MARCH

Lafayette Business Women at Goddess Gatherings March 15 5:15pm

Young Professionals: Financial Foundations March 16 5pm

Ribbon Cutting at Goddess Gatherings March 22 5pm

Ribbon Cutting at Lamorinda Gynecology & Surgery + New Medical Family Medicine March 23 5pm

"Coffee" with the City of Lafayette Mayor Carl Anduri March 24 8am ZOOM

Citizen of the Year Dinner Honoring Mike Anderson March 24 6pm

10 iPhone Photo Tips to Make Your Business Shine April 11 12 noon

Ribbon Cutting at 2GORGIS Wellness & KME Coaching April 12 12 noon

Lafayette Young Professionals April Social Mixer April 13, 5pm

How to Build Your Brand Using Insight, Identity, and Innovation April 18, 12 noon

Lafayette Business Women at Sexton Group Real Estate April 19 8:45am

Ribbon Cutting at Oasis Café April 20 11am

Ribbon Cutting at LALA Dental April 22 2pm

Ribbon Cutting at Pedego Electric Bikes Lafayette April 23, 11am

How to Achieve Efficiency in the Workplace April 25 12 noon

Ribbon Cutting at Traffic Bar & Grill April 27, 5pm

MAY

Taste of Lafayette Restaurant Stroll May 16, 5pm. Tickets on sale now!

The 2023 Citizen of the Year Dinner Honoring Mike Anderson will be held on Friday, March 24, 2023 at the Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa. Reception with no host bar 6pm-7pm. Dinner at 7pm. Evening ends at 9pm. Seating is limited. Purchase tickets for the dinner online HERE.

Learn more about Mike Anderson’s contributions to our community and the Citizen of the Year program in the Press Release HERE. Read the March 1, 2023 article in Lamorinda Weekly: Mayor Mike, Citizen of the Year - diplomacy, patience and grace under pressure.

Tickets on sale now! Tickets are limited and no tickets will be sold at the door. Only 200 tickets remain! Purchase your tickets now!

Event date: Tuesday, May 16, 5pm-7:30pm, Downtown Lafayette. 

A Friend of the Chamber membership provides a way for community members to support the efforts of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. We are 75 years strong and our mission continues “To promote and maintain a healthy business climate and to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Lafayette.” 

All aspects that make up a community are important to us: schools, residents, churches and synagogues, community organizations, activities, and the city government. Chamber members work with representatives of all these groups for the betterment of our community. A lifetime Friend of the Chamber membership is $150 per family. Learn more here>>

Our 1200 square foot space is versatile, intimate, and perfect for workshops/classes, showers, micro wedding receptions, performance shows, corporate events and meetings, dinner parties, pop-up shops, product launches, photography/videography space and more. Reach out today to set up a site visit.

Did you miss our March nonprofit email blast? Read it here!

Have an event to share with our community? Add it to our Community Calendar!

03/10 – 03/11 | College Notes A Cappella

03/16 – 03/17 | Dance Theatre of Harlem

Bedford Gallery | Now – 04/02 | Erin Fong | The Sensation of Color

Learn more about Diablo Regional Arts Association here. Purchase your tickets at www.lesherartscenter.org.

Town Hall Education is excited to announce that our annual Young Playwrights Festival is back and in person! The Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) is a part of Town Hall Education's Young Playwrights Program, which connects Bay Area theatre professionals with local high school students to create, write, and develop new theatre pieces. From the many talented writers, four finalists have been chosen whose plays will be performed by professional actors at the Young Playwrights Festival this March 12th at 7pm, at Town Hall Theatre. 

Our 2023 Young Playwrights Festival finalists are: 

It's Not a Heist written by Ella Bradley and Colin Perusse 

May Lilies Do Die written by Amelia Soong 

Not For Myself written by Hannah Johnson 

The Three Surgeons written by Ivan Smith 

Tickets are open to the public and Pay-What-You-Can. The community is encouraged to cheer on these young playwrights. www.TownHallTheatre.com

Tickets/More Info: https://www.townhalltheatre.com/lift-your-voice

During the week of March 14, five Arts & Culture Community Visioning Sessions will be held throughout the County. The events are free, and all are welcome.

