Mexico and Trinidad . 

She and her husband Terry have lived in the sailing, surfing and beach culture of Santa Cruz , California for many years. They now spend four months each winter traveling on their sailboat in the Caribbean where she paints while her husband does his boat projects. During the summer and fall she exhibits in the Capitola Art and Wine Festival in September and other juried art festivals including in Los Altos, Menlo Park, and Palo Alto.

Evelyn Jenkins Drew

285 Water Street, Unit B

Santa Cruz

Finding new artists, pairing collectors with new pieces, creating and producing new works, and providing professional installation services.

Exploring how individual artworkaffects the world around it. And being consistently passionate, loving, and consumed in doing so.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

285 Water Street, Unit B

Santa Cruz

What is Weed Museum?

A collaboration between Artists for Weed Reform “AFWR” and Art Research Office to present a complex commentary on the deep-rooted influences of marijuana usage.

What is the artwork like?

Each piece of art will present an unique perspective of a culture caught between the balance of rebellion and reform. There are a handful of different works by different artists – some political, some lighthearted and humorous – always leveraging the physical aspects of interactive media.

Who is AFWR?

An anonymous organization made up of local artists devoted to creating art that is focused on the marijuana lifestyle.

What is the goal of this show?

The goal is to let the work speak for itself — outside of the idea of celebrity.  This series of works is specifically about perception, and how that can change based on agenda and vantage point. It’s also about using the gallery space as a forum for discussion and community, which is the core function of art.

The team at Art Research Office is encouraging AFWR to tell their story exactly as they wish, and will respect their anonymity.

When is the show?

Weed Museum opens to the public on June 7th from 6pm – 10pm during Downtown’s First Friday event.  It is located at 285 Water Street, Unit B. Santa Cruz, California 95060.

Weekday hours will be posted at the showing, and appointments can always be made by contacting mark@artreasearchoffice.com.

Will there be marijuana consumed at the show?

This is an art exhibition, not a smokeout.

Should I get baked before I attend the show?

To each his own.