When you’re a broke-ass-art-person, there are about a million podcasts and blogs and online courses encouraging you to create podcasts and blogs and online courses to help monetize your creative process by sharing it with other artists who, in turn, will create more podcasts and blogs and online courses.
As a career-long writer, I’ve been down this diverting wormhole more than a few times. Every time my industry was “disrupted” or I self-disrupted, I would start selling tours of the rag and bone shop of my expertise. I wrote ebooks, made podcasts, consulted. It worked, until it didn’t, and I’ve come to the personal conclusion that this kind of crap has derailed more than a few artists trying to turn a buck in the “creative economy.”
Remember when we produced writing and art of substance instead of merely making “content?” If content is still king, art needs to be the court jester that tells him he’s full of sh–.
I once received eight emails from an “artist” hawking an online “creative entrepreneur” marketing class. After the second email in an hour, I concluded that the spammer in question was both a shitty marketer and artist.
But what about the skill set we’ve developed? The bullshit corporate skills acquired in newsrooms and boardrooms? What of these skills that weaponized my talent until I became both an overqualified but underwhelming part of the very systems I once sought to destroy?
Like any Frankenstein monster, I suppose I’ll turn on my creators and destroy the systems that created me. Maybe this isn’t a popular opinion, but if I were seeking popularity I’d be more famous by now and not ranting into the void of print and pixels.
Because I’m done shaming the starving artist, the romantics, the ones we tell that they just have to get their work out there and pray they get the right algorithmic alchemy going so the gates to the middle class open wide. Really, at this point, for me the only reason to keep the aspidistra flying is for target practice.
Don’t get the reference? Keep the Aspidistra Flying is a book by George Orwell. ’Nuff said, right? Will we ever listen to him? Maybe if he had a podcast and blog and online course, we’d pay attention, but I dare say we can learn more—and teach more—through art.
Editor Daedalus Howell just directed a #wolfstorymovie and creatively consults at daedalushowell.com.
The Healdsburg Arts Festival is back! Wander the inimitably charming Healdsburg Plaza and prepare to be immersed in some of the finest in wine country creativity. The festival is dedicated to three categories of art: visual, performance and culinary. Attendees can enjoy art demos, public art on display, interactive art making, booths for nonprofits, music, entertainment, dance performance, and ample food and wine selections. Over 55 booths represent the creative skill and passion of the Healdsburg community. The festival is presented by the Healdsburg Center for the Arts in partnership with the City of Healdsburg’s Community Services Department. The Healdsburg Arts Festival is Friday, Aug. 26 at the Healdsburg Plaza, Matheson St. and Healdsburg Ave. 4-7pm. Admission is free. www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us
Petaluma
Summer Salsa
What’s the next best thing to salsa dancing in Barcelona? It’s salsa dancing at Grand Central Petaluma to the spicy, rhythmic tones of Charlie Barreda and the All Star Trio. A downtown Ecuadorian-owned coffee shop, Grand Central showcases the South American country’s artisanal talent and exceptional coffee farms while supporting fair and eco-conscious trade practices. Barreda hails from Peru, where his musical career began at the age of 12, before he came to the states to study at the now-closed Music and Arts Institute of San Francisco. His musical expertise ranges from keyboard to vibraphone to composition and percussion. Barreda can do it all, with impeccable rhythm! Charlie Barreda and the All Star Trio play Sunday, Aug. 28 at Grand Central Petaluma, 226 Weller St. 3-6pm. Tickets $10. @grandcentralpetaluma on Instagram.
San Rafael
Heritage Festival
Celebrate the Heritage Day Festival at the historic China Camp Village this weekend, and appreciate the vibrant and diverse community of Northern California. Lion dancers in brightly-colored costumes, traditional guzheng music, mahjong lessons, Chinese brush-painting lessons, tai chi and more are all part of this event. Bring the entire family—kids have the opportunity to build their own boat and to learn about the local wildlife, ecology and history through hands-on activities provided by the National Estuarine Research Reserve, the San Francisco Maritime Museum and Wildcare. The Heritage Day Festival is Saturday, Aug. 27 at 101 Peacock Gap Trail, San Rafael. 11am-3pm. $5 parking fee for non-members. www.friendsofchinacamp.org
Fairfax
Coffee Roasting
Ever wondered how that gorgeous, dark brown liquid we call coffee got into its mug? Find out this weekend in a Home-Roasting Workshop with Punto Fino Coffee in Fairfax. While sipping from the specialty drinks menu, examine several popular at-home roasting methods, and ask questions about the world of coffee and roasting. Then watch as green beans are placed in an open roaster and observe the transformation to roasted bean, noting the different smells and sounds as the process occurs. Partake in a guided, handheld roasting lesson and take a bag of freshly roasted beans home. The beginning of a new hobby, perhaps? The Home-Roasting Workshop is Sunday, Aug. 28 at Punto Fino, 85 Bosque Ave., Fairfax. 11am-12:30pm. www.puntofinocoffee.com
Though summer is quietly slipping out the back door as you read this, be assured that there’s no shortage of fall fun on the horizon. What follows are some standout selections sure to amplify your autumnal experience.
