Events that have not been canceled. Cancellations are ongoing, so please check individual events for updates.

 

 

 

 

 

ART

Art Embrace Words. Missing your creative tribe? No need for that - you are invited to join lovers of the spoken word and visual art by signing up to be part of our Jan. 31 Zoom Webinar as an audience member, visual artist or emerging writer. You can also view live recordings of five 2020 webinars. The Q&A portions reveal a lot about each presenter's creative process. Other 2021 dates are: March 28, May 30, July 25, Sept. 26 and Oct. 31. All this is available at http://lamorindaarts.org/art
-embraces-words.

Virtual Art Gallery at Wilder. The Lamorinda Arts Council is pleased to present Rashmi Rajesh's 12 watercolor and oil paintings to ring in the New Year. Rajesh, of San Ramon, is a self-taught artist who was drawing pencil sketches at a very young age in India. As an adult she relied on her drawing skills again as she pursued first acrylics, then oil paint and watercolors. You'll find florals, landscapes, abstracts, and still life works in her show. To keep her work fresh, she experiments with different techniques and subject matter. She hopes her work sparks some kind of connection for viewers because for her, connecting people together is one of the beautiful qualities of art. View the online gallery of artwork images and the artist's video at www.LamorindaARTS.org/WIlder; visit the artist's website at www.rashmisartcarte.com.

Virtual Art Gallery at the Orinda Library. To welcome in the 2021 New Year, join us for a peek at rare and protected animals of Africa. Maggie Boscoe, David Fleisig, Pam Hall, Jeffrey Halliday and Maureen Rosati-Wee present photographs taken on safari in national parks. The list includes Hwange, Zambia, Kafue, Botswana and Okavango Delta parks. Their exhibit includes images and a video of exotic animals, birds and landscapes encountered on their travels. Boscoe quotes Karen Blixen, author of "Out of Africa," as to what it's like to be on safari: "There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feel as if you have drunk half a bottle of champagne - bubbling over with heartfelt gratitude for being alive." Go to https://lamorindaarts.org/
online-galleries for this unique look at another part of the world.

MUSIC

Gold Coast Chamber Players continue their virtual concerts in 2021 with an ambitious series of six new programs. The 2020 Fall Series, Bach Shorts, featured leading Bay Area cellists in an intimate exploration of Bach's Cello Suites. Main Stage Concerts, which begins this month, celebrates love and diversity. Virtual links remain available for one week following the concert date. Cello/bass duo 2LOW from the San Francisco Symphony begins the 2021 Main Stage Concerts with music by Handel, Bottesini and Rossini. Special guests, soprano Isabel Yang and pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi provide the "plus" for the title, 2LOW+ on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 4 p.m. Purchase online at www.GCCPmusic.com or by calling (925) 283-3728.

LITERATURE

Women Lit Presents Ann Patchett on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 6 to 7 p.m., at baybookfest.org, Virtual Event, Berkeley. Join Pulitzer prize finalist Ann Patchett and Women Lit Jan. 13 for a live event where you'll have the chance to engage with the author in real time. Cost: $15 - $30 (with book bundle). For more info see https://www.baybookfest.org/
women-lit-events/ or call 510-550-4804 or email info@baybookfest.org.

KPFA Radio 94.1 FM presents Jerald Walker & Kevin Cartwright: Zoom Event: How to Make a Slave and Other Essays on Thursday, Jan 28, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at Online webinar, 1929 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Berkeley. Jerald Walker and Kevin Cartwright will appear via Zoom and discuss Walker's new book, "How to Make a Slave," and answer questions. Cost: Suggested Donation $5-$20. For more info see http://www.kpfa.org.

KPFA Radio 94.1 FM presents Claire Wasserman and her father, Steve Wasserman will discuss her new book "Ladies Get Paid" and answer questions on Monday, Jan 25, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at Online webinar, 1929 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Berkeley. Cost: suggested donation $5-$20. For more info see https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
claire-wasserman-and-dad-steve-
wasserman-ladies-get-paid-tickets-
130905918125 or call 510-967-4495.

 

OTHER

American Association of University Women Orinda-Moraga-Lafayette Branch. (AAUW-0ML) General meeting Tuesday, Jan. 19, 7 p.m., via Zoom webinar, California Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, speaking on current legislation in Sacramento affecting women and girls. Registration required at AAUW-OML's website oml-ca.aauw.net.

GARDEN

Lafayette Garden Club Monthly General Meeting program begins Thursday, Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. online via Zoom webinar. Join us as a guest at no charge. Myths in the Garden presented by Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, who has held professorships at the University of Washington and Washington State University and is the author of "The Informed Gardener" and other books. She is our first speaker of the New Year, please join us for this interesting PowerPoint presentation to learn about Myths in the Garden. Prior to the start of the Zoom meeting we hope to provide information for attendees to read and follow during the presentation. For details on how to join this presentation and membership information please email MaryanneKain@comcast.net

The Montelindo Garden Club January meeting begins Friday Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. on Zoom. Everyone is welcome. Presentation: Inviting pollinators in; Speaker: Janet Sluis, who is a well-known horticulturist specializing in organic, low water, regionally appropriate, easy-care plants. She is the Sunset Western Garden Collection's curator and plant expert. Sluis will speak about what people can do to address declining bird and insect populations by selecting appropriate plants and trees, including those that will provide year-round habitat and food sources. To request a Zoom link to attend this meeting, email: montelindogarden@aol.com

The Orinda Garden Club, along with several other Bay Area garden clubs, together are sponsoring a free, virtual symposium: Bay Visions 2021: "The Power of Plants Will Protect the Bay." Please join us for this discussion on Jan. 13, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., for an inspiring look at adaption, regeneration, and the powerful role plants play in mitigating the challenges facing San Francisco Bay. Speakers include Karina Nielsen, professor and director, Estuary & Ocean Science Center, San Francisco State University; Dr. Katharyn Boyer, biology professor at San Francisco State University's Estuary & Ocean Science Center; and Josie Iselin, author of "The Curious World of Seaweed." Register (for free) here: www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-visions- tickets-127648342629

We invite you to join our Zoom meeting of the Walnut Creek Garden Club on Jan. 11. Our business meeting starts at 10 a.m., and our speaker presentation will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m. We are pleased to announce that Brian Kemble, curator at Ruth Bancroft Gardens since 1980, will showcase the iconic plants of the Ruth Bancroft Gardens. Kemble is highly regarded in the horticultural world and is a prolific writer and lecturer on drought tolerant plants. His column "On the Dry Side" has appeared in several local newspapers. To join us, please contact our Co-President, Maureen Little at mslittle44@gmail.com for your zoom invitation.