Supporting our Arts Community

June-July 2021

Presented by the Lafayette Chamber
We welcome our Lafayette Chamber members and community subscribers to our Arts Community Email Blast!
Don’t miss your chance to promote your business at Lafayette’s End of Summer Party! Advertise in The Grapevine® The Official Coupon Book of The Lafayette Art & Wine Festival. The Grapevine® has over 39 years experience in direct mail advertising in Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Walnut Creek, Danville, Blackhawk, Alamo, San Ramon, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Concord & Clayton. We are ready to assist you with your promotion! Call 925-284-2651 or text 925-212-0660 or visit TheGrapevineCouponBook.com for more information.
Events & Announcements from our Arts Community (& more!)
Tickets are on sale for The Winter’s Tale at Cal Shakes!

After a long year, Cal Shakes welcomes audiences back to the Bruns with a sparkling new adaptation of The Winter’s Tale—Shakespeare’s exquisite reflection of our current moment. A story split between tragedy and comedy, between loss and healing, it’s the hope we need. Running September 1-26.

Diablo Ballet

Registration is open for Diablo Ballet School's 2021-22 year beginning August 16!  Taught by Diablo Ballet's professional dancers, classes will be offered to students ages 3 through adult who enjoy dancing as well as those who wish to pursue a professional career in ballet. Classes will be offered in person at our studio in Pleasant Hill, with a virtual option if preferred. Visit: https://diabloballet.org/school/registration for more information or to schedule a trial class today! 
Diablo Regional Arts Association

Sarah McKenzie - Secrets of My Heart
Friday, August 20 at 7:30pm
Saturday, August 21 at 5:00pm
Lesher Center for the Arts
 
Secrets of My Heart documents Sarah McKenzie’s burgeoning brilliance interpreting 20th-century jazz standards with her penchant for crafting sterling compositions that will surely become jazz standards in the 21st century. In addition to performing songs from her latest album at the Lesher Center for the Arts this August, Sarah will also be showcasing pieces from Music Connects Our World - a production that Diablo Regional Arts Association was proud to commission in October 2020. Catch this jazz concert at the Lesher Center for the Arts this August!
Diablo Symphony Orchestra

The Diablo Symphony Orchestra celebrates the return of live music in its 2021/22 season featuring works from around the world, old favorites and beautiful new discoveries. On Nov 21, music by composers of African-American, Black British and Czech descent, including Dvorak’s joyful Symphony No. 8, celebrates connections to cultural roots. The holidays are celebrated Dec 11 with works ranging from Sibelius’ wintery Violin Concerto with Grace Hu (a 2019/20 Yen Liang Competition winner) to holiday favorites with the Fratello Marionettes. At the Feb 6, 2022, Family Concert, the program reveals that musical instruments often represent different animals, or maybe they are actually animals themselves! Listeners will find animals hidden in the orchestra and the music itself, especially when two pianists join in for Carnival of the Animals – animal costumes are encouraged! The March 13 “Sounds of America” concert travels across the continent through the music of a Hungarian refugee in New York, an African-American composer inspired by the sounds of the Gold-rush era, and a Mississippian inspired by the landscapes of Alaska. Chuxuejie Zhang, also a 2019/20 Yen Liang Competition winner, joins the orchestra in a concerto for viola by Dvorak. On May 8, the DSO offers a Mother’s Day celebration featuring pioneering African-American composer Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3, Barber’s Knoxville 1915 and Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady. Season tickets will be sold through the Lesher Center’s box office, with details available soon on www.diablosymphony.org.

The Diablo Symphony Orchestra is happy to announce its 2020-21 Yen Liang Young Artists Competition for woodwind, brass and percussion musicians born after April 1, 1997. Interested musicians can find competition details and a link to the application form on the DSO website’s competition page at http://www.diablosymphony.org/about-us/young-artist-competition/. Finalists will participate in the competition’s final round taking place at 4 pm on September 19, 2021, at the Steinway Gallery in Walnut Creek. The First Prize winner will receive a $1,000 stipend and the opportunity to perform with the Symphony in its November 2021 concert set.

