Though spring is traditionally the season when everything comes back to life, it’s hard to beat the fall for seeing the Peninsula’s many arts groups come back into blossom. And this fall, the arts are once again in full bloom everywhere.
That might be why it seems especially fitting that Peninsula audiences are getting a chance to see works such as the dance piece “Rite of Spring” by Yang Liping and Peacock Contemporary Dance at Stanford Live — not only to prop up this seasonal metaphor, but because the performance is making its way to Stanford Live’s stage now after having been postponed in January 2022 due to a winter COVID wave.
The work will now have its U.S premiere Dec. 6-8. Chinese dance legend and choreographer Yang Liping brings together elements of Chinese culture with Tibetan concepts of nature and life to her reimagining of Stravinsky’s groundbreaking piece “Rite of Spring.” The piece tells a tale of life, death and reincarnation through movement and visually stunning sets and costumes.
Read on for a preview of what’s coming up this fall in music, on the stage, in visual arts and author events.
Concerts
Rootsy Texan singer-songwriter Hayes Carll and his band (The Band of Heathens) will entertain local audiences with a performance at the Guild. He’s released numerous country and Americana albums since his 2002 debut, “Flowers & Liquor,” including 2011’s “KMAG YOYO & Other American Stories” and 2021’s “You Get It All,” with songs acclaimed for storytelling, humor and heart.
Sept. 22, 7 p.m., The Guild Theatre, 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; $46.35-$121.67; guildtheatre.com.
Photo courtesy David McClister Photography.
California Pops Orchestra: Variety show, featuring a mix of music from the movies, Broadway, jazz, Latin and more. (Sept. 29); Christmas show (Dec. 22). californiapopsorchestra.com
Community School of Music and Arts: Ben Rosenblum: Jazz Around the World (Sept. 14); Alexis Lombre (Oct. 12); Juanito Pascal and friends: An Evening of Flamenco Music and Dance (Nov. 2); Chrysi Nanou: The Known World – Music For Piano and Mixed Media For and From a Changing Climate (Nov. 22). arts4all.org
Earthwise Productions: Maryna Krut (Aug. 30); Carmen Staaf and friends (Sept. 6). bit.ly/EarthwisePaloAlto.
Singer-songwriter Maryna Krut is a virtuoso of the 64-stringed bandura, an instrument unique to her homeland of Ukraine. The large-scale instrument, which takes two hands to play, offers a sound similar to a harpsichord. Though Ukrainian folk serves as the foundation for her music, her songs draw heavily on pop, rock, soul and jazz influences — and her dreamy, soaring vocals tie it all together. Krut has been a finalist in the Eurovision Song Contest and performed internationally in events such as the Edinburgh International Culture Summit, but she has also brought her music to Ukrainian soldiers in the current war zone, as her label’s website notes. Krut performs in a concert presented by Earthwise Productions.
Aug. 30, 8 p.m., at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road, $20, bit.ly/MKEarthwise.
Photo courtesy Riot Artists.
Feldman’s Books: Jerry Garcia in the Lower Mission, a collaboration with Magic Theatre and Culture Clash, with music by Steve Wyreman, Joshua Raoul Brody, and David Gans and selected scenes from Richard Montoya’s upcoming jukebox musical, “Jerry Garcia in the Lower Mission” (Oct. 5); ann annie trio (Oct. 8). feldmansbooks.net.
Filoli: Bluesy Rock Night with Wreckless Strangers (Aug. 25); Latin Jazz Night with Trio Paz (Aug. 26). filoli.org/summer-stage.
The Fox Theatre: Lasso (Sept. 11); Alvaro Torres (Sept. 13); Las Leyendas del Mariachi (Sept. 14); Grupo Niche (Sept. 20); Charlie Zaa (Oct. 11); The Sweet Caroline Tour starring Jay White (Oct. 12); Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown (Oct. 18); Taylor Shines – The Laser Spectacular with DJ Jexxa (Nov. 2); Teo Gonzalez (Nov. 8); Boris Grebenshikov (Nov. 15); Dos Dinastias Una Tradicion (Nov. 30); Rocky Mountain High Experience: A John Denver Christmas (Dec. 8); Feliz Navidad with Jose Feliciano (Dec. 11). foxrwc.com/event-schedule.
