DANCES FOR UNIVERSAL PEACE: Sunday, May 14, 1-4 p.m. Free and open to all. Call 503-577-9851 for details.

AFRICAN DRUM GROUP: Every other Sunday, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Call Center for exact dates.

PUBLIC DANCE PARTY: Sponsored by the South Coast Folk Society, 7-9:30 p.m. every third Saturday. A free event featuring live music and international dances. Call Paul at 541-404-8267 for info.

YAZZI’S CHAIR YOGA: 10 a.m. Mon., Wed., and Fri. (by donation).

GAMES OF CHOICE: 1-5 p.m. Mon.

CRIBBAGE: 5:15-10 p.m. Mon.

WALK FOR HEALTH(free): Walk indoors or out, at your own pace, 10-11 a.m. Tues/Thur.

DANCERCIZE WITH ANGIE: Stretching and stepping to music, 4 p.m. Wed. (by donation).

DUPLICATE BRIDGE: 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Thurs.

TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY (TOPS): weigh-in and meeting: 8:30-9:30 a.m. Fri.

BEGINNER BRIDGE LESSONS: 11:30 a.m. Fri.

OPEN BRIDGE: 1-4 p.m. Fri.

Volunteers are always needed. Call 541-347-4131 or drop by 1200 11th St. SW, behind the bright red door at the south end of the Bandon Community Center (“The Barn”).

Reception for the artists on March 4, 2023, 2 p.m., in the Sprague Room, free to all. Refreshments will be served.

Oil painter Morgan Johnson breaks the world into pieces of color and shape, creating images of a mosaic-like reality, rather than a straightforward one. This has the effect of calling our attention to the multitude of colors in a sky and its fractured reflection, the snakeskin-like textures of a tree, or in the form of a swimmer under the disrupted water. Shapes may be geometric or free-form flowing lines, but these lines and shapes of color emphasize the overall image, rather than detract–or distract–from it. The work is almost hyper-real, introducing a micro element to the macro image, merging the two points of view. Johnson’s paintings are up through March 31st.

Cary Weigand’s sculptures are made with stained and glazed cone 6 porcelain, then combined with other materials, such as wood and hair. She finds inspiration in the materials themselves—their connection to the earth—and in the secrets of human and animal nature. She combines rougher slab work with incredibly fine detail, picking out the tiny fingers of a woman or the whorls of an ear. In her work, the animal and human worlds merge to create relationships beyond mere companionship; they all seem to speak the same mystic language, and assume the traits of one another. It is the highly skilled work of a unique imagination. Weigand’s sculpture will remain in the gallery through May 31st.

The gallery is open during regular library hours, 1204 11th St. SW, in Bandon City Park. For more information about the gallery, visit the Bandon Library Friends and Foundation website, Bandonlff.org.

Article courtesy of Tracy Hodson. Art images, “Trying to Surface” oil painting by Morgan Johnson, and “Dreaming Together” Bas Relief Sculpture by Cary Weigand.

The joy of discovery is the experience of these paintings. Geri’s gift is the depth and complexity of her work. There is musicality to these paintings are hung; the violets and blues carry you from one painting to the next. Move in close to be pulled deeper into the many small moments happening within the larger canvas. Interplays of contrasting color create small eddies in the wide stream of each image, and mysterious darkness contains surprising saturations of pure color. And there is texture, created by layers of fibrous papers and sinuations of pure paint. Some of these are made of paper alone, torn sheets overlapping to build up pieces that float within the rectangle of the frame, making a nice change from a rectilinear discipline of the others. In all of these, a spirit of exploration is evoked, and the viewer is asked to take the time required to really see what is there, and to return again and again with fresh eyes. These paintings hold rich rewards for such efforts.

In the cases, Jane Újházi’s jewels reflect the inspiration she also gets from the natural world. Graceful butterfly wing and Autumn leaf porcelain mix with glass beads to make unique earrings. Some necklaces are chunky, some delicate, but all are made with semi-precious stones, pearls, and gold or silver. These exquisite elements she uses are handmade and were made by artisans from around the world. Her work has elements of both the familiar and the exotic, and all of it delights.

There will be a reception for the artists on Sunday, January 15th, from 2 – 4 pm, in the Sprague Room at Bandon Public Library. Refreshments will be served.

The gallery is open during regular library hours, 1204 11th St. SW, in Bandon City Park. For more information about the gallery, visit the Bandon Library Friends and Foundation website, bandonlff.org.

Article courtesy of Tracy Hodson. Art images, “Bright Idea” by Geralyn Inokuchi, Butterfly earrings by Jane Újházi

PUBLIC DANCE PARTY, sponsored by the South Coast Folk Society, 7 to 9:30 p.m. every third Saturday. A free event featuring live music and international dances. Call Paul at 541-404-8267 for info.

