Event Calendar January & February 2015


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Image courtesy of Fuchila Fresheners.
Image courtesy of Fuchila Fresheners.

Featured Event: Fúchila Fresheners Launch Party | 1/31

Check out Fúchila Fresheners at the launch party hosted by Chacho’s Mexican Eatery in Downtown San Jose located on 87 E. San Fernando St. The festivities will feature music by DJ Too Tall, specialty drinks, goodies, gift bags, raffles, and other great surprises. http://www.fuchilafresheners.com

Two Decades of Friendship Movie Festival | 1/24
10am Opening Ceremony 10:30am “A Year in the Clouds” Screening 12pm-1pm Light Lunch 1pm “Touch of the Light” Screening. Join the County of Santa Clara / Hsinchu County, Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC) Sister County Commission for the Two Decades of Friendship Movie Festival (1994-2014) to celebrate its 20th anniversary, honoring 20 years of friendship. The movie festival includes an opening ceremony, light lunch and film screenings of “A Year in the Clouds” and “Touch of the Light” (both with English subtitles). Location: Isaac Newton Senter Auditorium – County Government Center, 70 W Hedding Street, San Jose 95110 More information call 408-299-5115 or email sistercounties@ceo.sccgov.org Ticket Information: $10 for general admission *Note: Seating is limited. http://www.sccgov.org/sites/sistercounty/Hsinchu/meeting/Pages/Events.aspx

Santa Clara University New Music Festival | 1/28-1/30
The 2015 New Music Festival at Santa Clara Univeristy will celebrate the life and work of Alvin Lucier, American composer and pioneer of experimental music and sound installations. The Festival comprises three days of conerts, lectures, and workshops with the presence of the composer himself. Lucier has been a pioneer in many areas of music composition and performance, including the notation of performer’s physical gestures, the use of brain waves in live performance, and the evocation of room acoustics for musical purposes. Location: Santa Clara University – Recital Hall, Franklin and Lafayette Street, Building 114, Santa Clara 95053. Ticket Information: $5-$15 http://scupresents.org/performances/music-and-choral-ensembles-santa-clara-university-new-music-festival

The American Economy (Indie Rock, Blues) – Beer Friday | 1/30
The American Economy’s back at one of their favorite events, Beer Friday at Devil’s Canyon Brewery. Enjoy a family friendly, admission-free evening of live music, rotating food trucks and an award-winning selection of sustainably handcrafted beer and root beer. There will be great beer, great music and great people! 8:30pm-11pm. Location: Devil’s Canyon Brewery, 935 Washington Street San Carlos 94070. Ticket Information: Free Ages 21+ (or with an adult) https://www.facebook.com/events/1575001276047054/?pnref=story

12th Annual Arts Panorama | 1/30
A gala event to sample, celebrate, and support the diverse performing arts of the Silicon Valley Arts Coalition Member Organizations. It’s a night out with all the trimmings! There is a full concert (with intermission) that features various performances from our Member groups. There is food and wine to accompany the entire evening. There is also a Silent Auction of a wide variety of interesting items from a weekend at a private home in Santa Cruz to artwork by local artists, tickets to performance events, a Limited Edition #53 Navarro Bowman football, tickets to Sonoma Raceway event and even a Greek Dinner for 10 prepared and served in your own home! A gallery of offered items is coming soon! All proceeds from the event are used to fund the primary mission of the Silicon Valley Arts Coalition which is to support marketing and outreach to broaden awareness of the superb arts organizations in the South Bay that enrich our lives with their art. 6:30pm Location: Trianon Theatre, 72 N 5th Street, San Jose 95112. Ticket Information: $30 http://www.svarts.org/

Jessimae Peluso | 1/29-1/31
Starring in MTV’s hit series “Girl Code” has propelled fiery stand-up comic Jessimae Peluso to new and deserved heights. Tough-talking, narcissistic, and intoxicatingly raw and honest, Peluso riffs on everything from her fear of children and her infatuation with John Stamos to her inability to talk dirty with her Syracuse accent. Recently named one of the funniest comics to follow on Twitter by The Huffington Post, Peluso’s other television appearances include programs such as E!’s “Chelsea Lately,” MTV’s “Failosophy,” and The CW’s “The Tyra Banks Show.” Thurs: 8pm Fri: 8pm, 10:15pm Sat: 7pm, 9:15pm. Location: Improv Comedy Club, 62 S 2nd Street , San Jose 95113.Ticket Information: $20 Two-item minimum Ages 18+ http://sanjose.improv.com/