Grammy-winning Venezuelan pop musician and singer-songwriter Lasso, according to his website, holds the record for the most No. 1 singles (18) on the charts in his country and more than a billion streams on Spotify. The superstar kicks off his U.S. tour (titled “Quedarse Solo Para Siempre”) at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City this autumn, with a performance sure to showcase his many hits.
Sept. 11, 7 p.m., Fox Theatre, 2221 Broadway St., Redwood City; $89-$100; foxrwc.showare.com/orderticketsvenue.asp?p=767.
Photo courtesy Walter Kolm Entertainment.
The Guild Theatre: Local Sound Series with Marty O’Reilly and R.O. Shapiro (Aug. 24); Riekestra fundraiser for the Riekes Center (Aug. 25); The Verve Pipe (Aug. 29); Funk Fatale (Aug. 30); Local Sound Series with La Sombra, Mommy Mommy, and StrateJacket (Sept. 6); Fleetwood Macrame (Sept. 14); The Love Handles ’70s and ’80s dance party (Sept. 20); Hayes Carll & the Band of Heathens (Sept. 22); Melvin Seals & JGB with Mads Tolling (Sept. 27-28); The Lettermen (Oct. 5); Haley Heynderickx (Oct. 6); Local Sound Series with RIVVRS and The False Bottoms Band (Oct. 10); Modern English (Oct. 18); Hiss Golden Messenger solo (Oct. 19); Palo Alto Jazz Alliance presents Sarah McKenzie Quartet (Oct. 20); John 5 (Oct. 23); Particle Kid (Oct. 24); The Mother Hips (Oct. 26); Steely Dead (Oct. 27); Jeff Tweedy (Oct. 28-30); Taylor-ween with Let’s Sing Taylor (Oct. 31); Rebirth Brass Band (Nov. 1); Joanne Shaw Taylor (Nov. 6); Roddy Radiation (of The Specials) (Nov. 7); Pink Talking Fish (Nov. 9); Big Head Todd and the Monsters (Nov. 15); Kathleen Edwards (Nov. 16) Lucero (Nov. 17); Mat Kearney (Nov. 19); ZZ Ward (Nov. 21); Tainted Love (Nov. 22); Better Than Ezra (Dec. 5); Shovels & Rope (Dec. 7). guildtheatre.com.
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts: Beijing Guitar Duo (Sept. 21); Flying High: A Tribute to Female Jazz Vocalists (Sept. 28). mvcpa.com/events.
Oshman Family JCC: Kommuna Lux in concert (Sept. 26); Huu Bac Quintet (Sept. 28); Six13 Hanukkah Special (Dec. 15). paloaltojcc.org.
Montreal-based musician Huu Bac Quach brings a global twist to jazz, incorporating Asian, North and South American elements through his mastery of instruments that highlight his own Vietnamese and Chinese heritage — the dan bau (Vietnamese monochord), the erhu (Chinese fiddle) — as well as the quena (Andean flute) and the jazz guitar. He founded the ensemble that bears his name a little over a decade ago, assembling a group of some of Montreal’s other top jazz musicians. The quintet performs original works that spotlight the unique voices of the dan bau, erhu and quena, expertly melding with violin, drums and piano in tight melodies that still leave plenty of room for improvisation.
Sept. 28, 7 p.m., at Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. Tickets start at $39.19. eventbrite.com.
Photo courtesy Noelle Garnier.
Peninsula Harmony Chorus: The a cappella chorus celebrates its 25th anniversary with music in a variety of genres. (Sept. 28). peninsulaharmony.org.