Special Events Sonoma County Harvest Fair Grand Tasting Event It’s no secret that Sonoma County is home to some of the best wines and wineries in the world. The Sonoma County Harvest Fair will showcase unparalleled palate-pleasers from over 100 wineries. Come find a new favorite blend or single grape wine, and sample till the heart is full and the buzz is perfect. Saturday, Oct.15 from 1-4pm at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa. www.harvestfair.org
Sound Summit An annual musical gathering on Mt. Tamalpais, Sound Summit is a unique festival in a breathtaking location that San Francisco Chronicle has called “a day of restorative celebration.” Produced as an annual celebration of and fundraiser for Mount Tamalpais State Park by Roots & Branches Conservancy, Sound Summit is held at the historic Mountain Theater, with stunning views of San Francisco Bay. This year’s festival includes The War On Drugs, Fruit Bats and Faye Webster. The festival is Saturday, Oct. 22 at 11am at the Mountain Theater, Easy Grade Trail, Mill Valley. www.soundsummit.net
Sonoma Harvest Music Festival Held at gorgeous B.R. Cohn Winery, nestled between the Mayacamas Mountain range and Sonoma Mountain, the Sonoma Harvest Music Festival brings big acts to a smaller stage, for those who don’t love a major crowd but do love a majorly good time. This year, the lineup includes acts like Phantogram, Portugal. The Man and K.Flay, plus an inimitable offering of wines, craft beers and artisanal California food. Saturday, Oct. 8 and Sunday, Oct. 9, 11am-7pm at B.R. Cohn Winery, 15000 Sonoma Hwy., Glen Ellen. www.sonomaharvestmusicfestival.com
Petaluma River Craft Beer Fest The art of beer and the Petaluma slough—I can’t think of a nicer combination. Neither can the Petaluma Chamber of Commerce and the Petaluma Rotary Club, and that’s why they’re hosting the Petaluma River Craft Beer Fest. Come sample Lagunitas, Bear Republic, Crooked Goat, Fogbelt and more. Live music by Randy & the Special Agents and Petaluma Pete will keep the energy rocking. Bring sunscreen and water; it’s going to be a hot, sudsy, fun fest. Saturday, Sept. 10 from 1-5pm on Water Street by the river in historic Petaluma. www.petalumarivercraftbeerfest.org
Chautauqua Revue The revue is not a usual show. Think vaudeville, circus and storytelling combined, with a fair amount of clowning around. Hilarious and cutting satire, stunning musical numbers and heartfelt tales are all woven together to connect audience and performers alike. Led by Mistress of Ceremonies Wysteria McBrylcreem, with stage band Big B and his Cityslickers, and the irreverent interludes of Clowns On A Stick, plus guest performers both local and visiting. Shows are September 8, 9 and 10 at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, 15290 Coleman Valley Rd. www.oaec.org . One Mind Music Festival for Brain Health Not only is Napa a number one destination for wine and food, it’s also a hot spot for brain science. Yep, that’s right. This fall is the 28th One Mind Music Festival for Brain Health, including music from Jewel and Hunter Hayes. Also on tap is an interactive scientific symposium on brain health from leading experts such as Dr. Regina E. Dugan, PhD, president & CEO of Wellcome Leap, and Dr. Christopher M. Palmer, MD, of the Harvard Medical School. Saturday, Sept. 10 from 12-8:30pm. For tickets and information, visit www.music-festival.org.
Cinema Calistoga Napa Valley Film Festival, the legendary festival that blends the art of film, food and wine together in one delicious event, presents Cinema Calistoga, hosted at Mount View Hotel and Spa in Calistoga. The event includes three separate film screenings, each paired with three course meals inspired by the films, from local chefs including Rebecca White-Keefe, Nicholas Montanez and Doctor Dread. The series begins Wednesday, Sept. 7 and runs through Friday, Sept. 9. Dinner at 6pm, film at 7:30pm. For tickets and information, visit www.napavalleyfilmfest.org.
Clubs & Venues
HopMonk Novato A classic music venue delivering lively performances, HopMonk welcomes Bay-Area based singer songwriter Megan Slankard as she debuts her new song, “California,” the breakup song written as a “gentle reminder of why it might not be the best idea to date a songwriter,” according to Slankard. This is the first release from her forthcoming album, California & Other Stories, coming Oct. 28. Slankard performs Saturday, Oct. 8 at HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato. Show starts at 6pm. www.hopmonk.com
Oxbow Public Market A keystone of downtown Napa, Oxbow Public Market is brimming with Napa’s best in food and wine, and boasts an outdoor deck with seating along the Napa River. It’s 40,000 square feet of good, local Epicureanism. And this fall Oxbow is hosting live music, on the last Wednesday of every month, starting at the end of August with blues rock trio Riverfront District Aug. 31. 6:30-8:30pm. For information, visit www.oxbowpublicmarket.com.
