Arts & Culture

Among the musical acts that performed at the first Power of Flower Festival at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in July was Pan Dulce, a band that has, in its short career, made quite a name for itself.

This summer, the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) will celebrate its 25th Anniversary.  While the museum has been shuttered for most of the pandemic, staff has stayed connected to the community through outdoor exhibits, social media engagement and other projects. No one...

WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville is investing $4,000 into public art projects in the coming year. The Public Art Grant Program, established earlier this month, will distribute four $1,000 grants to different projects by Watsonville artists that aim to improve and enrich the city. Projects can...

WATSONVILLE—Judy Gittelsohn has big plans for the downtown Watsonville arts scene. For the past two months, Gittelsohn has been slowly but surely moving her artwork, supplies and more into her new studio at 430 Main St. Large paintings line the walls of the small yet...

WATSONVILLE—Wherever he is touring in the world, Santana lead singer Andy Vargas makes sure to let everyone know about his hometown of Watsonville. “I’ve always been proud to be from Watsonville,” Vargas said.  “I tell people that they’ve probably ate our berries or drank our...

APTOS—On Monday Cabrillo Gallery celebrated the opening of its annual Student Exhibition, showcasing over 75 works from students of Cabrillo College’s Art Studio and Art Photography departments. The online show represents all disciplines taught at the school, which includes painting, drawing, printing, ceramic, sculpture, small-scale...

Pajaro Valley Arts had an opening reception for its “Pencas del Corazón” exhibit on Sunday at its gallery in Watsonville. “Pencas del Corazón” (Heart of the Cactus) was curated by two of PVA’s Artists-in-Residence, Yesenia Molina and Irene Juarez O’Connell. The work centers around...

In “Six Years Smitten: Objects of Adornment,” opening Monday, Cabrillo Gallery will present an eclectic mix of work by artists who employ an array of mediums and techniques to create small sculptures and wearable art—including casting, computer aided design, found object assemblage, tin construction,...

WATSONVILLE—A week after Frida Kahlo’s birthday on July 6, Watsonville’s art community came together on July 16 for a festival to celebrate the artist’s life, work and legacy. “Frida Por Vida” Frida Kahlo Festival was organized by Arte del Corazon, an organization that has been...

WATSONVILLE—For the second year running, a group from Watsonville’s Filipino community is releasing a calendar highlighting family histories.  The “Watsonville is in the Heart” calendar is part of the Tobera Project, an ongoing project aiming to preserve, honor and celebrate that history, especially those of...