The Libation Bearers | 1/16 – 2/1
Orestes returns home from exile upon learning that his mother, Clytemnestra, has murdered his father, King Agamemnon, and placed her lover on the throne of Argos. Orestes seeks out his sister, Electra, and together they embark on a plan to seek bloody justice for their father. A dramatic family story that shows how violence begets violence, “The Libation Bearers,” written by Aeschylus, the father of tragedy, is the second play in the historic Orestia trilogy. Though it was first performed in 458 BCE, the Orestia’s influences can been seen in everything from Shakespeare to O’Neill and is the template for the modern trilogy. Thurs-Sat: 8pm Sun: 2pm. Location: Dragon Theatre, 2120 Broadway Street , Redwood City 94063 Ticket Information: $22 http://www.dragonproductions.net/

What’s New, 2015? – Exhibition | 1/9 Friday – 2/1
It’s a new year and a time for new explorations by the diverse group of artists at the Peninsula Art Institute. Sculpture, painting, photography, millinery and jewelry–all will be on exhibit in the gallery as part of the “What’s New, 2015?” exhibition. Artists with work in the exhibit include: June Levin, Eunice Chan, Neil Murphy, Roberta Salma, Kevyn Warnock, Abbas Orumchian, Linda Salter, Nancy Woods, Rob Browne, Michael Kesselman, John Csongradi, Lisa Babbitt, Doris Arrington, Doriane Heyman, Kay Podolsky, Wayne Wichern, and Winnie van der Rijn. Wed-Sun: 11am-5pm Location: Peninsula Museum of Art, 1777 California Drive, Burlingame 94010. Ticket Information: Free http://www.peninsulaartinstitute.org/

Well Pressed Highlights from the Marmor Collection – Exhibition | 10/14- 2/2
Over the last decade, the Marmor family and its Foundation have given the Cantor approximately 200 contemporary artworks, primarily prints. Their extraordinary donation includes works by America’s most internationally admired artists and constitutes an overview of the lively and diverse range of American print publications from the late 1960s through the 1980s. The 13 objects in this installation–11 from the Marmor holdings and two given by others–include early and late works by Jasper Johns, unconventional approaches to the print process by Roy Lichtenstein and Claes Oldenburg, and representative lithographs by Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Serra, and Frank Stella. Wed-Mon: 11am-5pm Thurs: 11am-8pm. Location: Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, Lomita Drive & Museum Way, Stanford 94305-5060 Ticket Information: Free. http://museum.stanford.edu/

Latina Success Network Start Up Academy | Application Deadline 2/7

The LSN Start Up Academy is a 3-Month, group structured, 6-module specific, curriculum based program delivered virtually and meeting once a month in person. Only 20 women will be chosen for the first cohort of the Academy of 2015. Currently we are reviewing over 70 applications. Out of these 20 accepted participants, 3-5 businesses will be identified for Acceleration later in the year). Modules are delivered virtually and participants will have at least two weeks in between to complete each one for their specific business. On the group calls each module will be reviewed and participants will be able to ask all pertinent questions regarding each module. Participants will be encouraged to form Academy triads with other participants in order to increase success. http://www.latinasuccessnetwork.com/#!programs/c1oaa

Lunar New Year Concert | 2/7
El Camino Youth Symphony (ECYS) presents their fourth annual “Lunar New Year Concert.” The festival features the ECYS Senior Symphony and Sinfonietta Orchestras, along with special guest California Youth Chinese Symphony. Some of the selections planned for this evening include: Li Huanzhi’s “Spring Festival Overture”; Sarasate’s “Ziguenerweisen,” Offenbach’s “Parisienne”; selections from Bao Yuankai’s “Chinese Sights and Sounds”; and Chen and He’s “Butterfly Lover’s Concerto.” 4pm Location: Flint Center for the Performing Arts, 21250 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Cupertino 95014. Ticket Information: $15-$25 http://www.ecys.org/events/event_details.asp?id=465828&group=

