On Tap: See Walnut Creek gallery’s ‘Enchanted Wilderness’ exhibit

WALNUT CREEK

The Valley Art Gallery will conclude a special exhibit of watercolors, “Enchanted Wilderness,” on Saturday.

The exhibit features Bay Area watercolor virtuoso Karen Kramer, who was born in New York, grew up in Berkeley and works at her Oakland studio.

“The paintings in ‘Enchanted Wilderness’ are my visual expression of how I feel when immersed in nature,” Kramer says. “The wilderness does in fact feel enchanted — with life and vitality but also peace and harmony.”

Also on hand are more than 300 works by gallery member artists. Covering a wide range of styles, prices, motifs and media, the show continues the gallery’s mission of presenting the best of the best of more than 100 East Bay artists. All two-dimensional work, as always, is available to rent.

Admission is free to the gallery at 1661 Botelho Drive, Suite 110, which is open from 11 a..m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday or at other times by appointment. For more information, visit valleyartgallery.org, email valleyartgallery@gmail.com or call 925-935-4311.

— Valley Art Gallery

DANVILLE

Artists group to host photographer Haley at April meeting

The Alamo/Danville Artists’ Society will host photographer Rick Haley from 7:30 to 9 p.m. April 9 in its meeting at the Blackhawk Gallery, 3416 Blackhawk Plaza Circle.

A nationally acclaimed photographer, Haley has spent 46 years exploring the boundaries of fine art photography. He is based in Northern California and regularly works as an exhibiting photographer and instructor.

As a self-taught photographer following in the footsteps of Ansel Adams, Haley is best known for his large-format black-and-white images, mostly landscapes, that consistently display a high-contrast style with maximum sharpness in foreground and distance.

While also known for his creative color images, he is most respected for his broad technical photographic expertise. His works include traditional nature and landscapes, surreal images and even nightscape photographs.

In his work, Haley strives to capture specific moments in time that speak to his viewers so they can experience the emotion and magic of the same moment. His images are regularly displayed across California and as far east as South Carolina.

— Alamo/Danville Artists’ Society

LAFAYETTE

Folk music festival returning April 5 to Town Hall Theatre

Front Porch Open Mic will return at 7 p.m. April 5 with a fresh roster of folk music entertainment in partnership with Town Hall Theatre at 3535 School St. in Lafayette.

The one-night-only folk music festival happens four times a year. This exciting collaboration brings together local acoustic musicians and performers for a showcase of talent for the local community.

The series was a big success in 2023, and its first show of the season in February filled the theater. Ticket-goers are treated to preshow musical entertainment by the lobby bar starting at 6 p.m.

Front Porch Presents, is a product of Front Porch Open Mic. The idea for Front Porch Open Mic came about when local musicians Andrée and Austin Hurst decided opportunities were lacking for local musicians to perform in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Five years ago, they decided to create a space where people could come together and share their love of music, regardless of their background or experience level. Tickets are $20 at the door, $15 in advance. Go to townhalltheatre.com/front-porch.

Theater officials name Young Playwrights Festival finalists

Officials with Town Hall Theatre’s Town Hall Education program have announced the choosing of four local finalists for production at the annual Young Playwrights Festival.

The Young Playwrights Festival is a part of Town Hall Education’s Young Playwrights Program, which connects Bay Area theater professionals with local high school students to create, write and develop new theater pieces.

From the many talented writers, four finalists have been selected whose plays will be performed by professional actors in the festival at 7 p.m. March 23 in Town Hall Theatre.

The finalists include Amelia Soong, who wrote “No Bullet’s Ill-Gotten;” Nate Wayne for “Olives and Oafs;” Alverna Bamorya for “The New Girl;” and Lauren Wagner, who wrote “The Promise.”

Tickets are open to the public and are $15 for adults and $10 for ages younger than 18. Pay-what-you-can tickets will also be available at the door. The community is encouraged to join and cheer on these young playwrights and their accomplishments.

— Town Hall Theatre

Benicia gallery showing local artist’s paintings this month

Lafayette resident Leslie Golden’s art work will be exhibited in March at the Benicia Plein Air Gallery. Goldengraduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor of arts in environmental design and a master’s degree in architecture.

For more than two decades, her professional practice specialized in large-scale urban design projects for cities, counties and corporate clients. After retirement from her professional career in landscape architecture, Golden studied watercolor with Leslie Wilson for five years. She then returned to oil painting and has studied for two years with well known oil painters Randy Sexton, Leslie Tarzier, Gary Bergren and Shanna Kunz.

Golden is honing her oil painting skills on the quintessential California landscapes with rolling hills, oak trees, Mount Diablo,and seascapes. She has a deep appreciation for the natural environment and expresses elements that evoke a sense of place and the memory of time gone by. For more details, call 707-771-6166.

— Benicia Plein Air Gallery

CONCORD

Hotel hosting bead, design show Friday through Sunday

Beads, gems, jewelry and clothing will be on display this Friday through Sunday at the Walnut Creek Bead & Design Show (next-door in Concord). Shop at more than 150 exhibits and find everything from jewelry and artwear to beads, gems, antiquities and handcrafts. Take workshops in design, beadwork and soldering!

This three-day event will fill the ballrooms and meeting space at Concord Plaza Hotel with exhibits and workshops. Makers and designers will find high-quality bead merchants and suppliers, with seed beads, gems, cabs, unusual components and more.

Workshops in jewelry making techniques and skills are offered throughout the show. Participants can try their hand at mixed media and techniques such as beadwork, pearl knotting, soldering, kumihimo and peyote beading.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 15-16 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 17 in the Concord Plaza Hotel at 45 John Glenn Drive. Tickets are $8 online or $10 at the door and will be good for all three days. Visit beadanddesign.com online for more details.

— Garan-Beadagio LLC

ANTIOCH

Folk Legacy Trio to perform March 24 at El Campanil Theatre

The Folk Legacy Trio will present a show at 2 p.m. March 24 in El Campanil Theatre at 602 W. Second St. in Antioch.

The trio sings the songs of the great Folk Era from the 1950s through the mid-‘70s, including songs from The Kingston Trio, The Limeliters, Peter Paul & Mary, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Gordon Lightfoot, Simon & Garfunkel, John Denver, and many others.

General admission is $32 and $15 for youths. Visit elcampaniltheatre.com online for more details.

— El Campanil Theatre

LIVERMORE

‘Best of San Francisco Comedy Competition’ on March 29

Livermore’s Bankhead Theater will present the “Best of San Francisco Comedy Competition,” starting at 8 p.m. March 29. The show will be hosted by Stuart Thompson, a stand-up comedian, actor, voiceover actor and writer.

The featured comedian will be Dana Gould, who has six solo stand-up comedy specials to his credit. As an actor, Gould has had memorable turns on the “Seinfeld” and “Parks and Rec” television shows and is one of the few actors to play his live-action self on “Family Guy.” Tickets are available online at livermorearts.org.

— Livermore Valley Arts

Submit area arts-and-entertainment On Tap items to Judith Prieve at jprieve@bayareanewsgroup.com.