The Diablo Symphony, directed by Matilda Hofman, has enriched the area’s cultural life with affordable, high-quality concerts, including an always popular annual Family Concert, and concerts featuring major orchestral works and collaborations with accomplished choral groups and guest artists. Children ages 12 and under are always admitted at no charge – a tradition that will continue when live performances resume (we’ve happily booked dates at the Lesher Center for the 2021-22 season!). The orchestra’s 2020-21 virtual “First Thursday Digital Premiere” series featuring previously recorded DSO performances is still available on the orchestra’s YouTube channel. Solo and ensemble performances by orchestra members are also posted on the DSO’s website at https://www.diablosymphony.org/watch-the-orchestra-online/.  With plans in the works for its 2021-22 season - including plans for special Diamond Jubilee events in 2022 - the orchestra eagerly looks forward to playing for and greeting audiences in person! In the meantime, watch for details about current and future activities on the DSO website at www.diablosymphony.org.
Take Self Love, Harmony, Courage wherever you go with you or buy them as a gift for a beloved one.

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 following links. I was recently highlighted in the Lamorinda Weekly & Rossmoor News.  
 
We can't wait to have another opportunity and meet our Lamorinda community and surrounding neighborhood face to face and talk art, passion and love during the 2021 Lafayette Wine & Art Festival. You can find me in the Local Artists Alley!
Gold Coast Chamber Players
Gold Coast Chamber Players

Named Best Concert Series of the East Bay 2021 by Diablo Magazine, the Gold Coast Chamber Players return to the stage on September 18, 2021 with a series of five concerts. Each performance is held at the Don Tatzin Community Hall at the Lafayette Library, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette. Concerts begin at 7:30PM with a pre-concert talk at 7PM. Tickets include an option to watch the performances virtually. 
 
Spheres of Influence on September 18, 2021 at 7:30PM kicks off the season with a colorful program of music by Debussy, Ravel, Shinji Eshima, and Ching-chu Hu for strings. San Francisco Symphony members Principal Second Violin Dan Carlson, Assistant Principal cellist Amos Yang and bassist Charles Chandler are joined by violinist Dian Zhang, and violists Joy Fellow, and Pamela Freund-Striplen.
 
Seriously Mozart on January 22, 2022 at 7:30PM celebrates some of Mozart's late chamber music. Violin Sonata K.454, Piano Trio K.542, and Piano Quartet, K. 478 offer a program that is playful, elegant, and dramatic. Pianist Julio Elizalde makes his Gold Coast debut when he joins violinist Axel Strauss, violist Pamela Freund-Striplen, and cellist Jennifer Culp.
 
As part of the Bay Area Music Consortium, Gold Coast Chamber Players present Culture, Crisis, and Creativity on Friday, February 25, 2022 at 7:30 PM with the Horszowski Trio. Described as “the most compelling American group to come on the scene” by the New Yorker, the ensemble performs Piano Trios by Smetana, Clarke, and Babajanian. 
 
Caliente! on March 19, 2022 at 7:30PM is a sizzling exploration of Spanish favorites featuring San Francisco Opera’s principal clarinetist Jose Gonzalez Granero. An eclectic mix of music by Turina, Granados, De Falla, with original compositions for clarinet by Gonzalez Granero offer a dynamic range of Spanish music. Violinists Jennifer Cho and Dian Zhang, and cellist Peter Myers from the San Francisco Opera Orchestra are joined by violist Pamela Freund-Striplen and pianist Julie Nishimura.
 
Completing the season is Dvořák’s America {Reimagined} on May 14, 2022 at 7:30PM. GCCP’s virtual Dvořák’s America was so popular that it has been reimagined for the concert stage. Dvořák’s America {Reimagined} explores the impact of spirituals and Native American music on Dvořák during his time in America. The Alexander String Quartet, soprano Michele Kennedy, Native American flutist Mary Youngblood, and violist Pamela Freund-Striplen are featured in this program about the interconnectedness of cultures.
 
Purchase single tickets and subscriptions online at www.GCCPmusic.com or by calling (925) 283-3728. Visit gccpmusic.com to find regular updates about concert offerings, to make donations, and to purchase tickets.
International Film Showcase

The International Film Showcase's July selection is the German drama The Silent Revolution.

This film is based on true events. It is an exclusive a Bay Area theatrical premiere. The film won many international awards.

Opening in Orinda on July 16 ( 3 days , nine screenings). Limited seating. Tickets: https://www.orindamovies.com/location/1207/Orinda-Theater/2021-07-16. Please go to showtimes - choose - date - time.

