Stories in Action

Hayward: “Teens Take a Closer Look,” a teen photography and writing exhibit, captures the little-noticed in Hayward. Hayward Main Library, 835 C Street, Hayward, CA, 94541, through September 22. Opens at the Weekes Branch Library, 27300 Patrick Ave., Hayward, CA, 94544, September 23. For information, contact Shawna Sherman, young adult librarian, at Shawna.Sherman@hayward-ca.gov.

La Habra: ” La Habra, the Pass Through the Hills: From a Teen’s Perspective,” a teen photography and writing exhibit opening September 27, 3 to 5 p.m. La Habra Branch Library/OC Public Libraries 221 E. La Habra Blvd. For more information, 562-694-2958.

Oakland: “Chinatown Memory Map Exhibit and Website Launch Party,” explores the history of Oakland’s Chinatown. Opens September 19, 1:30 to 3 p.m. Oakland Renaissance Plaza, 388 Ninth Street, 2nd floor. For more information, contact Roy at 510-637-0463.

Ridgecrest: “Stories in the Sand II,” a teen photography and writing exhibit captures the little noticed in the town. Through September 30. Ridgecrest Branch Library, 131 East Las Flores Avenue. More.

Salinas: “Our Place in the Watershed: The Arts and Service Learning,” professional development for teachers who want to learn how to integrate arts and service learning in the classroom. September 12. National Steinbeck Center, 1 Main Street. More.

Van Nuys: “Hearing the Deaf,” a semi-staged presentation of a play about the struggles and triumphs of the deaf community, followed by a discussion. DEAFestival at Woodley Park, 6340 Woodley Avenue. For information, contact Matt McCray at 323-841-9151.

Reserve your Seat: “On the Front Line: Three Generations of Soldiers’ Voices,” a free performance and discussion. October 29 at 7:30 p.m., Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Drive. 310-670-0362 for information and reservations.

Save the Date: California history will again come alive at the Fourth Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar on Saturday, October 17, from 10 am to 5 pm. Don’t miss it. More.

Call for entries. Deadline: June 26, 2009. The Council on Foundations and Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media (GFEM) are seeking submissions of films and videos for its 43rd Annual Film & Video Festival, to be held April 25-27, 2010 in Denver, CO. More info.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior has approved a bill with budgets for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. The bill now goes to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and then to the full House and Senate. Please contact your senator and representative to ask them to support this important bill. Read more.

3Quarks Daily presents interesting items from around the web in the areas of science, design, literature, current affairs, art, and anything deemed inherently fascinating. Check it out.

For more than 10 years, artist, photographer and writer Candacy Taylor has been documenting coffee shop culture around the country. Now Cornell University Press is publishing a book of Taylor’s work — “COUNTER CULTURE: The American Coffee Shop Waitress.” Look for the book in September and in the meantime read the early reviews, and check out Taylor’s Counter Culture waitress blog.

Learn best practices for grant applications and how to receive funding during the economic downturn. The Office of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi will host its second Arts and Humanities Grants Panel at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco on Tuesday, May 5, at 2:30 pm. Council Executive Director Ralph Lewin will serve on the panel along with representatives from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the California State Library, Grants for the Arts and the San Francisco Arts Commission.

Please RSVP to SpeakerRSVP@mail.house.gov with the subject “Grants Workshop.” Include your name, organization, contact information and any questions on topics you would like to have covered. Space is limited.

The contributions of African Americans to California’s state parks is the topic of an all-day conference at USC on Monday, May 4. The conference – “100 Years Since Allensworth” — features a keynote address by former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and three panels discussing unknown or infrequently told histories in Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento County. 8 am to 5 pm, Doheny Memorial Library, Room 240, University of Southern California. Reception: 6 pm to 7:30 pm (at Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Culver City).

Presented by the California State Parks Foundation and USC Libraries.
$60 (Includes continental breakfast, lunch and evening reception, plus a free 1-year membership to the California State Parks Foundation)

For more information and to register.

Our own Raeshma Razvi will be part of panel about Muslim youth culture at the San Francisco Film Festival this Sunday, April 26, following the premiere of the documentary feature “New Muslim Cool.” The film will be shown at 3 pm at the Sundance Kabuki Theater in San Francisco. followed by the panel at 5:15. Other panelists include Jennifer Maytorena Taylor producer/director, “New Muslim Cool,” and Yahsmin Binti Bobo, cofounder and contributing editor, Illume Magazine. Munir Jiwa, founding director, Center for Islamic Studies at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, moderates.
More about “New Muslim Cool.”
More about the San Francisco Film Festival.

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and the National Park Service are seeking applicants for the Save America’s Treasures 2009 grant program. Grants are available for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts and historic structures and sites. The application deadline is Friday, May 22. More.

April is Jazz Appreciation Month and many events are planned around the country. As part of the celebration, the National Endowment for the Humanities is featuring resources and lesson plans on its website and you can also find free materials at http://www.free.ed.gov/subjects.cfm?subject_id=156. And the organizer of the celebration, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, has issued a new Jazz poster featuring Benny Goodman. To request a free copy, write jazz@si.edu.