public events
As part of its outreach to our community, the Outdoor Art Club presents a Speaker Series each year covering a diverse range of civic, conservation and cultural subjects. These events are free and open to the public. Most are held at the Clubhouse of the Outdoor Art Club at One West Blithedale Avenue, and a few events are presented on Zoom webinars. Join our mailing list to receive notifications of upcoming events.
Biennial Garden Tour
May 15th, 2025
Check back in spring 2025 for the full details and to purchase tickets!
2023 Tour
See all the information about last year’s tour here.
Upcoming Events
Speaker Series: An Unbiased Look from the League of Women Voters
Speaker Series: An Unbiased Look from the League of Women Voters
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2024
1:00 PM Webinar
CIVICS & CONSERVATION PUBLIC PROGRAM
Once again, the Marin and Sonoma League of Women Voters will be offering a nonpartisan and unbiased look at the pros & cons of the November election’s state ballot propositions. This special 90-minute presentation will include each proposition’s existing law, proposed changes, fiscal impact, the supporters & opponents as well as the campaign financing. This is your opportunity to demystify the ballot and clarify what a “yes vote means” and what a “no vote means.” The LWV envisions a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate. Bring your questions and join this educational and informative event.
Blood Drive Public 2024 11 6
Blood Drive at The Outdoor Art Club
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2024
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM at the Clubhouse
1 West Blithedale Avenue, Mill Valley CA 94941
COMMUNITY IMPACT PUBLIC EVENT
Our blood drives are operated by Vitalant Blood Donation and follow all current health precautions. Located in the OAC’s Main Hall, donations can be scheduled by appointment and are open to the community.
Appointment times are now open. Select yours here.
Event Chairs…..Sara Byruck & Deborah Strull
Speaker Series: Kramer ELM 2024-11-7 Club
Speaker Series: Enriching Lives Through Music
THURSDAY, November 7, 2024
1:00 PM Clubhouse
CIVICS & CONSERVATION PUBLIC PROGRAM
Program Chair…..Beverly Rodgers
Enriching Lives Through Music (ELM)
In 2008, Jane Kramer left college and took a risk. She bought 15 soprano recorders and began to fulfill her life-long dream of bringing accessible, inclusive music-making to a few San Rafael Canal-area kids. Now, Enriching Lives Through Music (ELM) is a full-scholarship, multi-year, intensive program that provides high quality music education and performance opportunities to enable youth to develop the social, emotional, and academic skills they need to succeed in life. Join ELM founder to learn how one person’s passion can change children’s lives.
Speaker Series: Petrocelli Books 2024-11-21 Club
Speaker Series: Book Passage’s Annual Holiday Book Fair
THURSDAY, November 21, 2024
1:00 PM Clubhouse
CULTURAL ARTS PUBLIC PROGRAM
Book Passage’s Annual Holiday Book Fair
Elaine Petrocelli, founder and President of Book Passage, will reveal her list of recommended books for the season. Join this beloved annual event and leave with the perfect gift order for everyone on your holiday list. A percentage of the book sales will be donated to the Outdoor Art Club.
Speaker Series: Allen Parks 2025-1-16 Club
Speaker Series: Resilient Parks within Changing Land & Seascapes
THURSDAY, January 16, 2025
1:00 PM Clubhouse
CIVICS & CONSERVATION PUBLIC PROGRAM
Program Chair…..Bridget Mazzini
Resilient Parks within Changing Land & Seascapes
Dr. Sarah Allen, marine ecologist and Science Program Lead for the National Park Service, shares stories about how managers are collaborating with scientists and other partners to preserve, protect and reimagine parks for the future. A paradigm shift for the 21st century on managing national parks is underway. Parks are no longer restoring ecosystems to some past vision of 19th century land and seascapes, but restoring processes under uncertain weather and climate patterns.
