ArtsCulture

Nearly 80 percent of Sonoma County high schools do not offer comprehensive, arts education. That’s according to an analysis by the Sonoma County Arts Alliance. The alliance is a partnership between the non-profit Creative Sonoma, the Sonoma County Office of Education, and several other arts educators. The alliance released its 2020 arts education framework in early December. KRCB’s Adia White tells us what that could mean for local students. 

In part two of this story,  KRCB’s Adia White tells us just how far Sonoma County lags behind our neighbors and what educators are doing about it.

Listen to Zoya Ahmed's reading of her poem, A Concerto of Spice. To read the Arts Education Framework, click here.

(Image Right: Students perform at the Creative Sonoma 2020 arts education framework launch. Credit: Adia White)

Artist Lisa R. Fredenthal-Lee goes in search of egg flats and finds them at a local restaurant that specialized in what else eggs! Back to the studio Lisa invents techniques for making great art with egg flats! A HA! Lisa Gets ideas! How unlike her! Lisa shares her technique with her young artists who proceed to make great art of their own!

In this Cloverdale profile, we meet Adrian, a construction worker. He is dedicated to learning in order to help further his place in life. “I want to learn, I don’t get tired of learning.” He sees that hard work and education hold the keys to his future. 

In this Cloverdale profile, we meet Adrian, a construction worker. He is dedicated to learning in order to help further his place in life. “I want to learn, I don’t get tired of learning.” He sees that hard work and education hold the keys to his future. 

Ali Samii believes in the future of Roseland, and works for the Northern California Center for Well-Being.  He is a graduate of Santa Rosa Junior College and getting a further degree at Sonoma State University.  He directs Project TRUE, which is a youth peer education program. "I love getting to work with the community, and seeing the desire for change they have for bettering the community." 

Roseland educator Anna Solano grew up in Mexico and moved to the United States at 17 years of age. She was inspired by the American education system. She worked hard, learned English and got a college scholarship. “I grew up I learned about myself, I learned to be more confident. For me, it was the best years of my life."

Isabel Basaldua Ontiveros lives in Cloverdale and has a job cleaning houses. Her family has transportation challenges and would benefit from better public transportation. “We are looking for something better..for the best things for our families and this is why we move and immigrated from Mexico to the United States."

Isabel Basaldua Ontiveros lives in Cloverdale and has a job cleaning houses. Her family has transportation challenges and would benefit from better public transportation. “We are looking for something better..for the best things for our families and this is why we move and immigrated from Mexico to the United States."

This Cloverdale Profile introduces us to John Gastineau. He is a teacher and coach at Cloverdale High School.  He is proud of the students at his school and thinks they have a bright future. “Your voice can be important. If you can speak up and generate some interest, you can have some power."

This Roseland community profile explores the inspirations of Santa Rosa Mayor, John Sawyer. He believes in the power of volunteering.  “It creates an environment where you’re learning all the time.” Through this foundation, people learn about each other and the needs of their community.

Julia Carranza has worked for the Rosalind school district for 22 years. She believes in good nutrition for children and devoted her life to providing healthy food for youngsters so they can grow up healthy. “I would like to see a place where children will have opportunities to learn crafts, sports, film, art, dance, so many things."

Patty Bird is a third generation Cloverdale resident. She is involved in a group that supports youth sports and outdoor spaces. A former student athlete herself, she says, "I think more things to do for the youth here in town would be nice.  Where the youth could gather, respect each other and learn from each other."

Rose Lyle is a lifetime resident of Cloverdale. She loves the community. Although she remembers better years for her community, she sees a lot of hope and promise for the people of her town.  “There was never any reason for us to leave.” She found everything she needed in her hometown.

Original Source

Artist Lisa R. Fredenthal-Lee goes in search of soft foam. Lisa arrives at creative reuse, local reuse center. where she finds soft foam aplenty. Business's donate the worlds castoffs to 'Creative Reuse' and always hopeful, Lisa finds what she needs. Back in the studio Lisa invents techniques for making great art with soft foam! A HA! Lisa gets ideas! How unlike her! Lisa shares her techniques with her young artists who proceed to make great art of their own!

