ETHEREAL ART Pop-up art shows seem to be all the rage these days, but don’t miss Stephen Maffin’s, which runs from June 7 through Sunday June 10 with an opening reception at 7 pm Friday at 1625 Stannage Avenue. Maffin applies a layer of plaster to burlap and then forms it against plate glass to provide a flat, smooth ground for painting. Once dried, the working surface is sealed. After it dries, Maffin breaks the plaster surface, creating a pattern of cracks that he stains and then paints. The result is multi-layerd and a bit ethereal.
UNDER THE OAKS There is nothing like a warm day underneath the leafy canopy of Live Oak Park in north Berkeley. This weekend, the park will come alive with crafts, food and family fun for the 42nd annual Live Oak Park Fair. Admission is free, and fair organizers have arranged from shuttle service every half hour from the North Berkeley BART station. The fair runs Saturday and Sunday, June 9 & 10 from 10 am to 6 pm.
IMMIGRANT VOICES La Peňa continues the celebration of its 37th birthday on Friday June 8 with a night of dancing to the tunes of the Adult Puerto-Rican Ensemble. Doors open at 6:00 pm for a reception and series of class recitals. On Saturday June 9, the LP 2nd Generation presents: “Immigrant Voices Festival The Celebration and Struggle of the Universal Immigrant Voice.” Jeff Chang will speak on immigrant rights at 7:00 pm. All events at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley 94705.
THE WRITTEN WORD An astonishing 10 East Bay authors are up for awards at the Northern California Book Awards ceremony on Sunday June 10 at 1 pm at the San Francisco Main Public Library. Berkeley’s own Michael Pollan will receive the Fred Cody Award for Lifetime Achievement. Other Berkeley nominees include Adam Hochschild, Edie Meidav, Mary Mackey, Sandra Gilbert, and Barry Eichengreen. Applaud the nominees and celebrate with them at a public reception following the ceremony. And read Karen Law’s profiles of several of the nominated writers that we have published on Berkeleyside over the past couple of weeks.
COOL BRITANNIA Look out hipsters: round two of the British invasion is here with the “Freight Goes British Revue #3.” Topping the bill is Yardbirds tribute band The RaveUps “performing the bluesy psychedelic music of the Yardbirds in an earthy, organic mode”. Also performing: Berkeley-based indie-pop band Local Hero (read the Berkeleyside story about them); one-woman music machine Theresa Sawi — the Girl Named T — who recently recorded her first full-length album of original pop/rock, which draws on formative influences including the great British and American pop records of the 1960s; and music-savvy youngsters The Blondies. Saturday June 9, 8:00 pm-10:30 pm at The Freight & Salvage. Tickets: $20.50 advance / $22.50 at door.
To find out about more events in Berkeley and nearby, visit Berkeleyside’s Events Calendar. And submit your own events — it’s free!
