ARTIFACTS: Shining a Light on Something Illuminates It.

(photo) Students at CSUMB put on Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues 8pm Feb. 12-14 at the World Theater.

➔ Hartnell College Gallery has an exhibit underway called Winter Reflections: Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, which shows how the seasons – in this case winter – have affected the work of Chinese artists from the Yuan Dynasty (1260-1368) to the 20th century, from a collection of 21 paintings. Some are homages, accompanied by brushes, inkstones and scholar stones. 9am-12pm and 5-8pm Mon-Thu. gsmith@hartnell.edu.

➔ In 2011, Doug Mueller, a 2003 graduate of CSUMB’s filmmaking program, screened his film Prairie Love at Sundance’s NEXT category, a spotlight for low-budget films. Convene on Friday, 5-6:30pm, at the Carmel Mission for an informational and fundraising session for his coming documentary about the restoration of the mission. The San Francisco Film Society has showed interest. He’s hoping you will too.

➔ Monterey Museum of Art-La Mirada hosts Love in the Afternoon: A Tribute to St. Valentine in Music and Verse 2pm this Saturday, a program of songs from musical theater legends Richard Rodgers, Frank Loesser, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Stephen Sondheim (hopefully not Into the Woods), and Leonard Bernstein. It’s to be performed by local talents Reg Huston, Lydia Lyons, Nancy Williams, pianist Pauline Troia and Susan Meister. It costs $25, but what price love? 372-5477.

➔ When we see that the Fort Ord Memorial VFW Post 811 in Marina is doing a Valentine’s Day dinner (prime rib, mashed potatoes, veggies, dessert) and dance (to music by Noli) this Saturday starting at 18:00 (that’s military time for 6pm), it gives me and my wife (an artist who’s worked with active and retired military folks) a warm feeling. You too? 384-7668, 869-1358.

➔ Here is a lecture. “Religion, Ideology, and Violence: An Historical Examination” at 1:30pm Wednesday at MPC’s Lecture Forum 103 (the graphic is the “coexist” bumper sticker broken in half). “Many Americans and Westerners have been trying to understand why people from a respected major religion have been committing violent acts on others around the world,” poses Harvard-educated Steve Chambers. But President Barack Obama counters: “Lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place,” he said at a National Prayer Breakfast, “remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ. In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ.” It’s on. 646-4224.