ART

 

Lamorinda Arts Alliance presents an exhibit, “Strictly Abstract,” though Feb. 28 at the Lafayette Bank of America at 3530 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette. The new exhibit features abstract paintings by Susan Erickson, Carla W. Gelbaum, Irenka Kudlicki, Pam McCauley, Geoff Meredith and Judy Bolef Miller. https://laa4art.org

 

The Lamorinda Arts Council kicks off the New Year with the artwork of the F-15 Photography Group, Alex Meckes’ mathematical origami and ceramics by Ian Clark, Diva Fontinelli and Angela Lusk of the Rossmoor Ceramic Arts Club at the Art Gallery at the Orinda Library, 26 Orinda Way, through Jan. 31. For more information visit www.lamorindaarts.org.

 

Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery presents “Artist talks 3D” at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 22. It’s time to bring in the artists to share their stories and studio practices on a deeper level. Featuring multiple artists, you will hear from sculptors working in, clay, bronze, stone, metal and concrete. Each artist will have time to walk us around the gallery to share specific artworks with you and to answer your questions. This talk are free and open to the public. There is two-hour parking in the back parking lot of the building 3525 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette.

 

Moraga Art Gallery’s new show “Serendipities,” runs through Feb. 1 and includes artwork by a score of guest and member artists, including Graig Crossley of Moraga, an abstract painter who uses a full palette of blazing primary colors, and Rick Nelson, a wood-turner of the first rank whose forte is museum-quality wooden bowls. An oversized metal sculpture by popular Joe Bologna serves as the show’s centerpiece along with jewelry by K. de Groot and walls lined with photographs of landscapes by Wenda Pyman, florals by Lucy Beck, watercolors by George Ehrenhaft and various mediums by new members. The Gallery’s new location in the Rheem Shopping Center is 432 Center Street (between Nation’s and the Dover Saddlery). For more information call (925) 376-5407 or visit www.moragaartgallery.com.

 

Moraga Art Gallery presents a new art exhibit and reception at the reopened gallery: “Kaleidoscope” from Feb. 5 though April 4. An opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 8 will offer live music, complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres, and an opportunity to mingle with the artists as well as with other devotees of painting, sculpture, jewelry, print media, ceramics, photography, woodworking, and much more. For more information, visit the gallery’s website: https://moragaartgallery.com, or call (925) 376-5407 or email moragaartgallery@gmail.com.

 

Orinda Book Store artist of the month Lisa Gunn on exhibit through Jan. 31.

 

MUSIC

 

Gold Coast Chamber Players concert “Czech Marks” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25 in the Don Tatzin Community Hall, Lafayette Library and at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26 at Piedmont Center for the Arts, 801 Magnolia Ave., Piedmont. There will be a pre-concert talk 30 minutes prior to each concert. Tickets: $45 General, $40 Senior (65+), $15 Student. Purchase online: GCCPmusic.com or by phone: (925) 283-3728.

 

St. Paul’s Concert Series presents Rena Harms and Anyssa Neumann, Soprano and Piano Duo at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Walnut Creek. St. Paul’s Concert Series kicks off its 2020 Season with Soprano Opera Star Extraordinaire Rena Harms joining piano virtuoso Anyssa Neumann, presenting works by Strauss, Schoenberg, Barber, and Vaughn Williams. Donation at the door: average $20, students $10 (all are welcome regardless of donation).

 

Soprano Ann Moss and pianist Steven Bailey will be featured on the OSLC Concert Series at 4 p.m. on Jan. 26. Their program, “EX UNO OMNES: Music of Isolation and Alliance,” is about our mutual experiences of such things as fear and loss, love and mutual recognition. The program includes works by women and LGBTQ composers. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 1035 Carol Lane, Lafayette. Free admission, freewill offering taken.

 

Diablo Women’s Chorale singers wanted. Do you love to sing and want to bring more harmony, fun, and musical company into your life? Then audition for the Diablo Women’s Chorale at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 27 at Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, 399 Wiget Lane in Walnut Creek. Auditions are by appointment only. Contact Nancy Hickman, membership chair, at (925) 899-5050 or hickmandg@gmail.com, to book an audition time. www.diablowomen

 

The award-winning concert choirs of Moraga’s Campolindo High and Danville’s San Ramon Valley High join the Diablo Symphony Orchestra and four Bay Area soloists in performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9 at Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church, 1801 Lacassie Ave, Walnut Creek. Advance tickets are available at the Lesher Center box office (925) 943-7469, or by visiting https://www.diablosymphony.org. Adults, $35; Youth 13–17, $10; Children 12 and under, free. Tickets will also be sold at the door.

