Ever wonder about the economics of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s classic 1892 ballet, “The Nutcracker”? The show is far from the only thing a company like the Sacramento Ballet does, but with its ticket sales, it can bankroll much of the rest of the year.

Writer and Sacramentan Tom Meschery is celebrating the recent release of “The Case of the ‘66 Ford Mustang.” The series is set in Oakland, and Meschery draws from his time spent in the Bay Area, which includes playing basketball for the NBA’s Warriors during the 1960s.

“When you talk about business, ours has allowed us to bring our culture back,” Tayaba notes. “Building our dance arbor, having our ceremonies — obtaining eagle feathers, abalone, clam shells, pine nuts, items that aren’t easily foraged today — it all costs money. Now we hold workshops, classes, dance practices. We’re trying to rebirth weavers, because our grandmothers were weavers.”

More than two dozen 1950s and ‘60s vintage cars were parked in a semi-circle in front of the Sacramento History Museum’s entrance, heralding attendees to enter a world they had likely encountered over the past several decades but may have feared or simply misunderstood. 

While other professional soccer teams have come to town with hype and promise, only to flicker briefly before disappearing — teams like the Gold, Spirits, Geckos, Scorpions, Senators and the Knights — the United Soccer League’s Sac Republic connected with the Capital Region in a major way. 

Driving among the idyllic rolling hills, storied wine country and charming Gold Rush-era towns of Amador County, you might think you’ve stepped back into the past. But one organization in this small rural county is looking to the future — and working to build a sustainable creative economy to meet it. 

Just released in September of 2023, this anthology on the intersection of art and medicine offers a poignant look at the history, practice and future of radical creativity in the industry.

Tracy Carlton took an unconventional path to her art career, launching a as a creative expression coach and teacher last year following a 21-year career at First 5 Amador, the Amador County branch of the statewide nonprofit commission dedicated to improving early childhood development.

The show producer opens his laptop, and with a touch of the keyboard the magic begins. Music swells, and a spectacular vision of multicolor sparkling flowers explodes in the night sky, along with golden starbursts and shiny cascading waterfalls.