Week 5, September 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is
Point Reyes National Seashore
From their website:
From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches through its open grasslands to its brushy hillsides and forested ridges, visitors can discover over 1000 species of plants and animals. Home to several cultures over thousands of years, Point Reyes preserves a tapestry of stories and interactions of people. Point Reyes awaits your exploration.
The cultural history of Point Reyes reaches back some 5,000 years to the Coast Miwok Indians who were the first human inhabitants of the Peninsula. Over 120 known village sites exist within the park. According to many experts, Sir Francis Drake landed here in 1579, the first European explorer to do so. In response to the many shipwrecks in the treacherous coastal waters, key lighthouse and lifesaving stations were established by the United States Government in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In the early 1800s, Mexican land grantees established ranchos. They were followed by a wave of American agricultural operations, which continue to this day in the Seashore’s pastoral zone.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Nina Haft and Company: Friday in San Francisco. From the East Bay Express: Digging into the earthbound nature of modern dance, OaklandÕs Nina Haft and Company transforms Zaccho Dance Theater (1777 Yosemite Ave., Suite 330, San Francisco) into a maze of installations on seed-swapping, vegetable planting, landscapes, rocks, fungi, and the human/wilderness interface in DEBRIS/FLOWS, the companyÕs tenth-anniversary performance, on Friday through Sunday, Oct. 1-3. The audience wanders through the labyrinth conceived by choreographer Haft and London-based artist Claudia Borgna, discovering vignettes of movement by dancers, along with audio soundscapes, refreshments made with locally grown produce, and organic surprises. A discussion with Haft and Borgna follows the second Saturday show.
Knowledge Hacking: Through October 9th in Berkeley. From the East Bay Express: Science fans who missed the 01SJ Biennial in San Jose in mid-September may want to visit Knowledge Hacking, a related show featuring collaborative projects by teams of artists and scientists too numerous to list here. Organized by UC’s Department of Art Practices and the Berkeley Center for New Media, this show features “Wonderarium,” Yvette Molina and Sarah Filley’s proposal for a large spherical, floating, advanced-tech terrarium for Lake Merritt; Stephen Wilson and Liwei Lin‘s “Energy Harvesting for Public Art,” ideas for capturing otherwise lost human biomechanical energy; and Pinar Yoldas and David J. Paulsen‘s “Limbique,” a MRI coronal-slice scan of the brain’s limbic system transformed into a color-coded acrylic sculpture — fun for the nucleus accumbens pleasure center (yellow) and positive feedback for the complementary goal-evaluating caudate nucleus (purple). Knowledge Hacking runs through October 9 at Worth Ryder Gallery.
Harvest Celebration: Sunday in Berkeley. From the East Bay Express: It’s that time of year again, observed with thanksgiving rituals among cultures and faiths around the world: Summer’s over, and the fruits of the harvest are gathered and honored before winter’s starkness begins. Participants are encouraged to bring fresh produce to decorate the altar for a Harvest Celebration at Northbrae Community Church (941 The Alameda, Berkeley) on Sunday, Oct. 3. After the service, the produce will be donated to the Richmond Rescue Mission. 10:30 a.m., free.
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Pic of the Week:
Just ’cause it felt good
Week 4, September 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is
Berkeley Art Center
From the ”About Us” page on their website:
History: Designed by Robert Ratcliff Architects in 1967, the Berkeley Art Center was built by the Rotary Club as a gift to the City of Berkeley, and was instituted as a city program until BAC adopted its private, non-profit status in the late 70s. A beautiful arts and crafts-style structure in Live Oak Park, North Berkeley with an outdoor reception area, BAC has established itself as leading local gallery presenting the work of talented regional artists in diverse media.
Audience: Berkeley Art Center’s audience serves and represents the diversity of the city and region in which it operates, and includes the active participation of over 10,000 individuals on an annual basis. As a fully handicapped-accessible facility, Berkeley Art Center is also accessible to a large section of the senior and disabled population. Artists comprise a significant part of BAC’s audience: in 2008, over 250 artist members displayed work in the center’s annual Members Showcase exhibition, from which three were chosen for a small group show, and BAC received 750 artist entries for its Annual National Juried Exhibition. Nearly 600 student artists from Berkeley public schools, K-12, displayed their work in the 2009 Youth Arts Festival. Young people benefit from participation in the Youth Arts Festival and from special, youth-oriented programs, as well as through internship and volunteer opportunities.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Music for People and Thingamajigs: Friday in San Francisco. From their website: The Music For People & Thingamajigs Festival is an annual event dedicated to promoting experimental music that incorporates made/found instruments and alternate tuning systems. Each year, MFP&T invites artists who design their own musical instruments to join in a festival of workshops, music making, and performances with the goal of reaching a large, diverse audience of all ages. It is also a festival where the public can participate in instrument building and tuning educational workshops, as well as hear unique sounds and compositions from up and coming artists. Now in its 13th year, Thingamajigs’ genre-crossing MFP&T Festival is the only annual event completely dedicated to music created with made/found materials and alternate tuning systems.
