ART

The Saint Mary's College William Keith (1838 -1911) Collection will welcome visitors into the expanded galleries of the new Museum of Art thru December 18. Among never before seen recent acquisitions and newly restored paintings are magnificent early views of the Columbia River Valley, Pacific Northwest, Mt. Tamalpais and Russian River. The Hearst Art Gallery is open from Wednesdays through Sundays, 11am-4:30pm. Admission is $4 for adults; free for groups, K-12th graders. For more information, please call (925) 631-4379.

On Friday, December 2, 6:30-8:30pm the Lafayette Gallery will be hosting a free reception, with hors d'oeuvres and beverages, to celebrate the holiday season, and the new Gallery exhibit, "Peace on Earth." The gallery is located at 50 Lafayette Circle, Lafayette (across from Chow); www.lafayettegallery.net, (925) 284-2788.

Moraga Art Gallery will feature the work of guest artist Susan Heller thru Dec. 24. Heller's work falls outside the traditional function of quilts as each piece is intended to hang as a work of art. She enjoys using appliqu‚ for its added dimension and embellishes with hand-embroidery, beading or both. Moraga Art Gallery is open Tues.-Sun from noon-5pm. MAG is tucked in a corner north of CVS in the Rheem Center in Moraga (until the end of this show).

MUSIC

Voices of Musica Sacra sings "Carols Old and New", featuring traditional carols from France and Spain, works by Jacobus Gallus (Handl) from Germany, 15th and 16th century carols from England, recent pieces by Gustav Holst and John Rutter, and American carols ranging from shape-note singing to Charles Ives and Alfred Burt, and even one from Canada. The program concludes with a carol sing-along. John Kendall Bailey, music director. www.vmschorus.org Tickets: $20 adults, $15 seniors/students. Saturday, December 3, 2pm, St. Francis of Assisi Church, 860 Oak Grove Rd., Concord. Sunday, December 4, 2pm, St. Stephen Catholic Church, 1101 Keaveny Ct., Walnut Creek.

San Francisco Chamber Orchestra presents Family Concert: Holiday Show! on Saturday, Dec 3, from 2 to 3pm, at Lakeside Theatre, 300 Lakeside Dr., Oakland. Juggling, acrobatics, and feats of derring-do are woven into an entertaining program that will feature a discussion on creating musical moods! Cost: $0 (Admission is free, but tickets are required for non-members.). For more info see http://www.sfchamberorchestra.org/events/family/ or call 415-692-3367 or email info@sfchamberorchestra.org.

The Campolindo Jazz Program presents "ALL THAT JAZZ" Featuring guest artist and Campo Alumnus, Geoffrey Countryman with the Campolindo Jazz Ensembles. Jazz combo will be playing from the entire spectrum of jazz styles plus original compositions by Geoffrey Countryman. Where: Camplindo Performing Arts Center. Admission Free. Date: Thursday, December 8, Time: 7:30pm.

THEATER

On December 1, 2, and 3, the Saint Mary's College Dance Company presents its fall concert, Origins of Self. The show performs at 8pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the Lefevre Theatre at Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga and admission in FREE. For more information and directions, visit the college website, www.stmarys-ca.edu/performing-arts. Expect a wide variety of entertainment, from solos to group numbers in the styles of modern and tap dance. You will laugh and cry as the choreographers explore their life origins.

LECTURE & LITERATURE

Commonwealth Club: Tuesday, Nov 29, Governor Jennifer Granholm and Dan Mulhern, her husband and co-author of their book "A Governor's Story: The Fight for Jobs and America's Economic Future" will discuss Michigan's unique struggles during the recent economic crisis, how the state weathered the storm, and what advice they can offer other policy makers and citizens. Location: Lafayette Library and Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette. Time: 5:45 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program Cost: $22 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID).

Budd MacKenzie, the founder of the Lafayette-based grassroots nonprofit organization, Trust In Education (TIE) and two Afghan-Americans, Nabi Tawakali, long time committed volunteer fort TIE, and Zohra Azis, who is coordinating the construction of a girls's school in Afghanistan funded by TIE will share some of their experiences on November 30, 7:30pm, Acalanes High School Performing Arts Center, 1200 Pleasant Hill Road, Lafayette.. Hope for Afghanistan comes in small steps, but Budd, Nabi and Zohra have seen the difference that Americans can make. Their portrayal of Afghanistan is unlike any you have read, heard or seen.

OTHER

Toe-tapping music, twirling dancers, and the friendly buzz of conversation keep the atmosphere lively at the weekly Dance Social Wednesdays 12:30-2:50pm at Lafayette Community Center. The longtime event is held in the big, bright Live Oak Room. There's plenty of space for a sizable group to swirl, twirl, and socialize. The Dance Social specializes in ballroom, but any style of dance adds to the fun. Professional dance lessons the first Wednesday of the month. The Lafayette Community Center is at 500 St. Mary's Road. A map & additional details are posted at: sites.google.com/site/lafayetteteadance. The event is $2 for members of Lafayette Senior Center, and $4 for non-members. It's $10 yearly to join the Center, and enjoy the complete range of activities.