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | 1/16 – 2/8
A musical satire of 1960s big business and all it held sacred, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a little handbook called “How to Succeed in Business” to climb the corporate ladder from lowly window washer to high-powered executive, tackling such familiar but potent dangers as the company man, the office party, backstabbing co-workers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love. This blockbuster musical comedy features a beloved score packed with such hit standards as “I Believe in You,” “Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm,” “The Company Way,” “Been a Long Day,” “Rosemary,” and “Brotherhood of Man.” Fri, Sat: 8pm Sun: 2pm. Location: Pacifica Spindrift Theatre, 1050 Crespi Drive, Pacifica 94044. Ticket Information: $25-$30 http://www.pacificaspindriftplayers.org/

Aziz Ansari | 2/8
Aziz Ansari is one of the biggest stars in the comedy world. In 2012, Rolling Stone put him on the cover of their special comedy issue, labeling him “the funniest man under 30.” In October, Aziz Ansari became one of only a few comedians to headline Madison Square Garden in New York, successfully performing two soldout stand-up comedy shows in front of more than 20,000 fans. These shows were filmed for his fourth hour-long special to be released in 2015. He continues to perform stand-up for tens of thousands of people in theaters and arenas throughout the world. Ansari has starred in NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” which is about to embark on its seventh and final season, since its first season in 2009. He is currently on a stand-up tour, and his stand-up special “Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive” hit Netflix on November 1, 2013. Ansari’s film credits include “This Is the End,” “Funny People,” “I Love You, Man,” “Observe and Report,” and “30 Minutes or Less.” 8pm. Location: SAP Center, 525 W Santa Clara Street, San Jose 95113. Ticket Information: $32-$72 http://www.sapcenteratsanjose.com/events/detail/aziz-ansari

Story of the Defeated – Exhibition | 1/16 – 2/15
Opening Night 1/16: 7pm-9pm Artist Talk with Angela Pryor 1/25: 2pm; There are three new exhibitions at Sanchez Art Center. “Story of the Defeated,” with Angela Pryor’s beautiful, intense, and moving paintings concerning the disappeared victims of repression in Argentina, will grace the Main Gallery. The Art Guild of Pacifica presents a group show, “Love and Loss,” in the West Gallery, and the East Gallery features Fog Fest Invitational showing work by award winners and judges from the 2014 Fog Fest Photo Contest. The opening reception for all three shows will be held on Friday, January 16 from 7pm to 9pm, with piano music by Alex Balmaceda, refreshments, free parking, and a wonderful evening of art. Angela Pryor’s deeply touching paintings, with their unique and haunting beauty, encourage us to acknowledge the existence and then the loss of victims of repression in Argentina (and other countries), the defeated ones who cannot speak for themselves and whose disappearance left no witnesses to speak for them. To this end, Pryor chose the image of Betina Tarnopolsky, who at 15 years of age was taken from her grandmother’s house in the middle of the night, never to be seen again. Her parents and one brother and his wife also were “disappeared.” Of this family, only one brother, Daniel, survives today. Location: Sanchez Art Center, 1220 Linda Mar Boulevard, Pacifica 94044 Ticket Information: Free http://www.sanchezartcenter.org/

Latinas Think Big Free Webinar: Get the Funds You Need for College | 2/12

Latinas Think Big presents its first webinar for 2015. GETTING INTO COLLEGE is only 50% of the goal. Paying for college is the other half. Learn financial ‘smarts’ at this free webinar for parents and students! Led by two seasoned financial aid and college admissions experts: Roxanne Ocampo and Casey Galindo. Sign up ASAP to reserve a spot. Registered attendees will receive additional resources prior to and after the webinar. Thursday, February 12, 2015 from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM (EST) http://bit.ly/1tZuLHi

Altering Your Mindset for 2015 Success | 2/14
Where would you like to end up at the end of 2015? We start off the LSN calendar with one of the most important workshops of the year: “Altering Your Mindset for 2015 Success,” on Saturday, February 14. It is pretty hard to plan for success if you are carrying around programming that no longer serves you. Harder still is if you try to do it alone. Studies have shown that the key to achieving success is to do it and experience it within a supportive community of like minded individuals. In this professional development mini-workshop you will learn hands on tools, so that you stay on track with achieving the success you want for yourself in 2015. Also, you will get to meet some of our new members. If you are not local and would still like to benefit from this information, sign up for the virtual workshop. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/latina-success-network-lsn-altering-your-mindset-for-2015-success-tickets-15464811668

