WALNUT CREEK, California – This February, Walnut Creek Arts + Rec invites the community to celebrate its love for the arts in a month-long showcase of diverse arts-related events and programs that promises something for everyone.
As the City’s cultural curator, the Arts + Rec department has planned a variety of fun participatory programs throughout the month at the Lesher Center, Bedford Gallery, Center for Community Arts and beyond. These include concerts, performances, artist talks, mixers, workshops, a new mural announcement and more.
“This is a community that loves art and demonstrates it all the time,” said Elizabeth Orcutt, Community Relations Manager. “February is a great time to celebrate that love. We encourage everyone to come out and try a new event this month, support our local arts scene and have a great time.”
To name a few standout events, at the Lesher Center for the Arts, presented in collaboration with Diablo Regional Arts Association, Australian jazz singer and pianist Sarah McKenzie will perform two concerts on Feb. 15, the same day as the Northern California premier of the 10-day run of a new musical, Mystic Pizza, based on the beloved 1988 MGM rom-com. At Bedford Gallery, located within the Lesher Center, visitors will enjoy the multifarious collection of works on view in the current exhibition California Clay all month long and into March. Bedford Gallery will also host a Cocktails & Conversation celebration event with participating artists Feb. 29. At Center for Community Arts, local teaching artists will lead art making activities, performances and mini workshops in a fun evening called Arts After Dark on Feb. 21.
It’s a great time to explore Walnut Creek’s wide range of public art in February as a new large-scale mural has recently been unveiled through the City of Walnut Creek’s Public Art program at Tice Valley Community Gym (2055 Tice Valley Blvd, Walnut Creek). Muralist Nigel Sussman’s incredibly detailed creation called Where’s Walnut Creek? features a stylized map of local landmarks and a variety of wildlife and local flora and fauna, as well as storybook-like renderings of people from the community engaged in work and play. From a distance, the work appears to be an abstraction of color and shapes, but up close, the viewer is drawn into the detailed scenery portraying residents of Walnut Creek happily bustling about in their daily affairs.
“We invite residents and visitors to actively embrace and participate in our vibrant arts scene this month,” says Arts + Rec Director, Kevin Safine. “It is a distinctive and essential aspect of our community, enhancing our prominence in the East Bay, while also contributing to our cultural and economic well-being. We take great pride in representing the flourishing creative landscape here in Walnut Creek.”
To explore all the February events Walnut Creek Arts + Rec has planned, visit https://www.walnutcreekartsrec.org/programs-activities/events. While celebrating love in the month of February, Arts + Rec says this is also a great time to book their coveted wedding venues at Heather Farms, the Center for Community Arts and Civic Park Assembly Hall. Learn more: https://www.walnutcreekartsrec.org/parks-facilities/facility-rentals.
About Walnut Creek Arts + Rec
Walnut Creek Arts + Rec (https://www.walnutcreekartsrec.org/) is a department of the City of Walnut Creek that is the main source for all things cultural in the community, including performing and visual arts, recreation, parks, wellness programs, social services and so much more. The department facilitates programs to locals and visitors to its East Bay community in a unique way to foster creativity, promote wellness and contribute significantly to Walnut Creek’s economy and reputation. The department oversees the Lesher Center for the Arts, Center Repertory Company, Bedford Gallery, Public Art, the Center for Community Arts, recreation programs, aquatics, social services and Boundary Oak Golf Course. Walnut Creek Arts + Rec prioritizes efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion to welcome all to ensure all feel invited and welcome.
