Best Dance Lessons (Studio)
Pacific Arts Complex
- It’s the largest studio in the area, with more than 150 classes a week at two locations—one in Watsonville and one in Santa Cruz—and more than 500 kids.
On the first and third Monday of the month, students can sign up for the advanced hip-hop class “Monday Madness,” where a rotating cast of distinguished guest instructors teach choreography.- Many of the teachers are still in high school, as Pacific Arts Complex will pay kids that have the skills to teach other kids. For some students, this can be one of their first jobs in dance.
- In 2016, PAC students won the highest score overall and became the grand champions at the Starbound National Dance Competition in Lake Tahoe for their piece “Crazy.”
- Pacific Arts Complex alumnus Shane Bruce has appeared on TV’s Modern Family, and in the film Chocolate City 2, among other projects, as well as teaching dance in L.A. AARON CARNES
On the first and third Monday of the month, students can sign up for the advanced hip-hop class “Monday Madness,” where a rotating cast of distinguished guest instructors teach choreography.
Best Festival (Art/Film)
Capitola Art & Wine Festival
- Just two artists and one winery participated in the first Capitola Art & Wine Festival in 1982.
- The festival now boasts more than 160 artists, 22 wineries, an artisans marketplace, food vendors, a children’s play area, and live entertainment, and is held in the Capitola Village on the Esplanade, Capitola and Monterey avenues. This year’s festival takes place Sept. 8-9.
- The children’s play area is dubbed the Children’s Art & Juice Festival. Held in a quiet area in the center of the festival, kids can create art and taste different juices.
- Each year the poster for the festival features art from a different artist who’s been part of the festival in the past. The 2018 poster will be done by Santa Cruz artist Taylor Reinhold.
- The festival offers free shuttle rides to and from the Capitola Mall parking lot. LILY STOICHEFF
Best Radio Station
KPIG
- KPIG put many successful musicians on the map before anyone else would play their music—Robert Earl Keen, Todd Snider, James McMurtry, Devil Makes Three, and John Craigie, among others.
- Laura Ellen Hopper, who created the quirky country station 30 years ago as the spiritual successor to KFAT, was among the recipients of the first-ever Gail Rich Awards in 1997. Hopper is credited with popularizing the Americana genre.
- Legend has it that KPIG was the first station ever to stream online—a tidbit that is impossible to verify, because most people weren’t tracking the growth of the internet very closely in 1995.
- Host “Sleepy” John Sandidge celebrated the 1,100th episode of KPIG’s Please Stand By live music show on Sunday, March 13.
- John F. Johnson of Santa Cruz’s Teapot Graphics designed KPIG’s logo in 1995, crafting a visual identity for KPIG that lives on today. Johnson passed away in January of 2017. JACOB PIERCE
Laura Ellen Hopper, who created the quirky country station 30 years ago as the spiritual successor to KFAT, was among the recipients of the first-ever Gail Rich Awards in 1997. Hopper is credited with popularizing the Americana genre.
Art Event
First Friday
firstfridaysantacruz.com
RUNNERS-UP Capitola Art & Wine Festival, Open Studios Art Tour
Art Gallery (Retail)
Artisans Gallery
1368 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz,
423-8183, artisanssantacruz.com
RUNNERS-UP R. Blitzer Gallery, Felix Kulpa Gallery, Many Hands Gallery
Artist (Local)
Marie Gabrielle
RUNNERS-UP Brayton Furlong, Yeshe Jackson
Author (Local)
K.M. Rice
kmrice.com
RUNNERS-UP Laurie R. King, Duncan McCollum
Dance Studio
Pacific Arts Complex
1122 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz,
471-8142, pacificartscomplex.com
RUNNERS-UP Agape Dance Academy, Tannery World Dance
Festival (Art/Film)
Capitola Art & Wine Festival
capitolaartandwine.com
RUNNERS-UP Santa Cruz Film Festival, Watsonville Film Festival
Festival (Music)
Santa Cruz Music Festival
santacruzmusicfestival.com
RUNNERS-UP Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Mountain Sol, Redwood Mountain Faire
Festival (Street)
Greek Festival
facebook.com/santacruzgreekfestival
RUNNERS-UP Church Street Fair, Earth Day Santa Cruz, Pleasure Point Street Fair
Kids’ Art Program
Studio Sprout
studiosproutsantacruz.com
RUNNERS-UP Kaiwa Art and Play Space, Seven Directions
Movie Theater
Nickelodeon
210 Lincoln St., Santa Cruz
359-4523, landmarktheatres.com/santa-cruz
RUNNERS-UP Capitola Cinelux, Del Mar Theater
Mural/Public Art
Capitola Wharf
RUNNERS-UP Bill’s Wheels, Shopper’s Corner
Museum
Museum of Art & History
705 Front St., Santa Cruz
429-1964, santacruzmah.org
RUNNERS-UP Capitola Historical Museum, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Photographer
Devi Pride
devipridephotography.com
RUNNERS-UP Alexandra Rice, Shmuel Thaler
Poet (Local)
Ellen Bass
ellenbass.com
RUNNERS-UP Max Goodwin, Gary Young
Radio Personality (Local)
Rosemary Chalmers, KSCO
RUNNERS-UP Laurie Roberts, “Sleepy” John Sandidge
Radio Station
KPIG-FM 107.5
RUNNERS-UP 1080 AM KSCO, 88.1 KZSC
Television Personality (Local)
Dan Green, KSBW
RUNNERS-UP Lee Solomon, Phil Gomez
Television Newscast (Local)
KSBW
RUNNER-UP KION
Theater Company
Jewel Theatre
jeweltheatre.net
RUNNERS-UP CYT Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Shakespeare
