The Alameda Free Library will share a talk on the newest exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, “Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis,” which is on display through June 2.

Museum docent Marsha Holm will introduce some of the show’s highlights to the Alameda community from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the Main Library. She will share images of and information on 35 paintings from the 17th- Century Dutch Republic, which are owned by the Royal Picture Gallery, Mauritshuis, at the Hague.

Some of the masterpieces featured are “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer, “The Goldfinch” by Carl Fabritius and “Vase of Flowers” by Rachel Ruysch. The free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Alameda Free Library.

This afternoon, the Alameda Backyard Growers is commemorating its three-year anniversary at the Main Library with a special event from 1-4 p.m.
At today’s event, the group will be showing a film, “The Economics of Happiness,” sharing gardening information and other materials, and offering refreshments.

The group draws 50 or more guests to its events and has an e-mail list of more than 400 individuals. It gave more than 2,050 pounds of locally grown fruit to the Alameda Food Bank in 2012, up from 845 pounds in 2011.

In addition, the gardening collective won first place in its category at Alameda’s Fourth of July Parade last year. It also has formed a board and is on its way to becoming a non-profit corporation. Talk about cultivating a community!

“It’s been about people connecting with people, one veggie at a time,” said Amanda Bruemmer, who co-founded the group in early 2010 with fellow Alamedan Janice Edwards. “Janice and I thought: There a lot of land around, food being grown and people in need of it. That’s what made this blossom.”

The two women say that thanks to a core group of about 30 members, Alameda Backyard Growers has been able to spread the word (and the produce). In fact, the group’s growing popularity prompted it to move its gatherings from High Street Station to Rhythmix Cultural Works about a year or so ago.

Over the past three years, strong relationships have developed between the group’s members. “It’s been great to watch the friendships grow,” as people share gardening plots, said Edwards. “And there have been couples who met through the group, too.”

Thanks to the efforts of the co-founders and other members, Alameda Backyard Growers now has over 20 local partners, including Ploughshares, Alameda County Master Gardeners, Project LEAF (Local Edible Alameda Farm), Alameda Backyard Chickens, Alameda Backyard Beekeepers and Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA).

“We would be thrilled for everyone to attend. Our philosophy is about access for all,” Edwards shared.

Alameda Backyard Growers will present a “down-to-earth” chat at the Main Library tonight.

Alameda County master gardener and soil scientist Marion Adams Yoxall will deliver the talk at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12. It is entitled: “The Dirt on Dirt, Soil Science and Soil Fertility Basics for the Home Gardener.”

Those attending the lecture will learn where soil comes from, what it is made of and how it is formed. They will also hear about soil texture and how texture affects plants, soil biology, fertility, nutrients and fertilizers.

At Tuesday’s event, the local gardening group—which will celebrate its three-year anniversary at the library on Sunday, Feb. 17—will have a silent auction for a worm bin.

Alameda Public Affairs Forum presents author and philosopher Richard Lichtman today–Saturday, Feb. 9–at the Alameda Main Library. Lichtman will lead a discussion on American society and its challenges in the wake of the killings in Newtown, Conn.

The guest speaker will focus on the ideas of psychoanalyst Erich Fromm (who wrote “The Sane Society”) and how they can be applied to understanding acts of violence today, as well as to socio-economic inequality and feelings of hopelessness. He will also discuss alternative views, such as those of Martin Luther King, Jr., and others who have fought for hope and a new America.

Visitors are invited to come to the library at 6:30 on Saturday with snacks to share and to socialize. The discussion will go from 7 to 9 p.m., with donations requested at the door. For more information, call 510-814-9592 or go to its website.

On Thursday, Feb. 7, Josh Sailer, 30, was badly burned aboard a Newport-28 sailboat from what appears to be an on-board explosion.

The San Francisco Chronicle says the Nevada native was living on the boat, at least part time, and had done so for the past two years, while also working in construction.