The Arts & Culture Community Visioning Sessions will be held in various locations around the county in Danville, Oakley, Pittsburg, Richmond, and Walnut Creek. Each session is approximately 90 minutes in duration, and light refreshments will be provided. Registration is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. A Spanish-speaking interpreter will be available at each session to assist.

Tuesday, March 14 – 5:00 PM Heather Farm Community Center 301 North San Carlos Drive Walnut Creek

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/527289185147

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/527308352477

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/527311110727

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/527312705497

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/527313618227

LAMORINDA ARTS COUNCIL MARCH 2023 ACTIVITIES

Lamorinda Arts Council presents a virtual gallery of original oil paintings by featured artist Hilary Mills Lambert in the Art Gallery at Wilder, through Saturday April 1. Lambert's life-long love of animals is evident in all her work; it pulls you in. To view her work go to https://lamorindaarts.org/online-galleries.

Art Gallery at the Orinda Library 20^th High School Visual Arts Competition

The Lamorinda Arts Council is thrilled to kick off the 20^th High School Visual Arts Competition March 6 through 31 in the Art Gallery at the Orinda Library. The competition showcases and acknowledges art in four categories: 2D, 3D, Photography, and the Lamorinda Arts Alliance Digital Art category. Student artist reception and awards ceremony Mar. 16 from 7 – 8:30 pm. All work is by high school students who live in or attend school in Orinda, Lafayette, or Moraga, including all schools in the Acalanes Union High School District. Learn more at https://lamorindaarts.org/vac/.

The Lamorinda Arts Council features poet and scientist David Seaborg with writers Alvin Ziegler and Quỳnh-Uyen Trinh; artists Kim and Jeanette Lavoie plus Jennifer Lothrigel at its first program in 2023. Lafayette Library Arts & Science Room, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Reception follows outdoors in the Library Courtyard. Visit https://lamorindaarts.org/art-embraces-words/ for more information or call 925.359.9940.

Join friends of the Lamorinda Arts Council for conversations about the creative life. Bring whatever artwork, music, digital art, writing, etc., you are working on as a “prompt.” We want to know what is stirring up (or blocking) your creative juices. Look for our Piccassoesque poster of a crazy art lady – that’s us! No host bar. Just show up. Questions? Email literary@lamorindaarts.org. 

Lamorinda Arts Council presents Art Embraces Poetry at the Town Hall Theatre Lobby, 3535 School Street, Lafayette from 1:30 – 3:30 pm with a no host bar available. Featured poet Ophelia Leong will read "The Guardian of Lafayette Reservoir." Lafayette Public Art Committee hosts Bay Area Studio Artists exhibit “A Show of Hands” through May 5. To be part of the program or for more information visit https://lamorindaarts.org/art-embraces-words/ or call 925-359-9940.

The Ekphrasis exhibit is a collaboration between the Lamorinda Arts Alliance, California Writers Club and Lamorinda Arts Alliance. Ekphrasis is a Greek word defined as writing that describes art; Ekphrasis curators says art can describe writing. Deadline for Responder Artists or Authors to submit work is March 31. Install is May 1 at 10:30 a.m. Enjoy light refreshments as well as author readings in the Auditorium. Visit https://lamorindaarts.org/ekphrasis/ for more information.

MARCH COMING ATTRACTION from Mountain Shadow Film Society

“Spirited and sensuous” - The Hollywood Reporter

Straight from the Palm Springs Film Festival: In this pre-theatrical release film, Mountain Shadow brings the story of Hilma af Klint, a Swedish woman who revolutionized the art world when her work was exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in 2019. Unknown and unrecognized as the woman who invented abstract painting, filmmaker Lasse Hallström brings to the big screen the life story of a woman who defied late nineteenth century conventions, when women were not allowed to attend art school with their male peers. The film reveals the impetus behind her work; from the sudden death of her younger sister, to the writings of Rudolph Steiner, and the strong influence of the Theosophic Movement and her belief in mystical philosophy. From Sweden / Bio-Pic – in English, with CC – 120 min. TRAILER

MONTHLY FILMS ARE FREE FOR MEMBERS. IF YOU ARE NOT YET A MEMBER, CHECK OUT MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION HERE. 

Leather jackets, poodle skirts, and Greased Lightnin’! Watch out, Lamorinda, Rydell High is coming to Miramonte! One of Miramonte High School’s most anticipated annual events returns in March when more than 80 cast, crew, and band members will be cruising the halls of Rydell High, dreaming of “Summer Nights” and “Beauty School Dropout’” as they perform the rollicking musical Grease.