Shoreline Amphitheatre: Slightly Stoopid and Dirty Heads (Aug. 23); Santana and Counting Crows (Aug. 27); Five Finger Death Punch (Sept. 3); Thirty Seconds to Mars (Sept. 4); Train, with REO Speedwagon (Sept. 7); Hozier (Sept. 10); Glass Animals (Sept. 11); Dan + Shay (Sept. 14); Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals (Sept. 21); Kidz Bop Live 2024 (Sept. 22); Jon Pardi (Sept. 27); Korn (Oct. 6); Meghan Trainor (Oct. 18); Imagine Dragons (Oct. 20); Porter Robinson (Oct. 25). livenation.com.
Sound Union: David Luning (Sept. 6); David Hobbes album release (Sept. 15); John Batdorf (Sept. 21); Luke Winslow-King (Oct. 6). eventbrite.com/o/sound-union-77566711633.
Katherine Goforth’s voice has been praised by the likes of the New York Times and she’s taken part in programs including Franz-Schubert-Institut, Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme, Heidelberger Frühling Liedakademie and the Georg Solti Accademia. Last year, she received the inaugural True Voice Award, established to increase visibility for transgender and nonbinary singers by Washington National Opera. At her upcoming Stanford Live concert in Bing’s intimate studio space, she will perform selections by Berg, Eisler, Mahler, Schoenberg and Weill.
Nov. 8, 7 p.m., The Studio, Bing Concert Hall, 327 Lasuen St., Stanford; $10-$40; live.stanford.edu.
Photo courtesy Greg Parkinson.
Stanford Live: Fiesta Sonora (Sept. 29); New Latin Voices: Alejandro Brittes (Oct. 4); Debashish Bhattacharya Trio (Oct. 10); New Latin Voices: Luciane Dom (Oct. 11); Rob Kapilow’s What Makes It Great: Swing! The Great Big Bands of the Swing Era (Oct. 13); The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol (Oct. 20); Broadway singer Kelli O’Hara (Oct. 23); singer-songwriter Stephen Henderson (Oct. 26); Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade (Oct. 30); Katherine Goforth: Cabaret Songs (Nov. 8); Nobuntu (Nov. 13); Jazz Mafia (Dec. 11); A Chanticleer Christmas (Dec. 12); post-modern diva Meow Meow’s Feline Festive Holiday (Dec. 13); Boleros de Navidad featuring Tres Souls (Dec. 14). live.stanford.edu.
Classical
Bay Choral Guild: “Christmas Spectacular,” including selections from “Messiah.” (Dec. 14-15). baychoralguild.org.
Community School of Music and Arts: Von Bringhurst: If Music Be the Food of Love (Oct. 4); Ráyo Furuta and Laura Ward (Dec. 7); Merit Scholars Winter Concert (Dec. 14). arts4all.org.
Ives Collective: Fall Salon Series: Bohuslav Martinů Piano Quartet No.1, H.287 (Oct. 6); Fall Collective: Works by Martinů, Fauré and Dvořák (Oct. 8). ivescollective.org.
California Bach Society: “Tesori Dorati, Italian Baroque Treasures” (Oct. 25-27); “Gaudete, A Christmas Dialogue Across Centuries” (Dec. 13-15). calbach.org.
The Borromeo String Quartet kicks off the season for the Music at Kohl Mansion chamber series. The acclaimed group is the longtime ensemble-in-residence at Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music and Taos School of Music summer program. In addition to championing works by contemporary classical composers, the ensemble is known for its fresh interpretations of works in the classical canon. The quartet will perform works by J.S. Bach, Jamaican composer Eleanor Alberga, Beethoven and Sibelius for their concert at Kohl Mansion.
Oct. 20, 7 p.m., at Kohl Mansion, 2750 Adeline Drive, Burlingame, $30-$62, musicatkohl.org.
Photo courtesy Jürgen Frank.
Music at Kohl Mansion: Borromeo String Quartet (Oct. 20); Gryphon Trio (Nov. 24); San Francisco Girls Chorus (Dec. 15). musicatkohl.org.
