First Friday Santa Cruz
Into the Waters of Empowerment
by Bree Karpavage Circles. Raindrops. The four directions. The river meets the ocean meets the clouds. Facing the San Lorenzo River from the River Front Parking Garage is one of Santa Cruz’s newest public art pieces, an expansive mosaic mural telling the story of...
Totally Artrageous
by Bree Karpavage Colorful and illustrative, the newest addition to the Capitola Mall, Artrageous, features the collective flavor of eight local Santa Cruz street artists. Brands like Jimbo Phillips, Made Fresh Crew, Rugged Coast and Lemon Tree have taken over this...
Indexical’s Founder Finds a New Stage
by Bree Karpavage Indexical’s journey began in 2011 in a converted chapel in Brooklyn, NY as a hub for experimental music and those who love to play it. Founder and Executive Director Andrew Smith and a handful of friends saw the need for a space dedicated to...
Something Old, Something New
by Bree Karpavage Archways, stained glass, bricks, white walls, metalwork, and a sculpture garden. A culmination of materials comprising a quirky old building in the heart of Downtown Santa Cruz, the Felix Kulpa Gallery. Perhaps the oldest gallery in Santa Cruz, over...
Sights & Sounds of Public Art
by Bree Karpavage Twenty-four rotating stainless steel arms give voice to the spring breeze, expressing a soothing tinkering sound along the walkway at the Tannery Arts Center. Looking up, this magnificent kinetic sculpture created by Moto Ohtake stands proudly in the...
FashionTeens – A Platform for Santa Cruz Youth
by Bree Karpavage This winter over 50 teens from seven schools around the county were busy envisioning and creating unique outfits inspired by social justice, climate awareness, recycling and other impactful issues for a special youth centered runway show at the Rio...
In the Liminal
by Bree Karpavage Liminal space - a time between what was and what’s next. A fitting name for the creative project unfolding over at the Westside’s Circle Church. A vision of founder, Weston Mossman, his series of immersive art events “Northern Lights” and...
Flowers in the Sand
by Bree Karpavage Walking along the cliffs above Panther beach, Brighton Denevan’s sand mandala stands out with an almost ancient energy. What appears to be mounds of sand in a circle, is actually a carefully thought out work of art, circles and radiating lines in the...
On the Road to Open Studios
by Bree Karpavage The roads were diverse and the artists were many as we ventured out on the North County Open Studios Art Tour last Sunday. Meandering through the traffic of Downtown, Midtown and the Westside, the wild open road of the north coast and the switchbacks...
Curated – Downtown’s Newest Gallery Inspires
The Great Morgani at Curated's Opening Reception for "Exhibitionist." by Bree Karpavage In August of 2020 in the midst of the pandemic and a bit under the radar, local gallery curator, Melissa Kreisa opened Santa Cruz’s newest white wall gallery, Curated. Located at...
The Tannery Arts Center – A First Friday Destination
by Maha Taitano As First Friday reopens in venues across Santa Cruz county this year, keep an eye out for the happenings at the Tannery Arts Center. Artist studios and galleries are reopening post pandemic and creating a First Friday experience full of fresh...
Radius Gallery Director Ann Hazels on Experiential Art, Courageous Artists, and First Friday at the Tannery
By: Molly Ressler Photo by RR Jones Ann Hazels, Director of Radius Gallery at the Tannery Arts Center, isn’t afraid to host shows that spill off the walls and onto the floor. She’s not afraid to display art that incites a visceral reaction, igniting passionate...
Remembering Angelo Grova
By Molly Ressler Angelo Grova was an accomplished artist across mediums, from bronze casting and stonework to painting and fashion. He was a trailblazer within the Santa Cruz artist community and a dedicated teacher who devoted the lion’s share of his time and energy...
R. Blitzer Gallery: Redefining Westside’s Wrigley Building as a HotSpot for the Arts
By: Molly Ressler The walk from Mission St. to the entrance of R. Blitzer Gallery takes you down a maze of art-lined hallways in the Westside’s old Wrigley Building. The gum factory shut down production back in 1997, but when artist and gallery owner Robert Blitzer...
Megan Gnekow: Wildlife Conservation Through Art
Photo courtesy of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History As a scientific illustrator inspired by her home state, Megan Gnekow’s watercolors and drawings star the diversity of plants and wildlife here in California. She’s spent weeks closely observing the habits of...
Stripe Stores: Nurturing Creative Community Through Design, Fashion, and First Friday
On First Friday, there’s guaranteed to be an energized crowd mingling over cocktails and the latest exhibit at Stripe and Stripe MEN in downtown Santa Cruz. Fashion-forward baby boomers rub elbows with bohemian millennials between inspiring displays of hand-crafted...
Wes Modes Secret History Project Tells Untold Stories of the San Lorenzo River
By: Molly Ressler The San Lorenzo River is going through a phase of renewal and rediscovery. As a community, we are reclaiming the river through native plant restoration, water quality monitoring, improved access and safety, and celebrations like the Ebb & Flow...
The concept of First Fridays has been around longer than you might think.
"First Friday" is a name given for public events in many cities (particularly in the United States) that occur on the first Friday of every month. These citywide events are "see and be seen" events that serve as block parties or social gatherings open to the general...