Did you know that March is Hong Kong Art Month? May 9-13 is London Craft Week. In New Zealand, where March is autumn, there’s a street festival called “CupaDupa” in Wellington’s Cuban Quarter. (Did you know Wellington had a Cuban Quarter?!)

In Washington D.C., they’re currently installing this amazing-sounding Burning Man exhibition (“No Spectators”) that’s set to open at the end of March. It will take up the entire Renwick Gallery and spill out into the surrounding neighborhood. (Also, the Renwick is a Smithsonian museum, so admission is free.)

If you’re in Phoenix, you have until May 28 to catch the Pompeii exhibition at Arizona Science Center. I highly recommend it. They brought all this 2000-year old stuff over from the museum that houses Pompeii’s artifacts in Southern Italy. (Can you imagine being in charge of that packing job?? Yikes.)

The last weekend in April, the Arizona International Film Festival and Agave Heritage Festival – both in Tucson – overlap, so you could catch a couple films in between agave roasts and tequila tastings.

There’s lots to explore and enjoy this season. Read on to find out more!

+Arizona

Gems from the Burton Barr Library Art Collection

Now – May 25, 2018
The Gallery @ City Hall (ground floor), Phoenix
Artwork from the Burton Barr Central Library Art Collection by artists including Ed Mell, Joan Miró, and Fritz Scholder.

• Free and open to the public from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
• Light rail: Washington/Central
• Parking: Street parking (metered) or 305 parking garage at 305 W. Washington St. ($4/hour)

 

Irish Cultural Events

Downtown Phoenix

• Now – May 26: From Protest to Peace: Murals by the Bogside Artists of Northern Ireland at Margaret Hance Park.
• Mar 16, Apr 20, May 18 at 7:30pm: Third Friday Ceili (Irish social dance) at the Irish Cultural Center, Great Hall. $6 (free for ages 12 and under). Beginners session at 6:30pm.
• Mar 17, 10am: St. Patrick’s Day Parade, starting at 3rd Street and Sheridan. Free.
• Mar 17: St. Patrick’s Day Faire at Hance Park. Irish music and dance performances, food, crafts, Irish clubs, and children’s area. $12 (free for ages 12 and under).

 

Spring Out to Lunch Concert Series

Now – Mar 22, Thursdays at 12:30pm.
Wells Fargo Garden performance area at Mesa Arts Center
Free outdoor concerts at lunchtime. Pack a picnic or purchase food on-site.

 

Raptor Free Flight!

Now – Apr 15
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson
Watch hawks, falcons, and owls fly completely untethered in the open desert, while a narrator explains the characteristics of each species. Included with admission.

 

Autumn into Spring Art Show

Now – May 11
Cornerstone Hospital, Tucson
Art on display (and for sale) by 25 local artists throughout the facility. Sponsorsed by Southern Arizona Arts Guild.

Pompeii: The Exhibition

Now — May 28
Arizona Science Center, Phoenix
Exhibition of artifacts from the ancient city of Pompeii, destroyed by the 79 A.D. eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Over 200 items are on loan from the Naples National Archaeological Museum in Italy, including wall-sized frescoes, mosaics, marble and bronze sculptures, jewelry, statues, Roman coins, and body casts of the volcano victims. Timed-entry ticket required. Tickets $12 (adults) / $10 (ages 3-17) + science center admission.

 

24th Annual Sedona International Film Festival

February 24 – March 4, 2018
Sedona
Festival with over 160 independent films from around the world, including features, shorts, documentaries, animation, foreign films, and student films. 10-ticket pack $130.

 

Field to Feast Tour

March 1, 7
Visitor Information Center, Yuma (201 N. 4th Ave.)
Half-day farm tour. Hands-on harvesting instruction from a local grower followed by lunch made from the produce you picked. Includes transportation, some veggies to take home, and the field-fresh lunch. Tickets $55.

 

Phoenix Scottish Games

Mar 3-4
Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix
Games and entertainment presented by The Caledonian Society of Arizona, including competitive highland dancing, pipe bands, heavy athletics, country dancing, and historical re-enactments. Tickets $20/adults, $5/kids (6-12).

