Salinas Valley Comic Con Returns December 16-18

The National Steinbeck Center’s annual celebration of zines, comic books, and pop culture, Salinas Valley Comic Con, returns December 16-18 at the Hartnell College Student Center.

Salinas, CA, November 15, 2016 - The National Steinbeck Center’s annual celebration of zines, comic books, and pop culture, Salinas Valley Comic Con, returns December 16-18 at the Hartnell College Student Center.

Salinas Valley Comic Con begins on Friday, December 16 with a kick off party where vendors, exhibitors, panelists, and guests will have an opportunity to mingle before the convention floor opens on Saturday, December 17. Guests will be treated to over 22 vendors, interesting panel discussions, cosplay contests, and more on December 17 and December 18. Special treats include the popular 501st Legion, a photo spot with custom Salinas Valley Comic Con backdrops, and an exhibit of comic books from UC Santa Cruz’s collection.

Brigget Spicer, a local artist and volunteer coordinator for Salinas Valley Comic Con, stresses the need for programs like SVCC in the Salinas area. “People were just so excited when the Salinas Valley Comic Con came onto the scene.” Spicer said. “ Usually comic conventions happen in larger cities like San Francisco or San Jose. SVCC was happening HERE, in Salinas. I’ve been a vendor at both prior events. I saw families showing up with their kids, all ages cosplay, and local talent being spot-lighted. They all shared an enthusiasm for comics. This is what needs to happen here in our community: people coming together over comics.”

Tickets are available online through EventBrite and range from $5 for a one day children’s ticket to $25 for a two-day pass. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/salinas-valley-comic-con-2016-tickets-28343027759#tickets

About the National Steinbeck Center
The National Steinbeck Center opened in 1998 as the only museum in the world solely dedicated to the life, works, and legacy of John Steinbeck. Located in Salinas, California the National Steinbeck Center is situated in the heart of Steinbeck Country and the sites and sounds immortalized in dozens of Steinbeck's novels.

Contact:
Eric Mora
Marketing Coordinator
National Steinbeck Center
Salinas, CA 93901
831-775-4729
eric@steinbeck.org
http://www.steinbeck.org

National Steinbeck Center Announces Nea Big Read Activities

Monterey County to Read and Celebrate SUN, STONE, AND SHADOWS: TWENTY GREAT MEXICAN SHORT STORIES During the NEA Big Read with Several Activities

Salinas, CA, August 31, 2016 — The National Steinbeck Center was a recipient of a grant of $14,000 to host the NEA Big Read in Salinas. A program of the National Endowment for the Arts, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The National Steinbeck Center was one of 77 nonprofit organizations to receive a grant to host an NEA Big Read project between September 2016 and June 2017.

The book selected by the NSC for the 2016 Big Read is Sun, Stone, and Shadows: Twenty Great Mexican Short Stories edited by Jorge Hernández González. Activities will take place beginning September 2016. Events will be held Salinas, Monterey, King City and other Monterey County locations.

NEA BIG READ 2016

Sponsored by the National Steinbeck Center and in partnership with

· The Western Stage

· Hartnell College

· Hijos del Sol

· Maya Cinemas

· Salinas Public Libraries

· Monterey Public Library

· Monterey County Free Libraries

· California State University, Monterey Bay

· Hartnell Library and Learning Resource Center

· Monterey County Office of Education

· “Voices of California,” Department of Linguistics, Stanford University

Free admission to all NEA Big Read events below

SEPTEMBER
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Sept. 6: NSC, 10-5pm
National Read a Book Day! Free NSC admission 10am-5pm! 10% off books in NSC bookstore! Pop-up discussion of “My Life with the Wave” at 12pm. Contest for copies of Sun, Stone, and Shadows.

Sept. 9-15: Maya Cinemas, Main St. Salinas
Hola Mexico Film Festival showcases great Mexican films. See schedule.

Sept. 10: The Western Stage, Mainstage Theater, Hartnell College, 7:30pm
Opening Night of Bandido. A brilliant retelling of the controversial life and death of Tiburcio Vásquez, a thief and hero. This play is a stunning biography, a thumping melodrama, a political epic and a musical satire by the contemporary theatre icon Luis Valdez.