The Big Easy A little hip hop—or a lot of hip hop—is just what the doctor ordered this fall. The Petaluma bar is hosting “Manifest Your Destiny,” a North Bay hip hop showcase series presented by Decolonized Mindz Entertainment. The brainchild of hip hop artist and promoter Damion Square in collaboration with Josh Windmiller of The Crux, “Manifest Your Destiny” showcases and brings together a diverse range of artists from the North Bay. Check out Tru Lyric, Simoné Mosely, D. square, KingLung and Eki’Shola. Friday, Sept. 9 at The Big Easy, 128 American Alley, Petaluma. 7pm. www.bigeasypetaluma.com
Little Saint An awesome new addition to the Sonoma County culinary and nightlife scene, Little Saint has an incredible lineup this fall season, including musical performances, book-signings and conversations with local thought leaders, and a rotating exhibition of art shows. Langhorne Slim, Lucy Dacus, a Sonoma Land Trust Dinner and a Saint Joseph’s Holiday Bazaar are all on the menu. Check out www.littlesainthealdsburg.com for tickets and more information.
Green Music Center The performing arts center for Sonoma State University, the Green Music Center is committed to providing artistic inspiration through year-round programming, and serves as home to the Sonoma State University music department, the Santa Rosa Symphony and Sonoma Bach. Music lovers, look no further. This fall, catch such acts as Aida Cuevas, Sacre, Cantus Song of the Universal and more. For tickets and information, visit www.gmc.sonoma.edu.
Sweetwater Music Hall From 1972, when Sweetwater opened in a rustic Mill Valley storefront, to today, this music hall provided stellar shows and great times to the Marin County community. In 2007, the original Sweetwater closed its doors, but five years later it reopened in Corte Madera. There, it continues to keep the old vibes alive, providing great music, food and vibes. This fall, catch such acts as Antibalas and Bill and the Belles. For tickets and information, visit www.sweetwatermusichall.com.
The Blue Note Napa A live jazz club, music venue and gourmet restaurant on the first floor of the Napa Valley Opera House, The Blue Note Napa “seamlessly blends the quintessential Greenwich Village jazz club experience—an intimate atmosphere where the stage is so close to you that you feel as if the performers are playing in your very own living room—mixed with the Northern California wine country ambiance and the historic architecture of the nineteenth century Napa Valley Opera House.” (bluenotnapa.com) This fall, Brendan James, The California Honeydrops and more are scheduled to play. For tickets and information, visit www.bluenotenapa.com.
Arts & Exhibitions Sonoma Plein Air Art Show This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, where art lovers and artists can wander through an outdoor art show and sale, celebrating the practice of outdoor painting and benefiting arts and creativity in the Sonoma Valley. Held on the beautiful Sonoma Plaza, this event includes artists’ demonstrations, live music and art activities for all ages. All artists’ paintings “en plein air” are on display and available for purchase. The show is Sept. 10 in the Sonoma Plaza, 453 First Street East, Sonoma. 5-7pm. See www.sonomavalley.com for more information.
Hilos Visibles/Visible Threads, A Latino/x Community Project & Exhibit The Napa Valley Latino Heritage Committee, Napa County Historical Society and St. Helena Historical Society have partnered to showcase the rich Hispanic heritage of the Napa Valley through quilt squares, banners, papel picado and quilts, in the show “Hilos Visables/Visible Threads.” The exhibition opens Oct. 7 at the Napa Historical Society and Oct. 14 at the St. Helena Historical Society. For information, visit www.napacountyhispanicnetwork.org.
Sonoma County Arts Trails One hundred sixteen professional artists open their studios for two weekends this fall, inviting the public to explore the beauty of Sonoma County and the incredible artistic talent housed within it. Come meet the myriad painters, sculptors, ceramicists and photographers, and collect their exceptional art works. Studios open from Sept. 24 to 25, and Oct. 1 to 2, 10am-5pm. Visit www.sonomacountytrails.org.
Marin Arts and Crafts Show Hosted at the newly renovated Marin Center, this show brings together 200 artists, artisans and purveyors in celebration of handcrafts. The three-day show encompasses all handcrafted media—jewelry, clothing, woodwork, ceramics, artwork, paper arts, specialty foods, antiquities and more. Come explore products made with exceptional detail by hand, and marvel at the human ability! And perhaps, for the early planner, pick up some holiday gifts? Friday through Sunday, Nov. 4-6, at the Marin Exhibit Center, 10 Ave of the Flags, San Rafael. 10am to 6pm Fri-Sat and 10am-5pm Sun. www.artsandcraftsshow.com
Bolinas Museum Bringing arts programming to Marin County year-round, Bolinas Museum is hosting its 30th Annual Benefit Art Auction Last Call Cocktail Party this fall. Held at the Peace Barn in Bolinas, the event features fine wines, great food, live music and excellent company while bidding on art to support the ongoing efforts of Bolinas Museum. Find work from Yaz Krehbiel, Kathleen Lipinski, Dharma Strasser MacColl, Tom Marioni, Alicia McCarthy and more. Saturday, Sept. 10 from 4-6:30pm. See www.bolinasmuseum.org for tickets and information.