Come out to support the arts at Miramonte High School. These performing arts programs are vital opportunities for creative and artistic expression for our students. Be there or be square!

Tickets: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/70947

At The Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery

We are taking local sculpture artist’s submissions for our annual Sculpture in the Garden exhibit until March 19^th!! Learn more here.

March 18^th: Spring Equinox Yoga and Reiki

March 19^th: Community Day at the Garden

March 29^th: Sound Bath

Our Annual Gala is coming up on May 6 at 5:00pm in Ruth’s Garden! We’re also always looking for sponsors for this fundraising event! Inquires can go to kim@ruthbancroftgarden.org.

International Film Showcase's March selection is Sweden Oscar submission and a prize winner at Cannes: Cairo Conspiracy. We played Tarik Saleh’s film The Nile Hilton Incident a few years ago.

The film will open at the Jarvis Conservatory on March 18^th and at the Orinda theatre on March 24^th.

Synopsis: Adam, the son of a fisherman, is offered the privilege to study at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the center of power of Sunni Islam. Adam becomes a pawn in the conflict between Egypt's religious and political elites.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/_9p-2k-EaGU. Further information is available on our web site at www.internationalshowcase.org

A hands on family friendly event focused on educating girls about NFTs and Web3. Come create and learn with us!

Create & Flow - Versatile Studio & Event Space 3391 Mount Diablo Boulevard #Suite D Lafayette, CA 94549

Please join ThreeSpaces and Miss O Cool Girls for coffee, donuts, art, and NFT exploration focused on empowering girls in tech. Thank you to Miss O Cool Girls, we will be sharing cutting edge educational content designed for girls to learn more about NFTs and Web3.

Please note, while the educational content is aimed at girls, ALL are welcome to join! Attendees will get to create their own pieces of art either hand drawn or digitally created (please bring a personal device if you wish for your child to create digital art).

*All children must be accompanied by an adult if under the age of 12. Learn more and register here.

Sustainable Lafayette, in partnership with Saint Mary's College, is proud to present a community screening of The Game Changers: a shocking new documentary that will change the way you look at meat. Panel discussion to follow. Free to the community. sustainablelafayette.org

Creekside Commons of Lafayette presents a community event designed for the whole family. Come honor the moment when the moon and sun reach a balance point that invites everything hidden underground to burst free from winter and explode into spring. Live music, hula hoop performer, activities for kids, a collective art project, taco food truck, adult drinks, and a moment of reflection from Soul Forum Podcast host, Dan Senter. It’s a party with purpose! Loosen up those hips and get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite, or at the door. Doors open at 4:30 pm.

Pacific Chamber Orchestra (PCO) is dedicated to sustaining and extending the rich heritage of classical music for chamber orchestra through inspiring performances and engaging educational programs designed to enrich local communities. This premier regional ensemble, comprised of eight to 42 experienced professional musicians, blends the intimate clarity of chamber music with symphonic power to create an enticing palate of tonal textures. Maestro Kohl’s programs include a versatile repertoire ranging from Baroque to classical to more contemporary, and are uniquely designed to illuminate connecting threads of works performed. PCO’s main thrust is to bring most talented Bay Area musicians to the Lamorinda and Tri-Valley regions, so that top artistic quality can be experienced by local audiences in an accessible, intimate fashion. Beyond the concert hall, PCO serves thousands of individuals through educational outreach programs. Now in its 34^th season, PCO is known for its dual traditions of artistic integrity and community engagement. 

Pacific Chamber Orchestra (PCO) presents Passionate, Saturday, March 25^th at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Orinda (7:30 pm) Spring forward with uplifting music. The performance celebrates the beginning of Springtime with exhilarating music such asc and travel from the dazzling urban world of Nuevo Tango with Piazzolla's The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, to the lyrical grace of the Baroque masters, Telemann, Carelli and Vivaldi. Audiences will relish the enchanting sounds of Telemann's Concerto for Oboe d'amore, elevated by Soloist Robin May, Corelli's Suite for Strings, and Vivaldi's Concerto for Four Violins. These four masterful composers revolutionized the traditional music world, by creating timeless works that still captivate and mesmerize audiences today.