Pop up exhibit by the National Steinbeck Center. From Sept. 16 through Nov. 1 bring a Bandido ticket to the National Steinbeck Center for free admission. Show a copy of Sun, Stone, and Shadows to The Western Stage Box Office for a half-price ticket to see Bandido.

Sept. 10: National Steinbeck Center, 5pm
Mariachi Festival and Tequilla tasting. See www.steinbeck.org for details.

Sept. 11: The Western Stage, Mainstage Theater, Hartnell College, 2-5pm.
Bandido Talk-Back Session with Director, Cast, and David Serena, Monterey Peninsula College Professor of Ethnic Studies and Political Science. Q&A with panel. Pop-up exhibit by the National Steinbeck Center.

Sept. 11: Alisal Street, Salinas, 11-5
El Grito Parade and Festival: Celebrate Mexican Independence Day. Stop by the NSC pop up exhibit for the chance to win a free copy of Sun, Stone and Shadows in Spanish or English.

Sept. 13: Hartnell College Library, 10-1pm
10th Anniversary Celebration: Celebrate the building’s birthday with cake and giveaways, including copies of Sun, Stone, and Shadows.

Sept. 14: National Steinbeck Center Bookstore, 6pm
Books and Bites: Come discuss stories in the first half of Sun, Stone, and Shadows. Book group led by Susan Shillinglaw, Director, NSC.

Sept. 16: National Steinbeck Center, 3-7:00pm
NEA BIG READ Kick-Off and Open House: Free admission all day! 3:00: Archives highlights from our Steinbeck-Mexico collection. Pop up exhibits by all BIG READ partners. 3:30: “Steinbeck’s Mexico,” Susan Shillinglaw, Director of the NSC. 4:30: The Western Stage premieres a dramatic adaptation of “My Life with the Wave.” 5:00: Music by CSUMB concert band, Sharp Nine. 5:30: “Voices of California,” Stanford University’s project on oral histories in Salinas. 6:00: Tacos served on the patio.

CSUMB Library launches its art contest: “Cover Art.” Submissions due by October 17. See
https://csumb.edu/library/big-read-2016

Sept. 17: Monterey Public Library, 1pm
Sun, Stone, and Shadows Discussion with Susan Shillinglaw

Sept. 19- Oct. 16: John Steinbeck Library
SET THE SCENE ART CONTEST for students aged 13-18 and adults 19 and up. All entries will be displayed at the John Steinbeck Library, and the public will vote on their favorite. A panel of local artists will also judge the entries. See contest rules and prizes on the Library's website.

Sept. 21: National Steinbeck Center, 5:30pm
Sweet Wednesday (with pan dulce): “What Can Literature Tell us about Ourselves?” Rafael Gomez, Professor of Mexican Literature and Spanish at California State University, Monterey Bay.

Sept. 24: Monterey Public Library, 1pm
“When We Were Mexico: A Frontier Province and Its Capital—Monterey,” Dennis Copeland, Monterey’s manager of museums, cultural arts, and archives.

Sept. 24: John Steinbeck Library, 10am-6pm
Stories on Saturday: The Fantastic Unreal. Programs throughout the day focusing on the first section of Sun, Stone, and Shadows. See Library's schedule.

Sept. 25: The Western Stage, Mainstage Theater, Hartnell College, 2-5pm
Bandido Talk-Back Session with with legendary playwright Luis Valdez and David Serena, MPC Professor of Ethnic Studies and Political Science. NSC Pop-up Big Read Display.

Sept. 27: CSUMB Student Center, 2pm
The Western Stage performance of “My Life with the Wave” followed by

Discussion of “Tell Them Not to Kill Me” with Donaldo Urioste, Professor of Spanish and
Chicano Literature

Sept. 28: Maya Cinemas, 153 Main St, Salinas, 7pm
BIG READ Steinbeck Film Series: Forgotten Village (1941) with introduction by Ruben Mendoza, CSUMB Professor of Mexican Archaeology. Q&A at closing with Susan Shillinglaw and Ruben Mendoza.

