Pisces Moon event hopes to eradicate gay hate crimes

It happened in his junior year of high school. Ryan McCune of Stockton was hanging out in the parking lot with his friends and girlfriend, saying good-bye as Christmas break was about to start. That’s when he got tapped on the shoulder and heard the word “faggot” being hurled at him. McCune twirled around and another student smashed him in the temple with a lock. He was knocked unconscious and the beating started. About 12 students, many from the football team, proceeded to pound on him. About 20 minutes later the principal scared away the attackers and soon McCune was loaded into an ambulance and taken to a hospital.

Burning Man kicks off with art installations by Santa Cruz’s Two Lanterns camp

Last year, Barbie and Ken got divorced and two semi trucks twisted in the air. Where else could such strange things happen other than at Burning Man? For those “not in the know,” Burning Man is an all-out artistic love-fest where creative people will gather in the Nevada desert from Aug. 25 to Sept. 1. It’s also known to be a love fest of other sorts, with drugs and sex abounding (in private). But what is Burning Man at its core? For local artist Jason Guy it’s about “radical self-reliance” and a “celebration of the arts. … When you go to Burning Man, there’s a welcoming gate … it feels like coming home.”

You’re not alone on that cosmic mood swing. JZ Knight returns to Santa Cruz and tells you why.
Plus: What are you doing to step into your fabulous future?

She doesn’t quite come out and say it, but after talking to JZ Knight for an hour, you get the feeling that the woman best known for channeling the 35,000-year-old entity Ramtha, is telling you to do this:  Get off your ass and start creating a new reality. That may be a bold interpretation, but considering the current state of the world, who can really feel good sitting down? Knight, a spiritual teacher, world-renowned lecturer and

Independent design store Cameron Marks makes its ‘mark’ in the fashion world

On any given day, there is the danger of becoming lustful—for clothes and shoes. A true fashionista knows when the lust creeps in. It’s when you keep eyeing a pair of black kitten heels, and imagining them on your feet. The scene replays over and over. This is precisely what happened to me recently during a visit to Cameron Marks, a cozy, chic, one-of-a-kind boutique on the Westside of Santa Cruz.

Why local stylist Tina Brown keeps you in tip-top fashion shape

Well-known stylist Rachel Zoe probably has a day that unravels like this: A celebrity calls her up and says, “Hey Rachel, I need you to revolutionize my ‘look.’” Or, “Hey, Rachel, I’ve got an awards show coming up.” Or, “Hey, Rachel, I’m going shopping—please come, STAT.” In Hollywood, that’s likely the life of a stylist to the stars. But in Santa Cruz, it’s not that much different for our fashion guru, Tina Brown. The only thing she might do differently than Zoe is charge a more manageable fee for her services, and help us “normal people” in need of a wardrobe overhaul. Meet Brown, owner of Ilka, a one-woman company that offers shopping and styling services. She’ll uproot your closet, kick out the bad stuff and help you see a brand new ‘you.’ Or, she’ll take you shopping to update things, do your colors, analyze your body and give you a new ‘look’ and a new perspective.

Jane Sullivan

To call Jane Sullivan a pioneer might be an understatement. As director of the Santa Cruz Film Festival, she’s a wild ball of energy. And, in the seven years she’s presided over the local film festival, she has managed to pull off phenomenal feats on a very big scale. It hasn’t been without plenty of hard work, too many volunteers to mention and probably a headache or two.

17th Avenue Studios offers a ‘hip’ open house

To say that Lenny Gerstein makes no bones about his artwork is an understatement. He’ll admit that he’s not expecting to make a fat paycheck off his stunning wood sculptures, and that’s just fine with him, thank you very much. He’s already had a successful career—this part of his life is dessert.

How Warren Knox works outside—and often on top of—the box

At age 16, Warren Knox was already an entrepreneur. He came up with a one-of-a-kind business venture—making elevated garden boxes for people who couldn’t bend down. In essence, he made them for people like his grandfather who was fond of gardening but either didn’t have the appropriate dirt for planting carrots and such, or simply couldn’t reach a ground-level planter box. Since then, Knox has been building these garden boxes on legs and shipping them across the country.

MAH’s most breathtaking work of the season delves into the art and history of China

Enter. Then clap. Now look around—quickly. Did you catch it? Stand by the eccentric greenhouse sculpture in the main lobby of the Museum of Art & History at the McPherson Center in downtown Santa Cruz. Now clap again. If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice that a horde of fake flowers in cozy pots will dance when you clap your hands. It’s a rather adorable sight, surrounded by a rather not-so-adorable concept: global warming. The piece, “Green House Tent Dress,” is “a comment on how the U.S. and China need to work on our policies of conservation,” says museum spokesperson Theresa Myers. And the twirling flowers that dance? “I think it has to do with paying attention,” says Susan Hillhouse, curator for the museum. “We’re living things and we want to survive.”

Camryn Manheim on show biz, reality checks and the importance of keeping close ties to UC Santa Cruz

She was the woman who shouted, “This is for all the fat girls,” during her unforgettable Emmy acceptance speech in 1998. Camryn Manheim—then and now—leads a very full life: There was the time she auditioned for David Kelley and challenged the television producer to a game of cribbage—it won her a role on The Practice. There’s her work for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); her support of the size acceptance movement; and there’s the blessed job of mother to her 7-year-old son who will go to university, she says, quite emphatically. With her warm and big-hearted personality, it’s no surprise that UC Santa Cruz has invited one of the school’s most famous alumni back for a special event. On Feb. 9, Manheim will be the keynote speaker at the school’s fifth annual Scholarship Benefit Dinner.