ART

Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery presents: Painting with Light — Photography and Watercolor from June 4 to July 9, with an artist talk on June 15. Photographers: Maude Pervere, Stephen Elbert, Suzanne Engelberg, Tanya Knoop, and Watercolorist Julie Cohn. (925) 284-1485 www.jenniferperlmuttergallery.com

The public is invited to attend the Art and Photography Show, featuring works by some 80 adult students, at Acalanes Adult Education (AAE) from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 10. This free opening night reception includes samples of drawing, multi-media, oil/acrylic paintings, and special projects created in Art Lab. Some items will be available for sale. Refreshments will be served. AAE is located at 1963 Tice Valley Blvd, Walnut Creek. The exhibit will continue on weekdays only through July 29.

The Moraga Art Gallery announces a new show, “Porcelain Poetry/Textile Treasures,” featuring beautifully-crafted, functional pottery by member artist Donna Arganbright of Lafayette and a selection of vibrant quilts created by guest artist Denise Oyama Miller. The show runs from June 8 to Aug. 13. There will be an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 11. The exhibit and reception are free and the public is invited to attend. The Moraga Art Gallery is located at 522 Center Street, Moraga. (925) 376-5407.

MUSIC

Enjoy a Latin Musicfest featuring Carlos Reyes with special musical guests Rolando Morales and Esther Godinez from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 2 at Áegis Living of Moraga, 950 Country Club Dr.in Moraga. Free. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP at (925) 297-6760.

Lafayette’s Jazz Café is at 6 p.m. June 3 in the Stanley Middle School Multi-Purpose Room. Lineup features Stanley Middle School’s Crusaders and Jazz Messengers, as well as the Campolindo and Acalanes jazz bands. Tickets: general admission $10; elementary students $5; kids under 6 free. Tortilleria El Molino Catering from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Raffle drawings for fabulous gift baskets! This is the only fundraiser for the Stanley Middle School Jazz Program. For info, email anouschkaw@mac.com.

Bay Area dancer and choreographer Todd Courage and dancer, choreographer, and yogi MaryAnngeline Douvikas will premiere their thesis concerts at 8 p.m. June 3 and 4 in the LeFevre Theatre at Saint Mary’s College. Courage and Douvikas are members of the very first cohort of students in the MFA in Dance program at Saint Mary’s and will be presenting their work at the inaugural MFA in Dance Thesis concerts series. Tickets are $15 general admission, and can be purchased at the door or in advance online at www.stmarys-ca.edu/mfa-in-dance-thesis-concert-a.

WomenSing presents “To Give Voice” at 4 p.m. Sunday, June 5 and at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 8 at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette. WomenSing’s 50th anniversary spring concert gives voice to the musical traditions that have shaped America and WomenSing. Cost: $28 general admission; $10 for students and youth 18 and under. For more info see http://womensing.org/concerts/current-season/spring-concert/, call (925) 798-4875 or email info@womensing.org.

Enjoy a musically innovative and exhilarating evening presented by the Piano Composers Chapter of the Contra Costa Performing Arts Society. The free concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 10 at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2100 Tice Valley Blvd. near Rossmoor in Walnut Creek. Parking is easy. Visit www.ccpas.org

THEATER

Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Moraga Library will present a docent lecture at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 2. A docent from the Berkeley Repertory Theatre will discuss the current production, “For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday,” showing at the Roda Theatre through July 3.

Crosslight Theater’s Youth Conservatory presents “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, June 3-12. Thursday/Friday/Saturday at 7:15 p.m., with shows June 3, 4, 9, 10, 11; Saturday/Sunday at 2:15 p.m. with shows June 4, 5, 11, 12. Tickets $15/$17 available in person at the Lesher Center Box Office, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek; by phone at (925) 943-SHOW; and online at www.lesherartscenter.org.

Town Hall Theatre Company presents “Play It Again, Sam” by Woody Allen and directed by Soren Oliver in Lafayette June 4-25. Tickets and exact show times are available at www.townhalltheatre.com or at by calling (925) 283-1557. (See story an page B1)

Florence Nightingale performs at 8 p.m. on June 17 and 18 at the Martinez Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St. in Martinez. Tickets at the door are $20 and may be reserved by calling (925) 518-3277. For more information visit Onstagetheatre.homestead.com.

LECTURE

The League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley will present Dr. Helen Benjamin as its speaker from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 11 in the Cedar Room of the Lafayette Community Center. Dr. Benjamin is the retiring Chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District. She will be sharing her experience in higher education and her perspective on the future of a community college system now faced with fluctuating budgets and changing demographics.

KIDS, PARENTS & TEENS

Author Marissa Moss Visits ... for Amelia’s Graduation! from 4 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1 at the Moraga Library. Author Marissa Moss will talk about her “Amelia” series and “Amelia’s Middle-School Graduation Yearbook.” Books will be available for purchase, and Moss is happy to sign them. These Moraga Library events are free and open to the public, and are geared to older elementary and middle school students.

