Poets

Alecia Foster The Salome Jihad Dance Troupe and special guests performed before a small crowd at The Alex Theatre Thursday afternoon. Leela, also known as Marla Martin, was one of several artists who recently performed during the theater's free Brown Bag Lunch Concerts. The events are sponsored by the city's Arts and Culture Commission, the News-Press and The Alex Theatre. The concerts began about a month ago and take place in the theater's courtyard from noon to 1 p.m. every Thursday.

The Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale and Contemporary & Modern Print Exhibitions have curated proof of Matisse’s paternity to modern art with a presentation of 63 illustrations, rendered by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) in response to the works of French poets Pierre Ronsard (1524-1585) and Stephane Mallarme (1842-1898). Matisse’s dream — ”an art of balance, of purity and serenity — becomes manifested in this exhibition of his late work, which was the result of his pioneering in the graphic arts of etching and lithography and a leaning toward “minimalism,” a clean and economical use of line, color and subject matter.

It was a sweet night last Saturday when the Crescenta Valley Arts Council presented its first Soul, Sweets & Stanzas event at the La Crescenta Woman’s Club. The classical jazz band New West Guitar Quartet played in the background early in the evening as people greeted each other, then made their way over to a bountiful dessert buffet. At 7:30, guests were directed to take their seats as poet Jack Cooper officially opened the festivities. Cooper, whose first formal collection of poems, “Across My Silence,” was recently published, read one of his pieces to start the poetry portion of the evening.

TODAY GLENDALE The Jewel City Camera Club of Glendale meets at 8 p.m. Tuesdays at the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 134 N. Kenwood St. There will be a vintage camera demonstration. For more information, call Donna Jackson at (818) 244-9096. A seven-week poetry program is from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through June 7 at Montrose Public Library, 2465 Honolulu Ave. Children ages 10 to 13 can enjoy the workshop that culminates in a poetry reading at the Alex Theatre June 9. For information, call (818)

Local schoolteacher is state title nominee SOUTHWEST GLENDALE -- Glendale Unified School District officials nominated Kim Labinger, a fourth-grade teacher at Edison Elementary School, as their choice for the 2005 California Teacher of the Year. Labinger has been with the district for 19 years. She teaches at Edison Elementary and serves as consultant and presenter for the UCLA Writing Project. The nomination was submitted to the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

Joyce Rudolph Alex Free Brown Bag series features belly dancers GLENDALE -- The Alex Theatre continues its Free Brown Bag Concert Series Thursday with Leela with SlomeJihad Belly Dance Troupe. Concerts are from noon to 1 p.m. every Thursday in The Alex forecourt and feature area musicians, actors, poets, dancers, magicians, choirs and school groups. The public is invited to bring their lunch and enjoy the entertainment. Beverage service will be available.

The annual Glendale Community College juried student art show, "ARTtimesART," opens at 10 a.m. Thursday and runs through May 13 in the college Art Gallery. Animation, ceramics, drawing, design, 3-D design, graphic design and illustration, media arts, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture will all be entered and go through the judging process. Awards will be presented to the student artists at an opening day gallery reception from Noon to 1 p.m. Thursday.

Women poets and the judicial bench are the topics of free classes offered by the Glendale Community College ENCORE program beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Life Skills Building. Anyone can attend these bonus classes that are usually only open to ENCORE members. Admission is free. ENCORE is an institute for learning in retirement. "Women Poets," including Edna St. Vincent Millay and Sylvia Plath, will be discussed by Henry Merkle from 10 a.m. to noon.

City swimming season starts up The city of Glendale Parks, Recreation & Community Services Division is presenting its summer aquatics program in cooperation with the Glendale Unified School District and the American Red Cross from July 2 to Aug. 24. The program will be offered at the Glendale and Hoover High School pools. Programs include recreational swimming, instructional lessons, junior life-guarding academy and the opportunity to swim for the Glendale Gators community swim team and the Glendale Polo Bears water polo team.

Frank Bravo has always known his mission in life was to help refugee children and families in need. Although the Glendale Community College nursing student is not quite finished with his studies, he has already begun to do his part to help the community. Bravo, 34, is vice president of the college’s Rotaract Club, which is part of the larger Rotary International Club, and through the group’s efforts, he is able to provide aid to local organizations such as Path Achieve Glendale, the city’s largest homeless services provider.