Artist Lisa R. Fredenthal-Lee goes in search of fruit trays and finds them at local grocery store. Produce manager has saved her many and Lisa is now in fruit tray heaven! Back to the studio Lisa invents techniques for making fabulous art with flexible fruit trays. A HA! Lisa gets ideas! How unlike her! Lisa shares her techniques with her young artists who proceed to make great art of their own!

This past weekend, Francesco Lecce-Chong, the new music director of the Santa Rosa Symphony, conducted his final subscription program for the season. He led the orchestra in works by Mozart, Mahler and Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu.

Before last Wednesday’s rehearsal, he sat down with KRCB News Director Steve Mencher to talk about the orchestra, and about the audience for classical music – which many critics and fans worry is older and not growing.

{Image: Francesco Lecce-Chong, in his first year as music director of the Santa Rosa Symphony, conducts a rehearsal of Mahler's Fourth Symphony on January 9, 2019 in Weill Hall at the Green Center in Rohnert Park. Credit: Steve Mencher)

From the Symphony: 

Santa Rosa Symphony presents "Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery," an affordable family concert on Sunday, January 27 at the Green Music Center. Ideal for sharing with young children, the 3 PM program includes excerpts from Vivaldi's famous works and explores 18th-century Venice with young orphan violinist Katarina. More information on this January 27 concert at srsymphony.org or (707) 54-MUSIC.

Photos by Diane Askew

Saturday's July 4 holiday came in the midst of unprecedented upheaval in our community and in the world. Members of our community are continuing to come together and imagine what our society might look like if everyone had an equal chance to succeed, and even to live.

With that backdrop, Santa Rosa celebrated "interdependence day" with music, dance and social distancing. As Rima Makaryan, who was featured in the recent NorCal Public Media documentary on DACA, told the Press Democrat: 

“It’s all about taking ownership of our identity and our history and all of those things. We are telling our own stories from out own perspectives... taking pride of it and being empowered by it.”

Click on the small image for a slide show

{gallery}interdependence_day{/gallery}

Author Jeanine Cummins’ planned book talk at the Petaluma Copperfield’s Bookstore evaporated with the rest of her scheduled appearances last week when the publisher of her novel “American Dirt” canceled her book tour out of concern for her safety. 

Flatiron Books president Bob Miller said they shut down the tour after threats of violence against Cummins and certain booksellers. The backlash contrasts with the attention her novel received as Oprah Winfrey’s latest book club choice. On the publisher’s website, famed author Sandra Cisneros endorsed it as “the great novel of las Americas,” and since the controversy emerged, Cisneros has continued her support. 

But Cummins’ tale of a Mexican woman and her son migrating north as undocumented immigrants to escape a drug cartel is a far cry from legitimizing immigrant struggle, according to local activist Isabel Lopez. 

Lopez is the executive director of Raizes Collective in Sonoma County, an organization that seeks to empower communities of color through arts and education. 

(Image: A poster advertising Cummin's book in a Santa Rosa book store. Credit: Steve Mencher)

She said the controversy around “American Dirt” revealed white privilege in the publishing world and the disparity in which voices are given a platform. 

“There’s so many amazing stories from people, immigrants who are actually experiencing some of these things, from Palestine to Central America to Mexico, and to be giving a seven-figure advance to this woman who says she researched it, but it is not her experience - it’s just like a slap in the face for someone like me, who actually has crossed the border, and experienced getting caught,” Lopez said.

She said no amount of research Cummins did could qualify her to authentically write about a subject like immigration unless she experienced that subject matter first-hand.

“American Dirt” has triggered deep frustrations from Latinx writers and readers across the nation who say her book is culturally appropriative and stereotypical coming from an author who is neither a person of color nor an immigrant.

