Winning artworks in the Greater Bay Area Open are up at New Museum Los Gatos through March 12. The theme of the juried exhibit is “Listen, Learn, Change, Grow,” matching the title of a recent campaign launched by the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce. Jurors included Preston Metcalf, executive director of the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, and NUMU art curator Julie Ericsson.106 E. Main St., www.numulosgatos.org

In another contest, Marianne Hamilton, a dedicated Los Gatos volunteer and a longtime contributor to the Los Gatos Weekly Times, has been named Ms. Senior Universe 2022. No bathing suit competition here; this pageant celebrates women over 60 who are actively giving back to their communities.

“I’ll be 70 this year, and after a bout with breast cancer in 2020, I’m delighted by the notion of hitting that milestone,” says Hamilton, who joins others in “a refusal to accept that age dictates boundaries.”

To learn more about Hamilton and the Ms. Senior Universe Pageant, visit msseniorusa.org/ms-senior-universe-pageant-1.

Los Gatos maker Christan Mercurio is set to sell his wares at the Saratoga Rotary Art Show will be back again April 30-May 1.

“I make sustainable luxury leather handbags that are cut, punched and sewn by hand with USA-sourced vegetable-tanned leather. I make my bags for people who prefer unique handcrafted bags over those mass-produced in a factory on an assembly line abroad.”

Mercurio adds that his handbags “are made for years of hard use, a lifetime if cared for, and every element can be repaired and replaced. Production is limited as everything is saddle stitched, no machines are used, and I have a day job in high tech in Silicon Valley.” www.christanmercurio.com

Local author Kathleen Canrinus’s book, “The Lady with the Crown” is now available on Amazon and a perfect Book Club read. When Canrinus was 15, her mother barely survived a car accident. “The Lady with the Crown” explores how, in the blink of an eye, trauma can transform a normal family into a uniquely wounded one. It’s a story of resilience and courage, but also the reinvention of joy.

Andrew Fanelli, founder of All Pro Tae Kwon Do Studio in Los Gatos, is now a Grandmaster in the art of tae kwon do. This level achieved by few, so not a surprise that more than 300 people were on hand for the ceremony. For 35 years, Fanelli has trained thousands of students in the martial art. All Pro Tae Kwon Do, 15545 Los Gatos Blvd, Suite D, www.allprotkd.com.

Spring seems to be springing earlier this year. A victim of the pandemic, the wildly popular Master Gardener’s Spring Garden Market will not be held. Santa Clara County Master Gardeners, organizers of the event, say they “hope to return with a full event in 2023.”

Love Apple Farms, on the other hand, has terrific vegetables for sale. “Our spring tomato plant sale—now with lots of other veggies and herbs—will be held from March 27 to June 27. The farm, which serves as the kitchen garden for Manresa restaurant in Los Gatos, is located at 5311 Scotts Valley Drive in Scotts Valley. If you need gardening know-how, classes are offered. www.growbetterveggies.com

If you have news about events or businesses in Los Gatos, please let me know: debby@debbyrice.com.

Source: www.mercurynews.com