“If you had told me 30 years ago I would be a professional photographer, I’d be professionally working with dogs, I would have laughed,” Halbert says. “Now that I’m here, this is the only place I should be.”

Sparrow 5 owner Marsha Taylor, who has a background in interior design and art, has operated her 2,100-square-foot shop in Roseville for seven years. Besides selling furniture and home accessories, Sparrow 5 carries the work of more than 70 local artists.

Gabino Cordova’s keen eye for detail is a skill fine-tuned when designing custom frames for clients. Cordova, the owner of the Galeria Custom Framing on Stockton’s Miracle Mile, learned the presentation and preservation of fine art through custom framing on the job, working for a small business.

California has overreached in its effort to address the challenges in today’s tech platform gig-work economy. 

If you have been to Sacramento in the past few decades, there is a good chance you have encountered artwork by Stephanie Taylor.

Merle Axelrad says she fell into the medium of fabric collage 27 years ago when she was nine months pregnant, on maternity leave from her job as an architect, and made a baby quilt. Now, most of her works are public art, corporate and private commissions.

With a seasonal menu, beautifully arranged florals, and a patio and mural for that OK-I-have-to-Instagram-this moment, The Pour Choice is about providing an experience to those who visit Auburn.

Despite competition from neighboring big-market stations, satellite radio and streaming, thousands are tuning in to Vacaville’s KUIC-FM each week. Those who work for the station say a local identity is key to their success.

“We are flower nerds to the max here,” Melissa Cowan, owner of Placerville Flowers on Main says. “We squeal on the daily when new products come in or when seasons change.”