The creativity of two acclaimed Lafayette artists -- Donna Arganbright, a ceramicist, and Lucy Beck, an award-winning photographer, is featured at the Moraga Art Gallery's current show, "Light and Fire."

Also presented at the gallery, located at 432 Center Street in the Rheem Shopping Center, is the work of two dozen talented members and guests of every stripe: painters, jewelry designers, woodworkers, sculptors, glass artists, and more. "Light and Fire" runs until March 26th and is open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 5:00 pm. For more information, visit http://www.moragaartgallery.com or call 925-376-5407.

On behalf of Lafayette Chamber member, Wandah Parenti, Best Life Ever Placement Agency

Celebrate Diablo Ballet’s 29th Anniversary with a special one- night only performance on March 31^st at the Lesher Center for the Arts. The performance features Diablo Ballet’s premiere of the festive Confetti by Gerald Arpino, the former Artistic Associate of the Joffrey Ballet, in honor of his 100th Anniversary celebration; the classical ballet Paquita featuring the whole company; and Elevator Operator, by company dancer Amanda Farris, Diablo Ballet’s first Dance Laboratory choreographer winner. The celebration continues immediately following the performance with a dinner and a champagne toast with the dancers at The Garden (formerly Scott’s Garden). For tickets and information, visit: https://diabloballet.org/29th-anniversary-performance.

In the mood to be surprised, inspired, intrigued, challenged and delighted? Join OLLI at UC Berkeley and experience all of that — and more — in stimulating in-person and online courses taught by Cal faculty and other scholars and experts. From explorations of the universe to examinations of how music impacts the brain, there's a lot to learn. Classes start the first week of April. All are welcome! No Cal affiliation needed. Learn about the many benefits of being an OLLI @Berkeley member. See you in class!

The Diablo Symphony Orchestra joins forces with Festival Opera on April 2 at 2:00 p.m. at the Lesher Center for the Arts in a coproduction of the new mini-opera Tales from the Briar Patch, inspired by traditional African stories. In this 30-minute operatic treat by composer Nkeiru Okoye and librettist Carman Moore, Sister Sparrow (a silly show-off), Sister Robin (the practical one) and Madame Partridge (the bossy one) retell the antics of the famous archenemies Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox. Paying tribute to the African tradition of storytelling for all ages, Okoye’s score blends jazz, blues, and gospel styles with contemporary musical sounds, and Moore’s text is filled with both humor and wisdom. The characters are portrayed by tenor Marcus J. Paige, baritone Omari Tau, soprano Shawnette Sulker, mezzo-soprano Aisha Campbell, and soprano Leberta Lorál. Setting the stage is the concert’s toe-tapping and energetic first half, featuring Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide” and George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Described as a “rhythmic potpourri,” Berstein’s overture delivers a succession of themes at breakneck speed, all of which join in a riotous conclusion. And, beginning with its now-iconic glissando in the clarinet, Gershwin’s work for piano and orchestra—with its melodies inspired by jazz, ragtime, and rhythm and blues—reaches out to audiences of all ages. At the piano is 15-year-old Minna Fu, this season’s Yen Liang Young Artist Competition winner. A resident of Pleasanton, Fu has won multiple national piano competitions, and was invited to perform in the Carnegie Weill Recital Hall in 2019.

Looking to the conclusion of the DSO's Diamond Jubilee (60th) season, the orchestra will join forces with Brian Rice and the Berkeley Choro Ensemble on May 14 for a range of compositions from Brazil, including the world premiere of a concerto for pandeiro, the Brazilian tambourine. The orchestra will also premiere a new work by San Francisco-based composer Jean Ahn, and perform Darius Milhaud's uproarious work Le Bœuf sur le Toit with a screening of Charlie Chaplin's film The Adventurer, providing a lighthearted finale to the season.

Tickets to the DSO's concerts are available at the Lesher Center for the Arts box office (925-943-7469) or by visiting https://www.diablosymphony.org. Costs are $40 for adults and $10 for youth 13–17. Children 12 and under are free but need a ticket, and a discounted ticket price of $30 is available for groups of 10 or more seniors ages 62 and up. Tickets are also available at the door.

