On foot in my town

What’s a lovely evening? Walking 3 blocks from my art studio to experience culture, music, art, and cuisine.

First I went to the grand opening of the Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, A Latino Cultural Arts and Social Services Program in Half Moon Bay. I met founder and director Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, when artist Ellen Silva and therapist Roberta Gelt invited me to work on a mural for the organization. It was a community building effort at the beginning of the Trump election and his blatant discrimination against Mexicans and undocumented immigrants. Today was a special evening because the mural is now in a permanent home on the walls of the ALAS new office. Hurrah!

“Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, A Latino Cultural Arts and Social
Services Program in Half Moon Bay is dedicated to supporting the youth and families of our beautiful coastal community in Northern California
We are proud of the cultural wealth and strength of the families and
children of our community. Every day we witness youth in our program
rise as leaders and soar above with dreams for a future of achievement.”

Next I went to the Odd Fellows women’s clothing swap. though I was a bit late, I still got a bag ‘O clothes and some cool boots.

Next door, I stuck my head in to hear the smooth live jazz playing at Cafe Society. Everyone looked blissed out with wine glass in hand.

I circled around to go back to the studio and was welcomed by sounds of piano, trumpet, and sax wafting into the parking lot. It’s not every night that one gets greeted by live music.

Later the musicians walked across Highway One to Tres Amigos to fill their bellies and even remembered to bring me back some food – a chili relleno and some left over beef fajitas. I count my blessings I live in Half Moon Bay on this gentle, pleasant evening.

An exquisite shop in an enchanting town

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We were hot, sweaty, and a bit jagged, after having just arrived on the “jeep-boat-jeep”  from Monte Verde, Costa Rica. One of the first things we were told when we got to Essence Arenal Organic Farm and Hotel, was to go around the corner to La Gavilana art gallery and shop. Hotel concierge Vanessa, (the once ice skating girl from Chicago, now expat) said, “it’s owned by an American girl and it’s very nice.”

New Mexican art violins

I appreciate how the flavor of a place comes through in the art made there. Many charities have used the idea of painting an instrument to raise money, but I doubt they had the Southwestern spirit of these violins done for the Santa Fe Symphony. Check out more art violins: http://www.paintedviolinssantafe.org/index.html

Out of this world

Thanks Dale Dickerson for alerting me to this wonderful video. I got the chills watching and listening to it – beautiful!

Kermit, visual thinking and jazz lesson

And this is for all the visual thinkers and musicians in my life! Another twitter find via @MarionChapsal, Founder of Geronimo Leadership Coaching Presentation trainer, professional speaker, enthusiastic reader of cartoons,comics, poetry. She lives in Beaujolais France.

Sound of Music Still Reaches Us

One of the reasons I tweet is because I find cool things like this flash mob. I think you will enjoy it! I also found it interesting to read Huffington Post’s take on why we are so attracted to  this video Click here to read it.

Enlightened piano player

Aria – musical and sculptural performance

This was a multi sensory, beautiful experience –

Cellist Joan Jeanrenaud teamed up with Italian designer/fabricator Alessandro Moruzzi to create an interactive pairing of sculpture and music in the YBCA Forum. Inspired by the many permutations of air—“aria,” in Italian—the artists as explored the politics and poetics of this powerful, invisible element.

Check out Pacific Art Collective

I was surfing the artist section on craigslist and came upon these guys called the Pacific Art Collective. Why haven’t I heard of them before? Here is what I found on their website:

Pacific Art Collective (PAC) is recognized for catapulting a collaborative arts movement. PAC is dedicated to presenting events that create awareness for International artists, art districts, venues & organizations through cross-cultural education and live performance. Throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Las Vegas, to Los Angeles all the way up to Portland, a collaborative art movement is going down.

PAC strives to inspire and assist communities to grow and prosper through pro-active visions of professional, cultural and artistic cooperation. We continue to stabilize an affirmative and energetic United Nation for all artists by highlighting the contemporary, urban, hip and traditional arts equally. When we work together, we all win!”

Right now PAC seems to be quite active in San Jose. Maybe worth checking them out! They look very urban, cutting edge, graffiti-esque.

Sigur Ros

Gerry was talking about this group and I like them too – see what you think?