Sept. 29: National Steinbeck Center, 5:30pm
Sweet Thursday: “The Mexico We Left Behind” Claudia Melendez, author of A Fighting Chance and journalist at the Monterey Herald, leads a discussion of Sun, Stone, and Shadows.

OCTOBER

Oct. 1 & 2: National Steinbeck Center 11am to 5pm, both days.
Salinas Artists’ Open Studio “From Pen to Brush”: Artists ages 17-30 from Hijos del Sol will showcase artistic interpretations of the 20 stories of Sun, Stone, and Shadows. On Oct. 2 at 2pm, there will be a panel discussion with the artists.

Oct 1: Cesar Chavez Library, 10am-6pm
Stories on Saturdays: Scenes from Mexican Reality. Programs throughout the day focusing on second section of Sun, Stone, and Shadows. See Library's schedule.

The Western Stage performance of “My Life with the Wave” at 2:30pm

Oct. 5: Maya Cinemas, 153 Main St, Salinas, 7pm
BIG READ Steinbeck Film Series: Tortilla Flat (1942). Film intro. tba.

Oct. 6: National Steinbeck Center 5:30pm
Sweet Thursday: "A View of Mexican Culture by Exploring Human Behavior." Leslie Price, Professor of Psychology at MPC and Hartnell.

Oct. 6: Castroville Library, 6pm
The Western Stage performance of “My Life with the Wave”

Oct 8: John Steinbeck Library, 10am-6pm
Stories on Saturdays: The Tangible Past. Programs throughout the day focusing on the third section of Sun, Stone, and Shadows. See Library's schedule.

Oct 9: Alisal Street, Salinas, 10am-2pm
Ciclovia- Open street project where people enjoy art, music and activities with no motor vehicle traffic. NSC pop up exhibit and chance to win prizes, books, and more.

Oct. 12: National Steinbeck Center Bookstore, 6pm
Books and Bites: The second half of Sun, Stone, and Shadows. Discussion led by Susan Shillinglaw, Director, National Steinbeck Center.

Oct. 13: National Steinbeck Center, 6pm
Sweet Thursday: Reader’s Theater Extravaganza: Performance of “The Panther” by Everett Alvarez High School students, directed by Taylour Matz. Performance of “Permission Granted” by Alisal High School students, directed by Veronica Pulido. Coordinated by Mike Roddy..The Western Stage performance of “My Life with the Wave.” Discussion to follow.

Oct 15: Cesar Chavez Library, 10am-6pm
Stories on Saturdays: The Unexpected in Everyday, Urban Life. Programs throughout the day focusing on the fourth section of Sun, Stone, and Shadows. See Library's schedule.

Oct. 15: King City Library, 12pm
The Western Stage performance of “My Life with the Wave”

Oct. 19: Hartnell Student Center, 12:30pm
The Western Stage performance of “My Life with the Wave”

Oct. 19: Maya Cinemas, 153 Main St., Salinas, 7pm
BIG READ Steinbeck Film Series: Viva Zapata! (1952) Intro by Donaldo Urioste, CSUMB.

Oct. 20: National Steinbeck Center 5:30pm
Sweet Thursday: “Mexico in the Modern Imagination,” Ruben Mendoza, CSUMB Professor of Mexican Archaeology.
_______________________________________________________________________
Oct. 21: National Steinbeck Center, 12-2pm
Archives Q&A with highlights from our Steinbeck-Mexico collection.

Oct 22: John Steinbeck Library, 10am-6pm
Stories on Saturdays: Intimate Imagination. Programs throughout the day focusing on the final section of Sun, Stone, and Shadows. See Library's schedule.

Oct. 23: Artesanias, Fiestas & Cultura, 27 4th St., Gonzales, 1pm
“El Mexico que Dejamos”: Discussion of Sun, Stone, and Shadows in Spanish, led by Claudia Melendez.

Oct. 26: Maya Cinemas, 153 Main St, Salinas, 7pm
BIG READ Steinbeck Film Series: The Pearl (1947). “Legend and Ecological History” by William Gilly, Professor of Biology at Stanford University.