Moraga Art Gallery announces “Spring Exhibit ’23,” opening on April 5^th 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^nd from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The public is invited to view the art, chat with the artists, enjoy wine, light snacks, tasteful music and the company of fellow art lovers. The gallery, at 522 Center Street in Moraga’s Rheem Shopping Center, is open Wednesday to Sunday from 12 noon to 5:00 pm. For more information, visit www.moragaartgallery.com or call 925-376-5407.

In early April, the 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 7th at 7 to 9 pm on the main stage at Town Hall Theatre and will feature special guest, Lafayette's Stevie Coyle of The Quitters, along with eight other musical acts. Tickets are on sale now at townhalltheatre.com/front-porch

A collaboration of the Town Hall Theatre and Front Porch Open Mic, the series hopes to showcase and elevate local musicians. "We are now celebrating our 5th year of Front Porch Open Mic," says Lafayette resident Andrée Hurst, who launched the performance community with her husband Austin Hurst ... on their own front porch. She says, "It has been amazing to see how many talented musicians come out every month to perform, from Lamorinda east to Danville and west to Marin and San Francisco. We're very excited and honored to be able to share some of that amazing talent with the community at large." Austin says, "We are thrilled about this collaboration with Town Hall Theatre which is so supportive of locally generated performing arts." Austin and Andree say they are also deeply grateful to Lamorinda Music in Lafayette, which has allowed them to utilize their Big Room performance space in the winter months. During the summer, the event moves to their farm here in Lafayette. Musicians can learn more at frontporchopenmic.com. 

Lamorinda Arts Alliance (LAA) is pleased to announce our member show “Wellness & Wellbeing” at the John Muir Health Auxiliary Gallery at John Muir Health, Aspen Center, Walnut Creek, Monday, April 10 through Thursday, May 18.

Hours are Monday-through Friday 7 am - 6pm, and alternate Saturdays with shortened hours. Please check with the Aspen Surgery Center’s reception desk at (925) 937-8100 if visiting on a Saturday. 

Participating Artists: Karen Baden Thapa, Annette Laurel Batchelor, Helen Chu-Hirschberg, Denise Hillman, Elizabeth Kennen, Nora Krauss, Melchia Kutches, Connie Millholland, Anne Morrison Rabe, Zahra Nafar, H. Newbury, Paula Oesterling, Adrienne Rogers, Marian Sims Harris 

Lamorinda Arts Alliance website: www.laa4art.org

APRIL COMING ATTRACTION from Mountain Shadow Film Society

“Based on a true story, ‘The Forger’ follows the young man’s quiet, reluctant journey into heroism.” – RogerEbert.com

Berlin, 1942. Cioma Schönhaus is a young Jewish man who won't let anyone take away his zest for life, especially not the Nazis. Since the best hiding spots are in plain sight, Cioma audaciously adopts the identity of a marine officer to escape being deported. Drawing on his art school background, he joins a network of underground rescuers and becomes infamous for his masterfully forged IDs save the lives of hundreds of Jews by allowing them to escape the country. Meanwhile, he throws himself into the city's nightlife and even finds a fragile hope for love during the darkest moments of the war. Based on a true story. Germany / Luxembourg | 2022 | 116 min | In German, with English subtitles. Trailer

MONTHLY FILMS ARE FREE FOR MEMBERS. IF YOU ARE NOT YET A MEMBER, CHECK OUT MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION HERE. 

After 35 years of performances, the Gold Coast Chamber Players final concert, Souvenir, will be held on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 7:30 PM in the Don Tatzin Community Hall at the Lafayette Library, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette and includes both a pre-concert talk at 7 PM and post concert reception. Souvenir is a blockbuster program of music by Beethoven, Mozart, Kummer, and Tchaikovsky with leading musicians from coast to coast. Voted Best Concert Series of the East Bay two consecutive years, GCCP is known for electrifying performances that engage and inspire audiences and is sure to sell out. An on-site celebration follows the performance. For tickets and more information: www.gccpmusic.com or call (925) 283-3728.

Whitchurch Glass Designs will be attending Sebastopol's 77th Annual Blossom Festival on April 29-30. Details about this festival and other 2023 events is posted on www.WhitchurchGlassDesigns.com. Learn how Cynthia makes her designs and keep up to date on studio projects by following her on Instagram @WhitchurchGlassDesigns. 

