ART

Four members of the Lafayette Gallery currently have their art works on display in the conference room at the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce in downtown Lafayette, 100 Lafayette Circle. The artists are: Susan Erickson, acrylics and mixed-media collages; Warren Rice, photographs; Debby Koonce, oil paintings; and Marsha Ramp, oil paintings. For info, call (925) 284-7404. This is an ongoing, free exhibit, open to the public, with no reservations needed. The artwork is updated on a regular basis.

The Moraga Art Gallery’s new show, “Divine Inspiration,” includes paintings of Saint Mary’s College by resident artist Barbara Hudler Cella, and stone and glass crochet beadwork by guest artist Mona Bourell. The show, which runs through June 1, will include works by the gallery’s 14 resident artists and several guest artists. The gallery is located in the Rheem Shopping Center at 522 Center Street, Moraga. For more info, visit www.moragaartgallery.com or call (925) 376-5407.

Saint Mary’s College Museum of Arts will present Points of View with Mary Lou Correia and Paul Kratter, two of the East Bay’s most vibrant and spontaneous en plein air painters on Saturday, June 1 – Sunday, Sept. 22. A reception for the artists will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 2.   SMC Senior Art Majors Thesis Exhibition, runs until May 25.  Marc Chagall: Stories of the Bible, which runs through July 7, features 16 etchings from one of his greatest bodies of work: the Bible series from the 1930s. Additional ongoing exhibits featuring western landscape paintings, European paintings, statuary, and a variety of other media will run through July 15.  Admission: $5 adults, K-12 free. Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For info, call (925) 631-3379 or visit www.stmarys-ca.edu/ saint -marys-college-museum-of-art.

This year the Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga is featuring art from the recreation classes of Marianne Brown, published artist and instructor from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 30 at the Hacienda, 2100 Donald Dr., Moraga. The art presented ranges from the novice to the award-winning water colors, acrylics, and oils.  All proceeds go to the artists. Sal Captain of Captain Vineyards will be pouring his Moraga Estate grown vintages, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Petite Verdot, and Pinot Noir. The first glass is $10; $6 for each additional glass. Proceeds go to support the Hacienda renovation program. Event admission is free.

Moraga resident Billie Cummings is the featured artist of the month of May in the Moraga Library at 1500 St. Mary’s Rd. Cummings’ color photographs capture nature at its peak and include her favorite subjects: Yosemite and water reflections.

The Moraga Art Gallery’s raffle ticket drawing to benefit the Rheem Theatre will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 1.  Winners of the raffle will receive original works of art donated by the gallery's member artists. A brief ceremony will follow during which a check representing the proceeds of the raffle will be presented to the Rheem. The management of the Rheem will draw the names of the raffle winners.  Currently, more than $850 has been raised from raffle ticket sales.

MUSIC

A free morning concert opens with Beethoven’s piano sonata No. 15, followed by a quintet by John Steinmetz for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 24 at the Grace Presbyterian Church, 2100 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. The program concludes with Schubert's piano sonata in A Major.

The Acalanes Performing Arts Department presents the 2013 Pops Concerts: "CarTunes" at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, May 28-29 in the Performing Arts Center at the High School, 1200 Pleasant Hill Rd. Lafayette. Both concerts will feature songs about driving, cars, songs you might listen to on a trip, and travel. These concerts are completely student choreographed and costumed, and accompanied by an onstage band. Our mass pieces this year are "Carwash" and "Taking it to the Streets." All seats are general admission; suggested donation $5.  The house will open at 6:30 p.m.

Contra Costa Children’s Chorus: auditions and placement interviews will take place at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 29 for fall semester. Open to boys and girls ages 7-15. Our newest class, MetroGnomes, is now accepting children ages 5-6 years old, no interview necessary. The choirs rehearse at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 1035 Carol Lane, Lafayette. Contact frontdesk@childrenschorus.org, call (925) 945-7101, or visit www.childrenschorus.org.

Lafayette’s Annual Jazz Café will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, May 31 in the Stanley Middle School Auditorium. There is a fabulous lineup. Chef’s Touch will be selling scrumptious food from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and there will be dessert, coffee and beverages available for purchase all evening. Drawings will be held to give away prizes. This is the only fundraiser for the Stanley Jazz Department. Tickets: $10 general; $5 elementary students; free for children under 6.

Members of the Performing Arts Society Jazz piano group will introduce and perform favorites from The Great American Songbook at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 31 at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2100 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. Free.  For info, visit www.ccpas.org.

Wagner Ranch Elementary proudly presents its annual spring musical, “Annie,” on May 31 and June 1. Tickets available for purchase online at www.showtix4u.com or at the door before performances. For show times and additional info, visit  wagnerranch.orindaschools.org.

Irina Shachneva will conduct the Slavyanka Chorus in a concert of Russian choral music – music of modern Russian composers (Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, and others), and music of the ancient sacred and folk traditions from which they drew their inspiration at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 1 at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette. For tickets, visit www.slavyanka.org or purchase at the door. For group discounts or more info, contact Paul Andrews at paulandrews@earthlink.net, or at (510) 798-7966.

