Christa Martin Spotlight: Santa Cruz artists have big plans

When I was in college, I changed my major five times. It was nursing until I realized I couldn’t stand the sight of blood, guts and needles. My brief stint as a physical education major ended when it dawned on me that I’d be spending the rest of my life rubbing elbows with jocks. The list goes on. And so it was that this nerdy bookworm found her niche in journalism.

The flip-flopping isn’t uncommon for college students. Once in a while though, someone comes along like

HEIDI CRAMER, a 27-year-old student at UC Santa Cruz who seemed to know from the beginning exactly the direction she was heading — she plans to have a professional career as a fine artist. Cramer, while wrapping up her studies, is well on her way to making this dream happen.

If you’re an arts patron, you’ve surely noticed her work springing up all over the place. From a sculpture on display at the Leeds Gallery to the recent endurance art event “Listening to the Earth II” at the Museum of Art & History.

There, Cramer collaborated with artist Dmitri Zurita to create emotional tension using their bodies to pose and balance, and concentrate on one another. The 14-hour event also highlighted the work of artists like Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens, among others, who recited Advertisement poetry, painted and played music.

“The experience was profound and enlightening,” Cramer says.

“The combination of showing my sculptural work and creating art with my body in performance was a balancing and grounding experience in submerging me into a lifestyle of art.”

Next up for this mixed-media installation artist are several projects including a six-foot-tall metal sculpture in the shape of a half-opened flower. She recently created this piece, which she says, “Was inspired by the desire to have a space in which an individual could sit and be inspired and soothed.”

In addition, she will partner again with Zurita on an installation piece from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 6, at Community Television in downtown Santa Cruz. This event will feature phantom structures made of lace and resin, molded into the shape of chairs, a table, a bench and a piano. Artist Kate Moss will play music on her handmade instruments. “The effect will be haunting and beautiful,” Cramer says.

Learn more about Cramer at artbyheidicramer.weebly.com.

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