 

Savor Yuma

Mar 7
Old City Hall, Yuma
Progressive dining experience with a tour bus that takes you to sample food at several Yuma eateries. Tickets $55.

 

Art Detour 30

Mar 15-20
Downtown Phoenix

• March 15. Art D’Core Gala.
• March 16, 6-10pm. Pre-Detour Third Friday.
• March 17-18. Art Detour! Studio and art space tours.

 

18th Annual Spring Heritage Pecan & Wine Festival

Mar 17-18
Community Field, Camp Verde
Wine tasting and all-ages festival with live music, an archaelogy fair, canoe and kayak racing, 40 vendors, and activities for kids.

El Tour de Mesa

Apr 7, 9am-2pm
Downtown Mesa
Rides from 5 to 61 miles, starting in Downtown Mesa and going as far as Red Mountain. Entry fee varies and goes to local charities.

• CycloMesa: Unchained Bicycle Festival has a view of the El Tour start/finish line and Grand Cycling Awards Ceremony, as well as activities (zip line, rock walls, bungee trampolines, inflatables, etc.), BMX stunt shows, food trucks, and live music. Free.

 

Garden Project

Apr 8, 7pm
Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix
Pianist-composer Michael Brown, clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein, violinist Elena Urioste, and cellist Nicholas Canellakis perform a new work inspired by Desert Botanical Garden, Wave Hill in New York and Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. Tickets $40.

 

Museum Day in the Garden

27th Arizona International Film Festival

April 18-29
Exhibition venues throughout Tucson
Film festival with a focus on independent cinema and diverse cultures.

 

ARTbeat 11

Apr 22, 4-9pm
Historic Downtown Yuma
Award-winning juried fine arts festival with local and regional artists and live music.

• Application Deadline: March 2, 2018

 

The Opening Of The Fire Pit

 

Agave Heritage Festival

Apr 27 – May 6
Downtown Tucson
A weeklong celebration of the agave plant that includes culinary events, art, music, garden tours, and seminars.

 

 

Verde Valley Birding + Nature Festival

Apr 26-29
Cottonwood
4-day event with guided walks (and canoeing!), workshops, vendors, and exhibitors focused on the Verde Valley habitat. Register online by April 18 or on-site starting April 25. Registration fee $15/person or $30/family. Additional fee for some events, including field trips and seminars.

• Apr 26, 5pm: Welcome Social at Main Tent – River Day Use Area (Owl Rd) of Dead Horse Ranch State Park. Mixer with snacks and wine. Exhibitor booths will be open.
• Apr 27, 6:30pm: Keynote Reception with Decadent Desserts at Cottonwood Rec Center, featuring Peterson Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Eastern North America author Nathan Pieplow, who will share audio and stories from over a decade of recording birds in the field.
• 2018 Featured Artist Gary Binder.
• Camping available at Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

 

Eroica – An Evening at The Garden

May 15 – June 2 (Tuesdays through Saturdays), 8pm
Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix
World premiere ballet by Ballet Arizona’s Ib Andersen, performed to Beethoven’s Third Symphony with a desert garden backdrop.

 

Phoenix Comic Fest (Comicon)

May 24-27
Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix
Pop culture convention (formerly Phoenix Comicon) featuring actors, comic book writers and artists, programming, and vendors. Full event passes $100+.

 

 

+California

Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico, 1915–1985

Now – Apr 1
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
Exhibition about how four design movements — Spanish Colonial Inspiration, Pre-Hispanic Revivals, Folk Art and Craft Traditions, and Modernism — defined California and Mexico throughout the twentieth century.

 

Handcraft Studio School Spring Workshops

El Cerrito

• Mar 3, 10am: Hand Crochet Blanket with Cara Corey. $115
• Mar 3, 2pm: Hand Dyed Leather Clutch with Jennifer Laursen. $90
• Mar 4, 9:30am: Paper Double Daffodils with Tiffanie Turner. $110
• Mar 4, 1:30pm: Paper Double Bomb Peonies with Tiffanie Turner. $120
• Mar 11, 10am: Ceramic Functional Ware with Jenifer Lake. $170
• Mar 17, 10am: Buds + Leaves – Make your own herbal tea blend for Spring with Lauren Kaneko-Jones
• Mar 24, 10am: Block Printing on Fabric with Jen Hewett. $160
• Mar 25, 10am: Saori Weaving with Vera Totos. Learn a free weaving style with a 4-shaft table loom. $125
• Apr 8, 11am: Sandal Making Workshop with Stace Fulwiler. Make sandals to fit your feet. Supplies included. Sign up by April 1. $225
• Apr 8, 10am: Power Tools 101: Build a Birdhouse with Cantrell Maryott Driver. $ 45
• May 12, 10am: Edible Flowers with Sierra Vasquez. $90

San Francisco is for makers

 

Spring at San Francisco Botanical Garden

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

• Mar 3, Apr 1, May 6 at 8am: Birding at the Garden. The first Sunday of each month, beginning birders are welcome to join this docent-led slow-paced walk. Meet at Main Gate. Free (donations accepted).
• Mar 25, 10am: Painting from the Garden: An introduction to botanical watercolors. $95
• Apr 21, 12pm: The Secrets of the Cosmos: Paper Flower Making Workshop. $95

 

Jewish Meditation

Mar 20 at 2pm
Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
Instruction and exercises on meditation techniques that draw from Jewish contemplative practice, texts, and traditions. Lead by meditation teacher Alison Laichter, founder of the Jewish Meditation Center in New York City. Free.

 

+Colorado

Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival

Mar 22-24
Denver Mart, Denver
Expo with sewing, quilting, needlework, and craft supply vendors (both local and national), as well as workshops and presentations. Admission $10. Free parking.

3 Denver sites not to overlook

 

+Georgia

Surprise! Art Journaling

​Apr 7, 10am
Sacred Space Studio, Statesboro
Learn how to add pop-ups, hidden pockets, and sneaky details to your journal! Materials provided. Fee $25. ​​

 

+Massachusetts

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Exhibitions

• Now – Sep 3. Mark Rothko: Reflection: Exhibition of 11 Rothko pieces on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. that show the continuity of the artist’s work within western artistic tradition.
• Now – Jun 3. Black and White Japanese Modern Art: Display of a newly acquired, large-scale calligraphy by Inoue Yūichi, along with a selection of other monochrome avant-garde works from postwar Japan.

 

Embroidery Workshop

Mar 17, 6pm
Jamaica Plain
4-hour hands-on contemporary embroidery workshop with Sarah K. Benning. Learn to prep your hoop and fabric, transfer a design from paper to cloth, and embrace freestyle stitching and non-traditional embroidery techniques. Materials included. Fee $140.

+New York

World Amigurumi Exhibition vol. 4: Dolls for Daily Life!

Now – Mar 31
RESOBOX LIC, Long Island City
Exhibition of innovative uses of the Japanese crochet art amigurumi. Free.

 

+Oregon

SE Area ARTWalk

Mar 3-4, 10am-5pm
Southeast Portland
Self-guided walking tour of artist studios, home workspaces, galleries, and businesses within the boundaries of SE 9th Ave, SE 41st, SE Powell and SE Hawthorne Blvd. Free.

• Annamieka Art Studio + 7 other artist studios in the Ford Building will be particpating.

 

Annamieka Artist Retreats

• May 4-6: Painting in the Ancient Forest: Opal Creek. Stay in a cabin in Jawbone Flats and learn about painting with acrylics in the Opal Creek Wilderness. Food, lodging, and art supplies provided. Fee $455.
• Jun 29 – Jul 1: Painting on the Oregon Coast: Sitka Center for Art + Ecology. Annual “Layers of the Forest” mixed media painting workshop at the confluence of the Pacific Ocean, the Salmon River, and the Cascade Head Nature preserve. Ages 16+. Lodging is not provided. Tuition + materials $310.

