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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Zoom registration link:  https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Isjz1t7QTSyUa-3NKB767w

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.