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January 2020 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 1
& JANUARY 2020
INTO CHINA: GRAND OPENING FOR A WORLD ALAMO CITIZEN OF THE YEAR ~ ED MORAN During the annual Alamo Christmas Tree Lighting, the Alamo Rotary CLASS CONTRIBUTION
By Jody Morgan
The Into China Gallery at the Blackhawk Museum opens Saturday, January 25th. Open free to the public for the entire day from 10am- 5pm, the Museum welcomes visitors of all ages to celebrate Ken Behring’s latest contribution to the community. Honoring the Chinese Lunar New Year, Grand Opening festivities feature performances of traditional Chinese arts. The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for noon.
The shear scale of installations like Dreamland required careful assessment of loads the museum building could bear. Photo courtesy of Blackhawk Museum.
Into China showcases 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Original works crafted using traditional skills blend beautifully with authentic reproductions. Individuals offered preview tours exclaimed they were “blown away” by the experience. Originally scheduled to open in 2017, the gallery continued to evolve as Ken Behring discovered additional pieces to captivate the imagination of Westerners with the breadth and depth of Chinese culture and connect members of the Chinese community with their heritage. The shear scale of many pieces is imposing. The 56 Horses carving weighs three tons. Each horse represents a distinct Chinese ethnic group. The For- Elizabeth Premazzi worked closely with Ken Behring bidden City model arrived in 15 to turn his visions for Into China into world-class pieces carefully packed in nine displays. Photo courtesy of Blackhawk Museum. partially filled 40’ containers. So-named because access was denied to most subjects of the realm, the actual Forbidden City covers 178 acres at the heart of Beijing. As residential home to the emperors of China, the compound was first occupied in 1420 during the early Ming Dynasty. In 1987, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ken Behring made multiple visits to the Forbidden City to be sure
See China continued on page 22
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Club announced the winner of the Alamo Citizen of the Year award, Ed Moran. Ed was recognized for his dedication to the preservation of the rural look and feel of Alamo during his 30 years of service on the Planning Committee of the Alamo Improvement Association. Over the years that Ed has served on the committee, the last seven years as Chairman, the number of homes in Alamo increased by 85%. That level of growth required a very thorough review of applications for development and Ed was diligent in overseeing the review process for each one. Residents of Alamo can be thankful for Ed's dedication to preserving the community that they call home, and the Alamo Rotary Club is proud to name him as the 2019 Alamo Citizen of the Year.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
CALIFORNIA WILDFLOWERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE AT THE MUSEUM OF THE SAN RAMON VALLEY
The Museum of the San Ramon Valley opens in 2020 with Beauty and the Beast, an exhibit on the impact of climate change on California’s wildflowers. This beautiful and informative exhibit will be on display from January 12 to March 29. The exhibit displays exquisite photographs of California's wildflowers, bringing awareness of the beauty of the Golden State as well as the dangers facing the natural habitats from climate change. All geographic regions of California are highlighted in this stunning show. From the high alpine “rock gardens” above 11,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Death Valley National Park's below-sea-level environment, the majesty of the
See Museum continued on page 25
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Volume XX Number 1
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