In “Las Mismas Manos,” co-directed by Consuelo Alba-Speyer, Watsonville native Martín Vargas-Vega goes from picking strawberries with his farmworker parents to working as a software engineer. The documentary looks at the money and isolation problems he faced in Silicon Valley, and at the community that backed him along the way.
Alia Yee Noll
Alia Yee Noll joins Lookout Santa Cruz as the California Local News Fellow to cover arts, entertainment and culture. Alia recently graduated from the University of Southern California, where she studied journalism and minored in documentary film and gender studies. She's interested in reporting on the intersections of art, accessibility and diversity.
She has interned at the Los Angeles Times, Ms. Magazine and Getty Publications, and she edited the arts and features sections for her college paper, the Daily Trojan.
Alia grew up in Fullerton and is excited to continue living and writing in the best state there is. She's looking forward to exploring Santa Cruz County's restaurants and live music scene, frequenting the public library, and discovering the best hikes and tea lattes.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
El camino de un oriundo de Watsonville: de una familia de trabajadores agrícolas a una carrera en tecnología, tema de un nuevo documental
En “Las Mismas Manos,” codirigido por Consuelo Alba-Speyer, el oriundo de Watsonville Martín Vargas-Vega pasa de recoger fresas junto a sus padres, trabajadores agrícolas, a trabajar como ingeniero de software. El documental aborda las dificultades económicas y el aislamiento que enfrentó en Silicon Valley, así como la comunidad que lo apoyó a lo largo del camino.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
He helped mix Taylor Swift’s ‘Red.’ Now this Grammy-nominated sound engineer calls Aptos home
Mixing engineer Math Bishop worked on Taylor Swift’s Grammy-nominated album “Red” and has credits with bands like The Killers and Modest Mouse. After more than a decade in Los Angeles, he moved to Aptos for a slower pace, and he’s hoping to get plugged into the local music scene around Santa Cruz County.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Santa Cruz taxidermy lecture explores how preserving animals can inspire conservation
After nearly 20 years in taxidermy, Allis Markham says the point isn’t realism. It’s connection. The Los Angeles-based master taxidermist will talk Thursday at The 418 Project in Santa Cruz about how salvaged animals in museums and nature centers get people to care about wildlife and the threats it faces.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
UCSC’s Festival of Monsters fends off critics and celebrates the misunderstood
The Festival of Monsters returns to Santa Cruz from Wednesday to Sunday to discuss monsters in history and media, organized by UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Monster Studies. The festival includes an academic conference and multiple public events such as a film screening, author panels and a game day.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Santa Cruz Film Festival explores AIDS activism, Holocaust history and the power of art
The Santa Cruz Film Festival runs Wednesday through Sunday and features documentaries exploring AIDS activism, Holocaust history and cultural resistance, alongside comedies, thrillers and films celebrating local winemaking and cidermaking.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Esperanza del Valle celebrates Mexican culture through folklórico attire in Watsonville
Esperanza del Valle is showcasing 15 traditional folklórico outfits spanning multiple regions of Mexico in a new exhibit at the Watsonville Center for the Arts. The free exhibit has a reception Saturday and continues through Nov. 21.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Esperanza del Valle celebra la cultura mexicana a través del vestuario folclórico en Watsonville
Esperanza del Valle presenta 15 trajes tradicionales de distintas regiones de México en una nueva exposición en el Watsonville Center for the Arts. La exposición es gratuita; la inauguración se llevará a cabo el sábado y permanecerá abierta hasta el 21 de noviembre.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
17 poets, 4 minutes each: Writers of Color Santa Cruz County celebrates 5 years
Writers of Color Santa Cruz County will host a poetry showcase Wednesday at the Museum of Art & History, featuring 17 performers from across North and South County. The collective meets monthly to host workshops and provide feedback to one another.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
17 poetas, 4 minutos cada uno: Writers of Color Santa Cruz County celebra 5 años
Writers of Color Santa Cruz County organizará una muestra de poesía el miércoles 7 de octubre en el Museum of Art & History, con la participación de 17 artistas de distintas partes del norte y sur del condado. El colectivo se reúne mensualmente para realizar talleres y ofrecerse comentarios y retroalimentación.
