If you’ve ever had a yen to take an easel outdoors and paint but don’t know where to begin, Gretchen Kimball has a solution for you.

In Mexico the word to describe someone who lives life with zest is “chispa” — Spanish for spark. On Friday evening Oaxacan-American singer Lila Downs brought her chispa to a packed Lincoln Theater at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville.

“Take a Chance on Art,” opens Friday at the Napa Valley Museum. An impressive list of local artists have contributed works to this annual fundraiser for the museum. Beginning at a Friday evening reception, viewers may buy “chances” to win their favorite work in the form of $5 tickets to put in the raffle boxes by each work. Tickets are available throughout the month, until the winning tickets are chosen at a reception April 28.

Francisco Goya’s “Los Caprichos” etchings, one of the most influential series of graphic images in the history of Western art, will be on display at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art April 14 through June 10.

Tickling the ivories — Vocalist Andrew Moore and some special guests will present “The Music Men,” a behind-the-songs look at such beloved composers as Berlin, Gershwin, Kern, Porter and Rodgers, at Copia Thursday night. Moore’s musical exploration of the great American songbook begins at 8 p.m., preceded by a sparkling wine reception, courtesy of Domaine Chandon. Tickets for this Community Spotlight Concert at $20 and can be ordered at 259-1600 or www.copia.org.

NEW YORK — Justin Timberlake blames celebrity magazines for turning his personal life into juicy gossip fodder.

“If you think of the Napa Valley as a paint-by-number set, then the statistics Arts Council Napa Valley has uncovered make for a rich palette by which we can deepen our view of the local arts assets and how they fit into the broader landscape,” said cultural planning consultant Morrie Warshawski. These statistics, generated from Arts Council Napa Valley’s new cultural resources database, are critical to understanding Napa Valley arts.

Na’Lei Hulu I Ka We’kiu, the dynamic Hawaiian dance company based in San Francisco, performs its blend of traditional and contemporary hula at the Napa Valley Opera House on April 14 at 8 p.m.

The 14th annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival’s photography contest crowned two dozen winners at its festive Photo Finish at Mumm Napa last Saturday night.

Is it possible for a woman to be folded up inside a 12-inch box? Could a man walk through the whirling blades of an industrial fan? Do people defy the laws of gravity? Can a performer escape from a water-filled container like the legendary Houdini?

Vintage High School choral students left of trail of songs around New York City during a recent visit. Fifty members of the concert choir, chaperones and teachers Mark Teeters and Jan Lanterman left March 23 to perform at the Heritage Festival of Gold at Riverside Church in Manhattan. But as the students enthusiastically recounted their adventures after their return March 28, it was clear they didn’t limit their songs to the competition.