ALTA CALIFORNIA In October 2014, a group of artists from Oakland, Berlin and Guadalajara began to travel, pushing against walls and borders from the permeable walls of a tent. Departing from the mythical island known as Alta California, they have been mapping geography and possibility for the last three months. The last segment of this body of work will arrive at Berkeley Art Center, as the Mobile Office for Applications for Passport and Visas to a Borderless Country. “On bicycles, towing balloons, wooden appendages, desks and signs, they ask the progressive city of Berkeley to recognize hidden work and dreams while cultivating the borderless imaginary.” Alta California is a project of Ann Schnake/MobileInTent with Victor Figueroa Infante, Marlet Torres Martínez/la compañia de artes vivas Alariete, with creative input from Ursula Maria Berzborn, Theater Grotest Maru and Kunsthaus KuLe, Berlin. Admission free, 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 24, Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Berkeley.
LINES & FACES It’s the last weekend for the Garage Gallery exhibition, Lines & Faces, The Press of Robert Woods & Alan Bern. The artist Woods and the poet Bern have collaborated for over 40 years, producing work that, by combining word and image, expresses “more than either could alone.” They plan, design and print these broadsides on a Vandercook, an 80-year old letterpress printing press, originally used as a proofing machine for the newspaper industry. Open Saturday, Jan. 24 and Sunday, Jan. 25, 2-5 p.m., Garage Gallery, 3110 Wheeler St.
REGGAE CHILDREN’S MUSICAL Bob Marley’s music, children’s theater, and a story of Jamaican village life. What more could you want? The Bay Area Children’s Theater is performing the California premiere of Three Little Birds, A New Reggae Children’s Musical, opening Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse. Based on a story by Cedella Marley and adapted for the stage by Michael J. Bobbitt, “Three Little Birds” features the music of reggae great Marley, with additional music and lyrics by John L. Cornelius II. The BACT says, “Watch out for evil Duppy, but ‘don’t worry about a thing, ’cause every little thing gonna be all right!” Recommended for ages four and up. Shows at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday through Feb. 15. Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, 2020 Addison St. Tickets $22, $18 children.
ELLINGTON AT THE HILLSIDE Jazz trumpeter Erik Jakabson and his String-tet team up with jazz pianist Adam Shulman to perform works of Duke Ellington. Jakabson’s ensemble features Antony Blea on violin, Charith Premawardhana on viola, Michael Zilber on sax, Dillon Vado on vibes, John Wiitala on bass and Smith Donson on drums. Ellington’s music has been re-arranged for the chamber ensemble, “which features plenty of improvisation from these seasoned performers.” Friday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m., Berkeley Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets $20 general, $15 students and seniors, $10 Hillside Club members. [Read more about this and other notable gigs tonight in our music critic Andy Gilbert’s preview.]
ABOUT NOTHING Mathematician Amir Aczel will be talking about his new book, “Finding Zero: A mathematician’s odyssey to uncover the origins of numbers,” Saturday, Jan. 24, at Pegasus Books. In his quest to understand our invention of numerals, Aczel criss-crossed the globe and immersed himself in ancient Babylonian, Greek, Roman and Arabic texts. He ended up, apparently, in the jungles of Cambodia. “There he is blown away to find the earliest zero—the keystone of our entire system of numbers—on a crumbling, vine-covered wall of a seventh-century temple adorned with eaten-away erotic sculptures.” Free, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 24, Pegasus Books, 2349 Shattuck St.
Don’t miss these other events featured on Berkeleyside:
Paul Hanson: Bringing the bass(oon) to Berkeley Friday
Viral internet star Grumpy Car comes to Berkeley
Bites: what’s going on the East Bay food scene
Check out Berkeleyside’s event calendar for many more events, and make sure to post your own community happenings.
