Scenes of unbridled natural water in the West seem almost idyllic these days.

(Image above) "The Falls, Bellagio" by Frank Galuszka - part of a solo show at Winfield Gallery, on view until April 25.

• The 3rd Annual High School Art Exhibition features Everett Alvarez High School. There is a reception to meet the artists 4-7pm Friday at the Arts Council Gallery at Sunset Center. They’re asking for RSVPs at 622-9060 x103 – the Arts Council, that is, not the kids.

• In more Arts Council news, they’re accepting, until May 1, submissions for their 2016 fine art calendar. They’re looking for horizontal oriented work depicting “life and culture” and the “natural beauty” of Monterey County, representing North County, Salinas Valley/South County, Seaside/Marina, Monterey Peninsula, Salinas and Big Sur. 622-9060 x103.

• The Monterey Peninsula Gospel Community Choir performance at the First Baptist Church of Pacific Grove a few years ago was a soul elevating moment. It’s happening again, 5:30-7:30pm this Saturday, with guest singers, saxophonist and spoken word. www.mpgospelcc.org.

• On Saturday, former Monterey playwright Allston James, now based in New York, will be awarded the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation 2015 Bill Broyle Award for Stage Play or Screenplay in Quantico, Virginia, for his Vietnam/World War II play Suribachi. You didn’t know the Marines recognized theatrical works, did you? Neither did I.

• Kids from across the county came to the National Steinbeck Center on March 2 to write essays based on Steinbeck’s The Red Pony in the Young Authors Program. Sunday, at 1-2:30pm, an awards ceremony recognizes those chosen by a panel of judges. Full disclosure: one judge was the Weekly’s Mark C. Anderson. Too much information: I coached one of the kids. 775-4735.

• The Museum of Monterey is currently showing an exhibit of photos from the Monterey Jazz Festival, until May 1. It’s kind of mixed in with photos from the Monterey Pop Festival so in order to not get them confused, remember this meme: hippie = Monterey Pop, hepcat = Monterey Jazz. 373-3366, 372-2608.

• Earlier this year, Alameda County Library got scolded for throwing away nearly 175,000 of overstock books. They should have taken after the Friends of the Marina Library, who are having an overstock book sale April 29 and 30 at the Marina Library. 883-7507.

• The EG, aka Entertainment Gathering, returns May 14-16, with scientists, writers, artists, performers and techies. TEDWomen 2015 – attended by scientists, athletes, CEOs and activists – happens in Monterey May 27-29.