WED 8
Adonal Foyle is more than a powerhouse center for the Golden State Warriors — he’s the founder of Democracy Matters, helping students fight for campaign finance reform. He’s also one of the folks to be celebrated by Covenant House at tonight’s Evening Honoring East Bay Heroes. From 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Oakland Zoo Snow Building, you can raise a toast to Foyle, Lt. Paul Berlin of the Oakland PD, and Valero Refining Company, whose Benicia oil refinery is working to limit nitrogen oxide emissions. It’s the sixth anniversary of Covenant House’s West Oakland location, which provides outreach and shelter for homeless and at-risk youth, so raise a toast to them, too, while enjoying entertainment, hors d’oeuvres, and a silent auction. Tickets cost $25 from 510-601-0465 or [email protected] — Stefanie Kalem
THU 9
Looking for some cultural roughage to supplement your high-caloric intake of the arts this week? How about a staged performance of classical choruses and monologues from ancient Greek tragedies, translated by 20th-century American poets HD (aka Hilda Doolittle) and Ezra Pound? That’s what Antares Ensemble, the classically minded Bay Area theater troupe, has on the table from now through the end of June at the Berkeley City Club (2315 Durant Ave.) with a show called The Hellenic Image. Antares sees the chorus performances as part of its mission to put on full productions of Classical Greek drama in modern English translation, leading up to a staging of Euripides’ Trojan War tragedy Helen later this year. Tonight is preview night, with an 8 p.m. curtain. Suggested donation: $10-$35. Info and tix: 510-525-3254 or AntaresEnsemble.org — Kelly Vance
FRI 10
Datu Gutierrez “Teng” Mangansakan II is reportedly the descendant of the Buayan and Maguindanao sultanates in the predominantly Muslim (aka “Moro”) southern islands of the Philippines. He is also a filmmaker whose work has been screened at international film fests in Manila and elsewhere. As such, he has been making the rounds of Filipino cultural centers in California, showing his ethnographic documentaries and appearing with kulintang folk musicians and dancers. This evening at Pusod Gallery, 1808 Fifth St., Berkeley, Mangansakan screens some of his docs on the Bangsamoro people: House Under the Crescent Moon (2000), A Boat in Deep Waters (2003), and Arrows in the Wind (2003). He’ll also talk about the island of Mindanao and presumably the Moro independence movement. Showtime is 7 p.m. $10-$15 sliding scale. 510-883-1808 or Pusod.org — Kelly Vance
SAT 11
When is a hairy horse considered less than desirable? When it rains cats and dogs, which is exactly what happened in May on the original scheduled date for the Moraga Junior Horsemen’s Association’s Hairy Horse Show. But today, it’s bound to stay clear for sure, and you can see who left his winter coat on the longest during this Western and English open schooling show, good for all ages and skill levels. The event starts at 9 a.m. at the Moraga Horsemen’s Arena, 423 Canyon Rd., and entry fees are $8 per class or $40 all day if you preregister, $10 per class or $50 all day if you pony up at the door. E-mail [email protected] for entry form and further details. — Stefanie Kalem
SUN 12
The main issue that the Ashby Arts District organizers keep coming up against is a lack of cohesive identity. The main businesses involved — La Peña, Epic Arts, Shotgun Players, Black Repertory Group, Nomad Cafe, Northern California Land Trust, and the Triptych Gallery represent such a diverse swath of cultural interest that sometimes it seems the only thing they truly have in common is the geography of their nebulous South Berkeley/North Oakland neighborhood. But as of today, they’re united under one party — the Ashby Arts District Open House party, happening all over the street from noon to 5 p.m. Art cars, tours of the area with city council members, the Ashby Flea, live performance stage, and more will keep you busy; then, at 7 p.m, step inside Epic Arts (1923 Ashby Ave.) for their open house, compete with barbecue and open jam. EpicArts.org/AshbyArts — Stefanie Kalem
MON 13
Before Javier Bardem was nominated for an Oscar; before Julian Schnabel decided that Cuban poet and novelist Reinaldo Arenas was at least as interesting a movie subject as Jean-Michel Basquiat; before all that, Before Night Falls was a book by Arenas himself. From his early days working at the National Library to the 1980 Mariel boatlift and beyond, Arenas bares so much in the memoir that you may need a support group to get you through it. Luckily, it’s the reading selection of the month at the Lesbian Gay Bi Transgender Book Club, meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the second Monday of every month at the Oakland Public Library’s Piedmont branch (160 41st St.). 510-597-5011. All welcome. — Stefanie Kalem
TUE 14
Ceramics has always been one of the most popular artisan cottage industries in the crafts-happy East Bay — you can’t turn around in Berkeley or Rockridge without knocking over a potter and his or her pot. Leave it to Walnut Creek’s Bedford Gallery, however, to give that craftsiness an upscale spin. Pots: Objects of Virtue is the name of a national juried exhibition, curated by Bedford’s Carrie Lederer and devoted to contemporary clay pots and other vessels, with pieces from around the country as well as from the Clay Arts Guild of Walnut Creek. The exhibition stays until August 28, and there are several ancillary events scheduled, including a July 27 gallery talk by Lederer, a seminar on “The Art of Building a Collection” on July 29, and a special Master Potter Workshop with juror Mark Pharis on July 30 at the Clay Arts Guild. Bedford Gallery, in Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts (1601 Civic Dr.), is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. BedfordGallery.org — Kelly Vance
