Music, Art and M*A*S*H

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Maria Muldaur

Maria Muldaur will be playing a special “Evening With” show on Saturday, June 15, at Dancing Crow Vineyards in Hopland. Muldaur, perhaps best known for her 1973 hit song, “Midnight at the Oasis,” has recorded albums in the folk, blues, early jazz, gospel, country and R&B traditions. Her latest album is 2020’s Let’s Get Happy Together, featuring Tuba Skinny. She first rose to fame as a member of the Even Dozen Jug Band, which included Bay Area luminary David “Dawg” Grisman, as part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s. The show, featuring Maria Muldaur & Her Red Hot Bluesiana Band, will start at 6pm, Saturday, June 15, at Dancing Crow Vineyards, 12141 Hewlett Sturtevant Rd., Hopland. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased via bit.ly/mm-dcw. For more information about the venue, visit dancingcrow.com.

Yountville

M*A*S*H Bash

Napa Valley Museum and the Tug McGraw Foundation invite the public to swing into summer at a M*A*S*H Bash at Rosie’s Bar, inside the Main Gallery exhibition “Warrior Dogs.” Party like it’s 4077 with a visit to Korea’s 4077th Mobile Surgical Hospital Unit, inspired by the hit TV series and film M*A*S*H. Live dance music will be performed by the Paper Moon trio, and Kamikaze cocktails will be made with Humboldt Distillery vodka. Wines by Rescue Dog Wines will be available. The event includes admission to “Warrior Dogs: Honoring the Service & Sacrifice of America’s Four-Legged Fighters.” A costume contest will be featured, inviting guests to come as their favorite M*A*S*H character. Prizes will be awarded for the best costume and the winner of the M*A*S*H trivia game. Tickets include music, cocktails and wine tastings. The bash will be held from 5 to 7:30pm, Saturday, June 15, at the Napa Valley Museum Yountville, 55 Presidents Cir. Tickets are $25 for museum members, active military, veterans and first responders, and $35 for general admission. Must be 21 to attend. Free parking is available. For more information, visit the Napa Valley Museum website at napavalleymuseum.org.

Santa Rosa

Art on South A

The Santa Rosa Arts Center gallery will be transformed into a spectrum of color with artwork created by local artists. Paintings, photographs and other visual art primarily dominated by one color will be arranged around the gallery to create a horizontal rainbow. Augmenting these will be other colorful rainbow pictures. The exhibition runs from June 7 to July 28. An artists’ reception will be held from 5 to 8pm, Friday, June 7, at the Santa Rosa Arts Center, 312 South A St. For more information, contact Simmon Factor at 707.293.6051 or the Santa Rosa Arts Center at 707.526.0135 or via email at in**@*****************er.org.

San Rafael

No Silly Matter

Social justice artist Evri Kwong will discuss his latest work, “King Cotton and Other Silly Matters,” at an art talk at the San Rafael City Hall Council Chambers this Thursday, June 6. Kwong was born in San Francisco and raised in the Bay Area. He attended the San Francisco Art Institute, receiving a BFA and MFA in drawing and painting. During graduate school, Kwong was awarded a full fellowship to study at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine. He has received grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the Lannan Foundation and the Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation. Currently, he is an adjunct professor of drawing and painting at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. Kwong’s art talk runs from 6 to 7pm, Thursday, June 6, at the San Rafael City Hall Council Chambers, 1400 Fifth Ave.

For the Love of Country

Old Dominion headliners at Country Summer Music Fest

With nearly two dozen acts—including headliners Little Big Town, Jordan Davis, Walker Hayes, Brett Young and Jo Dee Messina—the Country Summer Music Festival in Santa Rosa (June 14-16) has assembled the crème de la crème of contemporary country. The cherry on top is Old Dominion.

And with several hits over the past decade, like “Break Up With Him,” “One Man Band” and “Memory Lane,” it seemed the good times (and tunes) would go on indefinitely. But like many bands, Old Dominion had their world turned upside down when the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, and touring shut down. The situation nearly sapped the life out of Old Dominion altogether.