The Conservation Corps North Bay is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the organization’s contributions to the environment, community and local youths whose life paths were shaped by their involvement with the organization.
Since 1982, CCNB has empowered thousands of young people through constantly evolving programs designed to meet the needs of the community.
“The majority of our members are young people who have a lot of systemic barriers to achieving financial security,” said Anastasia Pryor, CCNB’s director of development and communications. “We serve a very diverse group of people, ranging from ages 18 to 30. Some haven’t had jobs before, some just came to this country and don’t speak English well, and some came from underprivileged homes. Those who tend to gravitate towards our program usually need some help clearing away those systemic barriers they’re facing. And some folks join us fresh out of college to get work experience and to join adjacent agencies.”
CCNB is the oldest local nonprofit youth Conservation Corps in the country. Last year, North Bay corpsmembers restored 213 acres of natural habitat, diverted 255,000 pounds of bottles and cans from the landfill, reduced fire fuel on 480 acres of public and private land, restored and maintained 109 miles of trails, and diverted 12,600 tires from the landfill.
“Right now we’re pushing 100 corpsmembers, since summer is a very busy time for us, especially with the California fire season and our creek-clearing work [to ensure the waterways flow appropriately when the rains return],” Pryor said.
The idea for CCNB began on a running trail in the Marin Headlands in 1981 when a man named Richard Hammond noticed the trails were in disrepair during his daily run. Hammond saw these unmaintained trails as an opportunity for a summer project for his teenage sons and their friends.
In working together to restore the accessibility of the natural landscape, Hammond hoped to instill in his sons and their friends a sense of personal responsibility for maintaining Marin’s abundant natural resources and to prepare them for possible careers in community service.
The trail-clearing summer project was a success. And, when flooding occurred in 1982, Hammond enlisted the aid of forward-thinking community leaders to come together and create a program designed to engage and empower youth by teaching them to cultivate and preserve the environment. From this movement, the country’s first local nonprofit conservation corps was born.
“It’s … a win-win-win,” Pryor said. “I think the Conservation Corps North Bay helps the corpsmembers, folks that might be the first in their families to learn English or graduate high school, and gives them a hand in getting employment. Helping young people to have a fair start at financial independence and equity is something the whole community benefits from. And we’ve seen the kids of our corpsmembers not having these barriers going forward, and it’s huge for us to know we have that effect. On a community level, the preventative work we do for fires, floods, and, from an environmental standpoint, the change that we make, is crucial.”
CCNB, originally called Marin Conservation Corps, tackled trail repair on Mount Tamalpais as one of its very first projects. Corpsmembers then worked on the nearby Bootjack, Stapleveldt, Fern Canyon, Dipsea and Matt Davis trails in 1982 and 1983.
In recent years, corpsmembers have continued to work on these trails to keep them accessible and safe. In the 40 years since CCNB’s inception, the organization expanded to incorporate educational programs and offer recycling services, partnered with John Muir Charter School to empower young people to earn their high school diplomas, expanded into Sonoma County and also accomplished much, much more.
CCNB is also a part of the Fire Foundry, a collaboration which includes Marin County Fire, College of Marin and the Marin County Office of Equity. The project, which aims to diversify the region’s firefighters, was the brainchild of Marin County Fire Chief Jason Weber.
“The idea is that the folks that enter the fire service are traditionally pretty non-diverse, and there hasn’t been a clear path for more diverse young people to get into that kind of career,” Pryor said. “Weber has been thinking about this for a long time. There’s so much need for trained folks since fire season in California is now a year-round problem.”
Like many businesses and nonprofits, CCNB went through the growing pains of learning to navigate its work and its workers’ safety during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We’re proud of how we came out of Covid,” Pryor said. “When everything shut down in March 2020 we really had to work quickly to close our offices and cancel projects since no one knew what was going on in those first several weeks. Right out the gate, however, we had an amazing outpouring of support from our community and donors, which allowed our members to continue and [for] the community to benefit from our services.”
“Fortunately, we were deemed an essential industry pretty fast—our partners needed our services and, with help, we were able to quickly get our corpsmembers going again,” Pryor added. “It was inspiring that everyone got together and solved the problem. We’re really proud of that bounce-back story and are so happy to continue to serve our community and our corpsmembers.”
CCNB now serves both Marin and Sonoma Counties and has even sent its members as far as Fort Bragg and Yosemite to help serve those communities.
Going into its fifth decade of service, CCNB plans to continue providing young adults with opportunities to transform their lives through paid work, education, employment, civic engagement and leadership.
The organization will keep working with the community to conserve and restore natural resources and make improvements to the local landscape. CCNB’s goal of fostering diversity, equity and inclusion, and of helping to create the environmental leaders of the future by mentoring local youth, remains as strong—if not stronger—than it was 40 years ago.
“We’re training the future workforce, giving them tools for the future to give back to the community,” Pryor said.
