FashionArt Santa Cruz

Lisa Bibbee, Free Mother Earth. Photo by Jana Marcus, 2015.

When gallery owner Angelo Grova hosted a parking lot fashion show in support of a friend studying fashion design, he did not anticipate how much local enthusiasm and widespread creativity this informal event would generate. To his surprise and delight, more than 400 people attended the show.

Tukula Ntama. Photo by Jana Marcus, 2015.

Since that first successful evening back in 2006, Grova, along with a dedicated group of volunteers and sponsors, has been able to evolve the show into a large scale, annual event – FashionART Santa Cruz. Next weekend, the spectacular show returns to the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium for its 11th year celebrating fashion collections from Bay Area designers and art creations from Northern Californian artists.

Angelo Grova, What Goes Up, Must Come Down. Photo by Bari Lee, 2014.

Each year, FashionART Santa Cruz showcases the beautiful blend of fashion and art in a multi-media runway event. The 2016 fashion show will spotlight the talent of over 15 established artists and 8 emerging designers. Their unique works of wearable art will be featured by local models who will be walking, strutting, and dancing down the runway accompanied by dynamic music and lights. The creative, colorful designs being displayed will be ready to wear, one-of-a-kind mixed media art pieces hand-crafted by local artists and independent designers.

Kathleen Crocetti, Undercurrents. Photo by Jana Marcus, 2015.

Immediately following the event, the Civic Auditorium parking lot will be transformed into an outdoor exhibit trunk show, where the public will be able to browse and purchase pieces from the featured collections and wearable art creations, as well as work by various Santa Cruz artisans. The Civic Auditorium is an ideal venue to host this now legendary production – since its opening in March, 1940, the Civic has served the community as a sports arena, theater, concert hall, ice skating rink, town hall, convention center, exhibition hall, dance hall, sound stage, banquet room, ceremonial hall, movie theater, Red Cross shelter, graduation hall and more.

Angelo Grova, gallery owner, artist, and founder of FashionArt Santa Cruz. Photo by Jana Marcus.

This tradition of craftsmanship on the catwalk represents the diverse and innovative work being produced in the Bay Area arts community. It also defines Angelo Grova and the community’s ongoing efforts to expand and promote local art in all its many forms. Grova was a UCSC Arts Department faculty member for 10 years, ran Art School Santa Cruz in the 1980s, and is a nationally renowned artist and the owner of Michaelangelo Gallery. In addition to being the base for FashionArt, the gallery has hosted the work of more than 800 local and guest artists, is surrounded by art studios, and is the center of some of the first artist live/work spaces to be established in California.

Charlotte Kruk, Circus Animals. Photo by Jana Marcus, 2015.

This year, FashionART Santa Cruz will once again partner with the Santa Cruz Education Foundation. This non-profit organization will receive partial proceeds from the event ticket sales. The foundation works to promote excellence in Santa Cruz City schools by improving educational programs so that all students can realize their full potential.

FashionArt Santa Cruz’s 11th Anniversary show will be held at the Civic Auditorium on Saturday, September 24^th, 2016 at 7 p.m.

For more information about the event and how to buy tickets in advance, visit the FashionArt Santa Cruz website.

Marise Oliveira, Agua’s Art Clothing. Photo by Jana Marcus.

The 2016 FashionArt Show Lineup: