Halloween is not cancelled. Even as the coronavirus pandemic has so totally altered life as we know it, the seriously spooky show goes on at Hobb's Grove, outside Sanger.
As the pandemic-induced shutdown closed businesses across the nation last March, the Fresno Art Museum (FAM) shuttered itself to the public for the first time in 72 years. But behind those closed doors, the museum is alive and well, preparing for a show-stopping reopening later in the fall. Kings River Life spoke with FAM’s Executive Director, Michele Ellis Pracy, to discover what’s been happening behind the scenes at the Fresno Art Museum.
Nature and photography go hand in hand for award-winning Fresno photographer and musician Larry W. Cusick, whose love of birds makes the avian species one of his favorite muses. But variety is the spice of life, and Cusick has also made a name for himself as a maker of music, playing the fiddle, Irish flute, and uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes).
When it comes to the imagination, the sky’s the limit for Gail Daley. With three science fiction and fantasy series underway, the Central Valley author feels as much at home exploring distant galaxies as she does creating memorable characters who leap off the page. Kings River Life spoke with Daley about inspiration, genre bending, and writing’s biggest rewards.
It was like being struck by lightning—the sudden and electrifying urge to pick up a pen. And that was the moment that inspired Sierra Nevada fine artist Vicki Thomas to add “author” to her career title. Kings River Life spoke with Thomas about her remarkable journey as a young adult fantasy writer, as well as the adventures that await her young protagonist Ivan Kimble.
As the days shorten and the air turns cold and crisp, thoughts turn to the holidays and all of the chaos that they conjure. ‘Tis the season of mad dashes on Black Friday, packed parking lots, a veritable flood of Christmas parties and gift exchanges, and the scramble of last-minute everything.
The Central Valley, known for its agricultural riches, is also home to a thriving art community, thanks in no small part to the Alliance of California Artists, an organization that has been dedicated to fostering education in the arts in the Valley for almost two decades.
As the air grows crisp and the dying leaves descend like fallen flames, October ushers in a spooky season of Halloween parties, scary movie marathons, and pumpkin spice everything. Thoughts drift like ghosts to seasonal festivities like pumpkin carving, trick or treating, and finding just the right costume.
Fresno’s game scene is ever-evolving, but the Fresno Board Gamers have remained a bedrock within the swiftly-moving stream of gaming culture, gathering weekly for over ten years. Kings River Life caught up with group co-organizer John Bowling to talk about the group’s origin, its evolution, and the enduring appeal of tabletop gaming.
Debi Ruud thinks of it as a love story—a musical career encompassing nearly four decades of song, and from founding the Fresno Music Academy & Arts, community choir Hearts on Fire, and R&B soul band The Lost Souls, to releasing her second CD, All that Matters, her musical journey is only just beginning…