Sailer suffered burns on about 20% of his body, mainly to the hands and knees, but not to the eyes or lungs, according to Mardy Valentine of Grand Marina, who spoke with Latitude 38. He was flown by helicopter to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

His brother, Jacob, said the galley stove was the likely source of the explosion. It wasn’t clear if the stove was powered by propane or alcohol.

At the time of the blast, Andy McKinley, a former harbormaster at the marina who now works at a nearby canvas shop, said more than a dozen people helped extinguish the blast.

The Alameda Fire Department is investigating the incident.

A gardening workshop organized by Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) will take place from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at the Alameda Main Library, 1550 Oak St.

The subject of the free event, which will be led by Alameda County master gardener and soil scientist Marion Adams Yoxall is the Dirt on Dirt: Soil Science and Soil Fertility Basics for the Home Gardener.

This lecture will include a discussion of:
- Where soil comes from, what it is made of and how it is formed;
- How to find information about soil on the Web;
- How to determine soil texture and how texture affects plants;
- Soil biology basics and how “the bugs” affect fertility and tilth; and
- Strategies to improve fertility and tilth with tillage, amendments and fertilizers.

ABG meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month. They are free and open to the community.

The gardening group will celebrate its third anniversary with a fund-raiser, wet for 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17, at the Main Library.

At Rhythmix Cultural Works, staff and supporters are getting ready to host Localize It, a night of food, fun and entertainment for the entire family on Thursday, Jan. 31.

On Friday, Feb 1, the Blanding Avenue facility will present the Island Arts Festival, while highlights Polynesian music and dance.

One week later (on Friday, Feb. 8), the Albany Film Fest comes to Rhythmix.

The cultural venue also will host Sweetheart Bingo on Valentine’s Day (Thursday, Feb. 14). The event includes dance, improve, comedy and cash prizes, including a $200 grand prize sponsored by the Little House Café, which is located down the street from Rhythmix.

Organizers at the Frank Bette Center for the Arts on Paru Street are getting ready to accept applications for several key events.

The annual Alameda on Camera program is looking for participants to complete the sign-up process by Sunday, Feb. 3, while the Plein Aire Paintout program would like local artists to submit their applications by Monday, April 1.

Frank Bette wrapped up the Déjà Vu silent arts-and-crafts auction and fund-raiser on Saturday, Jan. 26.

The center will have two new shows opening on Feb. 1: Let Them Eat Cake and Ken McGhee’s In Stereotype, which will have its gala event from 7-9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8.

The Alameda Free Library is hosting a new exhibition on its second floor, entitled the Illuminated Page/

The show started Sunday, Jan. 27, and will be up through Saturday, March 2.

A reception for the artists and community members, as well as a discussion, will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30, in the Regina K. Stafford meeting room at the Main Library on Oak Street.

The new show includes the work of students from the Center for Arts, Religion and Education at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.

According to the library, the exhibit focuses on the creation of personal prayers formatted as medieval illuminated text and contemporary work. As part of their course work, the participants learned how to use medieval quills, ink and calf-skin vellum.

A Wall Street Journal writer has found quite the place to get her curly locks taken care of and has let readers across the United States know about it: 1906 Encinal Ave.

In a “Cranky Consumer” article that appeared in the national business newspaper earlier this month, Elizabeth Garone writes, “Getting a haircut can be a nail-biting experience for anyone, but for women with curly hair, it can be especially nerve-racking. Many stylists treat wavy locks just like straight hair, with lousy results.

Garone decided to head to Twist Salon in Alameda for a “Deva” haircut. This involves cutting the hair when it is dry, then washing and conditioning it — a reversal of the normal process.

She had her hair cut by Tami Quan, the salon owner, who trained with Lorraine Massey of the original Devachan Salon in New York and author of “Curly Girl: the Handbook.”

“We really liked the results. Two months later, after following her instructions, the dreaded pyramid has yet to return,” shares Garone.

Quan has been a stylist since 1988 and spent 12 years working at a hair salon on Union Street in San Francisco. Her fellow stylist on the Island, DJ Delokwanitkun, trained and worked previously in Los Angeles.