The Vagina Monologues Encore Fundraiser Show 2/12 – 2/15
First produced in 1996, this episodic production is a series of monologues focusing on women’s empowerment and the female experience. An Obie Award-winning whirlwind tour of a forbidden zone, “The Vagina Monologues” introduces a wildly divergent gathering of female voices, including a six-year-old girl, a septuagenarian New Yorker, a vagina workshop participant, a woman who witnesses the birth of her granddaughter, a Bosnian survivor of rape, and a feminist happy to have found a man who “liked to look at it.” Pacifica Spindrift Players is excited to bring this Encore Performance back after rave reviews in 2014! Thurs-Sat: 8pm Sun: 2pm. Please note: this show contains adult themes and language. Location: Pacifica Spindrift Theatre, 1050 Crespi Drive, Pacifica 94044. Ticket Information: $25 http://www.pacificaspindriftplayers.org/

Computer History Museum at AAAS Family Science Days | 2/14 – 2/15
This community science showcase–featuring hands-on demonstrations and other family and kid-friendly activities–shines a spotlight on a broad range of formal and informal science educators who promote an interest in science among the general public. The Computer History Museum will have a double-sized booth, with hands-on artifacts from our Exploration Station, Raspberry Pi station, Meccano Babbage models, and working vintage computers. One of our curators, Chris Garcia, will be speaking and presenting onstage from 3:00pm-3:30pm on Saturday about how “Everything New is Really Old.” Technology moves pretty fast, but every hot new product has roots, including products that were ahead of their time or just plain not ready. From GoogleGlass to AppleWatch, you can find strange, wonderful forerunners to today’s hot tech. Location: San Jose Convention Center, 150 W San Carlos Street, San Jose 95113.Ticket Information: Free http://meetings.aaas.org/

Condors and People How We Live (or Die) Together – Audubon Speaker Series |2/18
Tonight’s speaker is condor researcher Nicole Sault. While condors are once again flying over the California countryside, they are still endangered throughout the Americas, where they are threatened by habitat loss, lead, micro-trash, hunting and poisoning, and even a growing feather trade and use in religious ceremonies. Nicole’s presentation will provide an anthropological perspective on how a wide variety of people in the Andes view condors, and she will address issues that California Condors face.7:30pm Doors Open 8pm Program Begins. Location: Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto 94303. Ticket Information: Free; no RSVP is necessary. http://www.scvas.org/index.php?page=text&id=monthlymeeting#feb

Fantasia – Screening with Live Symphony Orchestra | 2/14 – 2/15

Disney shares one of its crown jewels of feature animation with Symphony Silicon Valley, accompanying scenes from Walt Disney’s original “Fantasia” from 1940 and Disney’s “Fantasia 2000,” highlighting a selection of the magnificent repertoire from both films, including Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite.” Other iconic moments from Disney’s stunning footage, such as Mickey Mouse as he dabbles in magic in Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and the mythical unicorns and winged horses that accompany Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony,” will also be shown in high definition on the big screen. Location: San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Boulevard, San Jose 95113. Ticket Information: $44-$80

LUNAFEST | 2/20

San Jose features eight award-winning short films by, for, and about women. (See a full list of the films at: lunafest.org/the-films) And the evening includes delicious food and drink: Dinner provided by Catered Too!, Wine provided by Clos LaChance Winery, Beer provided by Gordon Biersch Brewery, and movie theater snacks provided by Strickland Family LLC.  Standard seating is included with all tickets, but as in past years, luxury “Living Room” seating will be auctioned to the highest bidder.  From 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Dinner and drinks at 6:00, films start at 7:00 p.m.  San Jose Woman’s Club, 75 S. 11th St, San Jose Free street parking or paid parking at the S. 10th St. and E. San Fernando St. garage. Note: parking is restricted on the 00 block of S. 12th St $50 General Admission, $20 Students http://www.sjwomansclub.org/lunafest.html

