ART

 

The Valley Art Gallery presents "Wintermission" from Jan. 8 through Feb 2. Wintermission, their show between shows, features selected works by Gallery Artists designed to brighten and warm even the longest winter days. Reflecting a wide range of motifs, styles and media, the show continues a mission to represent the best of the best of more than 100 East Bay artists. www.valleyartgallery.org

 

The Moraga Art Gallery presents its new show, "A Sense of Place," running from Jan. 9 to March 16 and featuring Wenda Pyman’s beguiling landscape photographs, which call to mind the camera work of Ansel Adams and Eliot Porter. Free opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12. Use the occasion to meet the artists, enjoy a glass of wine accompanied by light snacks and live music. For more information, visit www.moragaartgallery.com or call (925) 376-5407.

 

Bedford Gallery, located in the Lesher Center for the Arts, offers enriching, educational volunteer opportunities. Train to become a docent from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Jan. 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 6, 13. Docent volunteering is fun and provides opportunities to make friends, learn about art, and help foster the arts in our community. No prior art knowledge is required. To sign up, contact Carmen Kelly at (925) 295-1416 or kelly@bedfordgallery.org. Learn more at: www.bedfordgallery.org/support/volunteer

 

MUSIC

 

Ensemble ARI concert at 7 p.m. on Jan. 12 at St.Mark’s United Methodist Church, 451 Moraga Way, Orinda, featuring music by Bach, Handel, Cassado and living composers Ruviaro and Ahn. Admission: Free; suggested donation: $20. For more info www.facebook.com/

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William Feasley, classical guitarist, performs at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Walnut Creek, in Multi-Media Program “Echos of Goya” at 7 p.m. on Jan. 19 at 1924 Trinity Avenue, Walnut Creek. A Classical Guitar Master, Feasley is world-recognized as the featured guitarist in the CBS special, “Eulogy of Segovia.” Feasley has been the featured artist for numerous prestigious guitar and music festivals around the world. Donation at the door: average $20, Students $10 (all are welcome regardless of donation).

 

Living Jazz presents “In The Name of Love,” the 17th annual musical tribute honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20 at the Oakland Scottish Rite Center, 1547 Lakeside Dr., Oakland. Tickets: Adv. $25- $60; Door: $30-$65 (discounts for Children 12 and under). All proceeds will benefit the Living Jazz Children’s Project. Livingjazz.org/mlktribute

 

THEATER

 

Diablo Ballet opens the new year with the second program of its landmark 25th Season, Balanchine and Beyond, Feb. 1 and 2, at the Del Valle Theatre in Walnut Creek. This program features three ballets including the classic masterpiece Apollo by George Balanchine. Immediately following each performance, ticket holders are invited to stay for a post-performance Q&A with our dancers, choreographers and musicians followed by a dessert and coffee reception where you can meet and mingle with the dancers. Single tickets are $15-$47. For tickets and showtimes, call (925) 943-SHOW (7469) or visit www.lesherartscenter.org. For more information, visit www.diabloballet.org.

 

LECTURE & LITERATURE

 

The World Affairs Book Group will meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15 at Orinda Books to read and discuss “Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence,” by Christian Parenti. They meet bi-monthly and welcome new members.

 

KPFA Radio 94.1 FM presents Ha Jin: The Banished Immortal: A Life of Li Po from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at Berkeley Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St, Berkeley. Ha Jin will discuss his new book, The Banished Immortal: A Life of Li Po, answer questions & sign books. Hosted by Jack Foley. Cost: $12 advance, $15 door. For more info see http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3918550 or call (510) 967-4495.

 

Discovering Opera: Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Jan. 31 in the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Arts & Science Room. Moby Dick is an opera based on the classic novel by Herman Melville. Set in 1820, it tells the story of Captain Ahab of the whaling ship Pequod, who after losing one of his legs to a frightening white whale, becomes obsessed with finding and destroying the creature at any cost. Lecturer Bradford Wade will give a guided tour of the opera, with a description of the plot interspersed with musical examples. This lecture is given in conjunction with Opera San Jose's production of Moby Dick, Feb. 9-24. Free.

 

KIDS, PARENTS & TEENS

 

Lafayette Youth Commission seventh and eighth grade Tri-City Dance – seventh- and eighth-graders from all three Lamorinda middle schools are invited to the LYC’s first Tri-City Dance of the year from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18 at the Lafayette Community Center. Cost: $7 per attendee and must be purchased prior to the dance. Dances sell out fast, so reserve your spot today! To reserve your spot or for more info, please visit www.lafayetterec.org or call (925) 284-2232.

 

OTHER

 

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 pm on Sundays, March 3 and 17. Reservations are required. Contact: chickenspapajohn@gmail.com. Location provided upon registration.