 

THEATER

 

Plotline Theater Company presents “The Glass Menagerie” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays through Feb. 2 at the Martinez Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St, Martinez. Tickets: $22 for adults and $19 for seniors and students. Online ticket purchase at brownpapertickets.com or call (925) 350-9770. https://www.campbelltheater.com for more info.

 

Town Hall Theatre continues the IN THE WINGS staged reading series with a one-night only performance of “Incognito,” a compelling brainteaser of a play by Nick Payne. Incognito will have one performance at 8 p.m. on Feb. 3 at Town Hall Theatre Company, 3535 School Street in Lafayette. Tickets are $10 general admission and free to subscribers, and are available through the Box Office at (925) 283-1557 or online at www.TownHallTheatre.com.

 

LECTURE & LITERATURE

 

KPFA Radio 94.1 FM presents David Talbot and Quincy McCoy: “Between Heaven and Hell: Story of my Stroke” from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27 at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar Street, Berkeley. Talbot and McCoy will discuss Talbot’s new book, “Between Heaven and Hell: The Story of My Stroke,” answer questions and sign books. Cost: $12 advance, $15 door. For more info see http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4486178 or call (510) 967-4495.

 

The Stanford Women’s Club of the East Bay presents the 45th Annual Books on Review program, featuring four Stanford authors speaking about their books from 9:15 a.m. to noon on Jan. 30 at Shadelands Art Center, 111 N. Wiget Lane at Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek. Price: $35, cash or check only, at the door. Or register for this sell-out event now at http://alumni.stanford.edu/goto/BOR. Everyone is welcome!

 

KIDS, PARENTS & TEENS

 

Registration opens Jan. 24 for the fifth annual AAUW-OML Techbridge STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) conference for middle school girls being held from 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. on March 21 at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga. For online registration and more information visit the conference webpages via the link on AAUW-OML’s website https://oml-CA.aauw.net. Conference registration fee is $25 per student. Space is limited; early registration is encouraged.

 

The East Bay Regional Park District will host two Youth Job Fairs designed to raise awareness of employment opportunities for youth in the East Bay. The fairs are scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on Jan. 25 at Hayward Area Senior Center, and Feb. 1 at Pleasant Hill Senior Center. Both events offer attendees an opportunity to learn about the specific Park District jobs available and interact with current employees to get insight into what it’s like to work for the Park District. The Youth Job Fairs also include general information sessions on resume writing, application submittal, and job interviewing for youth looking to enter the workforce, whether at the Park District or elsewhere.

 

OTHER

 

Understanding Your Breast Cancer Risk Factors from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the Lafayette Library, Community Room. Come and experience an event focusing on the most common breast cancer risk factors. A panel of medical experts will give an overview of genetic counseling, MRI breast screening guidelines, extremely dense breast tissue findings, recommendations for chemoprevention therapy and lifestyle changes. Reservations recommended. Call (925) 677-5041 x272 or email to sjung@dvohmg.com.

 

“All Means All,” a joyful service of welcome to LGBTQ folk and their allies, will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 26 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 1035 Carol Lane in Lafayette. Special musical guests are “Emma’s Revolution.” For more information, (925) 283-3722 or martin@oslc.net.

 

The free all-new Lamorinda Home Show will present dozens of exhibitors on hand to explain their home improvement products and services indoors at the Lafayette Veterans Memorial Building from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1. Free admission and free parking to the indoor Lamorinda Home Show. The Lafayette Veterans Memorial Building is off Highway 24 at 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd.

 

All Lafayette residents are invited to attend the Lafayette Homeowners Council (LHC) Board’s Community Meeting “Issues Night” to be held at 7 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the Community Center’s Sequoia Room at 500 St. Mary’s Road. Scheduled speakers include Mayor Mike Anderson with “State of the City” remarks followed by School Superintendent Richard Whitmore on our Schools and former Mayor Don Tatzin regarding transportation and traffic issues. This Community Meeting is a chance for our Lafayette residents to hear directly from community leaders followed by a Q&A about issues they find important. Folks can also look on the LHC website for further information at LafayetteHomeowners

Council.org

 

Diablo Ballet presents the second program of their 26th season, “Balanchine & Beyond” at 8 p.m. on Feb. 7 and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Feb 8 at the Del Valle Theatre in Walnut Creek. The program features selections from five ballets. Tickets: $15-$48 (925) 943-7469; lesherartscenter.org, diabloballet.org

 

Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church 15th Annual Crab Feed and Dance from 6 to 11 p.m. on Feb. 8 at 1700 School Street, Moraga. Chicken available by special advance order request. Dinner & Dance – $60. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For questions, please call Thea at (925) 672-6799 or (925) 890-0918, or email her at thecubsfan23@yahoo.com.

