A Showcase for Emerging Art in Marin

The San Francisco Bay area is known for its thriving art scene, but it’s not just the museums and galleries—Marin and its surrounding counties are a great place for up-and-coming artists to network with other artists and get their work seen. You don’t need to be an art celebrity to live the artist’s life in San Rafael.

If you or somebody you know is an up-and-coming artist in the area, send this to them! The Marin Museum of Contemporary Art is holding an Emerging Artists of the Bay Area Exhibition—the submission deadline is January 14, so you’ve still got some time.

For this exhibition, “emerging artist” means an artist that is the main creator of a new artistic work, shows significant potential (but is under-recognized) and has some evidence of professional achievement. Here’s some more info on the exhibition, courtesy of the Marin MOCA website:

Open to all San Francisco Bay Area resident artists 18 years and over. You are invited to submit 10 digital images of your original works completed in the past three years, not previously shown in a MarinMOCA Juried Exhibition. The goal of this competition is to choose five "emerging" artists who will be given an opportunity to exhibit either a body of work or a site-specific installation within a portion of the Museum gallery. Age is not a factor.

Only online entries with digitally uploaded images will be accepted. If proposing a site-specific installation please include a brief description of concept with supporting images. A visit to the Museum gallery prior to entry would be advisable. Accepted artists will enter a dialogue with our Executive Director on how to proceed preparing for this exhibition. Digital entries must be RECEIVED via online application on or before midnight PDT TUESDAY, January 14, 2014. Notification will be by online list of accepted artwork and via email.

Click here to read more about the Emerging Artists Exhibition.

Ring in the New Year Your Way, Your Place

It’s almost the New Year! Sure, you’ll probably be attending (or hosting) your fair share of parties this season. But why not end the holiday season with a bang?

Throwing a great New Years party in your apartment can be affordable, fun, and yes, even easy. No matter what time of year it is, there’s no place like home—the best way to have a memorable New Years your way is to throw the party yourself.

If you’re in charge of the party, you get to set the theme, be it elegant, upscale, family friendly, sports-themed, or anything else.

At the Gigmasters blog, they offered a great tip sheet on how to throw a great New Years party yourself.

Start with your décor:

Once you’ve selected the style, you can get started choosing the decor. Black, silver, and gold make for an elegant color scheme, perfect for a dinner or cocktail party. Take a look at these beautiful black and white table settings from The Busy Budgeting Mama. 

If you’re sticking with a more laid-back or family friendly event, go with bright colors! This decor idea from Better Homes and Gardens is great inspiration for a colorful theme. Party City has a variety of tableware for either choice, as well as decorations and fun wearables for all your guests. 

Feeling crafty? Fancy Fancy Day blog has instructions for some great New Year’s Eve DIY projects. Check out the glitter candle, party hat and Tic-Tac label instructions here.

And of course, then there’s the food:

If you’re going the route of a dinner party, you’ll want to check out these recipes from FoodandWine.com, including mouth watering skirt steak and scallops with potato pancakes. For a cocktail party, head over toPunchbowl.com for a ton of great champagne cocktail recipes. Of course, MarthaStewart.com has wonderful recipes for a family-friendly New Year’s Eve dinner, like these brown sugar chicken wings pictures above.

But no matter what kind of party you’re throwing, there’s a kind of food that’s always acceptable: dessert! We love the awesome sugar cookies pictured above, made by Baby Cakes in London, Ontario! Other adorable treats are these ball drop cupcakes from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, also pictured above.

…And, of course, don’t forget to invite your neighbors! :)

San Rafael’s New Smoking Ban is Now in Effect

Marin County was recently named one of the healthiest counties in California, so it’s no surprise that San Rafael is now home to one of the nation’s strictest smoking bans.

(As always, there is no smoking permitted in or around the 33 North premises.)

San Rafael’s smoking law, passed by the city council unanimously last year, applies to any residence sharing a wall with another residence, regardless of whether or not it is owner-occupied or renter-occupied. After a one-year long grace period and public information campaign, the rule is now being enforced.

“We based it on a county ordinance, but we modified it, and ended up making it the strictest,” Rebecca Woodbury, a policy analyst for the city, told ABC News.

While this particular law is the first of its kind, there are similar laws in the area. Just 40 miles away in Belmont, a smoking ban was passed, but it didn’t apply to all dwellings that share a wall.

Multi-family housing makes up 44 percent of the housing market in San Rafael. There are about 600 properties in the city with three or more units, which translates to 8,000 total multi-family rental units out of 23,636 total housing units.

While this new law is probably not the best news for smokers, its goal is to help make the community as healthy and hospitable as it can get. According to a U.S. Surgeon General report, secondhand smoke kills about 50,000 Americans per year, including 430 infants.

Please pass along this blog post to any 33 North residents you feel might be interested in learning more about the new ordinance.

Click here to read additional coverage of San Rafael’s new smoking ban.

The Nutcracker in Marin County

Holiday season is officially in full swing. So as you start on your holiday shopping, remember to take a break from your winter responsibilities and enjoy some of the best theater that Marin County has to offer.

At the Marin Ballet this year, you can catch Christmas classic The Nutcracker at the Marin Veteran’s Auditorium, at:

Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium
10 Avenue of the Flags
San Rafael, CA 94903
Tickets:

It’s a limited time show run—only four shows: Saturday, December 14 at 1 pm and 5 pm; and Sunday, December 15 at 1 pm and 5 pm.

You can buy tickets by calling (415) 499 – 6800 or clicking here.

Adults - $40.00
Seniors and youth 18 and under - $25.00
Candy Cane Party - $10 (immediately following 1pm performance on Sunday)

Why see The Nutcracker? If you’ve never seen it, you’re in for a treat:

Come celebrate the grandeur of one of ballet's most famous stories! Rich in traditions of holiday magic and lavish surprises, Marin Ballet presents a delightful adventure of childhood fantasy and beautiful classical dance. Artfully revitalized by choreographer Julia Adam starting in 2008, Marin Ballet continues to add new elements to this cultural jewel of Marin County. This year, come see new Battle Scene costumes and meet a new Mouse King villain. Herr Drosslemayer will be danced by Travis Bradley, currently with Memphis Ballet, and Robert Dekkers, noted as one the "25 dancers to watch" by Dance Magazine, Artistic Director of Post:Ballet, and currently a company dancer with Diablo Ballet, joins us again as the Nutcracker Prince.

Stunning sets, clever characters, intricate costuming, over 175 dancers, and a sweetly sophisticated story captivate the young-at-heart in this full-length production. Featuring Clara, Fritz, the dazzling Snow Queen, the far away Land of the Sweets, the enchanting Sugar Plum Fairy, and the mysterious Herr Drosslemayer, you need not travel to the city to enjoy this ballet treat.