Around Town: Special events and announcements from coastal O.C. this week

The Jewel Court at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa has been transformed by a Year of the Snake exhibit in celebration of the Lunar New Year, with events planned through Feb. 9

Visitors to the shopping center can enjoy a 48-photo exhibit, “Nihao, China! See You in Guangdong,” featuring the work of four award-winning Southern California photographers. The show was curated by GD Today in collaboration with the Chinese Consulate.

On weekends while supplies last, Year of the Snake paper lantern craft kits for kids will be on sale at Carousel Court for $8 each. Children have the option to either create the craft on-site or take it home to assemble.

Zagros region of Middle East focus of exhibition

“Sparks of Light from the Zagros: The Sacred Landscapes of the Yezidi and Yārsān Communities” will open Feb. 2, from 2 to 6 p.m. in the McCormick Theater at UC Irvine’s Samuel Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture.

The exhibition, which runs through Feb. 7, explores the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Yezidi and Yārsān communities through the lens of their sacred landscapes in the Zagros region. Speakers on opening day include Ostad Ali Akbar Moradi, Ava Homa, Carlo G. Cereti, Gianfilippo Terribili and Ghiath Rammo.

The Jordan Center is located at 4100 Humanities Gateway, Irvine. Admission is free.

Writer Richard Bausch to appear at library event

Friends of the Costa Mesa Libraries will present “A Love Affair With Writing,” featuring author and Chapman professor Richard Bausch at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, in the Adams Room of the Donald Dungan Library.

Bausch’s list of honors includes the 2004 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for his novel “Peace” and, in 2013, the Rea Award for “achievement and influence on the art of the short story.”

The first 25 attendees will receive a complimentary copy of “Peace.”

The event is free and open to the public. The Donald Dugan Library is located at 1855 Park Ave., Costa Mesa.

Truffle-making class offered at OC Fair & Event Center

The OC Fair & Event Center is offering Chocolate Bliss, a pre-Valentine’s Day truffle-making class on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Center’s Centennial Farm. Chef Vina DiBernardo will lead the class, which has a $45 fee.

Participants will be given gift boxes in which they can present the treats they’ve created to the Valentine(s) of their choosing. Tied-back hair and closed-toed shoes are required, and aprons are recommended. Parking is free. Reservations must be made by Monday, Feb. 3, at Centennial Farm Garden Classes.

Golden West College welcomes new foundation director

Jennifer Mower, who most recently served as director of development for the Orange County Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Assn., is the the new director of the Golden West College Foundation. Mower began in her new role on Jan. 29, stepping into the position held for many years by Bruce Berman, who retired in June 2024.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer Mower to Golden West College,” said President Meridith Randall in a statement. “Jennifer’s experience with donor cultivation and corporate partnerships, in addition to her extensive connections in Orange County, make her an excellent choice to lead the GWC Foundation. We know her expertise will help open new doors for our students, strengthen partnerships and enhance the College’s opportunities for growth.”

Pacific Symphony announces 3 new board members

Pacific Symphony this week announced three new members have joined its board of directors: Arnold Holland, Patrick Johnson and Yassmin Sarmadi.

Holland has served since 2023 as the dean of the College of the Arts at CSU Fullerton, where he has been on faculty as a professor of art since 1998. Johnson, who grew up in a family of drummers, is the chief innovation officer and executive chairman of BioPhotas, Inc., a company he founded 13 years ago in Irvine. Sarmadi is the co-owner of the French restaurant Knife Pleat at South Coast Plaza and with her husband has been an active supporter of Pacific Symphony.