“We found ourselves doing a lot of the stuff that it takes to be in a band that is not fun, without being able to do the stuff that was fun,” lead singer/guitarist Matthew Ramsey recalled in a recent phone interview. “It just became, every decision and every meeting, it’s tough to connect over Zoom and conference calls, and we just lost that connection.”

Today, the good times are back for Ramsey and his bandmates, guitarist/keyboardist Trevor Rosen, guitarist Brad Tursi, drummer Whit Sellers and bassist Geoff Sprung, as they have maintained a busy schedule of touring ever since the band got the green light to tour again. Ramsey said the good times are rolling—perhaps more than ever—for Old Dominion.

“It’s been better than I ever could have imagined, honestly,” Ramsey said. “It’s been really great and really fulfilling and just an amazing sight every night to walk out and see (the crowds).

“I feel like in a lot of ways we’ve sort of finally gotten our lives back a little bit, and we feel like when we walk out on stage, we set the intention that we want people to leave the show feeling better than when they came,” he said. “That’s what we want. We want people to feel lighter. We genuinely love what we do, and the best way to connect with people is to just be authentic on stage and have a great time doing what we love. That tends to rub off on people. Even my mom mentioned seeing some videos, going, ‘You guys seem like you’re really energetic out there.’”

Formed in 2007, Old Dominion included a trio of established country songwriters in Ramsey, Rosen and Tursi, whose credits included songs recorded by Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Kelsea Ballerini and the Band Perry. Initially, the band was meant to merely be a vehicle for performing their songs around Nashville.

The group members, however, discovered they could make money by playing shows outside of Nashville. More shows kept happening, and eventually, the thought of getting signed as a band and recording albums as Old Dominion came around.

Old Dominion showcased for a variety of Nashville record labels, only to be turned down one after another as many of the labels viewed them as songwriters and not as a band that would generate hits of their own and be a compelling live act. Finally, RCA Records signed Old Dominion in February 2015, but only after the band had independently released a self-titled EP that included a single, “Break Up with Him,” that gained some airplay on Sirius XM Radio.

It didn’t take long for Old Dominion to prove the early airplay was not a fluke. Shortly before the November 2015 release of the band’s RCA debut album, Meat and Candy, “Break Up with Him” completed its run as the album’s lead single to the top of “Billboard” magazine’s Country Airplay chart. Meat and Candy went on to produce two more hit tracks, the chart-topping “Song for Another Time” and “Snapback,” which reached No. 2.

The band’s next two albums added five more No. 1 singles to the catalog, and along the way, Old Dominion began what is now a six-year string of winning Vocal Group of the Year at the ACM and CMA Awards.

But there was a period during the pandemic when Old Dominion’s momentum stalled, and life became difficult for the five band members. Their rebound began in September 2020, when the band members arrived at Echo Mountain Recording studio in Asheville, North Carolina, created a bubble to be together safely and set out to rekindle the creative spark.

The musicians agreed to convene with no songs, start writing and see what happened. With no firm deadline to finish an album, the band members had time to explore various stylistic and sonic song ideas, and the entire experience was less pressurized.

To their delight, Old Dominion emerged from the Asheville session with a finished album, Time, Tequila & Therapy, whose songs mostly have an easy-going blend of pop and country and an upbeat lyrical personality that reflects the spirit of the session.

“I think it was probably a product of us being together in that little three-week bubble and enjoying what we were doing,” Ramsey said of the album. “It was so much fun, and it was honestly a dream that we’d always had, to be able to go into a studio with no songs, and what we wrote and recorded is what you get. That seemed to be something that had eluded us (before) just because of our schedule. So we had the time, and we were in a place of joy. I think that’s what you hear is a band just having a really good time together.”

The burst of creativity that began in Asheville has continued since, as the band rolled right into their next project. Four tunes were released in January on the EP, Memory Lane (Sampler), before getting folded into an 18-song album, Memory Lane, which was released last October.

“We have a really good problem of too many songs. And we have, thankfully, a lot of hits that fill the set. So of course, we want those in there,” Ramsey said of the set list. “And then we try to make space for new material, and we have a few spots in our set where we try to make it interchangeable with some of the old material too, because we want to honor our fans with that. We keep track of socials and peoples’ requests, and people bring signs, so we try to fit in what people want to hear in particular markets.”

The gates to the Country Summer Music Festival open at 3pm, Friday, June 14, and at noon on Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16, at the Sonoma County Event Center At The Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa. For more information, including a complete lineup and tickets, visit countrysummer.com.

Free Will Astrology: Week of June 5-11

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): What potentials should you strive to ripen as the expansive planet Jupiter glides through your astrological House of Connection, Communication and Education in the coming months? I’ll offer my intuitions. On the downside, there may be risks of talking carelessly, forging superficial links and learning inessential lessons. On the plus side, you will generate good luck and abundant vitality if you use language artfully, seek out the finest teachings, and connect with quality people and institutions. In the most favorable prognosis I can imagine, you will become smarter and wiser. Your knack for avoiding boredom and finding fascination will be at a peak.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Since 1969, Taurus singer-songwriter Willie Nelson has played his favorite guitar in over 10,000 shows. His name for it is Trigger. Willie doesn’t hold onto it simply for nostalgic reasons. He says it has the greatest tone he has ever heard in a guitar. Though bruised and scratched, it gets a yearly check-up and repair. Nelson regards it as an extension of himself, like a part of his body. Is there anything like Trigger in your life, Taurus? Now is a good time to give it extra care and attention. The same is true for all your valuable belongings and accessories. Give them big doses of love. 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Off the coast of West Africa is an imaginary place called Null Island. A weather buoy is permanently moored there. Geographers have nicknamed it “Soul Buoy.” It’s the one location on Earth where zero degrees latitude intersects with zero degrees longitude. Since it’s at sea level, its elevation is zero, too. I regard this spot as a fun metaphor for the current state of your destiny, Gemini. You are at a triple zero point, with your innocence almost fully restored. The horizons are wide, the potentials are expansive, and you are as open and free as it’s possible for you to be.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): When I worked as a janitor at India Joze restaurant in Santa Cruz, California, I did the best I could. But I was unskilled in the janitorial arts. I couldn’t fix broken machines and I lacked expertise about effective cleaning agents. Plus, I was lazy. Who could blame me? I wasn’t doing my life’s work. I had no love for my job. Is there an even remotely comparable situation in your life, Cancerian? Are you involved with tasks that neither thrill you nor provide you with useful education? The coming months will be an excellent time to wean yourself from these activities.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I foresee two possible approaches for you in the coming months. Either will probably work, so it’s up to you to decide which feels most fun and interesting. In the first option, you will pursue the rewards you treasure by creating your own rules as you outfox the system’s standard way of doing things. In the second alternative, you will aim for success by mostly playing within the rules of the system except for some ethical scheming and maneuvering that outflank the system’s rules. My advice is to choose one or the other, and not try to do both.