WALK FOR HEALTH (free): Walking indoors or out, at your own pace, 10-11 a.m. Tues/Thurs.

YAZZI’S CHAIR YOGA (by donation): 10 a.m. Mon/Wed/Fri. and 4 p.m. Sat.

GAMES OF CHOICE: 1-5 p.m. Mon.

CRIBBAGE: 5:15-10 p.m. Mon.

DANCERCIZE WITH ANGIE (by donation): Aerobic workout to old and new music, 4 p.m. Wed.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE: 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Thurs.

TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY (TOPS) weigh-in and meeting: 8:30-10 a.m. Fri.

BEGINNER BRIDGE LESSONS (free):11:30 a.m. Fri.

OPEN BRIDGE: 1 to 4 p.m. Fri.

Want to play pinochle? Call Debbie at 541-253-1141.

Volunteers always welcome, as are ideas for new activities. Call 541-347-4131 or drop by 1200 11th St. SW, behind the bright red door at the south end of the Bandon Community Center (“The Barn”).

Article contributed by the Bandon Senior Activity Center. Visit our Programs page for more information about the BSAC.

Donations welcome: non-perishable foods, scarfs, beanies, gloves, socks, kids toys, and gift cards. Bring your donations to the community center between 12 and 1 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays through Dec. 19. Gifts will be shared with the EAT program and families in need.

Distribution day is Tuesday, December 20 at 12 p.m.

For more information, please contact Avery Richards. Find Avery’s phone and email on our Contact page.

More Holiday Events . . .

The American Red Cross will hold an extra blood drive event at the Community Center on Friday, Dec. 9, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit RedCrossBlood.org to sign up.

And, visit our Event Calendar to see what’s happening this month at the Community Center and Sprague Community Theater!

Proceedes from the fundraising event will support the studio scholarship fund as well as costuming. The 2023 edition calendar is limited to 100 copies.

Calendars are $25 each, available from MarLo students. Orders can also be placed by contacting the studio. Send an email request to marlo@marlodance.com or call 541-252-1394. Payments can be made by cash or check.

For each calendar sold, $10 is applied directly toward the cost of a student’s spring performance costumes. For calendars purchased directly from studio, the proceeds will go to a family who would benefit from assistance.

Photos by Annetta Adams, contributed by MarLo Dance Studio.

The show runs just one weekend, opening Friday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. with additional performances Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m. All performances are at the Sprague Community Theater, 1202 11th St. SW, in Bandon City Park. Admission is $12 for adults and teens, $10 for youth 12 and younger, and $10 for seniors.

Tickets are only available at the door.

“The Folly of the Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter” is a classically comedic melodrama written and directed by local thespian Corrie Gant. Lark Sparky, the lighthouse keeper’s daughter, dreams of a life of adventure. Will she embrace the affection of local dairyman Clark Barker? Or will she fall for the suave but shady investor, Lester Holstein? The melodramatic cast also includes Minnie Myrtle Morrison, a keen-eyed poetess and owner of the Dusty Crab Saloon; crafty real estate broker Rosa DeRhodes; and Otis Sparky, the kindly and often tipsy lighthouse keeper.

The all-star cast of “Folly” includes Mike Dempsey, Brendan Fisher, Corrie Gant, Nameer El Kadi, Natasha Keller and Laurie Kreutzer.

Throughout the program, audiences will enjoy coastal-themed music and dance numbers presented by the variety show ensemble. The ensemble, directed by Geneva Miller, includes Isaac Braithwaite, John Cotrufo, Tyler Eickhoff, Hallie and Nena Minkler, Merle Morrigan, Harlan Morse, Amy Moss Strong, Merri Seegrist, Christine Roberts and Sandra Woodside. Piano accompanist is Jane Suppes.

“We’re proud to present this entertaining show for the South Coast community as our first full post-pandemic production,” said Bandon Playhouse president Amy Moss Strong. “The show features veteran actors and those new to the stage, hailing from Bandon, Port Orford, Coos Bay and Coquille. We encourage everyone to attend for a frolicking fun time!”

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Since 1976, the Bandon Playhouse has provided the best in community theater, from classic musicals to premiere works by new playwrights. Bandon Playhouse volunteers are proud to keep the performing arts alive and accessible on the Southern Oregon Coast. Learn more at BandonPlayhouse.org, or visit us at Facebook.com/bandonplay.

Article and images contributed by Bandon Playhouse.

Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center will once again offer free flu shots at its annual drive-through Flu Shot Clinic on Tuesday, Oct. 25, beginning at sunrise and continuing until 1 p.m. or while supplies last.

The free drive-through Flu Shot Clinic will be held in its usual location, in the graveled parking area adjacent to the main baseball field at Bandon City Park. Signs will be posted on 11th Street to clearly guide people.

This year, the hospital will offer both the high-dose vaccine for those 65 and over as well as the regular dose vaccine. As usual, there are limited supplies, so those wishing to receive flu shots are encouraged to come early and remain in their cars and medical staff will assist.