Lafayette artist and resident, Cynthia Whitchurch creates her art by melting and bending colored glass into custom molds producing beautiful pieces including panels, bowls, plates, dishes, coasters, night lights and more. She welcomes the opportunity to partner with local retailers to showcase her work. Contact Cynthia at WhitchurchGlassDesigns@yahoo.com.

The City of Lafayette Public Art Committee invites you to visit the exhibition of local artist Michiko Sakai's work entitled “Michiko's World” at the Library Public Art Gallery. The exhibit runs through May 4, 2023.

The granddaughter of a Japanese paint brush artist, local Benicia artist Michiko Sakai began oil painting as a teenager. She is a graduate of Asagaya Art School in Tokyo, Japan and worked on cloisonné art works at the Hirabayashi Shippo company in Tokyo. Sakai says that her paintings are a means of expressing herself through color when language is difficult and words are not sufficient. For inquiries or to read more about the artist, please visit www.michikosakai.com.

The gallery is located in the lobby of the Don Tatzin Community Hall at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., and is open during public events occurring in the Community Hall. Now that public meetings are being held in person in the Community Hall, please visit the exhibit on your way to the next meeting.

As part of the 175+ celebration, the City of Lafayette Public Art Committee and the Lafayette Historical Society (LHS) have created a series of beautifully designed, photo-realistic history wraps and installed them on seven utility boxes along Mt. Diablo Boulevard between First Street and Delores Drive. The wraps utilize archival photos from LHS’s impressive collection and show pioneer and farming days, Lafayette's early recreation and social clubs (including Town Hall Theatre and the infamous 1930s horse show that drew thousands from far and wide), the growth of the downtown, and the birth of what Lafayette is today. Visit www.lovelafayette.org/175plus for more information on the new utility box wraps.

The Community Foundation of Lafayette's Excellence Grants application deadline is April 30, 2023. For almost 25 years, the Community Foundation has been giving grants to community nonprofits in the categories of Human Services, Seniors, Youth Development & Education and Arts & Culture. If you are interested in applying for an Excellence Grant, please click HERE. To learn more about the Community Foundation, please visit www.lafayettecf.org. Selected grantees will be notified in mid-May. If you have any questions about the grant application process, please email info@lafayettecf.org.

New member Jeff Heyman, an Orinda-based photographer, will be having a solo photography exhibit in May at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. The exhibit, "Everyday is Memorial Day," features a solemn look at the Crosses of Lafayette, which are also known as the Lafayette Hillside Memorial. A talk by the artists and an informational walk to the Crosses, which coincides with Memorial Day, will be held as part of the exhibit. Dates and gallery information are forthcoming. You can see a preview of "Everyday is Memorial Day" here. 

Heyman, the principal behind Outcasts Revisited Media LLC, a media consulting firm, recently held an exhibit at Orinda Books and last year a solo exhibit, "Triptychs," at the Town Hall Theatre Gallery in Lafayette. Both "Everyday is Memorial Day" and "Triptychs" are part of the City of Lafayette Public Art Committee's program to enhance art in the city. Make sure to follow Heyman on Instragram @heymanfoto to see his photos and for more information about his upcoming exhibit. 

New exhibitions at Saint Mary's College Museum of Art (SMCMoA)

Jacob Lawrence: Three Series of Prints, a traveling exhibition, brings forward 31 graphic prints created by renowned American artist Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000). Grappling with historical struggles and cultural injustices, the exhibition highlights selected prints from the Hiroshima Series, the Genesis Series, and the Toussaint L’Ouverture Series created in the 1980s and 1990s. On view through May 14, 2023, and from the collections of Dr. & Mrs. Leon Banks and Alitash Kebede. The exhibition and museum tour were organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions of Los Angeles, CA.

Louis Siegriest (1899-1989) captured the vast changes in built and unbuilt land in the West through his 20th-century paintings. This exhibition brings forward an oeuvre of work that contextualizes the artist's influences and exploration of land, memory, and materials –unearthed from the ground up. This exhibition is on view through June 18, 2023. 

The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to exhibitions and programs are free. More information can be found at www.stmarys-ca.edu/museum.   

Image credit: Jacob Lawrence, The Opener from Toussaint L’Ouverture Series, 1997 silkscreen print on Rising Two Ply Rag paper, 28 ½ x 33 ½ inches. Courtesy of the Collections of Dr. & Mrs. Leon Banks & Alitash Kebede.

