Registration Now Open For 2016 HOT ROD Drag Weekend™ West March 31 – April 3, 2016

3 Days of Racing | 2 Tracks | One Epic Weekend

The 2016 HOT ROD Drag Weekend™ West presented by Gear Vendors Under/Overdrive brings participating drivers to drag strips in Chandler, Ariz., and Tucson for three days of competition Thursday, March 31 through Sunday, April 3, 2016. With many highly competitive cars already registered – double the number compared to last year – this event is guaranteed to be bigger and better than ever.

Following a successful inaugural event last October, the second annual HOT ROD Drag Weekend™ West will feature 100+ street-legal drag-race cars for three days of quarter-mile racing and 300 miles of street driving. The car with the lowest average elapsed time over the weekend of racing is the overall winner.

It’s not just about clocking the quickest elapsed time on the strips; these drivers will also have to follow a specified route from city to city. The crew at HOT ROD will require photographic evidence from each entry that drivers are adhering to the prescribed route. Thus, drivers will be on the clock for three straight days and must remain alert to all rules. To make this even more of an adventure, competitors will not have the luxury of having chase vehicles, support, nor their vehicles towed or trailered. However, entrants can tow their own trailers, within HOT ROD’s guidelines, but they must work alone.

The 2015 Hot Rod Drag Weekend™ brought together some of the top drag racers from across North America including Jeff Lutz, Joe Barry, Dave Schroeder and many more. Join the excitement as they continue their quest for 5-second quarter-mile runs.

“Hot Rod Drag Week has become such an international phenomenon that we launched Drag Weekend last year so that more people could get involved,” said David Freighburger, The Enthusiast Network’s senior vice president of content strategy. “I’m thrilled to see the concept grow so quickly in just the second year. I’m going to come race, myself!“

THREE DAYS OF COMPETITION:
The 2016 HOT ROD Drag Weekend™ West will kick off Thursday, March 31 at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz., with registration and vehicle Tech, Test and Tune opportunities for all participants. It’s here that spectators will have the first chance to check out the competition. HOT ROD Drag Weekend™ West then moves on to racing 

• Race Day One: Friday, April 1 at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz.

• Race Day Two: Saturday, April 2 at the Tucson Dragway in Tucson, Ariz.

• Race Day Three and Award Ceremony: Sunday, April 3 at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz.

PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION: 
Experienced drag race drivers and enthusiasts alike are encouraged to register and join HOT ROD Drag Weekend™ West. Pre-Registration (limited to 350 participants) is now available at https://www.raceit.com/Register/?event=35471 on a first-come, first-served basis at $250 per vehicle for all three days, including the driver, one passenger and one goody bag. Vehicles may only compete in one class. If there are fewer than 350 entries when on-site registration concludes on Thursday, March 31 at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz., wait-list entries present on site will be accepted. Locals interested in racing alongside the competitors can do so at each track for a daily fee of $50, which includes an event t-shirt. (Drivers interested in participating can get more information at (http://www.hotrod.com/events/drag-weekend/ )

Stars To Light Up Oscar Night®: Six Oscar® Winners Join Presenter Line Up For the 88th Annual Academy Awards Telecast

Oscars® producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin announced today a third slate of presenters for the 88th Oscars telecast. The Oscars, hosted by Chris Rock, will air live Oscar® Sunday, February 28, on ABC.

The presenters, including several Oscar winners and previous nominees are Patricia Arquette, Abraham Attah, Cate Blanchett, Emily Blunt, Louis C.K., Common, Russell Crowe, Chris Evans, Jennifer Garner, Louis Gossett, Jr., Michael B. Jordan, Rachel McAdams , Dev Patel, Eddie Redmayne, Daisy Ridley, Sarah Silverman and Sofia Vergara.

Previously announced presenters and performers include Steve Carell, Priyanka Chopra, Benicio del Toro, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Ryan Gosling, Kevin Hart, Quincy Jones, Lady Gaga, Byung-hun Lee, Jared Leto, Julianne Moore, Olivia Munn, Margot Robbie, Jason Segel, Andy Serkis, J.K. Simmons, Sam Smith, Charlize Theron, Jacob Tremblay, Kerry Washington, The Weeknd, Pharrell Williams and Reese Witherspoon.

The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

ArtsWestchester to Debut Spring Art Exhibit, SHE: Deconstructing Female Identity in March, Women’s History Month

Opening Reception to be Held on Sunday, March 13; Exhibit Runs Through Saturday, June 25

As Mattel reimagines the look of Barbie with the release of new dolls that have diverse physical appearances, ArtsWestchester, exploring what it means to be a woman today, has announced its 2016 spring exhibition, called SHE: Deconstructing Female Identity.

Mari Ogihara, “Underthing”

The contemporary art exhibition will open in March, during Women’s History Month, and run through the end of June, providing an artistic exploration of issues related to gender and female identity.

Laurel Garcia Colvin, “Beyond a Room of Our Own,” detail

“Modern American women are struggling to redefine themselves in the face of shifting societal values, changing perceptions of femininity and the choices between domesticity and executive leadership. These issues will be explored in a new exhibition, SHE, in which 11 artists will weigh in on the role of gender in society today,” said ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam, adding that with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the exhibition presents ideas by a selection of both well-known and emerging New York artists.

Debbie Han, “Season of Being I”

Mari Ogihara, Strip and Dismantle

For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State whose mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. The arts organization provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County, which includes helping fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; bringing artists into schools and community centers; advocating for the arts; and building audiences through diverse marketing initiatives.