Southern Coos Hospital reminds everyone that medical staff will observe COVID-19 protection protocol by wearing masks, sanitizing between each shot, and ensuring the highest standard of safety. Southern Coos Hospital asks that community members attending the drive-through clinic wear a mask while flu shots are administered to protect staff.

There is no charge for the flu shots but donations to the Southern Coos Health Foundation are encouraged and greatly appreciated. The Flu Shot Clinic is available free to the public each year with funds raised by the Southern Coos Health Foundation from proceeds from the Golf for Health classic and the Southern Coos Hospital Gift Shop. Volunteers will be available to take donations and provide people with information about the work done by the Foundation.

SCHHC welcomes volunteers for this event, especially licensed nurses or other medical professionals. If interested or for more information about the clinic, email Denise Ebenal at debenal@southerncoos.org or at 541-347-2426 ext. 193.

Article and 2021 drive-through clinic photo courtesy of Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center.

Allison McClay is a true painter of the unconscious; her subjects are always experiencing more than what is obvious at first glance. She illuminates the psychological realities of those she paints, inviting you to relate to them intimately. Some of these paintings were made during lockdown, and evoke moods and situations that will be familiar to all of us: the half-finished projects started halfheartedly and then abandoned, the ennui as days at home stretched on and on, the claustrophobia of the early days. But this is not the only territory she explores in this show.

This time she brings us stories of early lighthouse residents: Mabel Bretherton who, with her two children, served as keeper of the North Head Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment from 1905 to 1907, and Cora, whose husband was keeper 20 or so years later. Cora came to a sad end (“Cora Jumps”), but the painting is a beautiful seascape that makes her decision a private one, made in solitude. Solitude is the overarching theme of this show, where the people she paints enjoy, seek, grab a fleeting moment of, or suffer solitude. And what makes these scenes so rich is Allison’s exquisite attention to detail, to each strand of curling hair on head or cat, or the intricacies of pattern in a dress or bedclothes. Her paintings keep us grounded in their reality through this sort of care, without sacrificing the surreal elements in such paintings as “Sunday in August.” In fact, that care enhances the effect of these subtle details that you have to look long to see. There’s always more going on in Allison’s paintings than meets the immediate eye. Take the time to look and find the deeper story in each of them; you will be well rewarded.

“In Solitude” runs through November 30th 2022 during regular Bandon library hours, Tuesdays through Saturdays.

The gallery is open during regular library hours, 1204 11th St. SW, in Bandon City Park. For more information about the gallery, visit the Bandon Library Friends and Foundation website, bandonlff.org.

Article courtesy of Tracy Hodson. Art images by Allison McClay: “Mabel’s Storm,” “Glora,” “Cora Dreams of Flight”

Per its bylaws, Bandon Playhouse will hold its annual membership meeting, which includes election of board members for the coming year at 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13, in the lobby of the Sprague Theater, 1202 11th St. SW, in Bandon City Park. Current members and new members are eligible for board positions.

During the entire pandemic, the Playhouse met monthly via Zoom and even produced a video for its YouTube channel, “Bandon Burns,” based on the devastating fire of 1936.

This year, Playhouse is again meeting in person on the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Sprague Community Theater. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

Also this year, the group welcomed local and visiting thespians to “Come Play with Bandon Playhouse” in an interactive open house as well as a theater workshop. The Playhouse is now in production for its upcoming show: Variety By-the-Sea featuring “Folly of the Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter” to be performed Nov. 18, 19 and 20 at the Sprague Community Theater.

“We’ve had so much support from the community but we need more volunteers who are willing to step up and serve on our Board of Directors,” said Playhouse president Amy Moss Strong. “We’ve managed to stay together and there’s nowhere to go but up from here. We hope to present a 2023 theater season that will appeal to all Bandon audiences.”

“We feel Playhouse is still vital to our community and provides opportunities for people of all ages to explore their creative sides,” Moss Strong added. “Whether on the stage or behind it, there’s a place for everyone to shine at the theater.”

The new board will help the Playhouse finalize its 2023 season selections, plus broaden its successful education program. Anyone interested in being nominated for a board position can call Moss Strong at 541-290-9989 to be put on the ballot, or show up at the meeting. Nominations also can be taken from the floor at the annual membership meeting.

Board appointments run from January through December. Current board members in addition to Moss Strong include past-president Neal Davis, board members Corrie Gant, Annie Ohlsen and Jen Marcotte.

For more information on Bandon Playhouse, visit BandonPlayhouse.org or on Facebook at Facebook.com/bandonplay.

Article contributed by Bandon Playhouse. Featured image: Nameer El-Kadi as Ebenezer Scrooge in the 2019 Playhouse production “A Bandon Christmas Carol,” photographed by Geneva Miller.