The Peter Pan Foundation proudly presents: PETER PAN JR

We'll spend three fun-filled weeks from June 5th to June 23rd learning and rehearsing the show, and end our time together in a fully costumed outdoor performance! We will be rehearsing Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM with shows on Friday June 23 @ 3 PM and Saturday June 24 @ 3 PM.

Peter Pan Jr is a condensed version of the Tony-award winning musical based on J.M. Barrie's classic tale. Peter and his mischievous fairy sidekick, Tinkerbell, visit the nursery of the Darling children late one night and, with a sprinkle of pixie dust, begin a magical journey across the stars that none of them will ever forget. In the adventure of a lifetime, the travelers come face to face with a ticking crocodile, a band of bungling pirates and, of course, the villainous Captain Hook! Learn more and register here.

Summer Conservatory Camp at Cal Shakes

Students will develop and improve their performative skills by studying with Bay Area experts in such areas as Acting, Voice, Movement, Text Analysis and more, all while rehearsing one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays for a performance on the Bruns stage!

*No camp on June 19th in observance of Juneteenth. Final performances will take place on the last day of each session. Limited financial aid is available. Please fill out this form if you’re interested.

Conservatory participants receive complimentary tickets to at least one Cal Shakes production as well as discounts to other productions. Register HERE

I am a 65 year on and off again resident of Lafayette and graduate of Acalanes and Cal Berkeley. I spent 12 years operating a produce store and juice bar in Lafayette and Walnut Creek. After an opportunity for reflection I decided to pursue working with wood as that has been my passion since I was 10 and built 20 or so skateboards. My brother and I began doing wood display cases for Sennelier art products but eventually settled on doing hardwood floors. This financed eventually a complete woodshop and over time a large collection of rare and highly figured wood with the eventual goal of working on furniture featuring this wood. Finally I retired this year and I am building beautiful furniture as art. - Steve Johnson, Wood Whisperer. Learn more here!

Whitchurch Glass Designs will be attending Sebastopol's 77th Annual Blossom Festival on April 29-30. Details about this festival and other 2023 events is posted on www.WhitchurchGlassDesigns.com. Learn how Cynthia makes her designs and keep up to date on studio projects by following her on Instagram @WhitchurchGlassDesigns. 

Lafayette artist and resident, Cynthia Whitchurch creates her art by melting and bending colored glass into custom molds producing beautiful pieces including panels, bowls, plates, dishes, coasters, night lights and more. She welcomes the opportunity to partner with local retailers to showcase her work. Contact Cynthia at WhitchurchGlassDesigns@yahoo.com.

If you like California land you will like my work! I paint the joy I see in our landscapes. Most of my work is done on location within 60 miles of Lamorinda. I paint Napa, the Bay, small farms, orchards, and trees that I fall in love with. Teresa Onoda, www.onodaart.com.

I currently reside in Moraga CA. My website is www.metzgallery.com and Instagram @jaweedmetz and email metz@metzgallery.com.

Enumero Cribbage Boards are hand crafted in small batches using beautiful, warm hardwoods and richly colored inlay. Each and every board is unique in its appearance, name, and the series (or batch) it belongs to. I humbly believe that an Enumero Cribbage Board will be played on and enjoyed for generations to come.

Cribbage and cutting boards have been recently re-photographed to show the exquisite detail. View etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/enumerocribbageboard.

Dinart is all about finding joy in creativity and all the good energy that we need to carry with us everyday and everywhere we go. To fulfill this goal I came up with the idea to transform my watercolor painting to different types of custom wearable arts. My hand-crafted art pieces can be seen at www.etsy.com/shop/dinartgift and din-art.com. Currently, my handmade painting jewelry is available online and is also sold exclusively at a local high-end boutique in Oakland, CA. Every collection has a name which is inspired by my personal journey such as Self Love, Harmony, Courage, Wisdom, Hope, ....

To learn more about me and my art, please refer to the above links. I was recently highlighted in the Lamorinda Weekly & Rossmoor News.  

For more information about Art Room by Chari please visit art_room_by_chari on Instagram or call 510.381.4634.

I am an artist living in Orinda. I work in multiple mediums, and my work is made to inspire, comfort and connect. Learn more on TikTok.

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