Music@Menlo: The Miró Quartet performs Haydn’s String Quartet op. 77, no. 1, Debussy’s String Quartet and a new composition written for the quartet by Kevin Puts (Oct. 5). musicatmenlo.org.
Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra: This chamber orchestra for youth presents concerts from its five ensembles. Senior PACO (Nov. 2); Debut Orchestra (Nov. 9, 2 p.m.); Sinfonia Orchestra (Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m.); Holiday Extravaganza (Dec. 8). pacomusic.org.
Palo Alto Philharmonic: Baroque concert featuring performances by small ensembles and soloists (Sept. 7); “A Journey Toward Redemption,” with works by Farrenc, Strauss and Grieg (Oct. 19); Fall chamber concert (Nov. 9); “Transcending Fate” featuring works by Frank, Uebayashi and Beethoven (Dec. 14); paphil.org.
Peninsula Women’s Chorus: “Cultivating Hope” (Dec. 13-14). pwchorus.org.
Redwood Symphony: “Heard, Holler and Hallelujah,” works by Wynton Marsalis, Rachmaninoff and Sibelius (Sept. 21); “Halloween Concert: Musical Pictures,” with a world premiere by Kirke Mechem and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” (Oct. 27); “Shostakovich’s Fourth Symphony,” with works by Shostakovich and Mozart (Nov. 23). redwoodsymphony.org.
Schola Cantorum: Carmina Burana (Oct. 27); “The Heart of the Season!” (Dec. 15); Messiah Sing (Dec. 16) scholacantorum.org.
Silicon Valley Boychoir: “Under One Roof” (Dec. 14). svboychoir.org.
Stanford Live: Sundays with the St. Lawrence Quartet, with Korngold String Sextet (Oct. 6); pianist Hélène Grimaud, works by Beethoven, Brahms and Bach (Nov. 3); Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale, “Vivaldi, Venice and the Four Seasons” (Nov. 8); harpist Xavier de Maistre, works by De Falla, Debussy, Smetana and others (Nov. 10); cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianist Inon Barnatan, works by Shostakovich and Brahms (Nov. 20); Isidore String Quartet, works by Ravel, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Bartók and others (Dec. 8); Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale, “A Bach Christmas” (Dec. 11). live.stanford.edu.
Stage
Acclaimed playwright Rajiv Joseph and TheatreWorks Artistic Director Giovanna Sardelli have a long, productive history together and their latest collaboration is the regional premier of Joseph’s “King James,” which Sardelli is directing. The buddy comedy follows the years-spanning friendship of Matt and Shawn, two basketball fans who love the Cleveland Cavaliers and superstar LeBron James (the titular king). Covering the years (and basketball seasons) from 2004 to 2016, the show explores the highs and lows on and off the court. Pictured is TheatreWorks’ world premiere of Joseph’s “The North Pool,” directed by Giovanna Sardelli, which featured, from left, Adam Poss and Remi Sandri.
Oct. 12-Nov. 3 (previews Oct. 9-11), Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View; $34-$115; theatreworks.org/mainstage/season-54/.
Photo courtesy Mark Kitaoka.
Fuse Theatre: Bay Area Pride community cabaret (Aug. 24); fusetheatre.org.
Hillbarn Theatre: “Always … Patsy Cline” (Aug. 23-Sept. 15); “Wait Until Dark” (Oct. 17-Nov. 3); “Anastasia” (Dec. 5-Dec. 29). hillbarntheatre.org.
Los Altos Stage Company: “Waiting for Godot” (Sept. 5-29); “A Christmas Story: The Musical” (Nov. 29-Dec. 22); losaltosstage.org.
Palo Alto Players: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (Sept. 6-22); “Fiddler on the Roof” (Nov. 6-24). paplayers.org.