The Sonoma County community expressed this sentiment and other concerns to Copperfield’s Books on social media, in person, and over the phone, according to Jamie Madsen, the company’s marketing and events coordinator. She said she did not believe the Petaluma store received any direct threats.  

Some people called to inform Copperfield’s of the controversy surrounding the book, suggesting the store consider increasing security at the event, she said. 

Others urged the store to choose a different author who could more authentically speak to the immigrant experience to have that platform.

“I’d say there was probably more people from the Latinx community urging us to cancel,” Madsen said. 

The coordinator echoed the Flatiron Books statement that she had hoped for a respectful, two-way dialogue on “American Dirt.

“I think that Copperfield’s, our role is to facilitate a space where these conversations can be had, and it goes with any of our topics, that people have a place to come hear about the book, to maybe meet the author, to learn more about what went into the making of this book,” Madsen said. 

“And to have that hard conversation, because at this point, if we don’t have it, if we just cancel it, I don’t necessarily think that’s going to solve anything,” she added.

Madsen said what happened with “American Dirt” demonstrates a bigger issue in the publishing industry. She said she thought Flatiron Books succeeded in owning up to mistakes, like stating they regretted the decision to refer to Cummin’s husband in the book’s prologue as an undocumented immigrant without mentioning he is from Ireland.

Activist Isabel Lopez said she approved of the book talk’s cancellation in Petaluma, but that the reason Flatiron Books gave for shutting down the book tour in its statement only reinforced racist stereotypes.   

“I definitely don’t think it was to apologize, I think it was to protect what they said, which is they didn’t want to put her in this position of intimidation and violence, and that’s the rhetoric that’s been pushed upon us, that we’re violent, and that’s just not the case,” she said.

Lopez said it would have been a good idea to have an alternate event people could attend to air their feelings and discuss the issues “American Dirt” unearthed. 

“People aren’t used to talking about issues, and we don’t know how to navigate these conversations about race and privilege, but I think they need to start somewhere,” she said. 

(Image: Jeanine Cummins with her book in English and Spanish. Credit: Twitter)

She said she did not agree with the threats Cummins faced, but that she understood the anger people expressed toward her book. 

“Why people migrate is so complex, so I could sit here and tell you all of the reasons why my family migrated, but that’s a book in itself, so why not give a seven-figure advance to someone with such a complex and rich story, and I’m not saying me,” Lopez said.  

“But there are voices out there that are beautiful and complex and authentic to highlight and to give platform to, that really highlight all of the complexities of the immigration system that’s broken. And why not highlight that rather than this romanticized story, or this dangerous story, that promotes those stereotypes?” she added.

Madsen said Friday that discussions were taking place within Copperfield’s Books on how to go about similar controversies in the future and promote a safe space where people could share different viewpoints, as well as how they could find an author who could speak to a Latinx, immigrant perspective. 

She said these conversations involved her and the Copperfield’s events team, president, and general manager, and would include possible ways the community can join at a later time to share their opinions and suggestions for a more authentic visiting author. 

Flatiron Books president Bob Miller announced on Twitter the publisher’s intention to host townhall-structured dialogues where people can share their perspectives on “American Dirt” with Jeanine Cummins in the future.

Back for its second year, the NPR Student Podcast Challenge wrapped up in June.

Among two thousand entries in grades 5 thru twelve, the story of Popo the Clown, a local entertainer, rose to be one of only 25 finalists, although it didn't win one of the two top awards.

NPR's website celebrates the work, produced by students at St. Helena High School, as a "witty and poignant conversation" that "helped the students say goodbye to high school in preparation for life beyond." The production work was completed during the pandemic, and sounds fully professional. Advising the students was teacher Elizabeth Ganshorn.

News Director Steve Mencher talked with two of the producers, Reid Ivanoff and Josie Goldfarb. 

Here, Josie and Reid introduce a powerful excerpt from their podcast.