Putting a fine-art spin on roadside kitsch, artist Chris Navarro recently installed The Essence of Rex, a 13-foot statue, at the Tate Geological Museum in Casper, Wyo. Illuminated from within by LED lights, the bronze Tyrannosaurus rex is skeletal on one side and fleshed out on the other. Navarro, a 58-year-old rodeo competitor, is best known for sculpting realistic cowboys and broncos.

Affectionately referred to as “the Town” by residents, Oakland has a surprisingly communal vibe despite being home to some 400,000 people. Diversity is one of the port city’s strengths, as evidenced in its stellar international cuisine, eclectic local bands and vibrant arts scene.

"The blue ice is like nothing you’ve ever seen before," says Connie Cooley, co-owner of Glacier City Snowmobile Tours, which leads trips from Girdwood, Alaska, 40 miles southeast of Anchorage, to the aquamarine ice caves, tunnels, and slides at Spencer Glacier. “We had one formation a few years ago shaped like a big wave.

Ann Mitchell Lovell loves bananas a bunch. “I blame my parents,” she says. “Growing up they called me Anna Banana, and it put a seed in my head.”. Since then, the curator of the online Washington Banana Museum has gathered nearly 6,000 items related to the nation’s top-selling fruit, including a neon banana light, vintage Chiquita posters, and 1960s lapel buttons emblazoned with the words SMOKE MORE BANANAS.

In Alex Abramovich's new book, Bullies: A Friendship, Trevor Latham, president of Oakland's East Bay Rats Motorcycle Club, destroys a bus stop on Telegraph Avenue with a large ax. Glass shatters around the author as Latham "calmly, methodically" bashes the walls, bench, and ceiling. A friend of Latham's had been mugged there, and her companion had been hit on the head with a bottle, landing her in the hospital with a scalp full of surgical staples.

When Sarah Treem was 27, her play, A Feminine Ending, was ridiculed by New York Times critic Charles Isherwood. Isherwood began his review by suggesting that the central character's name, Amanda Blue, was more befitting of a porn star than the aspiring oboist she was supposed to be. He then proceeded to pick apart the play's relevance and credibility.

Early on in Seed Language: A New Identity, a young woman playing Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, recites the names of women who have been killed by the police. Four dancers hang from the rafters on wires above her, evoking bodies hung from trees. As she says the names, the hanging dancers flip, alternating between hanging feetfirst and headfirst.

In 1970, sixteen-year-old David M. Mayeri landed a job working for Bill Graham Presents at the Berkeley Community Theatre. "I got paid ten bucks cash to unload the trucks, set the stage, usher the show, tear down the stage, repack the truck," said Mayeri. "For me, it was transformative. When I left Bill Graham Presents 35 years later, I left as the company's chief operating officer."

He's a bastard, and he would say the same thing about me," laughs public radio's Ira Glass of comix novelist Chris Ware. "By working with Chris, I understood a lot better what it's like to work with me, and it's not pretty."

Beneath the spinning disco ball is a blur of furry boots, sparkly blue wigs, and rainbow tube tops as roller rink pros skate through a kaleidoscope of colored lights. No, it’s not a scene from Roller Boogie—it’s SF IndieFest’s Roller Disco Party. With the help of Black Rock Roller Disco, the arts organization transforms the Women’s Building in the Mission into a ’70s roller rink once a month. For $10, you can join the costumed skaters gliding around the room as D. Miles Jr.—the man behind the Sunday skate scene in Golden Gate Park—spins tunes by funky favorites like Michael Jackson and James Brown. Toward the end of the evening, Miles and his crew of roller- skating elites lead the crowd through line dances like the “Cupid Shuffle” and “Thriller”—they’ll even teach you how to do the “rubber leg.” 3543 18th St. (near Guerrero St.), SFindie.com

Sure, shopping at IKEA has its benefits: It's cheap and stylish, and the meatballs make navigating the Swedish labyrinth worth it. But when you're ready to invest in quality, durable pieces, look no further than your own backyard. Buying locally made and designed furniture not only supports your community.

Graffiti has come a long way since it began as an act of rebellion for the young, urban-dwelling set. What used to be considered a defacement of public and private property is now appreciated as self-expression — art in all its raw, aggressive, and honest glory. Nowadays, an increasing number of graffiti.

Like photogs in hot pursuit of street-style stars during Fashion Week, decorating trends tend to chase after runway styles. This year, we've seen clothes honor the feminine, with subtle gradients of ombré, delicate lace skirts, and dense floral patterns. So, since you're already wearing these trends.

Zipcar turned its first quarter profit in a decade recently. Zipcar’s CEO, Scott Griffith, answers questions about the future of the company and the $10B global car sharing market.

We've all had our madeleine moments, when a bite of cake or other beloved dish triggered vivid memories. But few people's lives are as rich with food and history as cookbook author Romney Steele.

With a cleverness that belies its childlike charm, Jesse LeDoux’s artwork transports us to a world of winged elephants with bad comb-overs, protesting pastel monsters, red-wigged octopi, and giant tighty whitie-wearing cyclops. A fan of Dr. Seuss and M. Sasek, LeDoux says that his characters create themselves. “I don’t want to come off sounding like I’m brilliant,” he says. “But I’m just the medium in a way, the technician who gets it from point A to point B.”