At the Jarvis Conservatory , Napa on August 7th. Tickets: http://jarvisconservatory.com/artfilms.html

Plot Summary: The year is 1956. During a visit to the cinema in West Berlin, high school pupils Theo (Leonard Scheicher) and Kurt (Tom Gramenz) see dramatic pictures of the Hungarian uprising in Budapest on the newsreel. Back at school in Stalinstadt, they spontaneously decide to hold a minute’s silence in solidarity with the victims of the uprising during a lesson. But the gesture causes much bigger ripples than expected: while their headmaster (Florian Lukas) initially tries to put the whole thing down to the whim of youth, the schoolchildren become objects of the political machinations of the fledgling East Germany. The People’s Education Minister (Burghart Klaußner) condemns the action as a clearly counterrevolutionary act and demands that the ringleader be named within a week. But the schoolchildren stick together, thus facing a decision that will change their lives forever… Trailer

Screeners for reviewers are available by request.
Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery

New show! Deborah Benioff Friedman in our Blue Room, July 17-August 7.

Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery is located in Lafayette at 3525 Mt Diablo Blvd. Gallery is open Wednesday-Friday: 1-5, Saturday: 11-5.
Dvořák's America Viewing Party

Viewing Party at the Gallery! Thursday, July 22, 6:30pm. Cultural partners Gold Coast Chamber Players and Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery team up for a viewing of Dvořák’s America, telling a unique story of the cross cultural roots of American music. Includes concert video, wine and cheese and Q& A with musicians. Limited to 25 tickets. Proof of vaccination required. Purchase tickets here. Learn more at gccpmusic.com
Lafayette Community Foundation

Cal Shakes is one of the deserving Arts and Culture nonprofits Lafayette Community Foundation (LCF) was pleased to assist during this year's grant cycle.

"The Excellence Grant has provided timely support for Cal Shakes’ 2021 Season of Shared Light. Due to the impact of the pandemic, Cal Shakes can stage just one production this summer. This means that we can offer other Bay Area community and performing arts groups the use of our beautiful outdoor space. To date, 2,500 people have attended various events and the summer has just barely begun." - Andrew Page, Development Director, Cal Shakes
 
Join the Lafayette Community Foundation's 2021 Donor List or become a Business Sponsor and help LCF support local nonprofits in the categories of Human Services, Seniors, Youth Development & Education, Arts & Culture and Friends of the Foundation. LCF gives annual Excellence Grants based on the donations received. Help LCF achieve its fundraising goals to increase support for local organizations such as Loaves and Fishes Contra Costa. If you would like to support LCF's mission and efforts, please visit lafayettecf.org to donate. 
Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation

The Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation is partnering with LPIE to bring New York Times bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims to the Distinguished Speaker Series on Thursday, September 9 at 7pm PST. Registration is free, register HERE
Lafayette Recreation: Art Exploration Camp at the Lafayette Community Center!

Throughout this half-day, week-long art camp, participants will be creating many pieces of artwork across a variety of media that include, drawing, painting, sculpting, mixed-media collage, printmaking and computer arts.

Each week of Art Exploration Camp is unique and will include new projects. Projects will be adjusted appropriately to meet the needs and abilities of each child's age. Offered multiple weeks in the summer. Register for this camp and many more at www.lafayetterec.org or call 925-284-2232.
Lamorinda Arts Council

Art Gallery at the Orinda Library: 80 Inspired Artworks Escape Local Studios
 
The Lamorinda Arts Council is excited to host a COVID-19 retrospective of 80 artworks from 40 local artists who were unable to exhibit work during the COVID-19 shutdown. View artwork at the Gallery, 26 Orinda Way, Orinda, and in the Council's online gallery at www.lamorindaarts.org/online-galleries through July 31. For more information email gallery@lamorindaarts.org, call 925.359.4490 or visit https://lamorindaarts.org/current-exhibits/
Art Gallery at Wilder Virtual Exhibit "Sophie’s Lush Bouquets"
Sophie Sanders has been interested in drawing and painting since her childhood in Taiwan. While she has had formal art training, she says, "I truly play on paper - having fun is my main goal." As you will see, she is a talented botanical artist; each artwork is a floral world unto itself. View her amazing pen and ink drawings online at http://www.lamorindaarts.org/online-galleries. through July 31. For more information email wildergallery@lamorindaarts.org, call 925.359.9940 or visit https://lamorindaarts.org/current-exhibits/.
Lamorinda Idol Finalists Perform
Tuesday, July 20, 6 pm at Orinda Community Park

Enjoy talented K-12 singers performing at 6:00 pm in Orinda Community Park, adjacent to Orinda Community Center, 28 Orinda Way, Orinda 94563. Steve Harwood emcees the event. These finalists will also perform at their biggest event of the year, the Lamorinda Finals 2021 Contest on Aug. 15 at Orinda Theatre Square. For more information call 925.359.9940, email idol@lamorindaarts.org or visit www.lamorindaarts.org/idol-2
Art Embraces Words – Call for Writers, Visual Artists & Audience Members, Sunday July 25 2 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Writers paint images with words. Artists tell stories with color. Together they enrich our community. 
 