Oct. 27: National Steinbeck Center 5:30pm
Sweet Thursday: “The Bull in Commerce and Culture,” Bruce Elliott, former Senior
Biologist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Oct. 28: National Steinbeck Center, 10am-5pm
Día de los Muertos Exhibit opens: Curated by Jose Ortiz, founder of Hijos del Sol, the exhibit touches on themes and images of the holiday.

NOVEMBER

Nov. 1: National Steinbeck Center
Día de los Muertos and Closing Party. The NSC and our local partners invite you to
join us for our final event and street parade celebrating NEA BIG READ.

All local events will be posted on the NSC website, www.steinbeck.org.

For more information about the NEA Big Read, please visit neabigread.org. For more information about programs contact Lisa Josephs at archives@steinbeck.org or visit the NSC website, www.steinbeck.org.

The National Steinbeck Center opened in 1998 as the only museum in the world solely dedicated to the life, works, and legacy of John Steinbeck. Located in Salinas, California the National Steinbeck Center is situated in the heart of Steinbeck Country and the sites and sounds immortalized in dozens of Steinbeck's novels.

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts and the agency is celebrating this milestone with events and activities through September 2016. Go to arts.gov/50th to enjoy art stories from around the nation, peruse Facts & Figures, and check out the anniversary timeline.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.steinbeck.org

The 35th Annual Steinbeck Festival: “From Salinas to Sea of Cortez: Steinbeck on Land and Sea,” May 6-8 at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas

The Steinbeck Festival is back! The National Steinbeck Center, at One Main Street, Salinas, offers a weekend of engaging “JON talks,” new films, and a variety of tours (the Red Pony Ranch, Salinas walking tours, an Ag tour, Ricketts’s lab tour, and whale watching).

Salinas, CA, April 12, 2016 - The Steinbeck Festival is back! The National Steinbeck Center, at One Main Street, Salinas, offers a weekend of engaging “JON talks,” new films, and a variety of tours (the Red Pony Ranch, Salinas walking tours, an Ag tour, Ricketts’s lab tour, and whale watching). Friday night’s banquet at the NSC features a talk by the Aquarium’s new Director of Science, Kyle Van Houtan. On Saturday, May 7, the NSC is partnering with Steinbeck Rotary’s Home Beer Fest on Main—adding more “fest” to the annual festival. Sunday features a slate of teacher workshops at the NSC.

The three-day Festival celebrates Steinbeck’s land/sea ethic and his enduring legacy as writer, activist, and ecologist.

At Friday night’s banquet and wine tasting, Dr. Van Houtan will discuss “The sea turtle populations of Hawaii—linking ocean, land and culture.” (John Steinbeck and each crew member on the Western Flyer brought stuffed sea turtles back from Baja!)

This year’s Festival features films and crowd-pleasing “JON talks,” lively half hour discussions of Steinbeck’s enduring legacy as well as local history. Director Susan Shillinglaw kicks off at 9:00 AM Friday with remarks about Steinbeck’s sense of place: How is the local, global? Friday morning speakers also include biographer William Souder (author of Rachel Carson and John James Audobon biographies), who will introduce his Steinbeck-biography-in-progress. Stanford English Department Chair Gavin Jones considers Steinbeck, land, drought and race. A round table discussion follows. Afternoon speakers consider the cultural impact of braceros in the Salinas Valley—with author Sergio Chavez; documentary filmmaker Ignacio Rodriguez; and photographer Daniel Ruanova. Jean Vengua discusses Filipinos newspapers and Eric Palmer will show a “teaser” of his documentary film about Japanese Flower growers.

Tours on Friday include the Red Pony Ranch and Salinas’s Main Street.