Free Family Movie Night at the Moraga Commons Park at 8:50 p.m. (depending on darkness) on Friday, June 3. Kick-off your summer like a superhero! The Moraga Youth Involvement Committee (MYIC) is hosting a free outdoor presentation of “The Incredibles.” Bring friends and family, enter the raffle, and enjoy refreshments sold by the MYIC.

Kids Carnival for Wishes. There will be fun games, face painting and more to raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation, hosted by local junior ambassadors from 1 to 4 p.m. on June 4 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 1035 Carol lane in Lafayette.

MISCELLANEOUS

Charles “Chuck“ Swanson, Director of Public Works for the City of Orinda, will be speaking on the ““Orinda’s Road Repair Plan — What do You Do With 92 Miles of Bad Road?” from 1 to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1 at the Orinda Country Club. The public is also invited to attend the Orinda Rotary lunch starting at 11:45 a.m. prior to the speaker. Lunch is $20, no lunch is $5.

The 35th Annual Walnut Creek Art and Wine Festival kicks-off summer with art, wine, food and fun for all ages from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5. Free to attend, Heather Farm Park will be filled with more than 250 arts and crafts booths, live music, craft brews, wine tasting, dozens of food options, a Kids Zone and more. For additional information, visit www.artwinefestivalwc.com.

Happiness is adopting a kitten or cat. Find your new best friend at Community Concern for Cats adoption event from 1 to 4 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5, at Pet Food Express in Lafayette and Pleasant Hill, and Petco in Walnut Creek. For more information see www.communityconcernforcats.org

Is rowing your sport? This is your opportunity to find out. Join Artemis Rowing Club and USRowing for National Learn to Row Day 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 4 at the Jack London Aquatic Center. Artemis Rowing is a competitive community-based rowing program for East Bay youth in grades 6-12. Please visit www.ArtemisRowingClub.org for more information.

Check out careers and opportunities with the East Bay Regional Park District at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 9. Jaimee Rizzotti, Community Outreach Coordinator, and Bismarck Blanco, Human Resource Analyst, will talk about programs and opportunities, seasonal, temporary and permanent jobs with this “special district,” a system of parklands and trails in Alameda and Contra Costa County. An NPS Centennial Celebration program.

Summer Sustainable Living Series from Sustainable Contra Costa presents Home in Harmony: Living with Less Stuff from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14 at the Rodgers Ranch Heritage Center, 315 Cortsen Road, Pleasant Hill. Learn how simplicity can bring balance to our lives through fun, practical ways to organize, declutter, and get your home into shape. Register online at www.sustainablecoco.org/workshops.

KPFA Radio 94.1 FM presents Rebecca Gordon: American Nuremberg: The American Officials Who Should Stand Trial for Post 9/11 War Crimes from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, at Berkeley Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St, Berkeley. Answers, questions and book-signing. Cost: $12 advance, $15 door. For more info see http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2547547 or call (510) 967-4495.

Diablo Ballet and its Teen Board present their first annual PAWS de Tutu event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 18 at the Lafayette Reservoir. Participants are invited to dress up their dogs and enter the dog costume “ComPAWtition” and win some amazing prizes. Anyone interested in participating, should register online at www.diabloballet.org as participation is limited. Registration fees are $30 for adults and $20 for youth 17 and under.

Honor those with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers by participating in The Longest Day on Monday, June 20, a sunrise-to-sunset team activity held annually on the Summer Solstice that raises disease awareness and funds toward Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Join an existing team or create your own team with activities that honor your loved ones. Register now at: alz.org/TLD.

GARDEN

The Lafayette Community Garden presents Getting to Know the Food We Grow from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on June 5. Explore seasonal foods grown in the Lafayette Community Garden. Their nutritional benefits as well as simple, healthy ways to prepare them will be discussed. Led by Jaime Askew, a certified nutrition consultant and garden member. Participants will also harvest the foods from the garden in this class and create a nutritious and delicious dish for all to share.
Now you can have a beautiful garden…and eat it, too! Gardening and horticulture expert, Bob Hornback will show you how to produce your own organically-grown veggies, fruits and herbs in plantings that are attractive enough for the front yard. You’ll learn everything you need to know about designing, installing, maintaining and harvesting an edible landscape. From 10 a.m. to noon on June 11 at the Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek. $20 - $25. More info: www.gardenshf.org or (925) 947-1678

Creating a Sustainable Garden Workshop: Learn how to build healthier soil, chooses water-wise plants and manage pests in the least toxic way during this free workshop, 10 a.m. Saturday, June 11 at McDonnell Nursery in Orinda. To reserve a seat please call (925) 252-3713 or info@mcdonnellnursery.com.