Nancy Davidson, installation view with “Maebe” and “Netella,” Prague 1999

Tricia Wright, “Vir Domesticus”

Kathy Ruttenberg, “The Nature of the Beast”

The opening reception for SHE: Deconstructing Female Identity will take place on Sunday, March 13 from 3:00 pm to 5:00PM. at ArtsWestchester, located at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, N.Y. The exhibition will be on view through Saturday, June 25.

The following artists will be featured in SHE includes Nicole Awai of Brooklyn, Laurel Garcia Colvin of Chappaqua, Nancy Davidson of New York City, Marcy B. Freedman of Croton-on-Hudson, Debbie Han of New York City, Rebecca Mushtare of Oswego, Valerie Piriano of Brooklyn, Mari Ogihara of White Plains, Kathy Ruttenberg of New York, Barbara Segal of Yonkers and Tricia Wright of Kingston

San Francisco Celebrates Black History Month

Black History Month celebrations fill the month of February in San Francisco with events commemorating the contributions of African Americans in San Francisco and throughout the United States. The following events, on the calendar at the San Francisco Travel Association, describes the length and breadth of what’s on tap in the city’s cultural scene in San Francisco in February and through into March.

Golden Gate Bridge – Marin Headlands: The Marin headlands afford a spectacular view of the San Francisco skyline through the red-orange superstructure of the Golden Gate Bridge. Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Travel Association/Scott Chernis

Experience the Power of an Anointed Sound – Meditate To The Music And Wisdom Of Legendary Jazz Saxophonist John Coltrane
An American jazz saxophonist and composer, John Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and was later at the forefront of free jazz. He led at least 50 recording sessions during his career, and appeared as a sideman on many albums by other musicians, including trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Thelonious Monk. Celebrate Coltrane’s genius by experiencing “A Love Supreme Meditation” which will help calm your mind and tune into the spirit as visitors are guided through a meditation on the testimony and music of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme.” Saint John Coltrane Church, 1286 Fillmore St., every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. http://www.coltranechurch.org

EXHIBITIONS & CONVERSATIONS

Who Among Us … The Art of Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle – Featuring Artwork From Three Projects That Hinkle Worked On Concurrently Over The Past Six Years
Interdisciplinary visual artist, writer and performer, Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle presents “Who Among Us” as a tool to undo the imaginings placed onto the colonized body and its movements throughout space and time. Hinkle’s work remixes and re-imagines these perceptions and seeks to invent new possibilities of engaging visually with the black female body respectively. Concerned with the historical present, Hinkle’s research-based practice is a collision of mediums. Through April 3, 2016 at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), 685 Mission St., Mon.-Tue. Closed; Wed-Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 12-5 p.m.
http://www.moadsf.org

“I Am San Francisco” – Capturing The Home And Soul Of Native Black San Francisco
Created and curated by Kheven LaGrone and hosted at the African American Center at San Francisco’s Main Library, the “I Am San Francisco” exhibition collects the personal stories of several African Americans from San Francisco featuring stories that were assigned to various artists, from various places, to interpret using various media. “An African American born in San Francisco? I’ve never met one before. You must have been one of the few,” a native Black San Franciscan often hears. For many, these type of questions conjure up the feelings of marginalization and the loss of home and remind us that African Americans are being written out of San Francisco’s past and present. Through March 10, 2016 at the African American Center, San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin St., Sun. 12-5 p.m.; Mon. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday 1-6 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
http://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=1019936901

Pop-up Talk: Judy Juanita on Virgin Soul and the Black Panther Party – Reflecting on Black Panther History 
Join the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) for a Black History Month-inspired pop-up talk with guest speaker Judy Juanita, a novelist and playwright based in Oakland in the Gallery of California Art. Juanita is a former member of the Black Panther Party, one-time editor of the Black Panther Party newspaper and was an instructor in the first Black Studies program in the nation at San Francisco State University. Juanita’s talk will draw upon her novel, “Virgin Soul,” which is set in Oakland and reflects upon Panther history. Included with Museum admission and happening during Friday Nights @ OMCA, from 5 to 9 pm, admission is half-price for adults, free for ages 18 and under. Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland, Feb. 19, 2016, 7-7:30 p.m. http://museumca.org

PERFORMING ARTS

“The Colored Museum” at the African-American Shakespeare Company – A Poignant, Socially-Conscious, Satirical Comedy That Will Delight Audiences Of All Colors
“The Colored Museum” is a depiction of black culture in America, which is especially relevant in today’s world of “Black Lives Matter.” The African-American Shakespeare Company has enlisted Tony Award-winning playwright, George C. Wolfe, to take audiences on a journey of black culture with a take no prisoners satire that electrifies, unsettles and delights audiences of all colors. “The Colored Museum” redefines our ideas of what it means to be black in contemporary America as the various exhibits depicts old and new stereotypes. Feb. 13-March 6 at the Buriel Clay Theater, African American Art & Culture Complex, 762 Fulton St., Sat. 8 p.m. and Sun. 3 p.m. http://www.african-americanshakes.org

Skyline-San Francisco at Dusk: San Francisco cityscape, shot at a cloudy dusk. @San Francisco Travel Association/Can Balcioglu

Paula West at Feinstein’s at The Nikko – Winner of Three New York Nightlife Awards for Outstanding Female Jazz Vocalist
A Bay Area favorite known for her rich, powerful contralto voice, Paula West will present an all new show backed by a four-piece band and an eclectic set list with her unique interpretations of songs by Bob Dylan, Glen Campbell, Pearl Bailey, Ethel Waters and more. West has performed nationally and internationally at prestigious venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Maison de la Musique and the White House. Feb. 11-March 6, 2016 at Feinstein’s at The Nikko, Thurs.-Sun.; times vary, check the events calendar.
http://www.hotelnikkosf.com/feinsteins.aspx