Saturday features presentations on Steinbeck and the sea, with Steinbeck scholar Robert DeMott kicking off the day’s events with a talk on Steinbeck and fishing. Ricketts’s scholar Katie Rodgers will discuss a newly-published essay by Edward F. Ricketts. John Gregg, owner of the boat Steinbeck and Ricketts sailed to Baja in 1940, explains recent restoration work on The Western Flyer. Mary Ellen Hannibal talks about her new book on citizen science. After morning sessions, participants can stroll Main Street’s Home Beer Festival, sponsored by the Steinbeck Rotary (one beer garden is at the NSC!). That afternoon offers a “cioppino” of different “JON talks,” including “Craft Beer 101” (Steinbeck once appeared in an ad for Balantine Ale.) Former National Book Award director Harold Augenbraum discusses The Pearl in English and Spanish; Stanford professor William Gilly recounts his 2004 trip retracing Ricketts and Steinbeck’s 1940 Sea of Cortez trip; and David Dennis discusses how he creates surfboards from Steinbeck themed wood.

On Saturday night at the Steinbeck House, there will be a craft beer tasting benefit dinner at the Steinbeck House, with all proceeds going to the Steinbeck Center.

Sunday’s teacher workshop theme is “crossing boundaries” and panelists will discuss integrated lessons: jazz, teaching the common good, and Japanese internment.

A three-day Festival pass is $75 (excluding dinners and tours). Tickets are available online at Steinbeck.org or call 831-775-4721.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.Steinbeck.org

Democracy in the Fields Website launch and Panel discussion with Luis Valdez on April 3rd at the National Steinbeck Center

On April 3, from 2-5 P.M., the National Steinbeck Center will host a website launch and panel discussion, moderated by Teatro Campesino founder Luis Valdez, to formally unveil Democracy in the Fields.

Salinas, CA, February 20, 2016 - On April 3, from 2-5 P.M., the National Steinbeck Center will host a website launch and panel discussion, moderated by Teatro Campesino founder Luis Valdez, to formally unveil Democracy in the Fields. This multi-media project tells the stories of farmworkers who joined Cesar Chavez’s movement forty years ago in the Salinas Valley.

The website features a recently discovered trove of captivating images by award-winning photographer Mimi Plumb. Plumb documented events during the summer and fall of 1975, when a landmark law gave California farmworkers the right to petition for union elections. “Mimi was swept up in the excitement as she watched history unfold. She took hundreds of photos over many months. Then she put the negatives in a box and went on with her life,” notes Miriam Pawel, project coordinator. “Forty years later, she rediscovered the trove of photos, and her curiosity and passion were rekindled. She had taken almost no notes, written down only a handful of names.” The first stage of the website project, adds Pawel, was “to put names to the faces. But as soon as we began sharing the photos, it became clear they were a window into a much larger, important story. Partly because of the memories they evoked, partly because of the transformational nature of that era, and partly because we were showing people photos of loved ones they had not seen in decades.”

In words and pictures, Democracy in the Fields tells the story of Cesar Chavez’s march through the Salinas Valley to spread the word about the historic elections that began in the fields in September 1975, and the impact on farmworkers who discovered their own power. It features workers like Jose Renteria, recruited as a teenager to help in the campaigns of 1975, who grew up to run the UFW’s Salinas office and then to work as Human Relations director of Matsui Nursery; Sabino Lopez, who was an irrigator with a third grade education and became a labor organizer, then deputy director of the Center for Community Advocacy. He was the first farmworker on the board of the National Steinbeck Center. Mario Bustamante is also featured; he left his Mexico City home as a teenager to find his father, followed his father into the lettuce fields, and then into a union that became a social center, a classroom, and a path to power.

The program on April 3rd will feature an online gallery of photos as well as opportunities for participants to peruse the website, add comments, and tell their own stories. The panel discussion, led by Luis Valdez, will feature participants in the movement who are the subjects of the photographs. Timed to be close to Cesar Chavez Day, the event offers an opportunity to revisit the farmworker movement with fresh perspectives and help inform a new generation about the significance and legacy of the farmworker movement in the 1970s.

The project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Center for Community Advocacy.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.steinbeck.org/

National Steinbeck Center partners with Salinas Public Library for Salinas Valley Comic Con 2015

“Comic strips might be the real literature of our time.” – John Steinbeck.