Speaker Series: Selig Thriving 2025-1-23 Web
Speaker Series: Thriving! How to Create a Healthier, Happier, and More Prosperous Life
THURSDAY, January 23, 2025
1:00 PM Webinar
CULTURAL ARTS PUBLIC PROGRAM
Thriving! How to Create a Healthier, Happier, and More Prosperous Life
Rand Selig, a seasoned expert, shares tools and decades of wisdom to help you thrive in every stage of your life. Embrace your potential and a life of fulfillment with Thriving! This captivating book explores what it takes to create a purposeful, healthy, and happy life. Rand Selig, an accomplished entrepreneur, coach, scoutmaster, board member, and roll-up-your-sleeves conservationist, shares his extensive expertise in this book. With an MBA from Stanford and undergraduate degrees in mathematics and psychology, he excels at managing complex projects globally. He is relentlessly positive and believes he can design his own life and others can, too. Based in Mill Valley, he enjoys life’s adventures with his wife Carol, an OAC member.
Speaker Series: Schonbrun Understanding 2025-2-6 Web
Speaker Series: What Gets in the Way of People Understanding Each Other Better?
THURSDAY, February 6, 2025
1:00 PM Webinar
CULTURAL ARTS PUBLIC PROGRAM
Program Chair…..Daphne de Marneffe
What gets in the way of people understanding each other better?
Yael Schonbrun is a clinical psychologist, assistant professor at Brown University, and author of Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like too Much), and parent of three. In her research, private practice, writing, and podcasting, Yael uses science and Eastern philosophy to explore practices proven to foster healthier relationships between partners, parents and children, and between our most important life roles. Yael is a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and her writing on work, parenting, and relationships has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Greater Good Science Center, Behavioral Scientist, and Tricycle, among others.
Speaker Series: Smiley Astronomy 2025-3-6 Club
Speaker Series: Astronomy and Look through a Telescope at the Sun
THURSDAY, March 6, 2025
1:00 PM Clubhouse
CULTURAL ARTS PUBLIC PROGRAM
Astronomy and Look through a Telescope at the Sun
Dan Smiley is the founder of Marin Stargazers, a volunteer group dedicated to sharing the wonders of the universe with the public. As an amateur astronomer, he has presented dozens of events throughout Marin County and beyond to inspire people to connect with the cosmos. He grew up in Mill Valley in a musical family, and for over 30 years was a violinist with the San Francisco Symphony. Mr. Smiley is Vice President of the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, helped the Mill Valley Public Library start its library telescope program, has traveled several times to Australia to view the southern skies, and is an advocate for DarkSky International. He lives with his wife Suzanne Leon, also a violinist with the San Francisco Symphony, in Mill Valley.
Speaker Series: Moulton-Peters Flood 2025-3-20 Web
Speaker Series: Flood Control Part 2: An Ongoing Concern for Southern Marin
THURSDAY, March 20, 2025
1:00 PM Webinar
CULTURAL ARTS PUBLIC PROGRAM
Program Chair…..Karen Jernstedt
Flood Control Part 2: An Ongoing Concern for Southern Marin
Stephanie Moulton-Peters, Marin County District 3 Supervisor and Judd Goodman, Senior Civil Engineer at the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District will update the community on flood control, an ongoing concern and opportunity. This presentation will cover studies, maintenance, and capital improvements aimed at reducing flood risk in Southern Marin. It will also describe ongoing strategies for climate change resiliency.
Speaker Series: Killion Sports 2025-4-3 Club
Speaker Series: Sports in the Bay Area and Beyond
THURSDAY, April 3, 2025
7:00 PM An Evening in the Clubhouse
CIVICS & CONSERVATION PUBLIC PROGRAM
Sports in the Bay Area and Beyond
Ann Killion, longtime sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, will discuss the shifting sports landscape, both in the Bay Area and around the country (and globe). Will the Warriors return to greatness? Will the 49ers finally win a sixth Lombardi trophy? What is happening with the rapid changes in college sports, including the collapse of the Pac-12, which sent Stanford and Cal to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). What will the arrival of two women’s professional teams in the Bay Area mean? What are the implications of having the world’s biggest sporting event, the World Cup, in the U.S. in 2026 and the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028? We will discuss it all, with plenty of audience feedback and questions and answers.