Moraga Women's Society is sponsoring a fundraiser for the Moraga schools on Wednesday, November 30. Treat yourself to a fun-filled day before the holiday rush. Join us for "Brunch, Bridge and Bunko" at the Holy Trinity Cultural Center, 1700 School Street in Moraga, at 10:30am. Tickets are $25. Please call Jean @376-7961 for ticket information.

5th Annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance Dinner, December 1 at the Lafayette Veterans Memorial Building. The event is sponsored by local veterans groups and the Navy League and the public is cordially invited to participate. Rear Admiral Christopher C. Colvin, USCG, Deputy Commander of the Coast Guard's Pacific Area, will be the guest speaker. Cost: $30 per person, including wine. Social hour will be at 6pm with dinner at 7pm. Reservations may be made by check (CCC NLUS) to Steve Cruikshank, 165 Random Way, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. Deadline for RSVP November 23. For information, please call Jim Harbuck, President, (925) 376-8574.

Acalanes Fellowship Masonic Lodge in Lafayette will have an open installation of Lodge Officers on Saturday, December 3, at 4pm. The Lodge is located at the corner of Brook Street and Moraga Road in Lafayette. For Further information go to http://www.acalanes.org or contact Don Hoskins, Secretary by phone at 800-419-0819 (Option 4), or by email at donhosk@aol.com.

Northern California Camellia Society meeting: Monday, December 5th, 7:30pm, First Baptist Church of Walnut Creek, 2336 Buena Vista Dr., Walnut Creek. We are hosting an evening with Tom Nuccio from Nuccio's Nursery in Altadena. Tom a well-known speaker and hybridizer, will have a discussion on unique camellias and azaleas. He will bring special plants for the silent auction and raffle. Admission is free, please come and bring a friend. For seating reservations, please contact Bob Ehrhart at 925 937-0188.

The Orinda Historical Society Holiday Party will be held on Wednesday, December 7, 6-9pm. The theme of the evening will be "Celebrating the 70th Birthday of the Orinda Theater" with guest speakers Colette Kersten, Malia Martin, and DIna Fiatarone, who were all former ushers at the theater. $40 per person: 6pm Social- 7pm Dinner and Program. Orinda Community Church, Fellowship Hall - RSVP to 254-1353 or send check to PO Box 82, Orinda.

The World Wide Web: Practical Knowledge for Today and Is It All Still Good? Presented by Edward Zeidan, Nerd4Rent. Surfing the web carries with it inherent risks. Learn valuable tips on how to protect yourself online: backing up your data, choosing a strong password, protecting your identity and wireless network, and much more. To Sign Up, Call (925)284-5050. $1 members/$3 non-members. Tuesday, December 13, 10:30-Noon, Elderberry Room, Lafayette Community Center, 500 St. Mary's Rd., Lafayette.

Lafayette Gallery Trunk Show, December 10 & 11, unique gifts hand crafted by local artisans. The Gallery is located at 50 Lafayette Circle, Lafayette (across from Chow). Free event. www.lafayettegallery.net. (925) 284-2788.

Electronic E-waste Collection/Fundraiser for Loaves and Fishes of CCC. When: Saturday Dec. 10, 9am-4pm. Where: Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church @ 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette. Free to recycle televisions, monitors, laptops, cell phones, flat-screens and wires. $5.00 per item fee to recycle: stereos, telephones, CPU's, printers, DVD players, radios, fax machines, small appliances etc. Secured Document Destruction (shredding) also provided at $7.00 per Banker Box. Contact: (925)-890-1324.

PJ Library, Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, Jewish Gateways, and Building Jewish Bridges present Hanukah Festival of Light and Isaac Zones Family Concert on Sunday, Dec 11, 10am-2pm, at Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley. Fun day of Hanukah activities for the whole family -- storytelling, family concert, latkes, dreidel games, arts & crafts, more! All are welcome! Cost: Suggested donation $5/person + canned food donations. For more info see http://www.jewishgateways.org/events/2011/dec/11/hanukah-festival-light-and-isaac-zones-family-concert or call (510) 410-0622 or email rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org.

16th Annual Teddy Bear Tea will be held at The Gardens at Heather Farm on December 3rd and 4th with seating available at 11:30am or 2pm each day. Your ticket includes an elegant holiday setting, a wide variety of tea-time treats, story time, and photos and favors to take home. We will also have a gift boutique open for children and adults for holiday shopping. Tickets are $15 children/$25 adults. For reservations call: (925) 947-1678 or www.gardenshf.org.

Lindsay Wildlife Museum will hold its annual holiday sale on Saturday, November 19 and Sunday, November 20, 10am-5pm; browse the store's selection of nature and wildlife-inspired toys, clothing, jewelry, books and more. The general public will receive a 10% discount on all merchandise during the weekend sale, and museum members will receive a 20% discount on all store purchases. In addition, family and grandparent memberships, normally $65 per year, may be purchased during the months of November and December for $55, a $10 savings.

POLITICAL GATHERINGS

Town Hall Meeting: Education Finance Challenges in California; December 6, 6:30pm, Stanley Middle School MP Room, Lafayette. This is an opportunity to ask questions, share ideas, and get involved! For more information and a list of the speakers visit http://lafayetteforeducation.weebly.com/index.html.