Insight’s best conversations of the year. Today we listen back to the creatives behind the local art scene– from music, to children’s books, a new Grammys category with Sacramento roots, art for healing, and a bittersweet goodbye to Luna’s Cafe.

The Creation District 

Music is transformative and has the power to overcome many of life’s challenges. But for kids and young adults experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, finding opportunities to realize this potential can be few or virtually non-existent. But one organization in Sacramento has been providing a safe haven for them since 2015, cultivating an atmosphere where they can create, discover, and dream big. The Creation District offers a wide array of workshops and programs for Sacramento’s youth to help them build a brighter future for themselves and the community. Grace Loescher, Director of The Creation District, joined Insight in August to tell us more about this incubator for creation.

Chasing A Spider Publishing 

Finding children’s books that reflect our diverse community can be difficult, especially for children and families of color. A Sacramento husband and wife team, inspired by their daughter, decided it was time to make cultural books more accessible to all by publishing picture books for kids.  Award-winning author and publisher Samuel Narh joined Insight in December to talk about the need for diverse children’s books and what led him to start Chasing a Spider Publishing.

Best African Music Performance Grammy

Shawn Thwaites is a Sacramento-based musician with a unique expertise as a steel drum musician from his Trinidadian roots. He is also a member of The Recording Academy, a.k.a. The Grammys. In June, Shawn Joined Insight about a huge milestone in music excellence. He helped author the new Best African Music Performance category, which will debut at the upcoming awards show. Shawn opened up about how this is a big step forward to recognize the contributions of musical traditions of Africa that have entertained people for generations.

Monterey Jazz Festival

The Monterey Jazz Festival  is coined as the “longest continuously running jazz festival in the world.” Each year the festival features several student bands, like the Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo, which was created in 2019 to feature top high school women jazz players from across the country. Only six students get in, and this year, two of them happen to be from Sacramento. In September, CapRadio's Excellence in Jazz host Avery Jeffry sat down with the two student musicians ahead of the 66th annual festival. Paloma Cobbs-Silva and Salome Ospina discussed their journey to Monterey. Both were involved in the “Teagarden Jazz Camp” with the Sacramento Jazz Education Foundation.

Luna's Cafe

Luna’s Cafe has long cemented itself as an artistic center of Sacramento where live performances and art have graced the walls and stage since 1983. After 40 years, Luna’s Cafe owner Art Luna made the bittersweet decision to close its doors. In August, CapRadio’s Paul Conley took a look back to celebrate the end of a beloved chapter in Sacramento arts.