Gung Hay Fat Choy tomatoes. It’s that time of year to celebrate a New Year in the Chinese tradition and the parade has returned along with a smattering of other events around the bay. We love immersive art experiences and now it’s time to immerse ourselves in the work of Picasso. For a totally out of the box experience we recently discovered HUEMAN, a unique art exhibit in Berkeley – love the out of the box artists in our area. The Indie Film fest is back both in person and digitally of course. And check out our latest Happy Hour Podcast on mindful meditation.  Breathe easily and feel the love this month!

In this week’s Happy Hour Podcast, she explains how mindful meditation is about awareness and being in the moment. It can lower stress, keep you focused, happier and improve relationships. And she has a FREE mindful meditation every Monday. Listen in to the podcast and read her article .

Tiger Statues by Local Artists

. Wealth and Health Tiger by Stephanie Tsao. Image: Harlan Wong, Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

The year of the tiger signifies perseverance, strength and courage. To kick off the Lunar New year, head to SF to see six life-sized tigers created by local artists. They will be publicly displayed around San Francisco through February 19.

Image: Harlan Wong, Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Good Fortune Tiger – Deyi (Robin) Zhao

The Tiger statues spotlight local artists as well as reflect upon the culture, people, and traditions surrounding Chinese New Year. Get more details and photos.

Alaska Airlines Chinese New Year Parade

Named one of the top ten Parades in the world by International Festivals & Events Association, the Alaska Airlines Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is one of the few remaining night illuminated parades in North America and the biggest parade celebrating the Lunar New Year outside of Asia.

There will be seats for purchase to make viewing easier. Saturday February 19^th 5:15 p.m. On both the 19^th and 20^th head to the heart of Chinatown where you can revel in Chinese folk dancing, opera, drumming and much more at the entertainment stage. http://www.chineseparade.com

Chinatown Pop Ups at The Ferry Building

In celebration of Lunar New Year, the Ferry Building partnered with some of Chinatown’s most beloved small businesses for a four-week pop-up. The pop-up is going on now through February 13 on Saturdays and Sunday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, with booths set up at the south end of the marketplace. You will enjoy décor displayed by Chinatown shops specializing in handmade decorations and lanterns. A portion of proceeds from sales will go toward San Francisco Community Business Resources, a nonprofit organization providing business resources, information, and collaboration to various small businesses and other nonprofits throughout the city. www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

Oakland Museum Celebration

Oakland gets in on the Tiger celebration at the Oakland Museum of California. On Saturday the 5, they will be having in-person offerings that celebrate and honor Lunar New Year traditions through storytelling, performances, activities, cooking demonstrations, and more. www.museumca.org

Redwood City’s Lunar New Year Celebration

For those on the Peninsula looking to celebrate locally, on Saturday, February 12 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., the San Mateo County History Museum will participate in Redwood City’s 11th annual celebration of the Lunar New Year. The free event will include performances on Courthouse Square including lion dancers, martial artists and taiko drummers. Get the details.

Imagine Picasso Makes it’s U.S. Premier

is a new type of immersive exhibition that takes visitors to a journey through the revolutionary career of modern art master Pablo Picasso. Picasso will make its exclusive U.S. premier in San Francisco at Skylight at the Armory, 1800 Mission St. The limited run exhibition is scheduled to run February 9, 2022, to March 27th, 2022.

Imagine Picasso offers a new and modern perspective of Picasso’s unparalleled work. The immersive experience brings more than 200 Picasso works together in one place at one time, offering a unique look unto the evolution of the prolific artist from the Bleu and Rose period to his masterpieces in the cubism and surrealism movements using the dynamic, multi-projections of image totale. https://www.imagine-picasso.com/san-francisco/

SF Independent Film Festival

Coming to a theater near you—including your living room—the 24th Annual SF Independent Film Festival returns this week with a mix of in-person and virtual events. Featuring the freshest new independent films from around the world. This year’s lineup includes 42 shorts and 26 full-length features from 10 countries, plus 20 live presentations at the Roxie.

For a taste of what is showing closing night features We Were Once Kids. 26 years after indie cult classic Kids was released to an unsuspecting nation, this documentary explores the divergent paths of the original cast, delivering an unflinching look back at one of the most iconic films of the 1990’s. Not ready to go out? You can livestream from the comfort of your own cozy couch. Now through February 13th. Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St. Tickets at sfindie.com

Hueman Presents Homebody

Face your inner self at Homebody, a massive art-meets-tech immersive installation. Created by Oakland’s acclaimed etherealist artist Hueman, the project—a combination of painting, AR, and custom sound—spans 20,000 square feet and challenges us to reconnect with one another while we also confront the isolation of the past two years; through February 28th. 

Allison Torneros, known in the art world as “Hueman”, is a multidisciplinary artist based in Oakland, CA. Her distinctly gauzy art style is what she likes to call “etherealism”, a blend of ethereal realism. Whether she is creating delicate visions on canvas, or crushing massive walls with a spray can, she often draws on the human condition to create colorful mash-ups of the abstract and figurative.  huemanhomebody.com