by Juliana Birnbaum Fox
Grupo Niche of Colombia, a unique salsa storm, Sat. April 25, at Club Roccapulco, 3140 Mission St. For more information call 415-648-6611.
An exhibition of five Venezuelan and five North American artists entitled 5X5 PLURALISM is being presented at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco from April 24 until May 30, with an opening reception at 7 p.m. on May 2. “Casitas Voladoras” will run parallel, presenting recent works by Caleb Duarte (paintings, sculpture and video) and Sabrina Antonio (jewelry). The Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts is located at 2868 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. For more information go to www.missionculturalcenter.org.
Rebuilding Together Peninsula to renovate homes
Neighbors in distressed neighborhoods throughout San Mateo and northern Santa Clara counties will soon have safer, warmer, more accessible, and more energy efficient places to live and meet thanks to the efforts of more than 3,000 volunteers working with Rebuilding Together Peninsula on Saturday, April 25. The day-long event will begin at 8am when volunteers arrive at renovation sites including the Pacifica Resource Center, the San Mateo Women’s Recovery Association, the Kainos Home and Training center, and several more community facilitites. RSVP to Kate Comfort Harr at kate@rebuildingtogetherpeninsula.org or 650-366-3697.
The Commonwealth Club Presents “The Urgency of Action in the Age of Obama”
Executive Director of the ACLU, Anthony Romero, will break down why current economic crises and international pressures may force the Obama Administration to push divisive issues such as gay rights and the war on terror aside. An attorney with a history of public-interest activism, Romero is the first openly gay man and the first Hispanic to serve as director of the ACLU. In 2005 Time Magazine named him one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics and “The Champion of Civil Rights.” Meet on Thursday, April 30 for a 5:30 p.m. reception and 6 p.m. program at the Club office, 595 Market St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco. Tickets are $12 for Members, $18 for Non-Members, $7 for Students (with valid ID). To buy tickets call 415/597-6705 or register at www.commonwealthclub.org.
Mamá Art Cafe presents “Sweet and Spicy: Images of Home”
Sonja Norwood’s new photographs, urrently on view through April 30, range in perspective from close studies of Medocino wildlife to wide-angle images of neighborhood activity in the Excelsior District of San Francisco. Mamá Art Café is located at 4754 Mission St. in San Francisco; for more information go to www.mamasf.com.
Mission Branch Annual Open House and Cinco de Mayo Celebration
Join us for polkas, rancheras, cumbias, and more music from Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. The celebration features Rafael Manriquez with Latin folk rhythms influenced by the Spanish, Native American and African cultures at 1 p.m., Charitie Bolling/Le Petit Jolie with a Henna workshop at 2 p.m., and La Familia Peña-Govea at 3:30 p.m. This FREE event will be held Saturday, May 2 at the Mission Branch Library, 300 Bartlett St. in San Francisco, CA. For more information call (415) 355-2800. Light refreshments will be served.
“Voices Change Lives” 19th Anniversary SpeakOut Banquet
Honoring Angela Y. Davis, Elizabeth ‘Betita’ Martinez and Howard Zinn and including dinner, music, performances, dancing, and a silent auction, the SpeakOut annual banquet will be held Saturday, May 2, from 6:30 – 10:00 p.m. With live performances by Marc Bamuthi Joseph, members of the Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble and The John Santos Sextet. A delicious dinner will be provided by Breads of India. At the Asian Cultural Center, 388 – 9th St. # 290 in Oakland. Tickets are $45 and available by calling the 24/7 ticket hotline at 1-800-838-3006. For more information contact SpeakOut at (510) 601-0182 or at events@speakoutnow.org.