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Please note that during the next 12 months, I may seem a bit pushy in my dealings with you. I will encourage you to redefine and enhance your ambitions. I will exhort you to dream bigger. There may come times when you wish I wouldn’t dare you to be so bold. I will understand, then, if you refrain from regularly reading my horoscopes. Maybe you are comfortable with your current type of success and don’t want my cheerleading. But if you would welcome an ally like me—an amiable motivator and sympathetic booster—I will be glad to help you strive for new heights of accomplishment.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Three months after Rachel Denning bore her fourth child, she and her husband sold everything they owned and embarked on a nomadic life. They have been roaming ever since, adding three more kids along the way. She says they have become addicted to “the personal transformation that travel extracts.” She loves how wandering free “causes you to be uncomfortable, to step out of the familiar and into the unknown. It compels you to see with new eyes and to consider things you had never been aware of. It removes preconceptions, biases, and small-mindedness.” If you were ever going to flirt with Rachel Denning’s approach, Libra, the next 12 months would be a favorable time. Could you approximate the same healing growth without globetrotting journeys? Probably. Homework: Ask your imagination to show you appealing ways to expand.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Among the Europeans who first settled in South America were Jews who had been forcibly converted to Christianity by Portuguese and Spanish persecutions. Centuries later, some families resolved to reclaim their Jewish heritage. They led a movement called la sangre llama—a Spanish phrase meaning “the blood is calling.” I invite you to be inspired by this retrieval, Scorpio. The coming months will be an excellent time to commune with aspects of your past that have been neglected or forgotten. Your ancestors may have messages for you. Go in search of missing information about your origins.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you simply let the natural flow take you where it will in the coming weeks, you would become a magnet for both degenerative and creative influences. Fortunately, you are reading this oracle, which will help ensure the natural flow won’t lead you toward degenerative influences. With this timely oracle, I am advising you to monitor and suppress any unconscious attractions you might have for bewildering risks and seemingly interesting possibilities that are actually dead ends. Don’t flirt with decadent glamour or fake beauty, dear Sagittarius! Instead, make yourself fully available for only the best resources that will uplift and inspire you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is campaigning to be U.S. President. But oops: He recently confessed that a parasitic worm once ate a portion of his brain, damaging his memory and cognitive skills. “The worm is dead now,” he assured us, as if that were a good reason to vote for him. Why am I bringing this up? Like most of us, you have secrets that if revealed might wreak at least a bit of mayhem. As tempting as it might be to share them with the world—perhaps in an effort to feel free of their burden—it’s best to keep them hidden for now. Kennedy’s brain worm is in that category. Don’t be like him in the coming weeks. Keep your reputation and public image strong. Show your best facets to the world.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The English and French word “amateur” comes from amatus, the past participle of the Latin word amare, which means “to love.” According to one definition, an amateur is “someone who pursues sports, studies, or other activities purely for pleasure instead of for financial gain or professional advancement.” In accordance with astrological omens, I encourage you to make this a featured theme in the coming months. On a regular basis, seek out experiences simply because they make you feel good. Engage in lots of playtime. At least part-time, specialize in fun and games.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Good news, Pisces: In the coming weeks, one of your flaws will mysteriously become less flawed. It will lose some of its power to undermine you. If you engage in focused meditation about it, you could rob it of even more of its obstructive force. More good news: You will have an enhanced capacity to distinguish between skillful pretending and earthy authenticity. No one can trick you or fool you. Can you handle even more good news? You will have a skillful knack for finding imperfect but effective solutions to problems that have no perfect solution.