Despite the word “robot” being initially coined in Karel Capek’s 1921 play R.U.R, “science,” “fiction” and “play” are three words not generally associated with each other.
Truth be told, Deborah Yarchun’s Atlas, the Lonely Gibbon is less sci-fi and more a scary not-so-speculative, not-so-fictional story. Sheri Lee Miller directs the world premiere production running at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park through Aug. 28.
Yarchun’s play centers on Irene—an endurance race of a performance by Taylor Diffenderfer—an investigative journalist now reduced to copy editor for bot-generated work. Again, not so far-fetched. We’re looking at you, New Yorker poetry.
Irene is leery of all the smart technology in her home. Everything from the lights to the refrigerator to the fern, hilariously played by Kevin Richard Bordi, is hooked up to the home’s AI. However, her husband David (Keith Baker), a cybercrime reporter, is excited when the fridge (played by Julianne Bradbury) gets hacked, starts a fire and, in a Shakespearean rant, shuffles off its refrigerated coil. The fridging of the fridge sends David on an epic AI home upgrade with some unexpected results.
The AI leads to some truly funny moments, but as with all good speculative fiction, the heart isn’t in the technology but in the people. Irene’s leeriness soon gives way to paranoia à la Charlotte Perkin’s Yellow Wallpaper. Mix in David’s singular career fixation, the fern’s sudden interest in emo poetry and a lonely gibbon named Atlas, and you have a bittersweet—but very human—mix of the sublimely absurd and the devastatingly accurate.
Special mention must be made of Jess Johnson’s sound design. Johnson might be the best sound designer in the county. Her work is showcased here with a design that delivers just the right emotional, aural jab needed to recenter the play when the script veers too close to the sentimental or silly.
As a world premiere, a lot could have gone wrong. But thanks to intelligent writing, sound acting and Spreckels’ first-class design team, all the circuits clicked into place to produce a show that, though a bit shouty at times, was nonetheless enjoyable. Audience members should not be surprised if they have the urge to unplug their Alexas when they get home. “Atlas, the Lonely Gibbon” runs through Aug. 28 at Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. Friday–Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday, 2pm; Thursday Aug. 25, 7:30pm. $12–$26. 707.588.3400.spreckelsonline.com
Life is like a journey aboard a steamship. We did not ask to be here, and we can’t get off until the captain says so.
No one has ever seen the captain, and no one knows why this is even happening, but a few can point us in the right direction. The journey is the same for everyone, starting with birth and ending with death, and the point of it seems to be how we choose to spend our time on board.
Some were given first-class accommodations, while others are in steerage. Some rise to a better room through good works, while others are booted down if they prove unworthy of their privilege. We make the best with what we’ve got, and in the end everyone has a spot to call their own—and this is called having a life.
We can wander the ship and interact with others, who represent the spectrum of humanity. Some are saints and sages, and others are devils and demons—so remember two pieces of golden wisdom. First, the devil’s greatest ruse is convincing us he doesn’t exist, and second, vice is never more dangerous than when hiding behind a mask of virtue.
Almost all the passengers spend their time in the bowels of the ship, where the only light that shines is artificial. There are endless entertainments to distract us from the journey, and an all-you-can-eat buffet of bad food to gorge upon gluttonously. Many have never even been on deck before to experience the wonder of the starry night and vast ocean.
A few solitary souls, however, like to visit a special observation deck at the highest point on the ship. In the morning, they greet the sun, bringer of light and life, and at night, the moon, which points the way to the eternal realm beyond the confines of the ship. If we ask, they will tell us of a secret compartment on board the ship, a library of sacred books from around the world and a place to receive illumination. Those who find it are never the same again, and one look in their eyes shows that they know something others do not.
Most of the passengers mock these quiet solitaries and call them fools. But when someone finds the sea too stormy and the entertainment too empty, they ask about the secret chamber, and they are always told the same thing. No one can tell us where it is, because it’s different for everyone. But if we seek it, we will find it, and if we knock, the door will be opened.
