Cheryl's Art And Music Guide

The   World Food Photography Awards   feature  over 25 categories . So images can range from food growing in its natural setting to edibles styled for magazines.  There's even a separate listing for cakes. Cheesecakes and cupcakes are eligible; tarts, pastries, and biscuits are not.  Another is the 'World of Drinks,' which can include coffee, cocktails, and smoothies. Both amateurs and professionals are welcome to enter the competition, which runs through the eighth of February.  The Overall Winner gets 5,000 pounds and the opportunity to be seen at the  Mall Galleries  in London, England. 

Those intrigued by unexplained phenomena will appreciate two new books. Both also contain interesting pictures. First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession With Aliens by  Becky Ferreira  includes the construction of the ELT . This stands for Extremely Large Telescope , which is set to begin observations in 2028.  A date has yet to be announced for the Mars Sample Return . There's an illustration, though, of the MSR spacecraft leaving Mars. The moon, of course, is not forgotten. According to a Japanese folk tale and 1891 woodblock print, a princess considered it to be her real home.  Other art--by adults and children who witnessed ''something''--appears in  Atlas of Unidentified-Flying-Objects , written by Andy McGrillen . The most memorable focuses on a pointy eared alien outside a sombrero-shaped craft.  For some reason, the book contains a lot of landscape photos. A welcome exception showcases UFOs from 1977. The lights resemble fireworks, cylin...

A homeo wner in Brooklyn, New York, doesn't just decorate for Christmas. Roy Jensen  celebrates multiple holidays. So his latest display--in honor of Valentine's Day--consists of pink lights, hearts, and  Betty   Boop  figurines. It's free to visit. For those who can't make it in person, Roy has posted pictures on his  Instagram page . The Bay Ridge resident is assisted by his daughters. When he bought the property in 1989, he started out with a simple red bow on a tree.  Over the years, the decorations have grown more elaborate. For one Halloween, Roy embellished his front door with handmade silicone masks from a movie prop company and at night, brought out smoke machines . . . and he estimates, as much as 250 pounds of candy for trick-or-treaters!

Ahead of the Super Bowl, the   NFL   is blending sports and art in the Bay Area. Local artist   Erin Fong , for instance, has created custom letterpress prints. These will appear across game day tickets and official programs.  Erin's work will also be part of a lobby display at  Moscone North , where the  Super Bowl Fan Experience  is taking place from February 3-7. During the evenings of February 5-7, a  Ferry Terminal Building  projection show is to celebrate six decades of the Super Bowl and the culture of the Bay Area. More culture is planned for  The Pearl,  where art installations, performances, and conversations will be offered. The event is called the  NFL Culture Hub , and runs from the fourth to the seventh of February, according to  https://www. sfbayareasuperbowl.com/super- bowl-lx-events . Fans looking for photo opportunities may want to check out the large-format LX roman numerals being installed at several l...

One hu ndred percent. That's how much  Julien's  will donate to charity next month.  This is to be held on the first of February, and is called  Juliens Musicares-Charity-Relief- Auction . So proceeds will go toward disaster relief, mental health services, and addiction recovery programs.  The event takes place a couple of days after  Mariah Carey  is honored as the  MusiCares Person of the Year . In fact, she has donated a  Thunderbird  convertible, used as a prop during her Las Vegas residency, among other items.  More participants will be announced shortly. Meanwhile,  Juliens Remix Auction  features some unexpected items. Richard Chamberlain , for instance, was best known as an actor, but he also created paintings. He was an art collector, too, with pieces ranging from a lava lamp-like glass vase to a Salish carved frog mask. Other options include a faux fur coat worn by actress  Jean Kasem  (the widow of rad...

The  Hard Rock Cafe  in Las Vegas has a new production. Ikons of Rock  is a salute to names like  Van Halen, Rob Zombie, Lita   Ford, Pat Benatar, Kiss , and  Queen.  As many as 50 artists will be represented during the year-long residency.  Formed in Canada, the players have gone on to share the stage with notables ranging from  Ratt  to  Rick Springfield .  Those who prefer the real deal have a slew of options.  Caesars Palace  headliners include  Jenn ifer Lopez, Rod Stewart, Def Leppard ,  Cyndi Lauper,  and  Dolly Parton . Sphere  is another popular Vegas venue, and returning performers include the  Eagles  and  Backstreet Boys . Perhaps Sin City could also be called 'Sound City''!

''What's taking so long?'' A new book,  Magnum Opus: The Unbelievable Saga of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy , delves into why  Guns N' Roses  took fifteen years to release an album.  It didn't help that the lineup kept changing, as did producers and studios.  The writer,  James Greene Jr , also discusses the band members' experiences with other music-makers. They include  Soundgarden , who opened for  GNR , but were not happy about it. So  Guns N' Roses ' crew referred to them as ''Frown-garden.'' Nirvana  was asked to support the group as well, and turned down the opportunity. While the lead vocalists didn't get along, they had quite a bit in common. Both  Axl Rose  and  Kurt Cobain  were major public figures who were not accepted in their hometowns. When it came to band decisions, each had the final say, even when it didn't benefit the other musicians.   In addition, each man was fond of ...

During the past year, the  Art and Music Guide  featured items about the  Pillsbury Dough Boy ; troll sculptures; lighthouse celebrations;  Hippie Fest ; another side of  Joan Rivers ; punk music photography, and lots more.  Readers can expect a variety of exciting topics in 2026 as well. Happy New Year!