A Press Democrat Blog

Arts

Dan Taylor on the fine arts scene.

Santa Rosa Junior College displays its permanent art collection

Wednesday, at 7:00 by

Santa Rosa Junior College is putting its permanent art collection, featuring almost 80 works created by 52 artists who have worked at the college over the past six decades, on display at its Doyle Library. The Doyle Collection, assembled over the past two years by college library technician Scott Lipanovich, will be shown on the third and fourth floors of the library. “The works — several quite large — are spread over about 1.5 acres of floor space” at the… Read More »

SRJC holds ‘Legally Blonde’ costumed Chihuahua contest

Monday, at 8:54 by

Fans of Reese Witherspoon’s 2001 hit movie “Legally Blonde,” and the subsequent Broadway musical version, know one thing for sure. Heroine Elle Woods, the fashion major and sorority queen who enrolls in Harvard Law School to get her boyfriend back, would never go anywhere without her pet Chihuahua, Bruiser Woods. And of course, they’d both be dressed in the latest fashions. To celebrate the opening of its production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” on Friday, April 19, the Santa Rosa… Read More »

Art by painter, teacher Maury Lapp shown in Santa Rosa

Thursday, at 8:58 by

“Local living treasure” is probably one of those  phrases that has lost much of its meaning through overuse, and should be retired. But before we ban that cliche, let’s use it just one more time to describe a man who really deserves it. Maurice Lapp, 87, known to everyone as Maury, started teaching art at Santa Rosa Junior College in 1956. He still teaches part-time there, and paints nearly every day at his Santa Rosa home studio. His painting career… Read More »

Santa Rosa inventor wins Game of the Year award

Monday, at 12:26 by

Perplexus, the three-dimensional, labyrinthine puzzle invented by Santa Rosa Junior College art teacher Michael McGinnis, was named Game of the Year on Saturday, Feb. 9, by the Toy Industry Association in New York. Worldwide balloting for the honor began last November, with association members, consumers, retailers and journalists voting online. “It is wonderful to be recognized with this award,” McGinnis said. “But this was never made to win awards. It was made to serve as a skill-building tool, and to… Read More »

Robert Chavez art exhibit comes to Santa Rosa

Tuesday, at 7:00 by

Los Angeles artist Roberto Chavez has worked for decades as both a painter and a teacher. Now, at age 80, he is recognized as a major force in California art. The Santa Rosa Junior College will display 60 of his paintings and drawings, including several very large pieces, Nov. 15 through Dec. 13 in the Agrella Art Gallery in the Doyle Library on campus, 1501 Mendocino Ave. The exhibit, “Roberto Chavez, Paintings and Drawings,” opens with a reception from 4… Read More »

Greg Sarris to speak at Santa Rosa Junior College

Thursday, at 7:00 by

Greg Sarris, author and current chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, will speak at  2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the Santa Rosa Junior College. Sarris’ appearance will be part of the college’s observance of November as Native American Heritage month. He’ll talk about his 1998 novel, “Watermelon Nights.” A native of Santa Rosa, Sarris holds the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Endowed Chair in Native American Studies within the School of Arts and Humanities at Sonoma… Read More »

Filmmaker Tiffany Shlain comes to SRJC’s Petaluma campus

Tuesday, at 7:00 by

Santa Rosa Junior College will screen Marin County filmmaker Tiffany Shlain’s “Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death, & Technology” at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22. Shlain will participate in a question-and-answer session following the film, which will be shown in the Carole L. Ellis Auditorium on the college’s Petaluma campus at 680 Sonoma Mountain Parkway. The film explores society’s increasing reliance and interdependence on technology. Shlain’s last four films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival and her films have received… Read More »

Campus gallery to be named for former SRJC president

Tuesday, at 7:00 by

  The first-floor art gallery in the Frank P. Doyle Library at Santa Rosa College will be named this month in honor of Dr. Robert F. Agrella, former superintendent and president of the college. The dedication ceremony will begin at the gallery at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, follow by a reception from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Agrella retired earlier this year after 22 years with Santa Rosa Junior college. The gallery’s current exhibit features Japanese ceramics, with selected works… Read More »

Harlem Globetrotters play at Santa Rosa Junior College

Tuesday, at 8:32 by

The Harlem Globetrotters return Wednesday, Jan. 11, to the Santa Rosa Junior College to show off their skills, as both athletes and clowns, and raise money for the college’s athletic programs. The clown princes of the basketball court also appeared at SRJC in early January last year and the year before. The performance starts at 7 p.m. in the Haehl Pavilion on campus. Admission costs $28-$82. For tickets: http://harlemglobetrotters.com/tickets.      

Bill Vartnaw named Sonoma County Poet Laureate

Wednesday, at 1:45 by

Petaluma native Bill Vartnaw has been named Sonoma Couty’s seventh poet laureate, and will be honored at 3 p.m.  Jan. 29 at the county’s Santa Rosa Central Library, Third and B Streets. Vartnaw has been writing poetry for more than 35 years. He founded Taurean Horn Press in 1974, and has published 14 books, including his own “In Concern: For Angels,” in 1984. The poet laureate is chosen by a committee including representatives from every Sonoma County supervisor district, Sonoma… Read More »