Participate as a writer by reading your work, an artist by showing your work or an audience member in the Q&A. This free program is hosted by the Lamorinda Arts Council and made possible by a grant from the Lafayette Community Foundation. Visit www.lamorindaarts.art/art-embraces-words for details and to register, email literary@lamorindaarts.org or call 925.359.9940. 
Moraga Art Gallery: Midsummer Synergies comes to Moraga!

To celebrate the midpoint of its mid-summer show, the Moraga Art Gallery cordially invites art fans of all ages to a free reception on Saturday, August 7th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.  In addition, an array of paintings, photos, ceramics, glassware, jewelry, woodworking, sculpture and other media by more than twenty-five member- and guest-artists will grace the gallery, located a 432 Center Street in Moraga's Rheem Shopping Center.  Throughout the event, esteemed floutist Nike Rejto, touted by NPR, will be on hand to treat the gallery's guests to musical sounds known to "enthrall, caress and go straight to the soul." 

On the afternoon of Sunday, August 8th, artist Rita Kuolas will de-mystify printmaking during a free public demonstration at the gallery from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. All are welcome, and all will be invited to take home a small original etching as a keepsake.  The gallery is now open Wed-Sun from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm.  For more information, please call (925) 376-5407, or visit http://moragaartgallery.com or email moragaartgallery@gmail.com.  
Mountain Shadow Film Society

ANOTHER OSCAR SHORT-LISTED NOMINEE FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM!

SCREENING VIRTUALLY:
SATURDAY, JULY 17th - LINK AVAILABLE ALL DAY

“CHARLATAN” - Few true stories tread the thin line between good and evil as precariously as that of Jan Mikolášek, a 20th century Czech herbal healer whose great success masked the grimmest of secrets. Mikolášek won fame and fortune treating celebrities of the interwar, Nazi, and Communist eras with his uncanny knack for “urinary diagnosis”. But his passion for healing welled up form the same source as a lust for cruelty, sadism, and an incapacity for love that only one person could ever quell – his assistant, František. As a show trial threatens to pry open these secrets and undo him, Jan’s dichotomies are put to a final test, with the fate of his life’s only love in the balance. A personal tale as replete with twists as the century itself, and a reflection on the price one pays for single-mindedly following one’s calling. Historical Drama - NR - 118 minutes - in Czech and German, with English Subtitles TRAILER
For more information about Mountain Shadow, visit our website HERE.

MEMBERS RECEIVE A 20% DISCOUNT ON THE GENERAL ADMISSION PRICE EACH MONTH ( see below). OR: HERE'S HOW TO PURCHASE A ONE-TIME $12.50 GENERAL ADMISSION "TICKET"TO WATCH ONLINE:

1. Email Mountain Shadow: info@mountainshadow.org
2. Provide a phone number and we'll call you for the credit card charge information.
3. You'll receive a confirmation of your purchase by email. 
4. The private film LINK (and Password), will be emailed to you, along with the Playbill with interesting information about the film!
The Park Theater Trust
LIGHT UP THE PARK THEATER & WE’LL LIGHT UP LAFAYETTE!

In 1941, the Park Theater came into being out of a desire for arts, culture, entertainment - and COMMUNITY - in downtown Lafayette.

This is 2021 and those desires have not changed. The Park Theater can light up Lafayette again but to bring it back, we need community. We need YOU! The Park Theater Trust has created a sustainable model of owning and protecting the theater in a nonprofit, and then leasing it to a for-profit operator. We need to raise a total of $8MM to complete the acquisition and remodel.

Together, we can create a downtown space designed to entertain and engage us all. Together, let’s light up the Park and light up Lafayette! For more information, please contact Kathy Bowles at kathy@parktheatertrust.org, Tracey Farrell at tracey@parktheatertrust.org, or visit www.parktheatertrust.org to make your donation or pledge today!
The Peter Pan Foundation Winter Show auditions Open Now!

The Peter Pan Foundation is so excited to be bringing live musical theater back this winter with its production of "Little Women."

Based on Louisa May Alcott's life, Little Women follows the adventures of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March.

This timeless, captivating story is brought to life in this glorious musical filled with personal discovery, heartache, hope and everlasting love.
Originally presented by the PPF in 2014, they are thrilled to bring this production back to the stage in 2021!

