This week, catch author David Shields discussing his latest book, check out art made from wire mesh at a Ladera coffee shop and more.
Art
Wire mesh
Silicon Valley-based artist Linda Tapscott creates organic forms inspired by nature. Her medium is not paint and canvas, nor is it clay, stone or bronze. Instead, Tapscott uses aluminum wire mesh to produce porous, semi-transparent shapes that evoke leaves and shells, nests and seeds. Now through the end of August, her work will be displayed at Konditorei Cafe in Ladera Shopping Center, 3130 Alpine Road, Portola Valley. For those interested in learning more about how to sculpt using this lightweight material, Tapscott will be offering workshops in wire mesh art at the Pacific Art League on Sept. 13 and Oct. 25. For more about the artist, go to ltapscott.com or call 650-529-3408. To register for workshops, go to pacificartleague.org or call 650-321-3891.
Theater
‘Voice of the Prairie’
An itinerant story teller and his young companion are the unlikely heroes of “The Voice of the Prairie,” John Olive’s play about the early days of radio. The play opens at Redwood City’s Dragon Theatre, 2120 Broadway, on Friday, Aug. 21, and runs through Sept. 13. Tickets are $27-$35. Go to dragonproductions.net or call 650-493-2006.
Music
Hookslide
As summer slides to a close, there’s one last chance to catch a free live concert at the San Antonio Shopping Center, 2550 W. El Camino Real, Mountain View. This Sunday, Aug. 23, Bay Area-based a cappella group Hookslide will perform from 4-6 p.m. on the village green. Go to hook-slide.com.
Books
‘That Thing You Do With Your Mouth’
Leave the kids at home for this stimulating evening with bestselling author David Shields, who will discuss his latest work: the reminiscences of his cousin, who worked for a time making English voice-overs for Italian pornography. Shields appears tonight, Friday, Aug. 21, at Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Tickets are $10-$20. Go to keplers.com or call 650-324-4321.
Art
‘Dichotomy’
Science versus nature, the man-made and the organic: It’s a duality we live with every day in Silicon Valley. On view Aug. 25 to Sept. 19 at Palo Alto’s Gallery House, 320 California Ave., “Dichotomy: Abstracted Science and Lyrical Landscapes” includes mixed media works by Nance Wheeler and Patricia Nojima that explore both sides of the divide. A public reception will be held on Friday, Aug. 28, 6-8 p.m. Admission is free. Go to galleryhouse2.com or call 650-326-1668.
Concert
‘More Joy’
Who couldn’t use a little more joy in their lives? This Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Ladera Community Church, 3300 Alpine Road, Portola Valley, join local musicians for an uplifting evening of folk and bluegrass music and storytelling. The suggested donation is $10. Go to ladera.org or call 650-854-5481.