Perspective gives us many ways of seeing the same thing.

>> Monterey Museum of Art (559 Pacific St., Monterey) throws an appreciation party 5:30-7:30pm Thursday for “artists who have made an artistic contribution” to the museum. Like Armin Hansen. Or… maybe just artists still living? It’s also the kickoff to the coming Miniatures exhibition and raffle, which artists can register for by midnight Aug. 10.

>> Did you know that Salinas has 50 parks? That’s according to the city’s Library and Community Services Department in the fundraiser contest “Parks Make Life Better.” They invite you to buy one of their T-shirts, take selfies in one of their 50 parks wearing the T, and email the photo to volunteerservices@ci.salians.ca.us for an undisclosed prize. Oh, and you have until the end of today, Thursday.

>> Pacific Grove just scored another park. Well, a mini park known as a parklet. Happy Girl Kitchen’s parklet grand opening is today, 12-5pm, at 173 Central Ave., Pacific Grove, with food and drink. It’s comprised of two parking spaces, appointed with trees and plants in raised containers, and it’s courtesy of an $11,936 kickstarter funding campaign. Hot damn! The recession is officially over!

>> The Carmel Art Association (Sixth and Dolores, Carmel, 624-6176) celebrates 87 years, which they mark Aug. 1 with the start of their Miniature Painting Raffle ($5/ticket, $20/5 tickets), comprised of almost 100 paintings by artist members. It goes until Aug. 31.

>> This is a busy month for the multi-faith, multi-ethnic, multi-generational Monterey Peninsula Gospel Community Choir – busy and loud with glorious music. Check out their website, www.mpgospelcc.org, to keep abreast of the waves of music, celebrations, rehearsals. Then join the choir. It may move you.

>> On Monday, 7-9pm, the Peace Resource Center (1364 Fremont Blvd., Seaside, 899-7322) screens 2008 minor league baseball film Sugar, about a young Dominican baseball player with promise who is recruited by a farm team in Iowa. But language, isolation and doubt conspire against him. This is a quiet kind of baseball film, one that feels real and contemporary, like a less frenzied and more honest depiction of the search for the American Dream. Donations are appreciated.

>> Old Capitol Books (559 Tyler St., Monterey) is fomenting little revolutions in their intellectual gatherings. But today is a sci-fi reading group, Imagining Utopias, 7-8pm Wednesday, in which Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land will be discussed.