SALINAS, CA, December 03, 2015 - “Comic strips might be the real literature of our time.” – John Steinbeck.

The National Steinbeck Center and the Salinas Public Library are excited to announce details of the 2015 Salinas Valley Comic Con, December 18-20. This year’s event will be held at three locations – the National Steinbeck Center, the John Steinbeck Library and the Fox Theater in Oldtown Salinas. The National Steinbeck Center will be home base for all exhibitors, vendors and special guests, as well as the venue for an exhibition of original Batman art work. 

Special guests will include former SpongeBob SquarePants head writer Steven Banks, Latino Comics Expo founder Ricardo Padilla, and the Imperial 501st Legion in full Star Wars costume.

“The Salinas Public Library is very excited about collaborating with the National Steinbeck Center for the 2nd Annual Salinas Valley Comic Con,” said Librarian Kristen Amaral. “We want to promote literacy by focusing on graphic novels from around the world and considering how graphic novels engage and inspire young and mature readers alike.”

On Friday, December 18 at 4:00 PM, the National Steinbeck Center will host a reception for museum members and VIP ticket holders where they will mingle with artists and special guests and get a sneak peek at the Batman art show. The evening will also include a panel discussion about the impact of graphic novels and literacy.

Salinas Valley Comic Con booths will open to ticket holders at the National Steinbeck Center at 10:00 AM on Saturday, December 19 and close at 5:00 PM on Sunday, December 20.

The John Steinbeck Library will host free family activities and a graphic novel display on Saturday, December 19. The Library will also host a game online where participants can win special prizes by using their library cards. Participants can join in the fun by visiting The Library’s website (www.salinaspubliclibrary.org) for full details.

At the Fox Theater on Saturday and Sunday, panel discussions will focus on a variety of topics, including Animation Rules!,

I Want To Make A Comic Book, Body Image and Diversity in Comics. The Star Wars-centric panels So, You Wanna Be A Stormtrooper (moderated by members of the 501st Legion) and Star Wars: The Fans Awaken are sure to bring out fans of the new movie opening the same weekend.

Featured in the National Steinbeck Center Bookstore will be Salinas Valley Comic Con merchandise, including a limited Batman lithograph created by comic book artist Ace Continueado. All proceeds will support the education and public programs at the National Steinbeck Center, including Steinbeck Young Authors and “Sweet Thursdays.”

Tickets for Salinas Valley Comic Con 2015 are on sale now at the National Steinbeck Center’s Eventbrite ticket page nationalsteinbeckcenter.eventbrite.com. Tickets are free for children under 8 (accompanied by a paid adult), $5 for children 8-12, and $25 for a full weekend pass.

Follow updates on Salinas Valley Comic Con 2015 at National Steinbeck Center’s website (www.steinbeck.org) and on social media.

Special guest and panel lineup is subject to change.

Facebook: Facebook.com/NationalSteinbeckCenter
Instagram:Instagram.com/SteinbeckCenter
Twitter: Twitter.com/SteinbeckCenter

Participate with Salinas Valley Comic Con fans online by using the hashtag #SVCC15.

For Media Inquiries, contact:
Jesse Banda
National Steinbeck Center
Salinas Valley Comic Con - Director
(831) 775-4721
jesse@steinbeck.org

About the National Steinbeck Center
The National Steinbeck Center is located at One Main Street in Salinas, California, the birthplace of John Steinbeck. The NSC is an institution dedicated to serving regional, national and international audiences by enhancing awareness of Steinbeck’s works and ideas: social justice, the environment, ethnic and racial diversity, and the power of the written word. Drawing on Steinbeck’s model, the NSC encourages collaborative ventures with other media – photography, drama, fine arts and film – as well as other disciplines. The Center offers multiple visitor experiences: the John Steinbeck Exhibition Hall as well as a variety of education and public programs. For more information about this and other events, visit our website at www.steinbeck.org.

About the John Steinbeck Library
The John Steinbeck Library offers family programming year around including guitar classes for families, story and craft times for kids, technology classes for kids and adults, and music in the library. Please call (831) 758-7311 for more information.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.steinbeck.org