Art Gallery

GOLD
Graphfix Gallery
1229 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. 831.425.8086.
The abstract art pieces offered at Graphfix will make even the drabbest apartment look like a hip, cosmopolitan cultural hot spot. Throw on top of that the kitschy, drug-friendly party toys and a multitude of art supplies for the creative spirit budding in us all, and Graphfix is a no-brainer for recognition as top art gallery in town.

SILVER
Museum of Art and History
705 Front St, Santa Cruz. 831.429.1964.

BRONZE
Hide Gallery
131B Front St, Santa Cruz. 831.621.3939.

Artist (visual; local)

GOLD
Matt Fararr

SILVER
Kate Daly

BRONZE
Ann Thiermann

Cartoonist

GOLD
DeCinzo

SILVER
Tim Eagan

BRONZE
Matt Groening

Children's Art Program

GOLD
Mariposa's Art
150 Felker St, Santa Cruz. 831.425.5719.
At Mariposa's Art, the emphasis is on the whole child. More than just a way to keep at-risk kids off the streets after school, Mariposa's arts, music and dance programs aim to create strong community ties and healthy self-esteem. An innovative teaching program trains high school students to teach arts and guitar to elementary school kids. No wonder Mariposa's been a Santa Cruz favorite for most of its 10 years.

SILVER
Seven Directions
303 Potrero St, Santa Cruz. 831.427.9500.

BRONZE
Dragonfly Arts
2535 Orchard St, Soquel. 831.464.3331.

Festival

GOLD
Capitola Art and Wine
This post-Labor Day shindig has a few key things going for it, starting with wine--lots of it, and mostly from the Santa Cruz Mountains. It also has art, as the name suggests, and of course the privilege of being held in Capitola-by-the-Sea, an irrefutably picturesque location. But maybe best of all, it has September on its side--historically the warmest and best time of year, when we locals get our home back.

SILVER
Greek Festival

BRONZE
Santa Cruz Blues Festival

Movie Theater

GOLD
Del Mar Theatre
1124 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. 831.469.3320.
A blast of colorful design patterns welcomes movie lovers to this historic theater, which has experienced a resurgence of popularity since its 2002 retrofit. The theater scrambled to the top of the pile this year thanks to its gold-gilded interior, gorgeous art-decoesque lamps and comfortable upstairs lobby. The theater's popular Midnight Movies series, which brings cult films from days past back to the big screen, is a hit with drunken college students, who line up around the block every weekend to relive their fading childhood memories.

SILVER
Nickelodeon
210 Lincoln St, Santa Cruz. 831.426.7500.

BRONZE
Santa Cruz Cinema 9
1405 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. 831.425.7492.

Mural

GOLD
Shopper's Corner

SILVER
Pearl Alley (Ann Thiermann)

BRONZE
Bill's Wheels

Radio Personality

GOLD
Sleepy John
Because he started doing local radio at KAZU in 1983, "when the station was in Pacific Grove, not in Washington, D.C.," and hasn't stopped since; because he was at KFAT, its short-lived successor KHIP, and KPIG; because he survived three years at KSCO; because he's as friendly and laid-back as his trademark Hawaiian shirts suggest he'll be; because he speaks his mind and isn't afraid to go against the grain; because he still does back-to-back shows on KZSC-FM (88.1)--Thursday night's Politics of Santa Cruz Reality and Friday morning's Bushwacker's Breakfast); because you can tell musicians are having fun in the studio on his Sunday midday show Please Stand By on KPIG-FM (107.5); and because he's the snazziest guy around--readers salute Sleepy John Sandidge.

SILVER
Rosemary Chambers, KSCO-AM (1080)

BRONZE
Ralph Anybody, KPIG-FM (107.5)

Radio Station

GOLD
KZSC-FM (88.1)
1156 High St, Santa Cruz. 831.459.2811.

SILVER
KPIG-FM (107.5)
1110 Main St, Watsonville. 831.724.7675.

BRONZE
KUSP-FM (88.9)
208 Eighth Ave, Santa Cruz. 831.476.2800.

Theater Troupe

GOLD
Shakespeare Santa Cruz
UCSC, 156 High St, Santa Cruz. 831.459.2121.

SILVER
Um ... Gee ... Um
831.425.4447

BRONZE
SheBam

Send a letter to the editor about this story.