Homework: What mediocre pleasure could you give up to better pursue a sublime pleasure? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Celebrating Pride

When we celebrate Pride, we honor the history and struggles of the LGBTQIA+ movement and foster a sense of belonging and solidarity among residents.

These events are more than just parades and parties (but be assured, they are also parades and parties); they affirm identity, resilience and the ongoing fight for equality.

In areas like our beloved Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties, where the picturesque landscapes quilted with vineyards and the accouterments of affluent lifestyles might overshadow the community’s diverse fabric, Pride events play a vital role in highlighting the presence and contributions of LGBTQIA+ individuals. They provide a platform for visibility in areas that might otherwise be perceived as lacking in diversity. This visibility is essential, especially for young people struggling with their identity and looking for role models and a supportive community.

Pride and its myriad related events serve as crucial pillars of inclusivity, visibility and community for the LGBTQIA+ population, and they also serve as powerful reminders of the progress made and the work still to be done. They honor the legacy of activists who fought for rights that many take for granted today while shining a light on the issues that continue to affect the LGBTQIA+ community, such as discrimination, mental health challenges and the fight for comprehensive legal protections.

Moreover, these events promote inclusivity and understanding within the broader community. By engaging allies and fostering dialogue, Pride events help break down stereotypes and build bridges across different segments of society. Allies are not just spectators—they actively participate in the fight for equality. They are opportunities for allies to show their support and for everyone to learn more about the challenges and triumphs of their LGBTQIA+ neighbors.

In a time when hate crimes and discriminatory policies still threaten the well-being of LGBTQIA+ individuals, North Bay Pride events are acts of defiance and celebration. They are declarations of self-love and acceptance, echoing that love is love and everyone deserves to live their truth openly and without fear.

Ultimately, Pride is about community. It’s a vibrant, colorful and joyous celebration that reminds us that no one is alone in their journey and that together, we can create a society where everyone is celebrated for who they are. As we march, dance and celebrate, we reinforce the message that inclusivity and acceptance are the cornerstones of a vibrant and resilient community.

Michah D. Mercer lives and loves in the North Bay.

Your Letters, May 29

Commercial Break

Does anybody in pint-size America have the courage to stand up to big-belly corporate America? We first gave up on curbing corporate monopoly and straightening out corporate income taxes. We next rolled over and allowed corporations to buy up soulless public servants at election time.

With the goal of a two-class America now in sight, the latest coup of the new American aristocracy has been to take daytime TV by storm. Corporate sponsors have virtually forced daytime news and talk shows into “deal of the day” or “steal of the day” segments that eat well into program content time, just like the ever-expanding commercial break times do.

It used to be that oil, railroad, steel, telegraph, utilities and meatpacking were the hardest-working white-collar robbers in America, but today retail product companies and banks have taken over the railroading of folks into their consumer graves. We must have what we don’t need, and we must go deeply into debt to pay for it all.

Our TV celebs and commerce moguls just can’t get enough millions and billions to satisfy their personal needs for luxury. They must turn the middle class into the working poor to get the job done.

Kimball Shinkoskey

San Rafael

High Time for Pride

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Santa Rosa

SoCo Pride

It’s almost Sonoma County Pride time again! This year’s theme is “Heroes, Sheroes and Queeroes.” The 39th annual parade kicks off at 11am on Saturday, June 1, in downtown Santa Rosa. Over 50 festive floats will roll through city streets, followed by a giant Pride festival at Courthouse Square until 5pm. Festival headliners include Kiesza (of “Hideaway” fame), Rêve and Grant Knoche. The dance party will continue into the wee hours at the Flamingo Resort. For details, visit sonomacountypride.org.

San Rafael

LGBTQ+ on Screen

CAFILM announces the launch of Pride Month in the Bay Area with a weekend series at the Smith Rafael Film Center showcasing LGBTQ+ films. The weekend, from June 7 to 9, is curated by MVFF world cinema programmer João Federici. Program highlights include Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, the story behind the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt; Pride, the true story of LGBTQ+ activists supporting striking miners in 1984 Wales; Toll, a tale of a mother entangled in a criminal gang while trying to send her son to a gay conversion therapy program; Tomboy, an exploration of gender identity; and Queer Women’s Stories, a selection of short films celebrating the voices and experiences of queer women, in partnership with Frameline. In partnership with the National AIDS Memorial Grove, a 12×12 foot section of the iconic AIDS Memorial Quilt will be displayed in the Rafael lobby throughout the weekend. For dates, times, tickets and location, visit rafaelfilm.cafilm.org.

Sonoma County

Library Love

The Sonoma County Library celebrates Pride Month with queer book lists, LGBTQIA+ events at various branches and parade participation. The library will participate in the Sonoma County Pride Parade on Saturday, June 1, in downtown Santa Rosa, with librarians marching, an information booth and the BiblioBus stocked with LGBTQIA+-focused materials. Members of the Here + Queer project will also be available to chat with parade watchers. For more information and inspiration, visit sonomalibrary.org/pride.

