THE LATEST AND GREATEST NEWS FROM THE DISTANT UNIVERSE

MAY 13, 2021 @ 1PM

Dr. J. Xavier Prochaska, professor of Galactic and Stellar Studies at UC Santa Cruz, studies galaxies and fleeting phenomena known as transient sources using the light from stars and quasars to examine matter that reveals itself in silhouette.  He will talk about this powerful approach to astronomical observation and the latest exciting discoveries in astrophysics.  Be ready for some surprises.

THE STATE OF THE COUNTY

MAY 6, 2021 @ 1PM

Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters will give an update on Marin County news and issues and talk about her agenda as a supervisor, which includes safety, evacuation planning, improving communications at the city, county, and state level, and addressing the recurrent flooding of surface streets in Southern Marin.

LOCAL BUSINESS HEROES

APRIL 22, 2021 @ 1PM

When the state ordered all businesses to close their doors in March, these pragmatic and visionary Mill Valley business owners pivoted quickly to serve their customers and support their neighbors in a time of crisis. Join Susan Griffin Black from EO Products, Ryan Canepa from Mill Valley Market, and Peter Schumacher of Bungalow 44, Buckeye Roadhouse, and Playa as they recall their innovative responses to this once-in-a-lifetime emergency.

FIGHTING FOR HOUSING IN AMERICA

APRIL 15, 2021 @ 1PM

Is it possible to balance availability, affordability, and return on real estate investment? Conor Dougherty, New York Times reporter and author of Golden Gates, will share real-life stories about people struggling to find affordable housing in San Francisco’s sky-high rental market and offer innovative solutions to the economic and political problems that have caused our housing crisis.

PRISON TO EMPLOYMENT CONNECTION

APRIL 1, 2021 @ 1PM In 2014, Diana Williams founded Prison to Employment Connection, a non-profit that helps incarcerated men at San Quentin transition to employment upon release.  The program boasts a recidivism rate of 1% compared to a disturbing rate of 60% in the state of California.  Diana and three formerly incarcerated men who graduated from the program will discuss the the impact this groundbreaking program has made on the lives of men re-entering society.

CARING FOR OUR OCEANS

MARCH 25, 2021 @ 1PM

The Marine Mammal Center is a world leader in ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue, veterinary science, and education.  Adam Ratner, Associate Director of Conservation Education at the Center, will describe how the Center rescues, treats, and rehabilitates sick and injured animals in its state-of-the-art veterinary facility, then returns them to their natural habitat.

THE LIVING WALLS

MARCH 18, 2021 @ 1PM

David Brenner of Habitat Horticulture has designed stunning living garden walls for MOMA, Salesforce, and other San Francisco businesses and organizations. Learn how you can make this unique, vertical planting option work in your own home or garden.

YOU CAN GARDEN FOR LIFE!

MARCH 4, 2021 @ 1PM When a back injury prevented Toni Gattone from enjoying her favorite hobby, she taught herself to garden smarter, not harder. Now the author and motivational speaker teaches others a gardening practice that allows them to work in and enjoy their gardens well into their old age. Learn how to create your own gardening sustainability plan that will keep you in your garden for years to come.

VIRTUAL BLOOD DRIVE
MARCH 2021

In lieu of the Semi-Annual Blood Drive, the OAC will run a Virtual Blood Drive during the month of March.  You can sign up to donate and invite friends and family all over the country to give blood, as Vitalant operates in twenty states. The blood you donate helps hospitals, and your plasma can help COVID-19 patients.

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?  A LOOK AT UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING ART

FEBRUARY 25, 2021 @ 1PM

Julie Charles of SF MOMA will join us for a fun and interactive look at different ways of seeing the art of our time, and address the genesis of conceptual art in an easy-to-understand way.

CREATING THE RELATIONSHIPS YOU WANT WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MATTER

FEBRUARY 18, 2021 @ 1PM

Licensed marriage and family therapist Gail Weiner has helped individuals, couples, and families improve their relationship skills for over three decades, with particular expertise in guiding mid-life women to successful dating and helping couples connect more deeply. She will share clinical research, inspirational stories, and practical steps for living your most authentic, connected life with the people you care about most.

ONE OF THE “BIG GUNS” FIGHTING CORONAVIRUS

FEBRUARY 11, 2021 @ 1PM

Mill Valley resident Dr. Melanie Ott, M.D., Ph.D., is the Director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology and a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco.  She was recently recognized by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of ten top Bay Area scientists collaborating in the race to stop the novel coronavirus.  Dr. Ott will discuss the work she and her colleagues are doing to develop one drug to treat multiple viruses, including new and emerging viruses.

