SKATING IN PALESTINE Adam Abel, a New York City filmmaker, will premiere his newest project Friday night at La Peña Cultural Center. The film, called Qalqilya, will show at 7:00 p.m. It’s a feature-length documentary about “Sajed, a Palenstinian skater, who mentors a group of Palestinian youth who skate, do parkour, and perform beatbox and hip-hop in Qalqilya, a city in the West Bank of Palestine,” according to the La Peña website. More information is available at the film’s website. You can make donations to the film at the premiere or at this website. Make your reservation online now.
EAST BAY OPEN STUDIOS This year more than 400 artists from 13 East Bay cities will be opening their studios to the public for the East Bay Open Studios. The event, which runs June 7-8, and June 14-15, is an opportunity for art enthusiasts to meet artists, discover new neighborhoods and purchase affordable art in the place where artists actually work, according to the organization’s website. The free studio visits run 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. both days of both weekends. Pro Arts will also host an Open Studios happy hour this Friday from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. to celebrate the beginning of the event. View the directory and studio maps on the Pro Arts website.
PINTS FOR PAWS Sample 80 craft beers from over 20 craft breweries at the Pints for Paws event this Saturday 2-5 p.m. All proceeds go to benefit Berkeley Humane, and there will be live music and food trucks. The event is limited to those 21 and over. Berkeley Humane is hosting at 1050 Parker St. and tickets cost $35 online and $40 at the door. Read the Berkeleyside article for more details.
MEDITATION AS MEDICINE The Nyingma Institute will host a free talk by co-dean Sylvia Gretchen on the connection between Tibetan medicine and meditation. The talk, which will be held Sunday 6-7 p.m. at the Nyingma Institute, will focus on using meditation as a healing practice. Feel free to arrive at 3 p.m. for light refreshments and some introductory meditation. Regular Sunday chanting runs 5-6 p.m. before the talk and is free and open to the public.
MUSIC & DANCE OF ZIMBABWE The Ashkenaz music and dance community center will host Julia Chigamba and Chinyakare in an uplifting benefit concert Saturday night. The group will be joined by Mohamed Lamine Bangoura and the KTO Project’s founder/director Kelly Takunda Orphan. The concert will feature musicians from both Africa and the United States and all funds raised will be donated to the Chigamba Cultural Center in Harare, Zimbabwe, a center dedicated to preserving traditional Zimbabwean music and dance. The show begins at 9:30 p.m. and costs $12 for student and advance tickets, $15 at the door. Buy advance tickets at the Ashkenaz website and read more at the Chinyakare website.
Don’t miss these other events recently featured on Berkeleyside:
Once in a lifetime chance to see plant bloom in Berkeley
BOSS to honor Berkeley’s ‘Rising Stars’ on Thursday
23 Berkeley high school students awarded BCF scholarships
New festival turns Center Street into ‘fun central’
Check out Berkeleyside’s event calendar for many more events, and make sure to post your own community happenings.
