Around Town (1/12/15)

Merced College exhibit

The Merced College Art Gallery this month will present an exhibition of paintings titled “Endure” by Northern California artist Jay Hill. The exhibition will open Tuesday and run through Feb. 4, according to a Merced College press release. The public is invited to meet the artist at a reception at the gallery from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21. All visits to the art gallery are free to the public, although parking restrictions are enforced. The Merced College Art Gallery is open from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m and from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and by appointment. For more information, call Susanne French, art gallery coordinator, at (209) 384-6064 or email french.s@mccd.edu.

Arts center exhibit

The Merced Multicultural Arts Center is opening a new exhibit this month titled “Emergency/Emergence: Art After War.” Curated by Eli-Jelly Schapiro, the exhibit features the work of artists Aaron Hughes, Ehren Tool, Mark Pinto and Drew Cameron. The artists are all Iraq war veterans. According to the center’s website, the exhibit “bears witness to the human consequence of militarism and its aftereffects in the United State, Middle East and the world at large. While making visible the trauma of war, the exhibition also reveals the cultures of solidarity, resistance and renewal that emerge within – and gesture toward a way beyond – the space and time of violence.” The exhibit will launch prior to Saturday’s Art Hop and a reception is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at the center, 645 W. Main St. For more information, go to www.artsmerced.org.

Matt Maher

St. Patrick’s Faith Event Ministry presents five-time Grammy-nominated Christian artist Matt Maher in concert at the Art Kamangar Center at the Merced Theatre on June 18. Tickets go on sale Jan. 20. Ticket prices are $29, $24, $19 and $15. Go to www.mercedtheatre.org to purchase tickets; or call or visit the box office at (209) 381-0500, 301 W. Main St.

Hmongstory 40

Hmongstory 40 will host a Community Engagement from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Merced College Theatre to engage both the Hmong community and larger community in the Hmongstory 40 Project. This year, 2015 marks the 40th year of the Hmong migration from Laos and Thailand to the United States, specifically to the Central Valley. The Hmongstory 40 Project, with partners Merced College and the Merced County Office of Education, will commemorate, celebrate and highlight 40 years of accomplishments by the Hmong in California. The Community Engagement will be a unique opportunity for the Merced community and surrounding areas to preview the large exhibit coming to Fresno in December 2015 and to Merced in early 2016; learn about the Hmongstory 40 Project and the Hmong; meet the team; and see how the community can contribute to the project.

Genealogical Society

The Merced County Genealogical Society will meet at 1 p.m. Jan. 24 in the Gracey Room of the Merced County Library, 2100 O St. Get started learning how to trace roots at the society’s annual program for beginners with a free packet of materials, forms and tips to help find ancestors. The meeting is open to all; no membership is required.

Winter Pops

The Merced Symphony Winter Pops Concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Merced Theatre. Conducted by Ming Luke, the concert will feature movie themes and classics with a Western flavor, according to the symphony’s website. The theater is located at 301 W. Main St. Tickets are $39 general admission and $14 for students. For tickets, go to http://tickets.mercedtheatre.org or call (209) 381-0500.

This story was originally published January 11, 2015 at 7:27 PM with the headline "Around Town (1/12/15)."