This Saturday, spend the evening transported by Brazilian jazz guitar. Renowned guitarists Romero Lubambo and Chico Pinheiro come to Healdsburg’s intimate music space The 222. Lubambo has been described as “perhaps” the best practitioner in his day, bringing the rhythm and sensuality of his Brazilian heritage and a mastery of the instrument to jazz guitar, creating an inimitable sound. Pinheiro is a composer and bandleader, and one of the most widely acclaimed guitarists to emerge in the past two decades, collaborating with artists such as Placido Domingo and Chris Potter. The two promise a night of adventurous, boundary-breaking guitar playing. 7pm, Saturday, Aug. 20 at 222 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. Tickets range from $35–$75. www.the222.org
Ross
Outdoor Chamber Music
For those moved to tears or elation by Debussy’s lilting flutes or Francaix’s resonant harps, look no further. This Tuesday, the Marin Art and Garden Center will host Eos Ensemble in the Redwood Amphitheater, serenading the audience with dreamy, musing, passionate music in a beautiful outdoor setting. The program includes Claude Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, Jean Francaix’s Quintet for Flute, Harp and String Trio, and Beethoven’s String Trio Op. 9 No. 1. Craig Reiss plays the violin, Caroline Lee the viola and Thalia Morre the cello, with special guests Meredith Clark on harp and Katrina Walter on flute. Clark has played with the San Francisco and Oakland Symphonies, among others. Walter is a member of the Marin Symphony. The Eos Ensemble plays Tuesday, Aug. 23, from 5:30–7pm at the Marin Art and Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross. Tickets $20, beverage of choice included. www.maringarden.org
Occidental
Movie Night
Join Occidental filmmaker C.M. Conway this weekend for a screening of her new film, How to Successfully Fail in Hollywood, at the Occidental Center of the Arts. Filmed in various locations in the North Bay, Oakland and Los Angeles, this is a recognizable and exciting film. Produced by women, the film explores themes including love, triumph over personal failure and pursuing a dream against all odds. This special screening event will include photo ops, a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses and a Q&A with the filmmaker. Conway is thrilled to show How to Successfully Fail in Hollywood at OCA, where she had cheerleading tryouts as a young girl in the room that now serves as the Center’s state-of-the-art auditorium. How to Successfully Fail in Hollywood screens 5:30–8pm Saturday, Aug. 20, at Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental. Tickets are $12. www.funnyfailurefilm.com
Sebastopol
Hip-Hop Series
Come hear the beat and move your feet this Saturday at the first night of Manifest Your Destiny, a North Bay hip-hop concert series bringing a diverse range of musical talent together to perform. Hip-hop artist and promoter Damion Square was inspired to organize the series after performing at Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square Music Festival this June and feeling the community’s desire for quality, meaningful hip-hop music. Longtime North Bay concert organizer and musician Josh Windmiller is collaborating with Square on the series. Get familiar with the local hip-hop talent, including artists KingLung, Simoné Mosely, Erica Ambrin, Kayatta and Damion, under his stage name D.square, at Manifest Your Destiny’s first event, on Saturday, Aug. 20, at Jasper’s at 6957 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol. Show starts at 9pm. $5 suggested donation. www.jasperspub.com
On a sunny morning in Mill Valley, I took a drive through a rather jaw-dropping redwood grove up to O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, where Bay Area–based artist Holly Wong’s latest work is on display.
Wong’s pieces in O’Hanlon’s current show, “THEORY FORWARD: Shape, Line, Color, Surface/Texture,” captivated me so much that I needed a closer look at the being behind the art. As Wong and I sat on two folding chairs in the main gallery,we discussed how she was inspired to create Guardian of the Spirits, the 22-foot-long-by-12-foot-tall iridescent masterpiece hanging in front of us.
Made of silk and polyester organza, cellophane, dichroic film, vinyl tablecloth and scanned images of Wong’s paintings and drawings cut and sewn together countless times, Guardian is perhaps the most evocative piece of art I’ve seen in the last several years. It is clearly a living organism; perhaps the tangible material of a soul, or infinitely many souls, stitched and cut and sewn and connected, and utterly benign. Had I my way, I would wrap myself in it. Hanging in O’Hanlon’s daylit gallery, it quietly pulses and breathes.
“Guardian of the Spirits”, by Holly Wong, 2022. Photo by Aaron Wojack.
Wong, the woman from whose hands and mind such a being was born, sat modestly before it, wrapped in a burnt-orange shawl. Her humility before such a masterpiece was evidence not only of the integrity, strength and honesty that went into the piece itself, but also of the years that led to its genesis.
We began our conversation.
Wong was raised in Miami, which she recalls as being, in the 1970s and ’80s, a modest retirement community. She attended the New World School of the Arts in Miami, an international arts high school where she was exposed to a diverse and culturally expressive worldview.
During high school, Wong met the sculptor Ed Love, then running the visual arts program at the New World School. Love was to become her mentor, teaching Wong about the role art played in activism, and teaching her social awareness.
“Ed introduced me to a whole generation of African-American writers,” Wong said. “It was the first time I realized my notion of privilege, and the concept of being invisible in society. I started to become aware that Ed, as he existed in the world as a tall black man, was very different than my experience as a little white girl. He taught me that we are part of an ecosystem, in which we all need to be socially aware.”
It was during this time of evocative exposure to sociopolitical circumstances and her discovery of her passion for art that Wong’s mother died of alcoholism. Wong was 14.
It was a powerful moment, where forces converged to shape Wong’s path as an artist and woman. Her mother was a victim of domestic abuse, and Wong’s family had a long history of drug and substance abuse. Wong’s awareness expanded further to include the objectification and abuse of women, the trauma women carry as a result of it, and of how fleeting and tenuous human life is.
This, along with Love’s mentorship and her developing artistic practice, converged to create a powerful nucleus that still acts as the focal point of her work. As a mentor, Love helped Wong see the value that art could play in processing grief.
“Ed felt for my loss and understood my loss, but he didn’t feel sorry for me,” Wong said. “He helped me to think about the ways in which art can be a transformational process. It was that early moment when I realized that art could be transformative and could be a force of healing.”