Marin County

Call for Artists

Marin County artists are invited to submit their work to the exhibition, Are We There Yet?, a collaboration between Cedars and the San Anselmo Arts Commission. The exhibition is inspired by the notion of journeying and arriving at a destination. Think cars, trains, staycations, postcards, gas stations, monuments and landmarks. The art submission deadline

is June 7—sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, collage, mixed media and fiber art are accepted. The exhibition runs from July 12–Aug. 22. All submissions will be subject to selection by a jury of Cedars and San Anselmo Arts Commission staff, artists and curators. Art sales will share a 50% commission with Artist Within: A Cedars Gallery. For more information and an entry form, visit cedarslife.org/artsubmission2024.

Left Edge stages ‘Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons’

In a London in the not-too-distant future, the British government has imposed a strict limitation on the number of words any individual can speak in a 24-hour time period. That’s the basic premise of Sam Steiner’s Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons.

The “whys?” for the limitations are barely addressed (and the “hows?” never are) in what is basically a love story. Jenny Hollingworth directs the Left Edge Theatre production currently running through June 8 at The California Theatre in Santa Rosa.

The 90-minute show consists of a series of short scenes beginning with Oliver (Argo Thompson) and Bernadette (Rosie Frater) “meeting cute” at a pet cemetery and then traipses non-chronologically through their life together. Bernadette is a lawyer, while Oliver is a musician who eeks out a living writing commercial jingles. The relationship has its ups and downs, with Bernadette concerned about one of Oliver’s previous lovers while Oliver has issues with Bernadette pulling in more money than him.

Their relationship is further complicated by the passing of the Quietude Bill, or Hush Law, as it’s commonly known. How can any relationship survive when limiting verbal communication to 140 words a day?

While issues of privilege, free speech, oppression and authoritarianism lurk in the background, the importance of open communication to the success of any relationship is front and center. What we say and how we say it counts more than how much we say.

The California’s floor has been transformed into a small black box theater, with the audience at one end in “stadium” seating. And the set is sparse, consisting of one bench that also operates as a bed and a dinner table. The back wall is a series of shelves that subtly contain items representing forms of communication (a telephone, a radio, a typewriter, musical instruments, etc.).

Thompson and Frater are very strong in their roles, literally having to turn on a bell from one point in the relationship to another. (Each scene change is noted by the ringing of a bell, which too often gives the show a sense of being an improv exercise.) They both give very physical performances. The accents they use are generally solid and non-distracting, though Thompson’s seemed to wander on occasion.

Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons was a big hit at the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It certainly maintains the feeling of a “fringe” show, which is a nice change of pace from our area’s usual theatrical fare.

Left Edge Theatre’s ‘Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons’ runs through June 8 at The California Theatre, 528 7th St., Santa Rosa. Thu.–Fri., 7:30pm; Sat., 1pm. $20–$29. 707.664.7529. leftedgetheatre.com.

No Plans to Divest

CSU’s ‘indirect’ money in Israel less than 1% of holdings

The California State University system disclosed last week that it does not have direct investments in any companies that might profit from Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories and the war in Gaza but has a small amount of indirect holdings through mutual funds.

This disclosure was made in response to demands by pro-Palestinian student and faculty protests on campuses for CSU to divest from any such companies.

However, CSU officials again said they will not sell off any of that indirect investment, echoing the position of the University of California. “The CSU does not intend to alter existing investment policies related to Israel,” according to a statement on the CSU website.

The 23-campus university system had disclosed in April it does not invest in “direct stocks or equities in any companies,” regardless of location.

Officials last week offered additional details about indirect investments in Israel-based firms via holdings in mutual funds that include equities and corporate bonds. Those total $3.2 million, or 0.04%, of all CSU investments, according to a report discussed during last week’s systemwide board of trustees meeting.

The list of funds CSU invests in was included in a report to the trustees. However, that did not include holdings that individual campuses and related foundations might own separately from the central system. A portal on the university system’s website details revenue and other financial details on each campus.