Pixar: 25 Years of Animation: Through January 9, 2011 in Oakland. From their website: Walt Disney’s arrival in Los Angeles in the 1920s firmly established California as a magnet for animation artists in the decades to come. Home to a number of leading studios, the San Francisco Bay Area has emerged as a global center for animation today. PIXAR: 25 Years of Animation provides an unprecedented look at the renowned Emeryville-based studio (located just a few miles from OMCA) and showcases the creative work behind its wildly successful computer-animated films. After its opening in New York and its five-year international tour, the exhibition comes home to Oakland. The OMCA presentation includes all of the artwork from the original presentation at MOMA, plus art from Ratatouille, WALL•E, Up, and Pixar’s latest film, Toy Story 3.
Rockridge Out and About Festival: Sunday in Oakland. From OaklandLocal.com: For the 4th year, the Rockridge District Association (RDA )is supporting hand-made artisans and non-profits who wish to to participate in Rockridge Out & About. There is a Chef Stage, Market Hall’s Picnic in the Street, a Wellness Tent, a Kid’s Area a Rockridge Merchant/Artisan Marketplace, many gourmet food & beverage booths, and lots of live music and street entertainment. There are supposed to be food booths from Cote, Cactus Taqueria, Noodle Theory, and Flavors of India, the Pasta Shop, Chicken Satay and Tri Tip Sandwiches from Enzo’s–and lots more!
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Pic of the Week:
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Bryan plays with the photo editing on a Hibiscus
Week 3, September 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is
YouthRadio.org
From the mission statement on their website:
Youth Radio promotes young people’s intellectual, creative, and professional growth through training and access to media. Youth Radio’s media education, broadcast journalism, technical training and production activities provide unique opportunities in social, professional, and leadership development for youth, ages 14-24. We believe these developmental opportunities are essential for successful transition to adulthood, employment opportunities and effective citizenship. At Youth Radio:
* Youth gain competencies in media literacy, journalism, technology and production.
* Youth gain knowledge of professional expectations and appropriate workplace behavior.
* Youth gain knowledge related to educational and career opportunitiesOur goal is to instill a long-term commitment and engagement on the part of youth as viable contributors and leaders in the media/arts, journalism and civic life.
85% of Youth Radio participants are low-income and/ or youth of color. All of Youth Radio’s programs and services -professional development, media education, technical training, academic support and health services- are offered free of charge. Each year, our programs and services strengthen life-skills, motivate high school graduation, support higher education goals and prepare participants for careers in the 21st century.
I read about this organization reading this article in the East Bay Express. Please note this announcement from the article:
This transformation was recently the subject of a book, Drop That Knowledge, chronicling the organization’s history and written by Youth Radio’s Research Director and Senior Producer Elisabeth Soep and San Francisco State University professor Vivian Chavez. The organization will be hosting a release party for the book, which is published by UC Press, on Thursday, September 16.
Cool, huh? That’s tonight, ya’ll! Check it out!
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Vagabond Opera: Friday in Berkeley. From the East Bay Express: Vagabond Opera makes the trip down from its Portland home to present its unique take on musical mayhem with a combination of cabaret, burlesque, tango, Balkan beats, klezmer, rock, Arab music, Parisian hot jazz, and, yes, opera that’ll leave your head spinning. The ensemble sings in fifteen languages and mixes its unclassifiable original tunes with covers of songs made famous by Jacques Brel, Tom Waits, Raymond Scott, and Edith Piaf (think Gogol Bordello playing Duke Ellington in a Brazilian dive bar). Their last Ashkenaz show sold out, so grab tickets soon.
Free Shakespeare in the Park: Two Gentlemen of Verona: Saturday in San Francisco. From the SF Chronicle: Best friends Valentine and Proteus are two gentlemen of Verona, and youthful love is in the air. Proteus falls for Valentine’s glamorous new girlfriend, Silvia and dumps the faithful Julia. To win back her man, she must (like all good Shakespearean heroines) dress up as a boy. With three outrageous outlaws, a misbehaving dog, and fun 60′s tunes in the mix, Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona is a zany comic caper that’s sure to delight the whole family.
Celebrate Sudan!: Sunday in Berkeley. From the East Bay Express: The past several decades have been undeniably rough on the Sudan: years of famine, war and political turmoil — and especially, in the last several years, the genocide in Darfur — have left the country wracked by unrest. But Africa’s largest country has a rich culture and plenty to celebrate, and the Bay Area Sudanese community, led by the Sudanese Association for Northern California, will be doing just that on Sept. 19 in Live Oak Park (1301 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley) with food, music, exhibits, a raffle, and more.
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The Rolex Big Boat Series begins in SF Bay today!
Week 2, September 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is
Solar Cookers International
From the East Bay Express:
Solar cooking is catching on slowly in California, but in places like Haiti, Darfur, Kenya, and India, the practice is widely used. Worldwide, an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people cook primarily with solar ovens. Humanitarian organizations like Sacramento-based Solar Cookers International distribute cheap and efficient solar ovens to war-torn, devastated, and impoverished regions. Most recently, the group distributed 400 kits to families in Pigeon, Haiti, complete with operational training for 135 people.
