Cal Neighbors

Notion Nanny by Allison Smith
This exhibition is based on Smith's research into peddler dolls, or "notion nannies," popularly displayed in British and American households during the Victorian era. These dolls commemorated the disappearing custom of itinerant traders traveling the countryside and peddling their wares. Smith will be in residence in May, apprenticing and collaborating with local craftspeople and artisans to create an assemblage of handmade objects reflecting the historical craft traditions and contemporary social and artistic milieu of the region. Through August 12.

fer*ma*ta: UC Berkeley Master of Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition
Featuring works by some of the most promising new artists in the Bay Area, this exhibition takes its title from the name for a musical pause of unspecified length, which reminds us to slow down, take a deep breath and devote our time to the act of looking. Through June 10.

For more information about exhibits, visit www.bampfa.berkeley.edu.

June 7-10: Berkeley Edge Fest: A Festival of Contemporary Performance
Designed to provide a showcase for new and contemporary works of performing art, Cal Performances' 2007 Berkeley Edge Fest spotlights the work of two eminent figures on the international new music scene, composers Paul Dresher and Frederic Rzewski. Zellerbach Playhouse and Hertz Hall

For information about free Edge Fest community events and for details of Cal Performances' 2007-2008 season, visit www.calperformances.net. For Edge Fest tickets, visit the website or call (510) 642-9988.

The Changing Face of Europe
Europe's transformation from the postwar destruction of 1945 to the New Europe of today is documented in this exhibit. Photos, maps and short texts convey its remarkable demographic, political, and cultural metamorphoses. Brown Gallery, Doe Library. Through August 31.

Circus! Science Under the Big Top
Join the circus for a day of safe hands-on, feet-on fun highlighting the big top's unique mixture of physics, psychology and panache. Walk on a tightrope, twirl through the air like an "elastic acrobat," learn about sword swallowers and contortionists, see what circus animals eat and more. Through September 2.

For more information about the exhibit and other activities, visit www.lawrencehallofscience.org.

Pacific Film Archive
For film schedules and exhibits, call (510) 642-1412 or visit bampfa.berkeley.edu.

Science at the Theater
Sponsored jointly by UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, this free community lecture series is held at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre at 2025 Addison Street in Berkeley from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
May 14: Paul Alivisatos: "Nanoscience at Work: Creating Energy from Sunlight."
June 4: Jay Keasling: "Renewable Energy from Synthetic Biology."

For more information, visit http://www.lbl.gov/friendsof science/talks/index.html.

UC Botanical Garden
A living museum open to the public, the garden contains more than 12,000 different kinds of plants from all over the world on its 34 acres. The garden is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed the first Tuesday of every month.

June 12: In the Company of Wild Butterflies film screening. Spectacular close-up film photography reveals events in the lives of butterflies that even experts rarely see. The session begins with a twilight tour of butterfly plants in the garden.

June 24: "Inflorescence" Garden Party Fundraiser
Celebrate the garden's wealth of flowers and enjoy food, wine, music and a silent auction.