So began a journey of processing the abuse inflicted upon women in general—and Wong and her mother in particular—which would send her down a winding path of creating and healing.
In 1989 Wong moved to San Francisco to attend the San Francisco Art Institute. While she was also accepted to other arts schools, including Cooper Union and Pratt, Wong sought the West Coast, and distance from Florida and her family.
SFAI, Wong reflected, was like a wild animal.
“I mean, this was the sort of place where people would take their clothes off, set things on fire, and I was like, yes, I’ll do that,” Wong said, laughing. “Everybody had to go through your first semester of a) taking your clothes off, b) setting something on fire and c) cutting something up, or whatever. So everybody was working through something.”
This was 1989, and Wong was 17. She found a cathartic, loud expressivity amongst her fellow students; traumatized and damaged creatives also seeking to process what they’d experienced at tender ages.
Originally a painting major, Wong quickly began to feel confined by the rectangular boundaries of the canvas, desiring to extricate herself from both the physical parameters of her art and the psychological confinement of womanhood, sexism and exploitation of the female body—the confinement of objectification.
Wong transferred to the New Genres department, where she began getting in touch with some of the work her mother had done, including sewing, a technique used in Guardian of the Spirits and a constant theme in her work now.
“I wanted to get close to her,” Wong said. “I wanted to remember who she had been. And this kind of work, this sewing thing, started to really emerge. And I really felt that she was with me as I began sewing for hours and hours at a time.”
Before Wong realized it, her work had become feminist art. And it wasn’t enthusiastically received by the Institute, which at the time was glorifying a “bad boy” artist vibe featuring a lot of toxic-masculinity performance pieces. Wong pursued her work anyway, because “you have to be on the path you’re on.”
“A lot of my work at that time was pornography reclamation. Deconstructing pornography, scanning images, blacking-out sections,” Wong said. “I remember watching Deep Throat, and then cutting out different sections and wiping them in black and intersecting family footage; but I wasn’t sexualizing myself, I was critiquing sexual objectificiation. And I’m not anti-porn; sex-positive porn can be a very good thing. But this porn was very much the celebration of rape and the rape fantasy, and at that point I was very critical about that.”
Her work became fixated on rape, particularly as a tool of war. When Wong met her husband, Al Wong, a renowned Chinese-American artist, he taught her about the Rape of Nanking during World War II, in which Japanese soldiers raped at least 20,000 women and girls of all ages, killing and mutilating many in the process.
Wong photographed the documentation, blew up the images and created a walk-through installation including recordings of the testimonials. Her search was dark and hard, exposing the agonizing exploitation of women. She showed no mercy in her pursuits.
“Throughout all this, I didn’t understand that I was trying to process something,” Wong said. “What I understand now about trauma that I didn’t then, was that if you don’t process your own, you will live vicariously through the trauma of others. And that is what I was doing. Constantly trying to reclaim women’s safety, respect, bodies. I was trying to process something that I couldn’t reach. Couldn’t understand.”
In her early 40s things came to a head for Wong. She was diagnosed with anorexia, and began cutting herself. She sought psychiatric care and realized that the only way she was going to come back to herself was through her art.
It was then that the sewing, her story and the feminist pain began to coalesce into what her work is today, often featuring myriad cuts and mendings. Wong says that she uses this to represent the brokenness of the female body, as well as its strength—the beauty, resilience and power of the mending.
“During this time my father and both of my brothers died, and it was almost as if the ghost had been released, on some level. In a tragic way, of course,” Wong said. “But it meant that only I remained, and I could make my life what I needed it to be. I never had to be fearful again. I started making my own work after that. I was able to embrace all that I was. And owning your own story releases you.”
Hearing this story, sitting in front of the twinkling entity that is Guardian, watching it wink and breathe and glitter in the light, brought tears to both Wong’s and my own eyes.
“With Guardian,” Wong told me, “I have created my alter ego; the same one that all women contain. The bigger, stronger, more-powerful self that we can’t see, but it’s there. It’s loving, and protecting. And it takes up space. It claims space. It says, ‘I am here.’ It is expansive. It has no limitations.”
Take that, sexism.
“Guardian of the Spirits,” and all of “THEORY FORWARD,” is on view now through Aug. 31 at O’Hanlon Center for the Arts. Don’t miss it. www.ohanloncenter.org
While a nice iced cocktail or a cool, crisp glass of white wine on a sunny day is delightful, nothing pairs quite as nicely with blazing hot weather as an icy, slushy, adult beverage.
I challenge those people who—like me, until recently—feel wine and sugar, or wine and sugar and spirits, shouldn’t be mixed, to stop at just one sip of one of these delicious wine slushies or frosés on a sweltering day. It’s an effort in futility, so we may as well just keep sipping and let the sweet, icy nectar cool us down. There’s a reason the frosé craze has exploded over the past few years.
So what exactly is in frosé? And where can we find this delightful slushy boozy beverage being served?
