Arts & Culture
Best Festival (Music)
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
1 The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music got its start in a small bohemian coffee shop in 1963.
2 This year, Marin Alsop steps down after 25 years as the festival’s conductor. Alsop studied under Leonard Bernstein, attended Yale and Juilliard, and since her beginnings with the festival has become world-famous as conductor for a number of prestigious orchestras: Philadelphia, Cleveland, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris and others.
3 This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Church Street Fair, which is produced by the festival and the Civic Auditorium, in celebration of local art, music, food, and wine.
4 Each season, the cello section stages an elaborate prank. In the past, they’ve dressed up in biohazard gear, bejeweled bolero jackets (“à la Liberace,” as the festival’s executive director, Ellen Primack, puts it), tie-dye, clown costumes, and more.
5 This year’s festival runs from Aug. 5-13 and includes 11 composers-in-residence, Lola Montez Does The Spider Dance by John Adams, a symphonic ballet, and the West Coast premiere of Kevin Puts’ The City. AMH
Best Movie Theater
The Nickelodeon
1 Bill and JoAnne Walker Raney opened the Nick as a single-screen art-house movie theater in 1969.
2 Regularly playing non-mainstream American independents and subtitled (never dubbed) foreign-language films, the Nick served as a bastion of film education for many local film reviewers and professors.
3 Bill’s second wife, Nancy Raney, made a name for herself as the consummate hostess. For instance, in 1987, with help from the Casablanca Restaurant, she recreated the entire feast from the Danish film Babette’s Feast to promote its release.
4 In December of 2015, ownership of the Nick (along with Del Mar and the recently closed Aptos Cinemas) changed hands from the theater’s second pair of owners, Jim Schwenterley and Paul Gottlober, to Landmark Theatres, a theater chain out of Los Angeles specializing in art-house and independent films.
5 The Nick and Del Mar serve concessions from the Penny Ice Creamery, the Buttery, Black China Bakery, Nut Kreations, Sweet Earth Burritos, SunRidge Farms, and Alta Coffee. AMH
Best Poet
Kevin Devaney
1 Kevin Devaney is that friendly fellow with the typewriter on Pacific Avenue.
2 For a donation, he will write you a poem on the spot.
3 Devaney founded Santa Cruz’s only Weekly Poetry Open Mic
4 He’s a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College.
5 Devaney sells handmade street poetry books on Etsy. CJ
Best Theater Company
Jewel Theatre Company
1 Founded by artistic director Julie James in 2005, Jewel is the only year-round professional theater company in Santa Cruz.
2 Last November, Jewel became the arts company in residence at the new $5.8 million Colligan Theater at the Tannery Arts Center.
3 With the move from the Center Street Theater to the Colligan Theater, Jewel doubled the seating capacity at its shows from 89 to 182.
4 James says Jewel’s subscriber base has been growing by about 35 percent every year.
5 Their current production is Master Class (above), which runs through April 3. SP
Art Event
First Friday
firstfridaysantacruz.com
RUNNERS-UP Capitola Art & Wine Festival, Open Studios Art Tour
Art Gallery
Museum of Art & History
705 Front St., Santa Cruz,
429-1964, santacruzmah.org
RUNNERS-UP Felix Kulpa, R. Blitzer
Artist (local)
Marie Gabrielle
mariegabrielle.ipower.com
RUNNERS-UP Doug Ross, Maia Negre
Author (local)
K.M. Rice
kmrice.com
RUNNERS-UP Geoffrey Dunn, Laurie King
Dance Studio
Pacific Arts Complex
1122 Soquel Ave ., Santa Cruz,
471-8142, pacificartscomplex.com
RUNNERS-UP Motion Pacific, Tannery World Dance
Festival (art/film)
Capitola Art & Wine Festival
capitolaartandwine.com
RUNNERS-UP Banff Mountain Film Festival, Watsonville Film Festival
Festival (music)
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
cabrillomusic.org
RUNNERS-UP American Music Festival, Santa Cruz Music Festival
Festival (street)
Greek Festival
facebook.com/santacruzgreekfestival
RUNNERS-UP Capitola Art & Wine Festival, Earth Day Festival
Kids’ Art Program
Studio Sprout
325-2785, studiosproutsantacruz.com
RUNNERS-UP Drawn 2 Art, Seven Directions
Movie Theater
Nickelodeon
210 Lincoln St., Santa Cruz,
426-7500, landmarktheatres.com/santa-cruz
RUNNERS-UP Cinelux Scotts Valley, Del Mar
Mural/Public Art
Shopper’s Corner
62 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz
423-1398, shopperscorner.com
RUNNERS-UP Bill’s Wheels, Whales at Seabright Beach
Museum
Museum of Art & History
705 Front St., Santa Cruz
429-1964, santacruzmah.org
RUNNERS-UP Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Surfing Museum
Photographer
Devi Pride
devipridephotography.com
RUNNERS-UP John F. Hunter, Shmuel Thaler
Poet (local)
Kevin Devaney
kevindevaney.wordpress.com
RUNNERS-UP Ellen Bass, Gary Young
Radio Personality (local)
Sleepy John Sandidge
KPIG-FM, 107.5 and KZSC-FM, 88.1
RUNNERS-UP Ethan Bearman, Rosemary Chalmers
Radio Station
KPIG-FM
107.5
RUNNERS-UP 1080 AM KSCO, 88.1 KZSC
Television Personality (local)
Dan Green
KSBW
RUNNERS-UP Dale Julin, Lee Solomon
Television Newscast (Local)
KSBW
RUNNER-UP KCBS, KION
Theater Company
Jewel Theatre
jeweltheatre.net
RUNNERS-UP All About Theatre, Santa Cruz Shakespeare