 

+Washington

Seattle Art Museum

• Now – Mar 3, 2019. Spencer Finch: The Western Mystery at Olympic Sculpture Park.
• Now – Jul 15, 2018. Talents and Beauties: Art of Women in Japan.

 

+Washington D.C.

Hung Liu In Print

Now – Jul 8
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Best known as a painter whose work explores themes such as movement and migration, artist Hung Liu also creates pieces using an array of printing and collage techniques. She describes printmaking as “poetry,” layering images with highly textured surfaces and  screens of drip marks. Museum admission $10.

 

Women in the Arts and a Pop-up Makerspace

 

National Cherry Blossom Festival

Mar 20 – Apr 15

• Mar 24, 5pm: Opening Ceremony at Warner Theatre. Advance tickets required. $5 fee.
• Mar 24 – Apr 8, 12-6pm: ANA Performance Stage. Free.
• Mar 31, 10am-4:30pm: Blossom Kite Festival at Washington Monument Grounds. Kite competitions and demonstrations, public field for flying your own kite, kids’ kite-making activity station, and kite vendors. Free.
• Apr 14, 10am-12pm: Parade along Constitution Avenue with floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands, and entertainment. Standing along the route is free, Grandstand Seating $20.

 

No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man

Mar 30 – Jan 21, 2019
Renwick Gallery
Large-scale, participatory artwork from Burning Man will take over the entire Renwick Gallery building, as well as extending into the surrounding neighborhood. The in-gallery exhibiton will include immersive room-sized installations, costumes, jewelry, and ephemera, along with photographs and archival materials from the Nevada Museum of Art. Free.

 

Shenson Chamber Music Concerts

May 2, 9, 23 at 7:30pm
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Annual concert series of women musicians. Free, subject to availability. Registration required.

INTERNATIONAL

+France

Expo Orchidées de Colombie (Colombian Orchid Expo)

Now – March 5
Galerie de Botanique, Jardin des Plantes, MNHN, Paris
Project to highlight the historical collections at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, as well as the biodiversity of Colombian flora. There will also be light and sound installations by Claudia Isabel Navas.

 

+Hong Kong

Hong Kong Arts Month

Mar 1-31

• Feb 23 – Mar 24: 46th Hong Kong Arts Festival. Traditional and contemporary music, opera, drama and dance performances.
• Mar 29-31: Art Basel at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Work by Emerging and established artists from 32 countries and territories, especially the Asia/Asia-Pacific region. 3-day tickets HKD 750 in advance or HKD 850 on-site.

 

Spring Lantern Festival

Mar 2
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
The last day of Chinese New Year (a.k.a. “Chinese Valentine’s Day”) is focused on couples with colorful lanterns hung in parks, flower markets, and restaurants.

 

+Italy

Carnival of Venice

Now – Mar 13
St. Mark’s Square, Venice
Pre-Lenten celebrations with revelers in elaborate masks and costumes.

Teatro La Fenice in Venezia (Venice)

 

+Mexico

Contemporary Embroidery with Sarah K. Benning

1. Hibiscus in San Miguel de Allende

Hands-on Contemporary Embroidery workshop at Hibiscus creative retreat in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Learn about free-style working methods, embroidery stitches, tools and materials. Supplies and lunch included. Fee $125.

• Apr 10, 10am-2pm
• Apr 12, 10am-2pm

2. Mexico City Workshop

• Apr 14

3-hour hands-on contemporary embroidery workshop. Learn to prep your hoop and fabric, transfer a design from paper to cloth, and embrace freestyle stitching and non-traditional embroidery techniques. Pre-registration required. Materials included. Fee $100.

 

+NEW ZEALAND

CubaDupa

Mar 24-25
Cuba Quarter, Wellington
Festival with a wide range of street performances, including theater, bands, and opera, as well as a parade and interactive art installations. Free.

 

+UK

London Craft Week

May 9-13
Across London
Curated program showcasing international creativity and craftsmanship.

