Thursday, April 18 The Voice You need not worry whether Marielle Rose Murphy will do the likes of Strauss and Schubert justice. The real question is whether the opera greats are really worthy of her powerful soprano vocals. After all, the Carmel native is just off a season at New York’s Metropolitan Opera—“The Met,” to those in the know—where she was a standout in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera. At the SandBox, in addition to Strauss and Schubert, Murphy performs pieces by Rachmaninoff, Gounod, Ellstein…OK, people—not everyone is recognizable by their last name, you know. Anyhow, these Gounod and Ellstein guys are probably good. Murphy is definitely great. She is accompanied on piano by Alana Murphy, her equally talented sister. [DF] 7pm Thursday, April 18. SandBox, 440 Ortiz Ave., Sand City. $25-$40; free/ages 18 and under (with ticketed adult). sandboxsandcity.com. Friday, April 19 Earth Day, Birthday John Muir, who immigrated to America with his family from Scotland in 1849, when he was still a teenager, is one of the most influential naturalists in human history. For one, we can thank Muir for the creation of Yosemite National Park, which preserved one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and sparked a preservation movement in the country as the Industrial Revolution was changing civilization, often at the expense of natural treasures. But we know little about his relationship with the woman he married in 1880, Louie Wanda Strentzel, who ultimately managed Muir’s ranch in Martinez while he was off in the Sierra or somewhere else. This event, hosted by the Pacific Grove Public Library Friends and Foundation to celebrate both Earth Day and Muir’s birthday, features P.G.’s Poet-in-Residence Barbara Grossman regaling visitors with poems—songs—that imagine the relationship between Louie and a man whose words and deeds changed the world. Also, cake will be served. [DS] 5:30pm-7pm Friday, April 19. Pacific Grove Public Library, 550 Central Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. pglibraryfriends.org. Queer Bonfire Waves, sand, a bonfire and warm weather are the perfect mix for a day at the beach. Monterey Peninsula Pride is organizing its first LGBTQIA+ beach bonfire at Asilomar State Beach. Enjoy the sunset, spend time with other LGBTQIA+ community members and allies and warm up with a fire and cozy blanket. “We’re privileged by the beauty in our area. I thought that would be a great way to bring our community together,” says Nick Zafiratos, 28 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY april 18-24, 2024 www.montereycountyweekly.com Joe Ramos There are still a few days to go and see Mixed Up – Connected: Joe Ramos Photographs, until April 21, in the Monterey Museum of Art in Monterey. Ramos, a San Francisco-based photographer with origins in Soledad, has dedicated over four decades to the art of photography. Trained at the San Francisco Art Institute under Richard Conrat, a close associate of Dorothea Lange, Ramos specializes in documentary photography, capturing profound images of people and places in the Salinas Valley and San Francisco’s Mission District. Ramos’ forte lies in portrait photography, evident in the depth and strength of his images—a testament to the mutual trust between the photographer and the subjects. Since 2006, he has significantly contributed to San Francisco’s Project Homeless Connect, capturing over 1,000 portraits. [AP] 18-24 April HOT PICKS To see more local events, and add your own, visit calendar.montereycountyweekly.com Courtesy of Candace Christiansen Andrea Orejarena and caleb Stein VISUALS Andrea Orejarena and Caleb Stein (artist duo) The Center for Photographic Art in Carmel presents the work of its 2023 artist grant recipients, with new work by Chanell Stone and multimedia artist duo Andrea Orejarena and Caleb Stein. Their project, American Glitch, looks at the slip between fact and fiction and how this manifests in the U.S. landscape, which is the artists’ adopted home. “We spent years treating the internet as our collective subconscious, collecting posts on social media and reddit threads of people’s ‘evidence of glitches in real life,’” they wrote in an artistic statement. “These threads and images become a place for a new form of community and connection across time and space. We then photograph sites around the U.S. which remind us or people on the internet of real-life glitches.” The piece above is titled “Abe Lincoln in a Field.” [AP] Sunset on the beach is the ultimate recipe for love. But sitting by the fire, telling stories and meeting new friends sounds almost as good. Thanks to events like this, the local LGBTQIA+ community develops its group consciousness. nic coury Salinas’ Earth Day gathering is also a celebration of community and features cultural events and performances, including dance. Karina Silva
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