Palo Alto Children’s Theatre: “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” (Sept. 11-29); “Jack and the Beanstalk” (Oct. 5-6); “Sleeping Beauty” (Oct. 26-27); “Chang’e and the Moon,” an original fairytale by Playhouse Participants Sarina Shah, Pearl Yeh-Lee and Agastya Goel (Nov. 16-17); “The Gingerbread Man” (Dec. 21-23). bit.ly/3MfZIm1.
Palo Alto Players open their season with a world of pure imagination, in a musical based on the Roald Dahl children’s book of the same name and the 1971 film adapted from it. The show tells of humble Charlie Bucket, who becomes one of five lucky children to win a visit behind the scenes at the fabulous factory run by innovative candymaker Willy Wonka. Brattiness, greed and various sins lead the other children to some surprising fates, but Mr. Wonka (Brandon Savage, pictured above right) might have a different plan for Charlie (Falcon Franco, above left). The show features music by songwriters Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (“Hairspray”), and songs from the movie by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newl.
Sept. 6-22 at the Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. $20-$63. paplayers.org.
Photo courtesy Scott Lasky.
The Pear Theatre: “The Black Experience Festival” (through Aug. 25); “Once on This Island” (Sept. 13-Oct. 13); “The Agitators” (Nov. 22-Dec. 15). thepear.org/season23.
Peninsula Youth Theatre: “Mary Poppins” (Nov. 16-24). pytnet.org.
Stanford Live: UnHoly Sunday with Peaches Christ (Oct. 27). live.stanford.edu.
Sunnyvale Community Players: “In the Heights” (Sept. 7-29); “The Sound of Music” (Oct. 26-Nov. 10). sunnyvaleplayers.org.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley: “King James” (Oct. 9-Nov. 3); “Miss Bennet” (Dec. 4-29); theatreworks.org.
West Bay Opera: “La sonnambula” (Oct. 11-20). wbopera.org.
Upstage Theatre: “Alice By Heart” (Oct 25-27). upstagetheater.net.
Dance
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts: Smuin’s Dance Series 1 (Sept. 13-15); Smuin’s Christmas Ballet (Dec. 5-8). mvcpa.com/events.
Peninsula Lively Arts: “Ghost Dances: A Día De Los Muertos Tale Of Two Worlds” (Oct. 27-28); “Hip-Hop Halloween” (Oct. 28-29); “Nutcracker Sweet” (Dec. 2-3); “Hip-Hop Nutcracker Sweet” (Dec. 9-10); “Nutcracker” (Dec. 15-16); “Hip-Hop Nutcracker” (Dec. 16-17). peninsulalivelyarts.org.
Stanford Live: “Carnival of the Animals,” a work of dance, poetry and music written and conceived by Marc Bamuthi Joseph (Oct. 27); “Rite of Spring:” Yang Liping and Peacock Contemporary Dance (Dec 6-8). live.stanford.edu.
Comedy
The Guild Theatre: San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition Round 1 (Aug. 31); San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition Round 2 (Sept. 7). guildtheatre.com.
Stanford Live: Roy Wood Jr. (Oct. 3); Mike E. Winfield (Nov. 9). live.stanford.edu.
Film
Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival: Most screenings held online, with select special screenings and events held in Palo Alto and Saratoga. (Oct. 26-Nov. 10) svjff.org.
United Nations Association Film Festival: Various venues in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Stanford and San Francisco. (Oct. 17-27). unaff.org.
Museums & Galleries
A decade ago, the Anderson Collection at Stanford University welcomed visitors for the first time to view the impressive collection of contemporary art amassed by Bay Area family of Harry W. and Mary Margaret Anderson and Mary Patricia Anderson Pence. To kick off two exhibitions celebrating the museum’s 10th anniversary, the Anderson hosts a community day of art-making, gallery talks and performances taking place throughout the museum. Seen here, a visitor to the Anderson Collection descends the museum’s grand staircase on Sept. 15, 2014. The Anderson Collection’s community day takes place Sept. 22, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Anderson Collection, 314 Lomita Drive, Stanford. anderson.stanford.edu.