An Evening with Rosario Dawson: Maverick Spirit Award | 2/28

“You only live once. You don’t want your tombstone to read: ‘Played it Safe.’” – Rosario Dawson. Rosario Dawson paves her own path. While she could easily select generic projects, she chooses roles that speak to her as an artist and as a human being. It is her unbridled passion and provocative, uninhibited approach that continually leaves the audience profoundly impacted. Born and raised in New York City amongst poverty in a rundown tenement, Dawson takes great pride in the incredible love she has for family. Raised by her mother, a singer of Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban descent, and her stepfather, a construction laborer of Irish descent, she uses the struggles and challenges she faced in her youth as inspiration—often selecting gritty, edgy, urban roles. Moderated by Jennifer Siebel Newsom  Tickets: $20 Location: California Theatre http://bit.ly/16ptq2i

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change | 2/6 – 2/28
Hailed as the second-longest running Off Broadway musical, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” is a celebration of the universal mating game! Nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award as Outstanding Musical, this comedy takes on the truths and myths behind that contemporary conundrum known as “the relationship.” This hilarious revue pays tribute to those who have loved and lost, those who have fallen on their faces at the portal of romance, and those who have dared to ask, “Say, what are you doing Saturday night?” Fri, Sat: 8pm Sun: 2pm. Location: Mel Mello Center for the Arts, 1167 Main Street, Half Moon Bay 94019 Ticket Information: $27-$45 http://www.coastalrep.com/

Venus in Fur | 2/4 – 3/1
A playwright-director can’t find the right woman to star in his adaptation of the 19th century, erotic, power exchange novel “Venus in Furs.” He auditions one last actress who seems to embody all the flaws he decries, but whose almost innate understanding of the character sweeps them into an experience that blurs the lines between real life and the script they’re reading. Wed, Thurs: 7:30pm Fri, Sat: 8pm Sun: 2pm Location: San Jose Stage Theater, 490 S 1st Street, San Jose95113 http://www.thestage.org/

Tet Festival – Vietnamese New Year Festival – 2/28 – 3/1
This year’s Tet Festival, “Passport to Vietnam,” is celebrating 40 years of Vietnamese-American accomplishments. Tet, or Lunar New Year, is the most important Vietnamese holiday where people celebrate the good fortunes of the upcoming year by getting together with friends, families and the community. 2015 marks the forty-year anniversary since the first wave of Vietnamese migration to America. With that spirit, our Tet Festival’s theme, “Passport to Vietnam – Celebrating 40 Years of Vietnamese-American Accomplishments,” will bring families, younger generations and other communities together to experience the culture of Vietnam. The event will showcase Vietnamese-American talents, along with Vietnamese specialty dishes, activities, and attire from each of the three regions of Vietnam: North, Central, and South. Activities will include: firecrackers, Lion Dance, Ao Dai contest, traditional dances, martial arts, cultural ceremony, cultural village, pho challenge, watermelon eating contest, talent show, chess competition, commercial vendors, community booths, food tasting, cooking contest, smelling contest, carnival games, carnival rides, VIP section, and more. Sat, Sun: 10am-10pm. Location: History Park, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose 95112. Ticket Information: $10 for General Admission Day Pass ($7 for Early Bird) $7 for Students or Seniors Day Pass ($5 for Early Bird) $3 for children under 4 feet tall (available at gate only) Free for toddlers (ages 1-3), veterans with uniform, and those wearing Ao Dai or traditional clothing $100 for VIP Day Pass ($75 for Early Bird) http://tetsanjose.org/

The Vagina Monologues | 2/12 – 2/14
Location: CSU Monterey Bay World Theater 100 Campus Center, Building 28, Seaside, CA 93955-8001 8:00PM (TBD) http://worldtheater.csumb.edu/calendar-events

5th Chicana/o Biennial | 12/ 5- 3/14

Image courtesy of MACLA.
Image courtesy of MACLA.

Work by Juana Alicia, Carmen Argote, Jesus Barraza & Melanie Cervantes as Dignidad Rebelde, Adriana Garcia, Wayne Alaniz Healy, Ester Hernandez, Judithe Hernández, Miguel “Bounce” Perez, Tony de los Reyes, Celia Herrera Rodriguez, Sonia Romero, Alex Rubio, Ana Serrano, Shizu Saldamando, Patssi Valdez, and Linda Vallejo. An exhibition and public forum to reflect on the critical edge and aesthetic interventions within contemporary Chicano art. Curated by Joey Reyes. http://maclaarte.org/programs/visual-arts/