RITUAL AND RESILIENCE DURING COVID-19

JANUARY 28, 2021 @ 1PM

Death is closer than ever, while the pandemic limits traditional expressions of community and ceremony.  Katy Butler will share how homegrown rituals, including virtual ones, can help us honor our losses and build resilience in this time of separation.  Using examples from her book, The Art of Dying Well, and her recent essay in the Wall Street Journal, she will help us rediscover meaning and strengthen confidence.  She will also facilitate a sample candle lighting ceremony to enhance our sense of community and sacred connection.  Please bring a candle to light during the webinar.

GROW WHAT YOU LOVE

JANUARY 21, 2021 @ 1PM

Emily Murphy, an organic gardener, author, and blogger who has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, is an expert in garden-to-table gardening. Using her easy-to-follow tips, both novices and experienced gardeners can grow organic vegetables and herbs in a way that seamlessly integrates into modern lifestyles, and serve homegrown produce at their tables all year round.

THE MANY FACES OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

JANUARY 14, 2021 @ 1PM

While most Americans consider Abraham Lincoln one of our nation’s greatest heroes, some ridicule him as a country bumpkin or decry him as a dictator.  And while most historians see the “Great Emancipator” as a champion of freedom for African Americans, some view him as a racist and hypocrite.  Mick Chantler (M.A. History), an instructor of early American studies for over forty years, will explain how these kaleidoscopic images of Lincoln evolved and discuss which are valid.

BOOK PASSAGE HOLIDAY BOOK FAIR

DECEMBER 3, 2020 @ 1PM

Elaine Petrocelli, co-founder of Book Passage, will highlight new literature and suggest books for holiday gift-giving at this popular annual event.

COVID-19 IN MARIN

NOVEMBER 19, 2020 @ 1PM

Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County’s Public Health Officer, has been on the front lines throughout the COVID-19 crisis. He will talk about what Marin is doing to mitigate the virus’s impact, the status of antibody testing, and progress in vaccine development. A victim of COVID himself, he will also focus on the lessons we can learn from the pandemic and how we can prepare for future outbreaks.

SEMI-ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVE

NOVEMBER 18, 2020 @ 11AM TO 3PM

Join us for the Outdoor Art Club’s semi-annual Community Blood Drive.  Anyone over 18, in good health, and weighing over 110 pounds can donate blood.  To sign up for an appointment, go to www.bloodheroes.com or contact Debbie Carmichael, at (607) 342-3753.  This blood drive is held in conjunction with non-profit Vitalant formerly known as the Blood Centers of the Pacific.

100 YEARS STRONG

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 @ 1PM

League of Women Voters Board member Nancy Bell will give a presentation on the women’s suffrage movement, focusing on the women who dedicated their lives to the long and often dangerous struggle that began in Seneca Falls in 1848 and culminated in the final vote in the Tennessee legislature that ratified the Nineteenth Amendment one hundred years ago this year.

MAKING MAGIC FROM BROADWAY TO BERKELEY

NOVEMBER 5, 2020 @ 1PM

Johanna Pfaelzer, former Artistic Director of New York Stage and Film and current Artistic Director of Berkeley Repertory Theater, will talk about her life and work in American musical theater, and how one woman’s creative vision helped shape some of America’s best loved shows, including Hadestown, Hamilton, The Humans, and Green Day’s American Idiot.

NICOTEEN:  CURBING THE YOUTH NICOTINE VAPING EPIDEMIC

OCTOBER 1, 2020 @ 1PM

The use of e-cigarettes has increased a staggering 900% in recent years, and many of these new users are teens. Dr. Jodi Prochaska, a Stanford University professor of medicine who directs Stanford’s masters’ program in Community Health and Prevention Research and is an expert on nicotine addiction, will talk about the harms of nicotine vaping to young people, local measures being taken to address the teen vaping epidemic, and treatment options.

A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN UNPREDICTABLE TIMES

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 @ 1PM

John Rothmann, host of the nightly John Rothmann Show on KGO 810AM and a frequent lecturer on U.S. politics and the presidency, will speak about the upcoming presidential election. Mr. Rothmann is a veteran of numerous political campaigns on the national, state, and local level, including Richard Nixon’s in 1968, and owns one of the finest private collections of American political history texts and biographies in the world.

EVOLUTION OF A ZEN MASTER

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 @ 1PM

Sensei/Buddhist priest Kathie Fischer will speak about what her decades in residency at Green Gulch and Tassajara taught her about leadership, group dynamics, self-awareness, and the power of meditation, lessons that give her a unique perspective on our challenging times.

COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE

JULY 2, 2020 @ 11AM TO 3PM

In response to the COVD-19 pandemic crisis, the Outdoor Art Club will host a Blood Drive. This blood drive is held in conjunction with non-profit Vitalant. Vitalant has held blood drives at the OAC in the past and upholds essential sanitary and safe space practices.

If you are interested, you can register yourself at the website, https://www.bloodheroes.com/, or call Blood Drive Coordinator, Debbie Carmichael, at (607) 342-3753.

SEMI-ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVE

APRIL 1, 2020 @ 10:15AM TO 3PM

Join us for the Outdoor Art Club’s semi-annual Community Blood Drive. Anyone over 18, in good health, and weighing over 110 pounds can donate blood.  To sign up for an appointment go to www.bloodheroes.com or contact Carol Werschky at (415) 302-2854.  This blood drive is held in conjunction with non-profit Vitalant, formerly known as the Blood Centers of the Pacific.

ELECTRIC BIKES ON TRAILS?

MARCH 5, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

The Mount Tam watershed is one of Marin’s most valuable resources, and our uses of it are limited in order to protect it. Hiking, biking, and horseback riding are permitted with some constraints, but what about electric bikes? Crystal Yezman, Facilities and Watershed Manager for the Marin Municipal Water District, will discuss the district’s evaluation process regarding this additional recreational activity on the mountain.

THE HONEY BUS: A MEMOIR OF LIFE LESSONS LEARNED

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

Fifth generation beekeeper, Meredith May, will speak about her new book.  Growing up in a turbulent household, when she was five years old, she was taken in by her grandfather, an eccentric beekeeper who made honey in an old military bus in Carmel Valley.  She “found refuge in the magical world of these industriouspollinators” she calls “a benevolent society and a good role model for humans.”  Honey tasting will be included.

MARIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING – THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM?

FEBRUARY 6, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

Panelists from the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative, the Mill Valley Planning Department, and the Marin County Community Development Agency will discuss priorities and opportunities for affordable housing in Marin, and identify common values on this important subject.

TALKING ABOUT TRASH

JANUARY 30, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

Confused about what goes where in your four curbside trash cans? Jennifer Selvig of Marin Sanitary Service and Jim Iavarone of Mill Valley Refuse will present a program on the current state of trash in Marin County. Learn about dual recycling, what can and can no longer be recycled, the growing focus on composting, evolving state laws and regulations, and how you can adapt your product usage and recycling for maximum environmental impact. Small kitchen composting buckets will be available at the event.

THE BOLD DRY GARDEN:  LESSONS FROM THE RUTH BANCROFT GARDEN

JANUARY 16, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

Award-winning writer Johanna Silver will talk about her book, The Bold Dry Garden: Lessons from the Ruth Bancroft Garden. Ms. Silver had unparalleled access to the life and garden of Ruth Bancroft, the West’s dry gardening pioneer, who died in 2017 at the age of 109. Working with photographer Marion Brenner, Ruth’s horticulturalist, and Ruth’s family and friends, she weaves an intimate, compelling story of the life and work of this fearless plant collector.

BOOK PASSAGE HOLIDAY BOOK FAIR

DECEMBER 5, 2019 @ 1:00 PM

Elaine Petrocelli, co-founder of Book Passage, will highlight new literature and suggest books for holiday gift-giving. Books will be on sale at the event.

IRISES IN A NEW LIGHT

NOVEMBER 21, 2019 @ 1:00PM

British landscape architect Heidi Howcroft will give an illustrated talk about a flower she used to think of as an old fashioned diva, until she visited gardens in Switzerland and southern Germany. Working with photographer Christa Brand, she captured images of this delicate bloom in exquisite plant combinations that open up exciting new ways to use irises in the garden.

SEMI-ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVE

NOVEMBER 20, 2019 @ 11AM TO 3PM

Join us for the Outdoor Art Club’s semi-annual Community Blood Drive.  Anyone over 18, in good health, and weighing over 110 pounds can donate blood.  To sign up for an appointment go to www.bloodheroes.com or contact Carol Werschky at (415) 302-2854.  This blood drive is held in conjunction with non-profit Vitalant, formerly known as the Blood Centers of the Pacific.

GET FIRED UP ABOUT FIRE PREVENTION IN MILL VALLEY!

NOVEMBER 7, 2019 @ 1:00 PM

Fire is a four-letter word that strikes fear in our hearts, especially in these volatile times of climate change. Mill Valley Fire Chief Tom Welch, who lost his own home in the 2017 Santa Rosa fire, will talk about what Mill Valley is doing to prevent it from striking our town. Hear about access/evacuation routes, what property owners must do, how some residents are banding together to protect their neighborhoods, and more.