 

Welcome to Medicare is a free class presented by Contra Costa Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). You will learn when and how to enroll, about Medicare costs and benefits, prescription coverage, Medicare Advantage plans (HMOs), Medicare Supplements and how Medicare coordinates with other coverage. Classes are monthly on the second Wednesday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek. Upcoming date: Feb. 12. See www.cchicap.org or call (925) 602-4168 to enroll.

 

Lafayette resident, Papa John Kiefer, will, again, offer workshops on “How to Raise Your Own Chickens.” Topics will include raising young chicks, laying hen maintenance, and sustainable coop construction. Workshops are free and will be held in Lafayette from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on March 1 and 15. Reservations are required. Contact: chickenspapajohn@gmail.com. Location provided upon registration.

 

SENIORS

 

Anne Randolph Physical Therapy presentation on Arthritis from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 at the Sequoia Room, Lafayette Community Center. Live the best life you can with arthritis! Understand the challenges and changes arthritis brings on and find practical solutions to make daily activities easier. Members: free; non-members: $10.

 

GARDEN

 

Winter Rose Care Workshop at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25 at McDonnel Nursery, 196 Moraga Way, Orinda. Email info@mcdonnellnursery.com or call (925) 254-3713 to reserve a seat.

 

The Walnut Creek Garden Club will hold its monthly meeting at 10 a.m. on Feb. 10 at the Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Drive, in Walnut Creek. The Walnut Creek Historical Society will be speaking and showing a visual presentation. The presenters are Sheila Rogstad, vice-president and archivist of the Walnut Creek Historical Society, and Lee Culver, historian and archivist.

 

Lafayette Garden General Meeting starting at 10 a.m. on Feb. 13 in the Lafayette Veteran’s Bldg, 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette. Guest Speaker John Greenlee is an expert in grass ecology and champion of sustainable design. Free. Interested members of the public are welcome. For more information please contact twalklet@comcast.net.

 

THT’s ‘In the Wings’ staged reading series continues

Submitted by Susan Evans

 

Town Hall Theatre continues the “In the Wings” staged reading series with a one-night only performance of “Incognito,” a compelling brainteaser of a play by Nick Payne. Using only four actors to portray 21 characters, Payne’s “Incognito” ingeniously weaves together three stories: a pathologist steals Albert Einstein’s brain; a neuropsychologist falls in love with another woman; and an amnesiac patient suffering seizures can only remember one thing: the love he has for his wife.

In what the New York Times termed a “self-examining drama of ideas,” the play  deftly explores the illusory and complicated nature of selfhood, of personal identity and memory.  “Incognito” is directed by Anna Smith and will feature Town Hall regulars and Bay Area talents.

“Incognito” will have one performance on Monday, Feb. 3 at Town Hall Theatre Company, 3535 School Street, in Lafayette.  Tickets are $10 general admission and free to subscribers, and are available through the Box Office at (925) 283-1557 or online at www.TownHallTheatre.com.  

 

‘Women Composers & Women Performers’ concert at SMC Chapel

Submitted by Jean Ahn

 

Ensemble Ari will be collaborating with SF Opera Soprano Rhoslyn Jones as part of a guest artist concert, “Women Composers & Women Performers,” featuring two world premieres by women composers at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25 in the Saint Mary’s College Chapel.

Along with song literature by Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn, American composer Amy Beach’s Piano Trio will be performed by Ensemble Ari.  Beach’s Piano Trio shows her mastery and idiomatic writing that negates the belief that “women cannot write like men,” which prevailed during her lifetime. She is remembered as a central figure in the history of women in music. Local composer and Director of Ensemble Ari, Dr. Jean Ahn says, “We hope to educate young musicians to the wide variety of women composers’ works.”

Violinist Hijung Lee joins the group in this concert and will premiere Sunhee Cho’s, “Beyond.” Doors open at 7 p.m. and admission is free, but contributions are welcome. Parking is 50 cents per hour in the visitor’s lot to the left of the guard’s gate.