In this Lunar New Year workshop, participants will explore Chinese traditions, learn about festive symbols such as red envelopes, lanterns, and gold ingots, and create their own “Lucky Bottle.” They will practice and write the character 福 (fu, “blessing” or “good fortune”) with a calligraphy brush and bring home their creation, filled with good fortune and holiday cheer.
For ages 7 – 12. Space limited to those who sign up, no drop-ins, please contact: margaret.stawowy@cityofsanrafael.org
Celebrate the Year of the Horse by creating your own unique calendar!
In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn basic Chinese calligraphy, write auspicious words for the New Year, and design a personalized calendar. Each piece will be one-of-a-kind, allowing participants to experience the beauty of Chinese culture and take home a festive decoration or gift.
For adults and teens 13 and up. Space limited to those who sign up, no drop-ins, please contact: bonnie.groshong@cityofsanrafael.org
Confused by apps? Not sure where to find free eBooks, eAudiobooks online resources, or digital newspapers? Join us as we go beyond the bookshelves and discover the powerful digital library you can access for free with your library card! This series is a friendly, hands-on workshop where every session we’ll walk you through a new set of amazing digital tools, from streaming films with Kanopy to booking museum passes with Discover & Go. Bring your smartphone, tablet, or questions, and we’ll get you logged in and ready to go.
The library will also have a limited number of Chromebooks available for in-program use for those who do not have a device or are not comfortable with theirs.
This program doesn’t require registration, but you are welcome to email Javier Morales to receive a reminder of the event.
Are you interested in finding a new hobby? Ready to explore what you can make with your hands? Looking for things to do outside of playing videogames or using a computer?
Join us on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 3:30pm for an afternoon craft activity, where you can explore a new craft or work on an ongoing project in the Program Room.
For children ages 7-12.
¿Te interesa encontrar un nuevo pasatiempo? ¿Estás listo para explorar lo que puedes hacer con tus manos? ¿Buscas cosas que hacer además de video juegos o usar la computadora?
Acompáñanos el cuarto miércoles de cada mes a las 3:30 p. m. para una tarde de manualidades, en la que podrás explorar una nueva habilidad o trabajar en un proyecto que ya hayas empezado en nuestro salón de actividades.
You know the folk art, the murals, the angular architecture. But Mexico has produced a stable of outstanding practitioners in that most modern of arts, photography. Like other genres of Mexican art, Mexican photography exhibits a tension between the modern and the Mesoamerican. Street savvy, elegant, surreal, or shocking—or, like Our Lady of the Iguanas, all of the above–Mexican photography shows us Mexico off the beaten track.
Docent Speaker: Avril Angevine
First Wednesday Art Talks are generously provided by the Friends of the San Rafael Libraries.
From the ninth to second centuries BC, Etruscan culture flourished in what is present-day Tuscany, Italy. The Etruscans were a sophisticated, wealthy people who left behind a rich history and traditions reflected in artistic objects found in tombs, temples, sanctuaries, and homes. They made major contributions to Western civilization’s architectural, engineering, and artistic achievements. Yet their culture remains largely unknown, overshadowed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and shrouded in the absence of surviving written Etruscan histories.
Organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy is the first major US exhibition in two decades to focus on this complex culture that significantly influenced the ancient Mediterranean world. Based on the latest archaeological discoveries and the most up-to-date scholarship, the exhibition presents objects renowned for their unparalleled beauty and exquisite craftsmanship. These include remarkable bronze and terracotta vessels and sculptures, opulent gold jewelry, and other treasures on view to the public for the first time.
FAMSF Docent: Gretchen Turner
The Etruscans exhibition runs through September 20 at the Legion of Honor
First Wednesday Art Talks are generously provided by the Friends of the San Rafael Libraries.