Photo by Veronica Weber.
Anderson Collection: “Bringing It Home,” a celebration of the relationships between artists and the Anderson family (Sept. 15-Feb. 16); “An Expanded Lens,” pairing works from the collection with contemporary pieces on loan from the Anderson family (Sept. 22-Aug. 17). anderson.stanford.edu/programs-exhibitions.
Bryant Street Gallery: Mixed-media works by Heidi Jung (through Sept. 14). bryantstreet.com.
Cantor Arts Center: “Archive Rooms: Selections from Special Collections at Stanford Libraries” (ongoing); “Livien Yen: Thirsty” solo exhibition (through Feb. 2); “Spirit House” (Sept. 4-Jan. 26). museum.stanford.edu.
Community School of Music and Arts Mohr Gallery: “Magical Monarcas,” paintings by Pedro Rivas Lopez (through Sept. 6). arts4all.org.
For the upcoming exhibition Spirit House, Stanford University’s Cantor Arts Center considers ghosts, haunted spaces, reincarnation and more, inspired by spirit houses – the small devotional structures of Thailand that provide shelter for supernatural beings. As part of the museum’s Asian American Art Initiative, Spirit House includes work by 33 Asian American and Asian diasporic contemporary artists, examining the concept of ghosts and hauntings through visual culture and exploring how art can be a bridge between worlds. Shown here is “The Crone,” a mixed-media work on canvas by artist Lien Truong.
Sept. 4-Jan. 26 at the Cantor Arts Center, 328 Lomita Way; free; museum.stanford.edu/visit.
Photo courtesy Cantor Arts Center.
Djerassi Resident Artists Program: Fall sculpture hikes (Sept. 8 and 29; Nov. 3 and 24); Artful Harvest gala (Oct. 20) djerassi.org.
The Foster Museum: Selected works by watercolor painter Tony Foster; thefoster.org.
Gallery House: “Echoed Emotions,” a group show in a variety of media by the cooperative gallery’s member artists. galleryhouse.art.
Gallery 9 Los Altos: Photography by Bill Moy and Dave Massolo (through August); paintings and mixed-media works by Naomi Mindelzun (September); ceramic works by Shigemi Sanders and Kiyoko Michot (October); paintings by Joyce Savre (November); Holiday group show (December). gallery9losaltos.com.
Los Altos History Museum: Expressions: Multicultural Artist Showcase” (through Sept. 15); plus a variety of permanent exhibits exploring the history and culture of the Los Altos and Silicon Valley region. losaltoshistory.org.
The Main Gallery: “Together,” a group show highlighting works by the gallery’s member artists in a variety of media. (through Sept. 10); themaingallery.org.
Museum of American Heritage: “Threading the Past: History of Clothing Technology” (through Sept. 15); “From Shot to Print: Cameras and Tools” (through fall 2024); “Finding Your Way: Navigation Tools Large and Small” (through 2024). moah.org.
Pacific Art League: Summer Camp Artist Showcase (through August); solo exhibition by abstract artist Helen Kim (Sept. 6-24); Memory Lane group exhibition (Sept. 6-24); solo exhibition by painter Darren Kerr (Oct. 4-22); Palo Alto Camera Club group exhibition (Oct. 4-22); 103rd anniversary exhibition (Nov. 9-Jan. 14). pacificartleague.org.
Bay Area painter Anna Sidana pivoted from a tech career of several decades to a new career in art, and her work has been well-received. Her colorful, large-scale, botanically inspired oil paintings have proved themselves equally at home at Burning Man as at the London Biennale. Last fall, she was featured in the de Young Museum’s prestigious open exhibition. The Pamela Walsh Gallery is featuring Sidana in her second solo exhibition at the gallery, titled “Entanglements.” Seen here is her piece “Pathways” from that show. Sept. 7-Oct. 12 at Pamela Walsh Gallery, 540 Ramona St., Palo Alto, pamelawalshgallery.com.
