It’s a busy arts week in the Town, with lots of exhibits and lit talks. Japanese Filipinx multimedia artist Julia LaChica has a show at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center in Chinatown, and Manna Gallery has a show up featuring Vallejo-based abstract painter Jeanne Lorenz. Also, if you’re worried about the tens of thousands of banned books in recent years, author Maggie Tokuda-Hall will be at the main library branch to talk about efforts to combat this troubling trend. Also, former Oakland librarian and author Dorothy Lazard will be talking about her new book “Behind the Desk at the Main” at The New Parkway Theater.

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Hot Ticket in The Town this week: Short film showcase and conversation with Cinemama

This short film showcase will feature “Blú Honey” by Richmond filmmaker Donté Clark and “Welcome to the Neighborhood” by Oakland filmmaker Pam Uzzell, two films that explore identity, place and resilience. The screenings will be followed by a conversation with Clark, Cinemama executive director Niema Jordan,and urban cultural preservationist Rashida Chase. 
Sunday, Aug. 16, 1 p.m., $10, OMCA, 1000 Oak St.

‘From Ochazuke to Adobo’ exhibit at OACC

It is the last week to check out San Francisco queer Japanese Filipinx multimedia artist Julia LaChica’s current show, “From Ochazuke to Adobo,” at Chinatown’s Oakland Asian Cultural Center. The installation explores themes of food as memory, recipes as archive, and reconstructed stories of migration and caregiving.
Through Saturday, Aug. 15, 12 to 5 p.m., Oakland Asian Cultural Center, free, 388 9th St.

Meet the Author: Maggie Tokuda-Hall at the Oakland Public Library main branch

Maggie Tokuda-Hall is an author and the founding member and former president of Authors Against Book Bans, a coalition of authors, editors and others fighting to preserve the freedom to read. Tokuda-Hall will be at the library to talk about her work with the coalition, the current threat of book bans and what people can do to help.
Thursday, Aug. 13, 6 p.m., Oakland Public Library main branch, 124 14th St.

In her new book, “Behind the Desk at the Main” out on Aug. 18, celebrated Oakland librarian and public historian Dorothy Lazard offers an insider’s look at the modern American library. Through personal stories and decades of experience, Lazard demystifies the work of librarians and reveals how libraries serve as vital hubs—and defenders—for knowledge, connection, and civic life. Credit: courtesy of Hey Day Books

‘Are you with me NOW?’ exhibit at Manna Gallery

Jeanne Lorenz, a Vallejo abstract painter, unveils her new solo exhibition, “Are you with me NOW?,” at Manna Gallery on Aug. 15. The exhibit will include new vertical acrylic abstract paintings that emerged from an expansive daily drawing practice. The show will be on display through Sep. 19, with an artist’s reception on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 15, 12 to 5 p.m., Manna Gallery, 473 25th St.

Lit talk with Dorothy Lazard

Author and former longtime Oakland librarian Dorothy Lazard anchors a series of events from now through Nov. 5 around the Bay Area to promote her new book “Behind the Desk at the Main,” out Aug. 18 from the Berkeley publisher HeyDay Books. The memoir is about her long career as the main librarian at the Oakland History Center inside the main branch of the Oakland Public Library and the role libraries and librarians play in our civic life. Next Wednesday, Lazard will be in conversation with KQED journalist and author Alexis Madrigal to talk about why civic institutions matter more than ever in the current political climate.
Wednesday, Aug. 19, 6 p.m., $12.51, The New Parkway Theater, 474 24th St.

Coming soon to The Town: The Family Series at Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts

From October through May, the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts will host “The Family Series.” Among the four-part series’ kid-friendly events are “The Rock and Roll Playhouse Plays Music of the Beatles and More for Kids,” on Oct. 25, an interactive event that includes music, games and storytelling. The final event in May, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” interactive show, based on the popular children’s book, will feature handcrafted puppets and original music. The center is offering a discount to anyone who buys tickets for more than one of the shows in the series.
Sunday, Oct. 25; Sunday, Dec. 20; Thursday, Jan. 21; Saturday, May 8, 2027. See website for times and ticket pricing, 10 E. 10th St.

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