ANTIOCH

El Campanil Theatre’s Lobby Series starts this year at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31 with Nashville, Tennessee, recording artist Andy Kahrs and “Always On My Mind: A Country Songbook.”

This young talent traipses through the songbooks of Willie Nelson, Glen Campbell and many others in an intimate lobby setting limited to 50 patrons. Born and raised in Atlanta, Kahrs has never strayed from the soulful bends and warm twang of the music that sparked his desire to pick up a guitar and start writing music at age 15.

A cross-country move to San Francisco deepened the love and longing for his Southern roots and now, comfortably based in Nashville, a seasoned blend of blues, country, and bluegrass can be heard in his recorded music and live shows. Visit elcampaniltheatre.com online for tickets, which are $20 each.

— El Campanil Theatre

BRENTWOOD

Community chorus seeks new members for spring season

The Brentwood Community Chorus, under the direction of Susan Stuart, is preparing for its spring season and looking for new members. The chorus meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays at Brentwood Community United Methodist Church and is open to all ages and abilities.

If it sounds like fun, but you’re afraid you can’t commit to every Tuesday, organizers have a solution. Rehearsal tracks are provided when you register so you can practice on your own. Registration information is available online at brentwoodcommunitychorus.com.

— Brentwood Community Chorus

 

WALNUT CREEK

Audition Jan. 23 for Diablo Women’s Chorale’s new season

Diablo Women’s Chorale begins its new season on Jan. 23, and will hold auditions by appointment that evening from 6 to 9 p.m. The group encourages any woman with a love of music and spirited company to audition. Choral experience and music-reading ability are pluses but not required.

Full rehearsals are Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Walnut Creek United Methodist Church at 1543 Sunnyvale Ave. For information on membership and auditions, visit DiabloWomensChorale.org/join-us online or contact membership chair Nancy Hickman at 925-899-5050 or hickmandg@gmail.com.

— Diablo Women’s Chorale

See Valley Art Gallery’s ‘Wintermission’ exhibit till Feb. 4

“Wintermission,” Valley Art Gallery’s new show-between-shows, features selected works by gallery artists designed to warm and brighten even the longest, darkest winter days. Reflecting a wide range of styles, prices, motifs and media, it continues the gallery’s mission of presenting the best of the best from more than 100 East Bay artists.  Also on hand is a juried selection of locally created, one-of-a-kind fine crafts and jewelry. It will continue through Feb. 4.

“Wintermission” will be followed by an exhibit featuring the well-known East Bay artist Maralyn Miller. Miller works primarily in oils and pastels, painting the golden, rolling hills of California and depicting the rhythm of the lights and shadows as they sweep across the horizon. Her show will open Feb. 7 and run until March 18.

At 1661 Botelho Drive, Suite 110, in Walnut Creek, the Valley Art Gallery is free and open to the public from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information, go to valleyartgallery.org, call 925-935-4311 or e-mail valleyartgallery@gmail.com.

— Valley Art Gallery

Bedford Gallery to host Fong’s ‘Sensation of Color’ exhibit

The Bedford Gallery will soon present “Erin Fong: The Sensation of Color,” an exhibition that explores how the world’s myriad hues inform day-to-day experiences in subtle, often unconscious ways.

Through dedicated experimentation, the Bay Area artist and letterpress printer delves into how color affects emotional responses. “The Sensation of Color” will transform the Bedford Gallery into a vibrant lab full of the artist’s prints, paintings and installations. Visitors will be invited to tap into their individual and collective experience as they are immersed in hues across the spectrum, considering how colors make people feel and how they foster human connection.

This exhibition will feature several immersive installations, including “The Color Corridor,” a 17-foot maze that gradually changes color, allowing viewers to gauge how their feelings and mood change as they journey through it; and “Color Communion,” a large-scale sensory experience that incorporates light and sound components to let visitors further connect with themselves and the colors that surround them. Paintings and prints from Fong’s studio practice will also be highlighted.

The exhibit is on view from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday now through April 2 at the Bedford Gallery inside the Lesher Center for the Arts at 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek. For more information or to purchase tickets ($5 for general admission and free for Bedford Gallery members and children younger than 13), visit bedfordgallery.org online. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.

— Bedford Gallery

ORINDA

‘My Sailor, My Love’ showing for a week starting Friday

The Orinda Theatre will present the premiere of “My Sailor, My Love,” a co-production from Finland and Ireland, for one week starting Friday. Klaus Haro (“The Fencer,” “Elina”) directed this touching English-language film.

“My Sailor, My Love” is a story about a guilt-affected daughter-father relationship, but it’s also a love story between two elderly people, proving that a new beginning is never too late. The film centers around Howard, a retired sea captain who refuses any help from his daughter, Grace. When she hires Annie as domestic help for him, Howard unexpectedly falls in love. He gives all his affection to Annie and her family but rejects his own daughter. For more information, go to internationalshowcase.org.

— International Film Showcase

DANVILLE

Art gallery’s clay art, technology exhibit to open Jan. 21

The Village Theatre Art Gallery will start the new year with an exhibit featuring examples of different applications in clay alongside detailed information on the process of how they were made and how they are used.

“From Sand to Silicon Chip: New Technology in Clay” will open Jan. 21 and will be curated by longtime Bay Area resident John Toki, who has had a robust career as an artist, arts educator and lecturer and has been the recipient of many accolades and awards.

The exhibit will feature a comprehensive examination of the many uses of clay, how technology has been used to advance clay and vice versa. “From Sand to Silicon Chip” will run through March 18 with an artists’ opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 21 in the Village Theatre Art Gallery at 233 Front St. in Danville. Toki will be at the reception along with exhibiting artists and engineers. A date for a panel discussion will be announced in January.

The Village Theatre Art Gallery is open Wednesdays through Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Viewings are available by appointment Monday and Tuesday. For more information, contact Visual Arts Coordinator Marija Nelson Bleier at 925-314-3460 or mnelsonbleier@danville.ca.gov. Exhibit details are available online at danville.ca.gov/artgallery.

— Village Theatre Art Gallery

LIVERMORE

Bankhead Theatre offers taste of Broadway this month

Livermore Valley Arts is continuing a January packed with hits in the new year with a taste of the Great White Way (the iconic lights of Broadway) in the Tri-Valley. From a comedy stacked with Broadway-level talents in “Lucy Loves Desi: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23 to a current Broadway star, Jessica Vosk from “Wicked” at 8 p.m. Jan. 27, the Bankhead will bring some dazzling live theater offerings for the community in this first month of the year.

Both of these performances will be at the Bankhead Theater. Tickets are $2 to $80 for “Lucy Loves Desi” and $55 to $65 for the Vosk show. Call 925-373-6800 or go to livermorearts.org/event-list.

— Livermore Valley Arts

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