• May 12, 10:30am: Stenciling with Nature at Petersham Nurseries. Learn about natural dying techniques including silk screen-printing, hand-painting and stencil printing to create unique soft furnishings for the home. £70

 

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So much great stuff, right?!!

I kind of wish I could do it all. Obviously, I can’t. But if you go anywhere I mentioned, let me know how it goes!

Finally, while I do handpick events that seem rad, I’m not in charge of them and don’t always know the organizers. So consider this your informational starting point and know that there could be errors, changes, etc.

Hopefully, though, everything will be fabulous, and you’ll enjoy yourself immensely!

 

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Top photo via London Craft Week.

Hong Kong photo via Discover Hong Kong.

Massachusetts photo via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Paris photo via Orchidées de Colombie. 

New Zealand photo via Amandala Photography.

UK photo via Petersham Nurseries.

 

Happy New Year! Here’s our handpicked list of goings on! Scroll down to find maker/artist/explorer events in Italy, France, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Tahiti, and the U.S. (Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington).

 

+Arizona

Raptor Free Flight!

Now – March 2018
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson
Watch hawks, falcons, and owls fly completely untethered in the open desert, while a narrator explains the characteristics of each species. Two presentations daily (at 10am and 2pm) with different birds of prey native to the Sonoran Desert region each time. Included with admission.

 

Autumn into Spring Art Show

Now – May 11
Cornerstone Hospital, Tucson
Art on display (and for sale) by 25 local artists throughout the facility. Sponsorsed by Southern Arizona Arts Guild.

 

Pompeii: The Exhibition

Now — May 28
Arizona Science Center, Phoenix
Exhibition of artifacts from the ancient city of Pompeii, destroyed by the 79 A.D. eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Over 200 items are on loan from the Naples National Archaeological Museum in Italy, including wall-sized frescoes, mosaics, marble and bronze sculptures, jewelry, statues, Roman coins, and body casts of the volcano victims. Timed-entry ticket required. Tickets $12 (adults) / $10 (ages 3-17) + science center admission.

 

Basic Printmaking

Jan 4-25, Thursdays at 2pm
Prescott Valley Public Library (Glassford Hill Room), Prescott Valley
4-week course on basic printmaking skills. Use hand printing methods and a small flatbed printing press to make a series of personalized, handmade cards. Ages 21+. Registration required. Free.

 

Make + Take Art Classes

Practical Art, Phoenix

Every Saturday Practical Art offers two-hour classes with local artists. Learn a new craft and make something to take home with you.

• Jan 6, 2-4pm: Wood Burning with Alexandra Bowers. $40
• Jan 20, 2-4pm: Jewelry Texturing with Alex Ozers. $40
• Jan 27, 2-4pm: Robot Making with Jordan-Alexander Thomas. $35

 

Prescott Origami Fanatics: Envelopes and Letterfolds

Jan 7, 1:30-4:30pm
Prescott Public Library (Founders Suite B), Prescott
Easy-to-medium-level paper folding class for adults and teens. Paper is provided.

 

Savor Yuma

Jan 10, Feb 21, Mar 7
Old City Hall, Yuma
Progressive dining experience with a tour bus that takes you to sample food at several Yuma eateries. Tickets $55.

 

The (Fountain) Hills

Fountain Hills Artists’ Gallery Workshops

Fountain Hills Artists’ Gallery, Fountain Hills
Artist-led workshops at a cooperatively-owned fine art gallery. To reserve a spot in a workshop, you must pre-register and pay the workshop fee.

• Jan 11, 5pm + Jan 25, 5pm: Paint Your Pet. Acrylic artist Kelly Bowman will sketch your pet onto a canvas that you can paint when you arrive. Maximum 6 participants. No experience necessary, and all supplies are included. $56 fee.
• Jan 21, 4pm: Red Flower 3-D Wool Painting. Rita Chester will show you how to use needle felting and wet felting to create an 11″ x 14″ painting. No experience necessary, and all supplies are included. $75 fee.
• Jan 22, 5pm: Soul Script with Colleen Brown. Mixed media workshop using acrylic paints, a variety of art papers, and a 10″ x 10″ birchwood canvas to make a unique collage centered on a word of your choice. Maximum 8 participants. No experience necessary, and all supplies are included. $55 fee.