Courtesy Anna Sidana
Palo Alto Art Center: GROW!, a group exhibition that explores history, sustainability and climate adaptation, and our connections with the natural world. (Sept. 21-Dec. 15); Great Glass Pumpkin Patch (Sept. 28-29). cityofpaloalto.org.
Pamela Walsh Gallery: Summer group exhibition (through Aug. 31); “Entanglements,” paintings by Anna Sidana (Sept. 7-Oct. 12); “Echoes,” works by Larry Horowitz (Oct. 19-Nov. 27). pamelawalshgallery.com.
Portola Gallery: Works in a variety of media by local artists. “Vintage Trucks and Tractors,” paintings by Jerry Peters (through Aug. 31). portolaartgallery.com.
QD Gallery: Works in a variety of media by 35 local artists. qdgallery.com.
Qualia Contemporary Art Gallery: “LYU Peng: Beautiful Pictures” (through Sept. 7). qualiacontemporaryart.com.
Redwood City Art Kiosk: “Kiku no hana” by Lisa Solomon, with curation by Jennifer Easton. The installation explores the fate of area chrysanthemum farms after Japanese-American farmers were incarcerated during World War II (through September); “Reflections of My Being,” an interactive installation by Casa Circulo Cultural with community help, presented in conjunction with Redwood City’s annual Day of the Dead celebration (Oct. 4-5); “Frida’s Kitchen on a Day of the Dead,” an installation by Casa Circulo Cultural (October); an installation by Oakland-based artist John Roloff closes out the year (dates TBA). fungcollaboratives.org.
Viewpoints Gallery: “Into the Woods,” landscapes by plein-air painter Julia Munger Seelos (through Aug. 31); watercolor and gouache works highlighting natural themes by Annie Haines (September); modern landscape and nature paintings by Karen White (October); watercolor and acrylic portraits of birds by Floy Zittin (November); city scenes and landscapes on wooden panels by painter Caroline McClintic (December). viewpointsgallery.com.
Art festivals
Palo Alto Festival of the Arts: Aug. 24-25. paloaltochamber.com/festival-of-the-arts
Kings Mountain Art Fair: Aug. 31-Sept. 2. kingsmountainartfair.org.
Mountain View Art & Wine Festival: Sept. 7-8. mountainview.miramarevents.com.
Portola Valley Arts Fest: Sept. 14. sites.google.com/view/portolavalleyartsfest/home.
Author events
Experience a visit to a Nigerian night market through the eyes of a young girl in the latest work by Bay Area-based children’s author Seina Wedlick. Her newest picture book “Night Market,” which also features colorful illustrations by Nigerian artist Briana Mukodiri Uchendu, tells a story celebrating curiosity about a young girl discovering everything from tasty treats to magic tricks as she meets various market vendors. Wedlick’s debut picture book, “Naming Ceremony,” published last year. She appears at Books Inc. Palo Alto in a special storytime appearance, reading from “Night Market.”
Sept. 15, noon-1 p.m., at Books Inc. Palo Alto, 855 El Camino Real #74, Palo Alto, booksinc.net. Courtesy The Joy Harris Literary Agency.
Books Inc. Palo Alto: Kara H.L. Chen, “Asking for a Friend” (Aug. 25); Charlotte Cheng, “I Miss You the Most” and “Roar-choo!” (Sept. 1); Seina Wedlick, “The Night Market” (Sept. 15); Alison Owings and Del Seymour, “The Mayor of the Tenderloin,” (Sept. 17); Adrian Daub, “The Cancel Culture Panic” (Sept. 24); Ginny Kubitz Moyer, “A Golden Life!” (Sept. 26); Christy Holloway, “Whispers Across A Sea” (Oct. 15); Mike Chen, “What If … Marc Spector was Host to Venom?” (part of the Marvel What If …? series) (Oct. 22); Carole Bumpus, “Adventures on Land and Sea: Searching for Culinary Pleasures in Provence and the Cote d’Azur” (Nov. 14) booksinc.net.
