Pianist and Cal Poly music Professor Emeritus W. Terrence Spiller will present a recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, in Spanos Theatre. He will perform repertory ranging from the late-18th century into the mid-1920s, including Béla Bartók’s demanding Piano Sonata, Franz Schubert’s legendary Wanderer Fantasy, Joseph Haydn’s Keyboard Sonata in D Major, Claude Debussy’s “Children’s Corner,” and Franz Liszt’s “Soirées de Vienne No. 6” based on works by Franz Schubert. Tickets ($22 general, $12 students) are available at PacSLO.org.
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Cruise Control Contemporar (CCC) latest exhibition, Presentations, runs through January 5, 2025. The show features the debut solo exhibition of new work by central California-based artist, Allie Mount. Illumination and form take center stage as the lights are dimmed in the gallery to focus on shadows cast onto the walls by a single lit candle. Mount’s various floating wall sculptures emerge from the darkened atmosphere. Through this intimate and humble collection, Mount showcases the quiet beauty of organically occurring shapes and moments of light that often go unnoticed in daily life. Mount’s work is a meditation on the art of noticing—the simple act of observing the world.
Drawing inspiration from nature’s offerings—scraps washed ashore or fallen from a tree—her work highlights the extraordinary within the ordinary. Each piece reflects a dialogue between artist and environment, unveiling forms as they are but with interwoven and additive complementary elements; the slightest touch is a transformation. It’s not only an invitation to see but a call to play.
Throughout the duration of the show, guests are welcomed to create their own works with smoke from the candle by transferring soot onto a piece of paper. Only the quick action of purposeful gestures keeps the paper from combusting. As keepsakes or a gift, this participatory experience is meant to be interactive and allow simple moments of engagement with those young and old.
Join us at the opening, or just for a quiet moment during the program’s run as we cruise gently and responsibly into 2025.
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Don’t miss a free demonstration on January 13 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Morro Bay Art Association, 835 Main St., Morro Bay, with master artist Anita Hampton. Hampton, mostly known for her plein air paintings, will demonstrate an oil portrait sketch of a live model selected by the owner of a winning raffle ticket — which could be you.
Hampton has been a member of the Oil Painters of America and the Society of Western Artists and is a signature member of the California Art Club and LPAPA. She is also listed in Who’s Who of America and has taught across the US, in France, and at the Scottsdale Art School, with many awards to her credit.
Come early to register your tickets. Bring guests, neighbors, and or relatives. Anyone with a raffle ticket has the chance to go home with a painted portrait by Hampton at the end of the demo! (Model must be 18 years or older)
Class size will be limited.
For more information, call (805) 772-2504.
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Bay Love performs “The Lady From The House In The Tree
(A Tribute To Joan Baez)” on Jan. 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Cambria Center for the Arts, 1350 Main St.
“The Lady From The House In The Tree (A Tribute To Joan Baez)” is a 32-song acoustic experience celebrating the life and career of an amazing artist, peace activist, and humanitarian. Based on the Bay Love original song of the same name, the show is a musical journey lightly tracing Joan’s footsteps from the 1960’s to present. Revisit classics such as “Diamonds & Rust,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “There But For Fortune,” “Blowin’ In The Wind,” “House of the Rising Sun,” and many more sing-along favorites. Become inspired by the music of Joan Baez. Tickets are available at my805tix.com/e/baeztribute.
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Upcoming free youth programs in December at the Morro Bay Library – 625 Harbor St, (805) 772-6394.
• Last Minute Holiday Gift Making for Teens – Saturday, December 21, 2- 4 p.m.
Forget a gift for someone? Don’t panic – come to the library and craft a beautiful handmade present. We’ll have a button maker, DIY notebook binder, card making supplies and more.
• Sensory Playtime – Tuesday, December 24, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Let your little ones lead the way in this open-ended playtime! Babies and toddlers can use their five senses to explore our play stations. Parents & caregivers: we also have early literacy tips for you! For ages 0-5.
• Noon Year’s Eve Party – Tuesday, December 31, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Want to ring in the New Year, but your bedtime is way before midnight? Come to our Noon Year’s Eve Party instead! Celebrate the start of 2025 with us – with music, activities, and a countdown at noon.
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Art Center Morro Bay their 9th annual “For the Birds” exhibit. This exhibit is held in conjunction with the Morro Bay Annual Bird Festival, a yearly event promoting an understanding and appreciation of birds and other wildlife, and an awareness of environmental and conservation issues of the Central Coast. Birders from all over the United States come together to experience our wonderful and diversified ecosystem on the West Coast of California. Artists have been asked to share their artistic talents with the many visitors attending the festival through art that celebrates the varieties of birds and other wildlife, and their habitats, in our area.
It all takes place January 9 – February 17, 2025 at Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main Street. For more information, call (805) 772-2504 or go to www.artcentermorrobay.org.
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“The Pan American Nutcracker Suite” at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande takes place on Sun., Dec. 22, 7-9:30 p.m.
Created and co-arranged by Joe McCarthy and Vince Norman, the evening will feature original orchestrations performed by Joe McCarthy’s Latin Grammy Award-winning New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band that celebrates the brilliance of Tchaikovsky’s timeless masterpiece, “The Nutcracker Suite,” followed by big band compositions.
Also at the Clark Center at 7 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2025, Entertainment Events, Inc Presents “Girls Night: The Musical.”
See the Off-Broadway sensation that audiences can’t get enough of from coast to coast! Share the fun and laughter in this hilarious, feel-good comedy as five girlfriends re-live their past, celebrate their present, and look to the future on a wild night out! Featuring the most famous female empowerment hits of the last four decades including “Lady Marmalade,” “It’s Raining Men,” “Man I Feel Like A Woman,” “I Will Survive,” and many more.
Tickets for both shows are available at Clarkcenter.org.
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