A newly published page on CSU’s website says: “Consistent with their legal structures, CSU investments and auxiliary investments are distinct from one another.”

But given a recent controversy at Sonoma State and the retirement of its president over his promise to discuss possible divestment from firms with ties to Israel, it seems unlikely that any campus would take such an action now.

Students have also called on the university to divest from all defense and aerospace investments, but officials have refused to do so. CSU has direct ownership of $20.8 million in such bonds and some exposure via mutual funds, totaling $30.6 million of the system’s investments. In total, defense and aerospace investments make up 0.62% of the CSU system’s central investment portfolio.

CSU chancellor Mildred Garcia, during her address to the board, made no direct mention of the calls for divestment. But she did urge any protests to be peaceful and to not harm other members of the CSU communities. “The CSU stands unequivocally against acts of hatred, violence, injustice, discrimination, and more specifically antisemitism and Islamophobia,” Garcia said.

University campuses nationwide have struggled with how to handle protests in recent weeks, actions mainly against Israel’s invasion of Gaza. Israel’s bombardment of the Hamas-controlled Gaza followed the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in hundreds of hostages being taken. Since then, more than 35,000 people in Gaza have been killed, mostly civilians, and thousands more have been injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The new CSU webpage also details the university’s response to common questions regarding investments in both Israel and the defense and aerospace industries. But one trustee questioned the focus on Israel.

“I’m not comfortable singling out Israel on a website without singling out Sudan and Russia,” said trustee Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, regarding the information on the webpage. “I’m on the side of human rights and following countries that follow international human rights law.”

Among the individual CSU campuses, Sacramento State has disclosed that it has no direct investments in assets that might violate its policies forbidding “direct investments in corporations and funds that profit from genocide, ethnic cleansing and activities that violate fundamental human rights,” according to a statement on the university’s website. Reporting by The Sacramento Bee found that Sacramento State “has more $150 million in indirect investments that would be subject for review” under its policy.

Most recently, Sonoma State University president Mike Lee was disciplined for agreeing to some terms proposed by student protesters on his campus. One such term was “to determine a course of action leading to divestment strategies that include seeking ethical alternatives” to companies with ties to Israel.

The system’s chancellor, Garcia, then said Lee would be placed on administrative leave for “insubordination and the consequences it has brought upon the system” and acting “without the appropriate approvals.”

Lee has since apologized and announced his retirement. “In my attempt to find agreement with one group of students, I marginalized other members of our student population and community,” he wrote in a recent memo. “I realize the harm that this has caused, and I take full ownership of it. I deeply regret the unintended consequences of my actions.”

Amor Para Todos Founder Renee Ho

Amor Para Todos was founded to save the lives of our LGBTQIA+ youth. But what is now a 501 (c)(3) non-profit with 100 local volunteers began as a family effort to save just one young life.

Founder and executive director Renee Ho is part of a “ very big and very loving Mexican-American family, with lots of kids, and everyone helping to raise each other’s children.”

When one of this family’s young children came out as transgender, there was a family effort to get educated. What they discovered was a shocking statistic: 41% of LGBTQIA+ youth and 50% of transgender and nonbinary youth have seriously considered killing themselves.

A former schoolteacher, Ho’s mission is to make local schools safe for these children.

CH: Renee, can you list a few of Amor Para Todos’ inclusion offerings for the school and the classroom and how they can be made safe spaces?

RH: Starting Amor Para Todos’ student clubs on campuses and the purchase of Pride flags for schools creates inclusive, safe spaces and visual representational support.

CH: Two points that jumped out at me from your mission statement were “increase gender/LGBTQIA+ inclusive/anti-bias knowledge and skills among school staff, community leaders and parents/caregivers through workshops,” and to “facilitate district adoption of a general TK-6th grade gender/LGBTQIA+ inclusive curriculum to meet California Education Code and Fair Act standards.”

I understand that most of your programming is backed by California State Law and Educational Code, that what you are really helping out with is compliance. Can you explain?