Frosé is a frozen, blended drink with a rosé wine base. Think of it as a mashup between rosé and a fruity cocktail, with less of a hard-alcohol kick. A wine slushie is the same thing but made with any type of wine, not just rosé. Most places put their own spin on the beverage to create a signature recipe, with ingredients that include frozen fruit or fruit juices, spirits, citrus and sugar or sweeteners.
Find frosé or wine slushie nirvana at the following North Bay bars, restaurants and wineries.
Anaba Wines (Sonoma)
This summer, Anaba dove into the frosé world and partnered with It’s Always Sunny Sorbet, founded by Anaba Tasting Room manager Matthew McMann, to bring Wine Country an elevated frosé experience.
Anaba’s frosé is made with Anaba’s Rosé of Grenache and two spoonfuls of It’s Always Sunny strawberry sorbet—made with local, organic strawberries—making it the perfect summer afternoon treat.
Chateau Diana (Healdsburg)
Chateau Diana is one of the most popular places in Healdsburg to stop for a chilly afternoon adult beverage, thanks in part to their delicious wine slushies, which come in three flavors. All of the options start with a base of their master white wine blend, to which they add natural colors and flavors to create their Sour Cherry, Blue Raspberry and Marshmallow wine slushies. Customers flock to the Chateau on warm days to indulge in the brightly colored, sweet and refreshing frozen treats.
Fern Bar (Sebastopol)
As expected, Fern Bar’s take on frosé elevates the beverage to another level. From the perfectly blended, almost fluffy ice, to the high-quality ingredients—Meeker rosé blended with Charbay Vodka, guava, rose petal liqueur and lemon—Fern Bar’s Frozé All Day is too delicious for its own good. The marriage of fresh tropical fruit with a bright, juicy and tart rosé, silky smooth vodka and pink floral notes combines to make one of the prettiest frosés in Sonoma County.
Smith and Story Wines (Healdsburg)
Smith and Story purchased a frozen drink machine in 2020 and offered wine slushies, made with just wine, water and diluted monk fruit sweetener, at their Healdsburg tasting room all summer. They were a huge hit. But now that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, the winery only uses the machine on special summer holidays or special occasions—like the upcoming Labor Day holiday. Get in touch with Brooke with wine, cider or drink related tips at br****@*********************er.com.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced the theater community to be even more creative than usual to survive, a struggle for many companies even in the best of times.
As theaters dealt with dwindling audiences, theater artists dealt with dwindling opportunities. Theaters have postponed or canceled performances or worse, shut their doors completely. Streaming theater was an outlet for some, but most agree it’s a less than ideal replacement for the communal experience of an in-person show.
But streaming theater gave Emerson Collins and Blake McIver, two performers with decades of experience between them, the opportunity to work together. What they developed as a streaming piece for the Public Theatre of San Antonio has now transmogrified into a full-fledged touring production.
Sonoma Arts Live will host I Dreamed a Dreamgirl, Collins and McIver’s two-man tour de force based on their life experiences and careers—from Star Search to Ragtime to Full House to Rent—for one weekend of performances in August. The two describe the show as “showtunes, duets, Disney favs (and deep cuts), mashups and medleys that (probably) shouldn’t exist.” The title itself is a mashup of Collins’ love of Les Miz and McIver’s love of Dreamgirls.
Audiences have responded positively so far. “It’s been overwhelming,” said Collins. “We opened the tour in Palm Springs, and there was a standing ovation at the end of the first act, and that was the first time I truly thought, ‘Okay, we’ve made something people really enjoy.’ Also, we did a test run of it in LA for the harshest critics among our friends. My best friend, a standup comedian who hates musicals, said, ‘I actually loved the whole thing.’ In Dallas, an audience member said, ‘I didn’t know any song you sang, and I had an absolute blast,’ so it seems to be playing well for people.”
This is what Collins and McIver hope for their Sonoma County audiences. “There is so much darkness right now; our goal here is truly to just provide a silly, fun and joyful evening,” concluded Collins. “We sing all or part of 49 different songs in 90 minutes from Aida and Chess, a Disney villains’ medley, standards and things from Britney to Barbra. So truly, we just want you to leave smiling a little more than when you came in.”
‘I Dreamed a Dreamgirl’ runs Friday, Aug. 19 and Saturday, Aug. 20 at Andrews Hall in the Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma. 7:30pm. $30–$45. 866.710.8942. Proof of vaccination with ID and masking are required to attend. sonomaartslive.org
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While a nice iced cocktail or a cool, crisp glass of white wine on a sunny day is delightful, nothing pairs quite as nicely with blazing hot weather as an icy, slushy, adult beverage.I challenge those people who—like me, until recently—feel wine and sugar, or wine and sugar and spirits, shouldn’t be mixed, to stop at just one sip...
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced the theater community to be even more creative than usual to survive, a struggle for many companies even in the best of times.
As theaters dealt with dwindling audiences, theater artists dealt with dwindling opportunities. Theaters have postponed or canceled performances or worse, shut their doors completely. Streaming theater was an outlet for some, but...