Auditions: August 20-22 (PPF Home)
Callbacks: August 27-29 (PPF Home)
Rehearsals: Sundays 2-6 pm, starting Sept. 12 (Location TBD)
Performances: December 3-5 (King's Valley School)

You can learn more and sign up for auditions at www.peterpanfoundation.org, click the Get Involved tab for all the info.

Follow our Instagram @ppfmagic and Facebook @ppf for details about more more performance and philanthropy opportunities.
Tom Taneyhill Art

Through July 21, a selection of my work will be on display at Pax Wines Tasting Room, in the Barlow.

For more information contact the show’s curator, Molly Kars and check the website www.paxwine.com.

Prints of my work are also available on www.fineartamerica.com (search Tom Taneyhill).

TaneyhillArt - Drawing and painting the local landscape. Connect with me!
FACEBOOK @taneyhillart
INSTAGRAM @taneyhillart
Town Hall Theatre's Bay Area Celebration Continues

Town Hall Theatre was thrilled to come together for our first in-person event this past weekend. It truly was a great opportunity for the community to get out and enjoy some spectacular performances as neighbors and friends. The event brought together many familiar and new faces all providing generous support to our organization. Continuing with the summer fun and spirit of hope, equity, resilience, home, inclusion, and celebration, we will be hosting a fundraising pledge drive featuring pre-recorded select performances from that July 10th event. This is the perfect opportunity to relive it and for those that were not able to join us, to partake in the fun! Please join us on July 20th from 5:30-6:30pm. You can stream this free online event from our Facebook site: @TownHallTheatre and our website: https://www.townhalltheatre.com.
Please contact Dennis Markam at Dennis.Markam@TownHallTheatre.com with questions. If you are not able to join us please consider making a donation at https://www.townhalltheatre.com/donate-now.
Your friends at Town Hall will return to post-COVID in-person programming and offerings in the fall at our theatre in Lafayette.
Lafayette Chamber Events & Announcements
Tuesday Talk Series:
GOOGLE™ FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Tuesday, July 20, 2021 12noon-1:00pm, Online

 
Join Molly Northrup for a Tech Talk discussing how you can use Google tools in your business!
- Google Drive
- Google My Business
- Google Search Console
- Google Calendar
 
Chamber Connectors
Chamber Connectors!

Our next Chamber Connectors meeting will be IN PERSON! Hurray! We will meet in the Lafayette Chamber Conference Room, Wednesday, July 21, 4:30pm-5:30pm.

All chamber members are welcome and are encouraged to bring a friend! Questions? Contact Fred at fred.steingraf@edwardjones.com.

"Coffee" with Mayor Susan Candell
Friday, July 23, 8am, Online

City of Lafayette Mayor Susan Candell will have updates regarding Councilmember Burk's replacement, safety around schools, ARPA relief funds, and State and regional issues.

Join us for "coffee" and get a chance to meet and speak with Mayor Candell on issues that are important to you. Registration required for Zoom link. Register here.
Citywide Sidewalk Sale!

Welcome back Lafayette! Shop the summer’s hottest deals at Lafayette’s Citywide Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, July 31, 2021!

To get the party started, the Chamber will host a WELCOME BACK LAFAYETTE coffee and breakfast treats “party” in Lafayette’s Plaza Park Plaza 10:00am – 11:00am. Coffee generously donated by Peet’s Coffee Lafayette and breakfast treats donated by Local Kitchens.

Throughout Lafayette our retail stores, businesses and salons will have Sidewalk Sale specials both inside and out! Make a day of it and enjoy breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner in one of our stellar restaurants.
We are now taking sponsorship and vendor applications for the 25th Annual Lafayette Art & Wine Festival! Please contact Sara for details! Follow our social channels for highlights:


Become a lifetime Friend of the Chamber

A Friend of the Chamber membership provides a way for community members to support the efforts of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. We are 74 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>>
Connect with the City of Lafayette

The City of Lafayette is urging everyone to sign-up for the latest information for Lafayette residents and businesses.

You can subscribe to City of Lafayette notifications at https://bit.ly/LafayetteNotifications.

You can also find the latest Information on Covid-19 on the City's website here.

For wildfire resources, go to http://bit.ly/LafAreYouReady.

During the Covid-19 emergency, here is how to contact City of Lafayette
Lafayette Chamber Logo
Jay Lifson, Executive Director 
251 Lafayette Circle, Ste 150, Lafayette, CA
Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-1pm


(925) 284-7404