 

Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center presents The Iron Wall - film and discussion with Dalit Baum, Ph.D. from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17, at Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center at Our Savior's Lutheran, 1035 Carol Lane, Lafayette. Baum is an Israeli Peace Activist/Scholar and Director of Economic Activism for Palestine at the AFSC. Reception 6 p.m., film/Q&A 7 p.m. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at door, Students free. For more info see http://ourpeacecenter.org or call (925) 933-7850 or email margli@ourpeacecenter.org.

 

The organizers of Women’s March Contra Costa are pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Women’s March from 10:30 am to 1 p.m. on Jan. 19 at Civic Park, Walnut Creek. All community members dedicated to preserving human rights, respect for diversity and compassion for our shared humanity and planet are encouraged to participate and join together. The event is non-partisan and all are welcome to attend. RSVP: www.womensmarchcontracosta.org

 

Lion’s Club Crab Feed with silent auction at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 at the Holy Trinity Cultural Center, 1700 School Street, Moraga. Tickets for adults are $55; children 6-12 years are $27.50. To purchase call (925) 283-1841.

 

Many Faces of Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 23 in the Lafayette Library Community Room. Patients and caregivers are invited to attend this free educational program focusing on the unique issues of blood cancer patients. A panel of medical experts will discuss current treatments and emerging, exciting breakthrough therapies to treat CLL, ALL, Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma. Please register by calling (925) 677-5041 x272 or send email to sjung@dvohmg.com

 

Join Campolindo's Academic Decathlon team’s “Through the Decades” Trivia and FUNdraising Night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 24 in the Campo cafeteria. The evening will feature trivia, raffles, a bake sale, performances by the student music group The Cooks, and free babysitting/activities for young children. Cost: $10 at the door for raffle and trivia to support the team to make it to the state championship. Please contact CampoAcademicDecathlon@gmail.com for more info.

 

Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church’s annual Crab Feed and Dance, 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 1700 School Street in Moraga. Dinner and Dance tickets are $50 and must be purchased in advance. Please call or text Thea at (925) 890-0918. The Dessert Silent Auction is back. Chicken dinner choice available by special advance order request.

 

Free Tax preparation for the 2019 tax season is available starting February 2019 from AARP’s Tax-Aide and United Way’s Earn It, Keep It, Save It (EKS) programs. Service is provided by volunteer tax preparers who are IRS trained and certified. EKS service is limited to those with incomes below $54,000, while Tax-Aide does not have an income limit. For Tax-Aide site information or appointments in Walnut Creek call: (925) 943-5851 for the Walnut Creek Senior Center site; (925) 405-6278 for the Walnut Creek Grace Presbyterian Church site; or (925) 979-5013 for the Walnut Creek St. Paul’s Episcopal Church site. For information on other Tax-Aide sites, call: (925) 726-3199. For information on EKS sites, call 2-1-1 or visit www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org.

 

GARDEN

 

The Lafayette Garden Club's first meeting of the new year will be at 10 a.m. on Jan. 10 at the Lafayette Veteran's Hall. We welcome guests to come and hear Nyna Dolby present "What to do with a Safeway Bouquet?" Nyna is the House Floral Arranger at Filoli and has many years experience. She will demonstrate the basics of flower arranging highlighting the importance of proper mechanics, the role of foliage, and the basic art elements in this ephemeral art form.

 

The Walnut Creek Garden Club meeting begins at 9:45 a.m. Monday, Jan. 14 at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Road, Walnut Creek. David Rust, an expert on mushrooms and president of the Mycological Society, with his slide show, “Know Your Mushrooms,” will help us identify the good and the bad and we will come away with a new appreciation of fungi’s significant benefits to our ecosystems and human health. Times: 9:45 a.m. - Business Meeting; 10:30 a.m. - Social; 11 a.m. Program. We invite you to attend a meeting. Questions: mslittle44@gmail.com.

 

The Moraga Garden Club will hold its next meeting at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, at the Holy Trinity Church, 1700 School Street, Moraga. The guest speaker will be Gail Emmons, author of “A Beginner’s Guide to Working with Leaves in a Contemporary Way.” She will speak on “Leaf Manipulation.” Emmons started her flower arranging journey more than 30 years ago while living in Hong Kong and taking classes in Sogetsu Ikebana. Emmons’ trademark in flower arranging has been the development of a dynamic sculptural style that mixes the traditions of both East and West in new and daring ways. This event is free and open to all interested parties. Refreshments will be served. For more information, visit moragagardenclub.com.

 

The Montelindo Garden Club will be holding its January meeting at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 18 at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center’s Community Hall. Presentation: Pruning Tips with speaker Scott Paris. In South Placer County, Scott Paris started as a Landscape Designer and opened the High Hand Nursery in 2003 to acquire plants for his landscaping business. More recently he became the owner of Maple Rock Gardens, a landscaping gem and year-round farm which is opened to the public a few times a year. Paris will give tips on pruning plants in your landscape. www.montelindogarden.com.

 

Winter Rose Care Workshop at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26 at McDonnel Nursery, 196 Moraga Way, Orinda. Email info@mcdonnellnursery.com or call (925) 254-3713 to reserve a seat.