Around Town: Lecture on space, demonstration on gilding coming to Laguna Art Museum

Laguna Art Museum will be offering opportunities to engage with the arts in person over the weekend.

The first comes Saturday in the form of “The Poetics of Space: A Conversation at the Intersection of Art and Architecture,” which will present a conversation with artist Jacques Garnier and Laguna Beach architect Anders Lasater. The conversation will focus on Garnier’s photography exhibit “Hymns to the Silence.”

“Framing and Gilding” comes to the museum on Sunday, as Janos Novak shares the tools of the trade. Attendees will discover how gilding techniques are applied by artists, and they will also get a chance to lay goldleaf.

Tickets for both events are $7 for museum members, while general admission is $14.

Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts rings in holidays

The Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts will put on its holiday concert, “Sounds of the Season,” from Dec. 9 through 11.

Performances will take place in the Huntington Beach Union High School District auditorium at 7 p.m. each night. Admission to see the show is $25 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Tickets for the show are available through hbapa.org/see.

Featured in the show are the academy’s orchestra, musical theatre and popular music and media departments, as well as the Surf City Singers and the Huntington Beach High band and color guard.

Laguna Beach Jazz Holiday Concert slated

A free jazz holiday concert will take place at the Community and Susi Q Center terrace on Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The show is being directed by Lynn Olinger.

There will be hot chocolate, coffee and cookies served on site.

Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP by Tuesday. For more information, visit lagunabeachcity.net/recreation, or call (949) 497-0788.

Vanguard celebrates the holidays with theatrical comedy

Costa Mesa’s Vanguard University is presenting a holiday-themed theatrical performance at its Lyceum Theater now through Dec. 12.

“The Cordray Christmas Hour” features a local access TV station in 1956 Indiana, where a small crew is anticipating a very special guest for its Christmas special. Led by station manager Joan Davis, the WKWA-TV team is working hard to produce the best broadcast the town has ever seen, until a major mishap puts the entire show in jeopardy.

If Joan and her ragtag team are going to save the show before airtime, they will need to improvise. Christmas chaos abounds in this world-premier family comedy.

Directed by Ryan Miller and presented by American Coast Theater Co. and Vanguard University, “The Cordray Christmas Hour” opened Thursday and runs through Dec. 12. Tickets cost from $16 to $20. For information, visit ci.ovationtix.com/36168.

O.C. nonprofit Mercy House receives $50k grant

The Cooper Housing Institute, a nonprofit that supports research and programs addressing housing affordability and homelessness nationwide, announced Thursday it has awarded Santa Ana-based Mercy House Living Centers with a $50,000 grant to introduce the position of psychiatric nurse practitioner.

The nurse practitioner will work with at-risk Mercy House tenants on stabilizing their housing situation, connect them to ongoing care and mentor paraprofessional case managers to ensure housing stability.

Mercy House provides housing and comprehensive support services for unhoused families, adult men and women, people living with HIV/AIDS, those overcoming substance addictions and individuals with physical and mental disabilities. Providers focus on clients’ economic, emotional and spiritual well-being to enhance self-esteem and personal pride.

O.C. releases annual Happy Holidays Neighbor! Toolkit to reduce senior isolation

County officials on Thursday launched a public awareness micro-campaign designed to educate residents on the dangers related to senior isolation and to inform them how to safely connect with elderly family members and neighbors as the holiday season approaches.

Seniors may face seasonal challenges with buying gifts, mailing packages and decorating their home exteriors. Using an online Happy Holidays Neighbor! Toolkit, users can fill out a printable postcard to send to seniors, asking what help they might need and providing their contact information.

The campaign also provides information about county and local resources available to seniors. To access the toolkit, and for more information on supporting neighbors in the community, visit the county’s Office on Aging at officeonaging.ocgov.com. Seniors in need may also call (800) 510-2020.

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