.5 Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Jan. 22-28

A weekly guide to what’s happening

Green Fix 

Illustrating the Kingdom Fungi

In this workshop, participants will draw inspiration from the Museum’s special exhibit, Mushrooms: Keys to the Kingdom Fungi, and illustrate mushrooms from freshly foraged as well as desiccated specimens. After some basic drawing warm-up, instructor Emily Underwood (a graduate of Cal State Monterey Bay’s Scientific Illustration program) will go over techniques for illustrating mushrooms in pen-and-ink, watercolor, and colored pencils. Most of the time will be spent working on illustrations with help from Underwood. Materials will be provided, but feel free to bring any drawing/painting materials from home. All experience levels are welcome. 

INFO: 6-8pm. Tuesday Jan. 28. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, 1305 E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz. 420-6115. santacruzmuseum.org. $20. 

Art Seen

‘Extraordinary Ordinary: Cardboard Reimagined’

Cardboard is everywhere. When its job is done, it’s discarded or recycled. For their latest exhibit, the Cabrillo Gallery is reimagining the purposes of cardboard. Five artists—Scott Fife, Taro Hattori, Jason Schneider, Ann Weber and Dag Weiser—up-cycled cardboard, with astounding results. Including abstract forms, sculptural portraits, an installation of brightly painted plants and animals, a harpsichord and even a huge airplane, the artists elevated the throwaway material from its humble origins into something sophisticated and unique. Photo: Taro Hattori.

INFO: Show opens Monday, Jan. 27, and continues through Friday, Feb. 28. Artists’ reception at the Cabrillo Gallery from 4-6pm on Saturday, Feb. 1. The Cabrillo Gallery, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. Free. 

Saturday 1/25 

Women’s Adventure Film 

This short film festival is a celebration of the inspiring women who are doing extraordinary things in the name of adventure. This year’s lineup features an all-star cast of global athletes, business women, mothers and storytellers, including cliff-diver Rhiannan Iffland, climber/yoga instructor Kira Brazinski, long-distance hiker Jennifer Pharr-Davis, and many more including women in snow sports, mountaineering and mountain biking.

INFO: 7pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. 423-8209. riotheatre.com. $20. 

Saturday 1/25 

Rail Trail Groundbreaking Party

Friends of the Rail & Trail invites the community to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new 1.3-mile stretch of the Coastal Rail Trail. The celebration, free and open to the public, is hosted by the Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Company with cosponsors Ecology Action, Bike Santa Cruz County and the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. This segment of the Coastal Rail Trail, known as Segment 7 – Phase 1, is part of the 32-mile Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Master Plan. The Master Plan was approved in 2014 and is now headed for construction, one segment at a time. This Westside trail segment will provide the most direct pedestrian and bicycle access between Natural Bridges Drive and Bay Street on the Westside of Santa Cruz for residents and visitors alike.

INFO: 1-3pm. Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery, 402 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz. Free. 

Sunday 1/26 

Pickwick Book Club Discussion

Brought to you by the Dickens Project at UCSC and the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, the Santa Cruz Pickwick Book Club is a community of local bookworms, students, and teachers who meet monthly from September to June to discuss a 19th century novel. Join them each month for conversations about the novel and guest speaker presentations to help us contextualize our readings. January, February and March are focused on David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Group meets each fourth Sunday of the month.

INFO: 2pm. Santa Cruz Downtown Library, Upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church St., Santa Cruz. Free.