Although Claude Monet visited Venice only once, his paintings of the city are among his most dazzling. Monet and Venice, co-organized with the Brooklyn Museum, is the first dedicated to Monet’s Venetian cityscapes since their debut over a century ago. Featuring more than 100 artworks, the exhibition places Monet’s Venice paintings alongside select works from across his career, including his Water Lilies, as well as Venetian views by artists such as Manet, Renoir, and Canaletto. Unlike the bustling scenes painted by other artists, Monet’s Venice is eerily deserted, its architecture, buildings, and canals dissolving in an encompassing, hazy light he described as the enveloppe. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience Monet’s vision of the famed Italian city.
This exhibition at the De Young runs from March 21 – July 26.
FAMSF Docent: Alfred Escoffier
First Wednesday Art Talks are generously provided by the Friends of the San Rafael Libraries.
A breakout work of modernism, an icon at SFMOMA, an inspiration for generations of artists—that’s Henri Matisse’s Femme au Chapeau, a portrait of his wife Amelie in a truly revolutionary hat. It is also the first and most fabulous work of Fauvism. Learn more about the painting’s genesis, the world in which it was created, and the decade that shook the world.
Docent Speaker: Avril Angevine
SFMOMA will have an exhibit called: Matisse’s Femme au Chapeau: A New Look at an Old Favorite. The exhibition runs from May 16 to September 30.
First Wednesday Art Talks are generously provided by the Friends of the San Rafael Libraries.
How artists depict their world differs widely across Asia, with some giving great attention to detail while others revel in creative freedom. What remains consistent is a brilliant spirit and wonderful imagery that speaks to us about what the artist sees. Experience the variety of styles and approaches with which Asian painters envision their surroundings. Join us in sampling the creativity of these painted worlds.
Asian American Museum Docent: Lydia Zane
First Wednesday Art Talks are generously provided by the Friends of the San Rafael Libraries.
You know the folk art, the murals, the angular architecture. But Mexico has produced a stable of outstanding practitioners in that most modern of arts, photography. Like other genres of Mexican art, Mexican photography exhibits a tension between the modern and the Mesoamerican. Street savvy, elegant, surreal, or shocking—or, like Our Lady of the Iguanas, all of the above–Mexican photography shows us Mexico off the beaten track.
Docent Speaker: Avril Angevine
From the ninth to second centuries BC, Etruscan culture flourished in what is present-day Tuscany, Italy. The Etruscans were a sophisticated, wealthy people who left behind a rich history and traditions reflected in artistic objects found in tombs, temples, sanctuaries, and homes. They made major contributions to Western civilization’s architectural, engineering, and artistic achievements. Yet their culture remains largely unknown, overshadowed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and shrouded in the absence of surviving written Etruscan histories.
Organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy is the first major US exhibition in two decades to focus on this complex culture that significantly influenced the ancient Mediterranean world. Based on the latest archaeological discoveries and the most up-to-date scholarship, the exhibition presents objects renowned for their unparalleled beauty and exquisite craftsmanship. These include remarkable bronze and terracotta vessels and sculptures, opulent gold jewelry, and other treasures on view to the public for the first time.
Although Claude Monet visited Venice only once, his paintings of the city are among his most dazzling. Monet and Venice, co-organized with the Brooklyn Museum, is the first dedicated to Monet’s Venetian cityscapes since their debut over a century ago. Featuring more than 100 artworks, the exhibition places Monet’s Venice paintings alongside select works from across his career, including his Water Lilies, as well as Venetian views by artists such as Manet, Renoir, and Canaletto. Unlike the bustling scenes painted by other artists, Monet’s Venice is eerily deserted, its architecture, buildings, and canals dissolving in an encompassing, hazy light he described as the enveloppe. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience Monet’s vision of the famed Italian city.
A breakout work of modernism, an icon at SFMOMA, an inspiration for generations of artists—that’s Henri Matisse’s Femme au Chapeau, a portrait of his wife Amelie in a truly revolutionary hat. It is also the first and most fabulous work of Fauvism. Learn more about the painting’s genesis, the world in which it was created, and the decade that shook the world.