Rat Pack Tribute in Song - Mark Shaw, Vocalist, and Violinist. Shaw delivers a high-energy, bewitching performance of richly interpreted standards and popular songs from the ‘20s through the ‘60s from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, June 7 in the Sequoia Room, Lafayette Community Center.  Light refreshments provided by Byron Park Assisted Living and Senior Helpers Home Care. Cost: $1 members; $3 non-members. Please call Lafayette Senior Services to reserve your spot at (925) 284-5050.

The Summer Music Series returns to the Orinda Library this season with music for the whole family. At 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 19, the Orinda Library welcomes back hometown favorites, The Real Placebos, as they kick off the series with American Roots Music. All performances start at 6:30 p.m. and take place inside the library, 26 Orinda Way, Orinda. The free series is sponsored by the Friends of the Orinda Library. For more info on the music series as well as the Summer Reading Festival, please visit the library website at ccclib.org or call (925) 254-2184.

THEATER

Onstage Theatre Company presents “100 Lunches,” by Jack Sharkey and Leo W. Sears, directed by Helen Means May 24 through June 8. Performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:15 p.m.; Sunday, June 2 at 2:15 p.m. and Thursday, June 6 at 7:45 p.m. at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. Tickets: $22 general; $17 seniors; and $10 youth to 17. Thursday's performance is $12 for everyone except youth. For tickets call (925) 943-SHOW (7469) or for more info, visit onstagetheatre.homestead.com.

Town Hall Theatre closes out its 2012-2013 Season with William Shakespeare's “Measure for Measure.” Set in a fictionalized Vienna, the local government instates laws to control a populace that it feels has fallen into moral decay. The production will run May 25 - June 15, with previews on May 23 & 24. It is rated PG for some suggestive moments. Contact Town Hall Theatre Box Office for tickets at (925) 283-1557, or purchase online at www.TownHallTheatre.com.

Lois Ann Flood, founder of Diablo Dance Theater, will perform a free hour-long series of Duncan dances at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 29 at the Orinda Library. Poet Marjorie Lynne Wagner will narrate the program with a selection of readings by and about Isadora Duncan. Free. The performance is sponsored by the Friends of the Orinda Library. For more info, call Beth Girshman, at the Orinda Library at (925) 254-2184, ext 1 or visit ccclib.org.

Cal Shakes Preview Performance at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, May 29-31 in the Bruns Amphitheater, Orinda. The evening will present “American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose” written by Culture Clash co-founder Richard Montoya and directed by Jonathan Moscone. Hailed as a "boisterous, rollicking, surreal ... journey into American history" by the Mail Tribune during its sold-out run at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, “American Night” brings the groundbreaking work of San Francisco's iconic Culture Clash to Cal Shakes for the very first time. Drawing equally from pop culture and Shakespeare to mint a new kind of history play, Montoya has crafted a provocative comedy about one man's dream of becoming an American. For info, visit www.calshakes.org.

2013 Dance on Film Festival kicks off with Brigadoon: Lerner and Loewe's legendary Broadway musical starring Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse. The movie will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 6 at the Lafayette Library Community Hall, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd.  The screening begins with fascinating, behind-the-scenes facts on the making of this classic movie with Lauren Jonas, Diablo Ballet Artistic Director, and Beau Behan, host of Beau’s Flicks & Nix, on the Comcast Hometown Network, Ch. 104. Presented by Diablo Ballet and Lafayette Library & Learning Center. Cost: $5.

LECTURE & LITERATURE

Josh Niles will discuss how to hear and trust divine intuition in his presentation, “Spiritual Training: Learning to Listen” from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 30 at The First Church of Christ, Scientist, 650 Danville Blvd, Danville. Free.  Child care provided.  For more info, call (925)-837-1081.

KIDS, PARENTS & TEENS

Enjoy a day of family fun with hands-on activities for children and families between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 25 at John Muir National Historic Site, 4202 Alhambra Ave., Martinez. Park staff will run rotating activity stations in the park orchards. The site is open five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Admission is free. For more info, please visit the park website at www.nps.gov/jomu or call (925) 228-8860.

Zombies at the library! Zombies will be coming to the Lafayette Library from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 30 in the Arts and Science Discovery Room. The day will feature: A zombie photo booth where participants can have their photos taken and “zombified,” yearbook pages that can be “zombified,” pin the body part on the zombie, zombie haiku, Zombies vs. Unicorns, make your own zombie comic strip, and of course, brain food!

Make-A-Wish's 4th annual family, dog and stroller-friendly 5K walk is scheduled from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 1 at Saint Mary’s College, 1928 St. Mary’s Rd., Moraga. Walk day includes food, entertainment, and a BYO picnic with a focus on wish-granting and wish children! Registration, breakfast and entertainment from 8 to 9 a.m. before the walk. For more info, contact (415) 982-9474 or visit www.sf.wish.org.

A new Modern Woodmen of America Youth Service Club is starting in Orinda. The club will have its first activity at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 2 at the Orinda Community Center, 28 Orinda Way. Children ages of 10-16 are invited to the activity to find out about the benefits of membership. Jenny Hee of Orinda will lead the club, and Winifred Tran, a local Modem Woodmen representative, will sponsor the club's monthly activities. If you'd like more information about becoming a member of this new club, call Tran at (808) 384-9464.

