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Palo Alto ArtLift grants
The city of Palo Alto announced last month that it is seeking artists and creatives with ideas for projects that invite the public to play, engage and connect with each other.
The city is offering ten $5,000 grants for temporary projects through its ArtLift grant program, which began as part of the city’s efforts during the pandemic to help residents combat isolation and foster a sense of community.
The pieces may be placed throughout the city, but will largely be featured in downtown Palo Alto, California Avenue and the Cubberley Community Center. “Funded works may include outdoor temporary installations, murals, pop-up performances, interactive experiences, or creative uses of emerging technologies such as augmented or virtual reality,” according to the grant announcement.
Projects previously funded by ArtLift grants have included pet portraits and a mobile movie studio that encouraged passersby to share their stories.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 20 For more information, visit paloalto.gov.
Sound Union Gear Swap
Redwood City’s Sound Union offers recording and performance space for local musicians, and now with its first gear swap, it’s also giving area artists a way to get the tools of the trade they need, and a chance to swap, sell or trade gear they might no longer need.
The private club for music makers as well as listeners has invited members and some select vendors to set up tables for the swap, and non-members are encouraged to email sara@soundunion about pricing. The swap takes place Feb. 7, noon-3 p.m. at Sound Union, 2625 Broadway, Redwood City. For more information, visit eventbrite.com.
TheatreWorks announces new season
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley announced its 56th season on Feb. 2, setting the stage for a 2026-27 slate of shows that includes two world premieres and several regional premieres.
The season opener, Geetha Reddy’s “The Employee Dharma Handbook” (July 8-Aug. 2), is a world premiere set in Silicon Valley. The show’s backdrop is an aerospace firm, where an HR executive’s investigation into one matter uncovers longstanding tensions between the company’s Indian immigrant engineers.
For fall, the company sinks its teeth into Steven Dietz’s chilling adaptation of Bram Stoker’s gothic vampire novel “Dracula” (Oct. 7-Nov. 1), and heads into the holidays with the a cappella musical “Alice, Formerly of Wonderland” (Dec. 2-27), a unique new look at the person who inspired a literary classic, with founding artistic director Robert Kelley directing.
TheatreWorks welcomes the new year with the season’s second of two world premieres, “Love Notes: A Romantic Musical Triangle” (Jan. 12-31). Starring actor/pianist/writer and audience favorite Hershey Felder, the show delves into the tangled romantic lives of composers Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann and composer and pianist Clara Schumann. This production will also see the company head north of its usual Mountain View and Palo Alto digs, and perform for the first time at Redwood City’s Fox Theatre.
A classic Western swaggers onto stage for spring with Karen Zacarías’ “Shane” (March 3-28), starring longtime Bay Area-based actor Aldo Billingslea and offering a look at the often unexplored diversity of the American West. The season wraps up with “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” (March 31-April 25), a musical biography of singer-songwriter Carole King.
Regular Theatreworks audiences may have caught staged readings of “The Employee Dharma Handbook” and “Alice, Formerly of Wonderland” in development at the company’s signature New Works Festival. The company also announced that the festival, which highlights new works in progress, will take place this year Aug. 7-16.
Season subscriptions are $134-$539; single tickets for each show will be available starting in the summer. For more information, visit theatreworks.org.
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