RH : For years, we have been educating school folks about laws born in the mid 2010s that support our programming. We support schools to be in compliance with laws, such as the FAIR act, the California Healthy Youth Act and the All-Gender Restroom Signage Law.

CH: “Amor Para Todos,” literally, “Love For All,” is heart-centered. Can you bring a love-based approach to administrators or teachers that are prejudicial?

RH:  I meet them where they are at, with amor. I believe all folks are where they are at due to their past and present experiences and do not judge them for that. I listen with an open heart, and that makes progress.

CH: Tell me about your upcoming fundraiser, Thursday, May 30 at The Block Petaluma.

RH: Amor-filled event for all, with music, food and more! Donate at least $10 to giveoutday.org/organization/Amor-Para-Todos to help us win a virtual fundraiser.

Learn more. If you need support or want to help, email am**************@***il.com.

Community Art Day in Angwin

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What is a community but a mosaic of people? In an effort that literalizes and brings the metaphor to life, Nimbus Arts, a community-owned 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission of giving the Napa Valley community access to art, invites the community at large to contribute to a mosaic project.

Nimbus’ mosaic is one of the many activities comprising the organization’s free Community Art Day and Pop-Up Market in the Napa County town of Angwin, located in the northern part of the county about 10 miles northeast of St. Helena. Helping bring the event to life are Angwin’s resident artist couple, Nikki Ballere Callnan and Will Callnan, whose full-time ceramics business, NBC Pottery, boasts a client roster that reads like the who’s who in Napa fine dining. They are also instructors at Nimbus Arts.

The couple’s studio is now located in what used to be Angwin’s old town center, an apt location for two people committed to bringing the arts to the surrounding community. Sharing their creative energy, artistry and know-how is, in many ways, part of a community-focused therapeutic endeavor following the various wildfires, the pandemic and other hardships that have left many locals reeling.

Art Heals

“I think even more than ever, after the fires and power outages, we’ve kind of been conditioned to live in this kind of weird mindset of evacuations and whatnot. Everybody in Angwin kind of felt that crunch,” observes Ballere Callnan. “I think with the space that we have, it’s an opportunity to bring in art and artists from all over the board—from art therapy to makers—to do demonstrations and be a conduit for that.”

Her husband, Callnan, concurs. “We need to encourage people to step out of their box and realize that art is accessible to everyone,” he says. To that end, the event’s price point—free—will hopefully allay any apprehensions about checking it out. The event is part of the art organization’s Hundreds of Hands community art programs, designed to engage community members and highlight the health and wellness benefits of art-making.

Nimbus Arts’ mobile art-making unit, the whimsically titled “Nim+BUS,” delivers art programs to public schools, parks and community events.

“It’s like this portable studio, so it’s got everything they need and allows for anybody, of any age, to do a project,” says Callnan, who recommends taking a hike up in Angwin. And then, “You can come up here and make a mosaic piece that will be permanently installed down in Napa. And when you come back, you’ll be able to see it.”

Also on hand will be working artists of every stripe, as well as a variety of food vendors.

“We’ve often heard people say, ‘It’s so great to be able to walk here and have stuff to do here in Angwin.’ The events are super well-attended, and people are like, ‘Wow, I wish this happened more often.’ And so we’re really trying to make that happen,” says Callnan.

Nimbus Arts’ free Community Art Day and Pop-Up Market featuring the Nim+BUS Mosaic Workshop at NBC Pottery’s gallery and studio, 410 Circle Dr., Angwin, goes from 10am to 2pm, Sunday, June 9. For more information, visit nimbusarts.org or nbcpottery.com, or call 707.965.4NBC.

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What is a community but a mosaic of people? In an effort that literalizes and brings the metaphor to life, Nimbus Arts, a community-owned 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission of giving the Napa Valley community access to art, invites the community at large to contribute to a mosaic project. Nimbus’ mosaic is one of the many activities comprising the...
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