The Campolindo Senior Class of 2013 would like to invite you to view their Memory Boards and write personal notes in their Mailroom at the CPAC from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 to 9 p.m. June 4 and 6 and from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. June 5. Memory Boards will also be available to view after graduation on June 7.

Girl Scout Troop 33039 and the Lafayette Library and Learning Center will be partnering to bring you an evening of fun and entertainment with author Mac Barnett, the author of the “Brixton Brothers” series as well as several picture books at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 5 at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette. Barnett will read from his books, wear a mustache, answer questions, and sign books. Information on "Guys Read" (a Web-based literacy program) and 826LA (a non-profit writing and tutoring center) will also be available. The free event is open to families and their children, K-8 grade. For more info, call (925) 385-2292 or visit the website at ccclib.org.

OTHER

Mount Diablo Adult Education (MDAE) has a large selection of excellent woodworking courses for the spring. Hand Tools course teaches how to select, set up, maintain, and use the most necessary hand tools in a workshop. Twelve classes are offered from 1 to 4 p.m. through June 28. Students may register online at www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/adulted/lifelongeducation.htm or at the Pleasant Hill MDAE office on One Santa Barbara road, Room 210.

Oakland Museum of California and Heyday present Friday Nights at OMCA: Gallery of California Natural Sciences Reopening from 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, May 31 at Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street, Oakland. Join a creature-filled celebration reopening the Gallery of California Natural Sciences. Enjoy surf music, a costume contest, food trucks, and more! Cost: $6 adults; $4.50 students and seniors with valid ID; free for members and children age 18 and under. For more info, visit museumca.org/event/friday-nights-omca-gallery-california-natural-sciences-reopening or call (510) 318-8400.

Free cat adoptions will be offered to qualified homes by Community Concern for Cats during the two-day Maddie’s Adoption Days June 1 and 2 at their three sites: Lafayette Pet Food Express, 3610 Mount Diablo Blvd.; Pleasant Hill Pet Food Express, 2158 Contra Costa Blvd.; and Walnut Creek Petco, 1301 S. California Blvd. Adoption hours are from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 1, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 2.  Maddie’s Fund gives stipends ranging from $500 to $2,000 to the shelters and rescue groups for each pet adopted during this weekend in order to help achieve and sustain a no-kill nation.

Dogs & Diapers Workshop from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 5. Your dog has probably been the baby for a long time. From diapers to blinky, squeaky toys to crying in the night, your dog's world is going to be turned upside down. Working together, we make sure that both you and your dog are ready for baby to come home. Cost: $25. For more info, visit training.arf.net.

Motorama World of Wheels Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 16 on Golden Gate Way in Lafayette is presented by the Rotary Club of Lamorinda Sunrise. Free admission. For more info, visit www.motorama.us.

Register for our next Volunteer Orientation from 10 a.m.  to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 29. Located in the majestic Oakland hills, Chabot Space & Science Center is looking for volunteers to welcome visitors and share our exhibits and historical telescopes. Observatory deck volunteers and Exhibit Guides engage our school groups and families in interactive demonstrations. A variety of volunteer shifts are available during the day Tuesday through Sunday as well as Friday and Saturday evenings. Register for our next Volunteer Orientation and help inspire the next generation of scientists, teachers, engineers, innovators and dreamers. For more information on our volunteer program and to RSVP for orientation, visit chabotspace.org or email the Volunteer Department at volunteers@chabotspace.org.

CLUBS

Sons in Retirement Lamorinda Branch 171 meets the first Wednesday monthly at Holy Trinity Culture Center 1700 School St. Moraga. Social hour 11 a.m., lunch noon. The after lunch speaker on June 5  will be Fire Chief Randy Bradley of Moraga-Orinda Fire District. For details and membership information, call Larry at (925) 631-9528.

SENIORS

Lamorinda Seniors Nature Walk and Bird-Watching. Flock together with fellow bird lovers as you delight in the beauty that unfolds around each bend from 9 to 11 a.m. on these free Wednesday local trail walks. Trail maps provided; please bring a water bottle. Binoculars may also be useful in helping you learn to identify a variety of birds. Supported by the Lafayette Senior Services, Town of Moraga, and City of Orinda. Call (925) 254-2445 for the weekly meeting location.

Do you knit or crochet but wish you could do it in a more social setting with people of similar interests? Wish that you had someone of equal or greater expertise to brainstorm with when instructions makes no sense? Join us to work on your current project while enjoying an afternoon of camaraderie. All levels are welcome and encouraged. There is no formal instruction in this drop-in group from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 6 and 20 at the Lafayette Community Center, Elderberry Room. Cost: $1 members; $3 per non-members.

Looking for a good book to talk about with others? Join this brand-new, informal group of book lovers and enjoy enrichment, discussion, fellowship and refreshments from 1 to 3 p.m. June 18 at the Lafayette Community Center, Elderberry Room. Cost:  1$ members; $3 non-members.