The method especially appeals to those living in refugee camps and disaster zones, according to Kevin Porter, director of educational resources at Solar Cookers International. “There’s a risk to people venturing outside their camps,” he said. “Women and children leaving the camp to gather firewood are [exposed] to potential rape or beatings. There’s also the benefit of not going through the drudgery of gathering firewood. It’s a lot of work — people spend hours a day gathering wood. Children can spend more time in school instead.” Link to article…
While this fine organization is actually located in Sacramento, I could not resist highlighting them for this week’s treasure. It’s solutions such as these that give me hope in so many ways. Hats off to this Sacramento organization!
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Heavy Like the Weight of a Flame: Friday in Berkeley. From the SmilingSpider Blog: Echoes of Shakespeare, Hendrix and Kerouac charge solo artist/comedian/gifted guitarist R. Ernie Silva’s true-life tale about his odyssey across the great American outback. An 80’s break dance artist, Silva started performing at the age of 12 for NYC street music stations 107.5 WBLA and 98.7 KISS and at 17 was on the brutal stages of New York City’s standup comedy circuit. His fear of being yet another casualty of the street life of Brooklyn and the overdose of his older brother compelled him one night to run away in search of a more meaningful life. View this video if you’re interested, and see it live at La Pena Cultural Center.
Charlie Musselwhite at Biscuits and Blues: Saturday in San Francisco. From his website: Harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite’s life reads like a classic blues song: born in Mississippi, raised in Memphis and schooled on the South Side of Chicago. A groundbreaking recording artist since the 1960s, Musselwhite continues to create trailblazing music while remaining firmly rooted in the blues. Collaborations with Eddie Vedder, Tom Waits, Ben Harper, Bonnie Raitt, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Gov’t Mule, INXS, Mickey Hart, George Thorogood and personal friend and best man at his wedding John Lee Hooker. Artist website.
Wild Salmon BBQ at Olympic Circle Sailing Club: Sunday in Berkeley. From the East Bay Express: Sustainably harvested Alaskan salmon is the pièce de résistance at Pacific Environment’s sixth annual Wild Salmon BBQ at the Olympic Circle Sailing Club (1 Spinnaker Way, Berkeley) on Sunday, Sept. 12. Local wines and vegan and vegetarian options are also on offer, as are live music and a silent auction. Pacific Environment is a nonprofit devoted to protecting wild places and wildlife of the Pacific Rim.
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Napa County’s Castello di Amorosa is almost unbelievable!
Week 1, September 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is
The East Bay Regional Park District
From their website:
The East Bay Regional Park District, established in 1934, has a fascinating history and an inspiring story. We began with a vision of far-sighted civic leaders seeking to preserve excess watershed land in the Oakland and Berkeley hills. Their goal was to create a park district as part of the community, one that retained a balance of recreation opportunities and wilderness features, ideas unheard of at the time. Members of a grassroots land preservation movement placed a measure on the ballot. During the depths of the Great Depression it passed by a surprising 71 percent and created the first regional park agency in the nation–the East Bay Regional Park District.
Thanks to the support of residents throughout the past seven-and-a-half decades, the East Bay Regional Park District now encompasses all of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Spanning more than 100,000 acres with 65 parks and over 1,100 miles of trails, our District is the largest regional park district in the nation. True to the ideas of our founders, our mission continues to be providing recreational opportunities, preserving the natural beauty of the land, and protecting wildlife habitat. These parks truly do belong to all of us, and, in celebration, we’ve planned a year’s worth of wonderful events, discoveries, contests and more…
Any of you who have ever explored these parks know what jewels there are to be found out there. Have a GREAT Labor Day weekend!
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Gourmet Walks Visits Hayes Valley: Friday in San Francisco. From the SF Chronicle: Hungry for an off-the-beaten path San Francisco gourmet food experience? Join us as we explore one of the citys trendy and exciting new neighborhoods, Hayes Valley. We will talk about the origins of California cuisine as we visit restaurants that were among the first to offer seasonal, local, market based menus.
Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers: Saturday in Berkeley. From their website: Lavay Smith is internationally recognized as The Queen Of Classic Jazz & Blues in the authentic style of the 1940′s and 1950′s. Lavay’s last album received a prestigious 4 & 1/2 Star review in Downbeat magazine. For quotes and reviews from critics like Bob Blumenthal, Don Heckman, Phil Elwood and Frank-John Hadley. Saturday at Ashkenaz!
Enkutatash: Ethiopian New Year: Sunday in Berkeley. From the East Bay Express: If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon, then bring your family and friends to this celebration which will include delicious traditional dishes, poetry, music, children’s programs, Reggae Band Selamta, Waheed and the Resistance, West African Highlife Band, Ethiopian Musicians Haileye Tadesse, Neway Afardew, and much more.
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Pic of the Week:
An encore publication of this classic photo. Happy Labor Day!