In-person
Now through Tues 2/1
Art: “Entwined”
“Entwined,” an illuminated forest created by Charles Gadeken, is a whimsical wonderland where visitors can explore twisting paths, colorful trees to sit under, large flowering clusters amidst constantly changing vistas of light and magic. An audio system within some of the structures offer low-level ambient music. The installation is meant as an invitation to play and interact with the environment, engaging visitors of all ages. 6 p.m. Free. Golden Gate Park, Peacock Meadow, 240 John F. Kennedy Drive. For more information.
In-Person
Thursday 1/6
Health: Yoga at the Garden
The San Francisco Botanical Garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park, with 55 acres of landscaped gardens and open spaces, showcasing more than 9,000 kinds of plants from around the world. The 45-minute yoga practice is accessible and aims to increase strength and flexibility while integrating mindfulness techniques.
12 to 12:45 p.m. $15 (free with membership). San Francisco Botanical Garden, 1199 9th Avenue. For more information.
Virtual
Fri 1/7 to Fri 1/21
Education: “News Junkies Unite!”
Each week brings a vast array of important and complex political and social developments. Analysis and coverage by print, social, and mass media sometimes clarifies but often obscures what’s going on and why. It is hard to navigate through this maze. In this facilitated discussion of important issues, critical topic(s) will be discussed in-depth. This course meets over three Fridays: 1/7, 1/14, and 1/21, 2 to 4 p.m. $50. Presented online (via Zoom) by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at San Francisco State University. For more information and to register
In-Person
Wed 1/12
History: Chinatown Family Associations, Tongs, and Gangs
Pulled and pushed from the far southeast part of China from 1849 onward, young Chinese men went to the gold fields only to find that discrimination largely forced them to work as laborers or return to San Francisco. In San Francisco’s Chinatown many joined the family associations, tongs, and gangs that controlled the neighborhood. Walk along Chinatown’s densely populated streets and alleys and dive into the colorful and sometimes violent history of this period. Content may be jnappropriate for children under 14 years of age. Free; suggested $15 donation per person. 10:30 a.m. to about Noon. For more information and to register.
In-person
Sat 1/15
History: East Cut Tours
After years of improvements, The East Cut is now brimming with businesses, greenery, art, public spaces, and more. Led by volunteer docents who live in the neighborhood, the tour will lead visitors through the area’s past, present, and future. 10 to about 11:30 a.m. Free; a $5, $10, or more donation to the Neighborhood Parks & Greenspace fund is encouraged. For more information and to register.
Virtual
Fri 1/21, Sat 1/22, Sun 1/23
Art: Photo Pop-Ups Online Workshop
Explore the intersection of photography and paper engineering: photo pop-ups. This workshop unpacks the fundamentals of paper engineering by discussing tools and materials, examining trade book examples, and building a series of foundational structures. And because your photos are what matters most to you, there’ll be dedicated time to incorporating your own images into paper-engineered structures. You’ll leave the class with a bound collection of models and a means of satisfying the itch to take your photos one step further. Brought to you by San Francisco Center for the Book. $250. Friday: 5 to 7 p.m.; Saturday: 1 to 4 p.m.; Sunday: 1 to 4 p.m. For more information and to register.
In-person
Sat 1/22 through Sun 1/30
Art: The City Canvas
Celebrate the art and artists that transformed the City into a canvas, giving us light in the dark. When San Francisco shut down for COVID shelter-in-place, artists created beautiful works throughout the City on boarded up storefronts. “The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective” will showcase these artists and a selection of their murals, together for the first time in historic Building 12 at Pier 70. Free; registration for timed entries required. Pier 70, 588 22nd Street. For more information.
Virtual
Mon 1/24 through Fri 2/28
Education: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Our brains and disease; jazz music in American culture; a look at freewill (does it exist?), the Golden Age of radio and early television; and much more. Winter Session courses are open for registration. Classes begin January 24 and will meet via Zoom. For more information about OLLI’s classes, free lectures, interest groups – like Spanish and French conversation, share-a-book, share-a-film – and how to register: https://olli.sfsu.edu/
Photo, top: Yoga at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Credit: Travis Lange