Books Inc. Mountain View: Ellie Yang Camp, ” Louder Than The Lies” (Oct. 23). booksinc.net.
Feldman’s Books: The Literature of War & Peace: A Symposium Part I (Oct. 11) and The Literature of War & Peace: A Symposium Part II (Oct. 18). feldmansbooks.net.
Groundbreaking reporter Connie Chung made history as both the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News and the first Asian person to anchor any national news show in the United States. Her career has spanned everything from covering the Watergate scandal to interviews with major figures such as Magic Johnson, Bill Gates and Martina Navratilova. Chung comes to Kepler’s to share her new book, “Connie: A Memoir,” which reflects on many milestones in her career as well as the long, challenging journey of breaking into what had for so long been the overwhelmingly white male sphere of broadcast journalism.
Sept. 26, 7 p.m., at Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, $16.74-$27.24 in person or virtual admission/$53.49 in-person or virtual admission with book. keplers.org.
Photo courtesy Connie Aramaki/Coco Foto.
Kepler’s Books: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, “The Art of Power” (Aug. 26); Jesmyn Ward with Kai Harris, “Let Us Descend” (Sept. 5); Jamil Zaki with Charles Duhigg, “Hope for Cynics” (Sept. 6); Liane Moriarty, “Here One Moment” (Sept. 9); Connie Chung with Angie Coiro, “Connie: A Memoir” (Sept. 26); Rumaan Alam, “Entitlement” (Sept. 27); Oliver Radclyffe with Julie Lythcott-Haims, “Frighten the Horses” (Oct. 2). keplers.org.
Linden Tree Books: Amanda Glaze in conversation with Nina LaCour, “The Lies of Alma Blackwell” (Aug. 29); Aiden Thomas in conversation with Charlie Jane Anders, “Celestial Monsters” (Sept. 5); Sabaa Tahir, “Heir” (Oct. 10). lindentreebooks.com.
Author Sabaa Tahir comes to Palo Alto for an event hosted by Linden Tree Books, in celebration of her new YA fantasy novel, “Heir.” The book, recommended for readers aged 14 and up, takes place within the world of Tahir’s popular “An Ember in the Ashes” series and follows the adventures of a vengeful orphan, an outcast tracker and a reluctant prince as they deal with issues of love, power and greed.
Oct. 10, 6 p.m.; Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto; $35 (includes copy of “Heir”); lindentreebooks.com.
Photo courtesy Ayesha Ahmad Photography.
Oshman Family Jewish Community Center: An Evening with Food Icon and Author Ruth Reichl (Sept. 14). paloaltojcc.org.
Mountain View Library: Author talks are virtual unless otherwise noted. Martha Wells, “The Murderbot Diaries” series (Sept. 5); “Capturing the Human Drama Through History” with Garrett Graff (Sept. 10); “Bringing Computing to the People: The History of Personal Computers, Handheld Computers, and the Internet” an in-person talk with Computer HIstory Museum co-founder Len Shusteck (Sept. 11); Sara Wolf, “Heavenbreaker” (Sept. 12); Jack Campbell, “In Our Stars” (Sept. 19); “A Deep Dive in Character Development with Liane Moriarty” (Sept. 21); “Hispanic History in Mountain View” with Nick Perry (Sept. 26); “Liberating Latin American Genre Fiction: In Conversation with Bestselling Author Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Oct. 9); Kyla Zhao, “Valley Verified” (Oct. 9); Lori Gottlieb, “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” (Oct. 22); Kathleen DuVal, “Native Nations: A Millennium in North America” (Nov. 16). mountainview.libcal.com.
Palo Alto Library: Kimberley Lovato, “Pisa Loves Bella: A Towering Tale of Kindness” (Sept. 11); Simi Monheit, “The Goldie Standard” (Sept. 29). paloalto.bibliocommons.com.
