Art

Lamorinda Arts Alliance Announces the Exhibit “Wellness & Wellbeing” at the John Muir Health Auxiliary Gallery at John Muir Health, Aspen Center, 133 La Casa Via Suite 150, Walnut Creek, Monday, April 10 through Thursday, May 18. The show features 13 artists and 31 original artworks in acrylics, oils, watercolors, etchings, monoprint, mixed media and photography. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., for Saturday hours call (925) 937-8100.

Valley Art Gallery announces new exhibition, “Art Sparks,” which opens April 1 and runs through May 11. Comprising 250 new works across a wide spectrum of media, motifs, formats, sizes and price points, Art Sparks continues the gallery’s 74-year mission of presenting the best of the best East Bay artists. Free. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. 1661 Botelho Drive, Suite 110, Walnut Creek, www.valleyartgallery.org; (925) 935-4311 or email us at valleyartgallery@gmail.com

Moraga Art Gallery announces “Spring Exhibit ’23,” opening on April 5 and featuring the eye-catching work of two member artists residing in Lafayette: Danguole Rita Kuolas and Pat Prosek. A free reception will be held on Saturday, April 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. The gallery, at 522 Center Street in Moraga’s Rheem Shopping Center, is open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.moragaartgallery.com or call (925) 376-5407

Music

“Chromatica,” a popular local chorus that sold out its fall 2022 concerts, will perform the Dvorak D Major Mass with organ accompaniment along with a second half of eclectic vocal music on April 15 at 7 p.m. at Peace Lutheran Church in Danville and on April 16 at 4 p.m., at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church in Orinda. The Danville concert includes a wine reception after the performance. Tickets and other information at www.chromaticachorale.org

Final Gold Coast Chamber Players concert, “Souvenir.” Saturday, April 15, Concert- 7:30 p.m. Pre-concert talk- 7 p.m. Reception follows performance DTCH at Lafayette Library. Purchase Tickets: https://www.gccpmusic.com/

Town Hall Theatre will kick off a quarterly performance series featuring local musicians performing well-known as well as original songs in an entertaining evening for the whole family. Entitled Front Porch Presents, the first show will happen on Friday, April 7 at 7 p.m. on the stage at Town Hall Theatre and will feature special guest, Lafayette's Stevie Coyle of The Quitters, along with eight other musical acts. Town Hall Theatre, 3535 School Street, Lafayette, tickets: $15 townhalltheatre.com/front-porch

Literature

April events at Orinda Books. Thursday, April 6 at 11 a.m. Pat’s Book Club will read and discuss “Rebel Cinderella” by Adam Hochschild, the astonishing but forgotten story of an immigrant sweatshop worker who married an heir to a great American fortune and became one of the most charismatic radical leaders of her time. 276 Village Square, Orinda, info@orindabooks.com www.orindabooks.com

The Sweet Thursday Author Series presents Vanessa Hua author of “Forbidden City” on Thursday, April 27 at 7 p.m. at the Lafayette Library in the Don Tatzin Community Hall. The talk is free of charge, but registration is required at tinyurl.com/sweet-apr23.

Other

RecycleSmart and Moraga Garden Club are sponsoring a worm-composting workshop April 1 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Moraga Library. “Vermicomposting” is easy, perfect for small spaces and what kid doesn’t like a worm? The $25 registration fee includes plastic bins and composting worms. Registration required and limited to 20 families: www.recyclesmart.org/workshops

Let's work together to establish sustainable habits in the 2023 Lamorinda Zero Waste Challenge! Residents of the three Lamorinda cities will compete to reduce waste using actions from the Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge. April 3- May 14. Anyone age 13+ can register; but only 1 city will be the winner. Who will it be, Lafayette, Moraga or Orinda? Register today: tinyurl.com/zerowaste2023.

Garden

Orinda Garden Club Plant Sale Saturday, April 15, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Orinda Library Plaza, featuring Perennials, Pollinators, Succulents, Drought Resistant, Vegetable Plants (including over 20 varieties of tomatoes) and more. The club also plans to provide informational tables on various horticultural topics. And lastly, there will be a Garden Marketplace with fun, garden-related products. Sale will be located throughout the outdoor plaza at the Orinda Library, located at 26 Orinda Way, Orinda. Open to the public. For more information, see www.orindagc.org/plantsale-public.html or email communcations@orindagc.org.

The Walnut Creek Garden Club will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, April 10 at the Elks Lodge, 1475 Creekside Dr, in Walnut Creek. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by a brief business meeting, social time and educational program. The program “Floristry with Materials from Garden Pruning” will be presented by Steven Brown, AFID, department chair of Environmental Horticulture/Floristry at City College of San Francisco. Steven will show techniques in floral arrangements using cuttings available from the garden, including use of geraniums in floral arrangements. We welcome the public to visit our meetings and to become a part of the Walnut Creek Garden Club. For more information, please visit: www.walnutcreekgardenclub.org.

Lafayette Garden Club monthly meeting begins on April 13 at 9:30 a.m. for social time and munchies before the meeting begins at 10 a.m. It is held at the Veteran’s Hall, 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette. We are lucky to have the design skills of two longtime members, Laurelle Thom and Jean David, giving a talk and floral demonstration called “A Home Full of Flowers.” They have done many programs and workshops for local garden clubs over the years and designed exquisite bouquets for Bouquets to Art at the DeYoung for many years. The meeting is free to attend. We welcome new members and if you would like to attend or consider joining, please contact LGCMembershipCommittee@gmail.com