A Holiday to Reflect
“Blood bursting from the seams of our American dreams like the final rapture — yet the only revelation I have come to is realizing my voice is like the second coming,” said Rainbow Theater member Missy Rae Magdalera, as she recited her poem. “Like a...
It’s Bigger Than Santa Cruz
The Atrium provided the perfect intimate setting for artists and audience members alike to connect over their mutual love of hip-hop, when dead prez returned to the Catalyst last Friday. Commonly known for their song “It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop, ” and a household name...
A Digital Universe
“Can you imagine organizing on the internet to save your building, stop a war or start a labor movement?” A digital 9-year-old girl urges viewers to consider the possibilities the “world-wide web” has to offer. This fictional character is one of three hosts in the...
Butterflies Abound
By Casey Amaral and Calyse Tobias Every fall, thousands of monarch butterflies flock to Natural Bridges State Park as part of their annual migration. They fly great distances from southern Canada, Nevada, Arizona and valleys west of the Rocky Mountains in search of warmer weather. The...
Recurring Motifs
On the outskirts of the Felix Kulpa Gallery and Sculpture Garden sits Michael Leeds’ “Junk-yard angel,” a motorcycle-shaped sculpture composed entirely of found materials. Leeds uses scrap metal he collects and melds himself, but also incorporates miscellaneous household objects such as toasters, vacuum cleaners and...
Because the Night Belongs to Lovers
“I know I’m really messy,” Patti Smith told a sold-out crowd at the Rio Theatre Tuesday night. “But I’m not going to apologize.” Patti Smith, the multi-faceted artist who is best known for her influence on the New York City punk rock scene and her...
A Paak’d Show Starts ‘Pop-Up Series’
Before Anderson .Paak’s performance in Quarry Plaza began Saturday night, lead intern for the dean of students Lily Haile called for the crowd of about 250 UC Santa Cruz students to pause. “Before we start the performance we would like to have a moment of...
The Power to Heal Ourselves
A successful doctor struggles with repressed memories, a preteen boy copes with an abusive father and a teenage girl waits out her final week in a juvenile detention center. These three separate plays, each defined by their own distinct tones and protagonists, shared a single...
Untitled
Illustrator Russell Crotty came to UC Santa Cruz last Tuesday to host a stargazing event at the Great Meadow. Before the event, he stopped at the Sesnon Gallery to view “Black is a Color,” a solo exhibition featuring the work of Bay Area artist Raymond...
LEDs Over Ivory Towers
When the sun set on downtown Santa Cruz last Friday night, local artists and organizers replaced the darkness with bright lights, interactive digital art exhibits and genre-bending performance art. The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH) transformed into an alternate universe for GLOW:...