 

Field to Feast Tour

Jan 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 27, 31
Feb 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 28
March 1, 7
Visitor Information Center, Yuma (201 N. 4th Ave.)
Half-day farm tour. Hands-on harvesting instruction from a local grower followed by lunch made from the produce you picked. Includes transportation, some veggies to take home, and the field-fresh lunch. Tickets $55.

Yuma Favorites: Part 2

Date Night Dinners

Jan 12, Feb 2 + 16, Mar 9
Imperial Date Gardens (near Yuma)
Gourmet dinner served outdoors in a date grove with dates in every course. Presented by Yuma Visitors Bureau in cooperation with the Bard Valley Date Growers Association. Tickets $75.

• 5:30pm: On-site walking tour.
• 6pm: Dinner.

 

Art in the Park

Jan 13, 12-5pm
Gateway Park, Yuma
Fine arts festival alongside the banks of the Colorado River, a la A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. Wander through art displays with a glass of wine or a mimosa. Free admission.

 

Spring Out to Lunch Concert Series

Jan 18 – Mar 22, Thursdays at 12:30pm.
Wells Fargo Garden performance area at Mesa Arts Center
Free outdoor concerts at lunchtime. Pack a picnic or purchase food on-site.

Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival Wrap Up

Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival

Jan 25-27
Arizona Fairgrounds
Expo with sewing, quilting, needlework, and craft supply vendors (both local and national), as well as workshops and presentations. Admission $10. $1 off with online coupon (printable PDF).

 

Harp Guitar Virtuoso Muriel Anderson in Concert

Feb 2, 8pm
Firecreek Coffee Company, Flagstaff
Performance by Muriel Anderson, one of the world’s foremost fingerstyle guitarists and harp-guitarists. Tickets $25.

 

Arizona Game Fair

Feb 9-11
Mesa Convention Center
Tabletop gaming convention. Open gaming (with a library of board and card games available), vendors, events, and game industry guests. Full event badge $40+.

 

33rd Annual Historic Florence Home Tour

Feb 10, 10am – 4pm
Downtown Florence
Tour of 20 homes and historical structures. Tickets $10 advance/$15 day of.

 

World Championship Hoop Dance Contest

Feb 10-11
Heard Museum, Phoenix
2-day competition of intricate dances with up to 50 hoops, based on traditional intertribal hoop dance. Tickets $18 (includes museum admission).

 

Southwest Maker Fest

Feb 17, 10am – 4pm
Downtown Mesa
Collaborative, one-day festival of makers seeking to achieve the vision of a connected community, empowered by creativity. Free admission.

Open to creativity

 

Arizona Cocktail Weekend

Feb 17-22
Downtown Phoenix
Celebration of the craft of the cocktail, including parties, spirit tastings, educational seminars, cocktail competitions, and drink specials. Passes TBA. Last year: $25-550.

 

Cartoon Tunes

Feb 18, 3pm
Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, Prescott
Prescott Pops Symphony presents a concert of classical music from cartoons. Tickets $25.

 

24th Annual Sedona International Film Festival

February 24 – March 4, 2018
Sedona
Festival with over 160 independent films from around the world, including features, shorts, documentaries, animation, foreign films, and student films. 10-ticket pack $130.

October 2017 Photo: Sedona

 

Art Detour 30

Mar 15-20
Downtown Phoenix

• March 15. Art D’Core Gala.
• March 16, 6-10pm. Pre-Detour Third Friday.
• March 17-18. Art Detour! Studio and art space tours.

 

27th Arizona International Film Festival

April 18-29
Exhibition venues throughout Tucson
Film festival with a focus on independent cinema and diverse cultures.

• Submissions of features (narrative and documentary) and shorts (documentary, dramatic, comedy, experimental, and animation) accepted through January 31, 2018.

 

ARTbeat 11

Apr 22, 4-9pm
Historic Downtown Yuma
Award-winning juried fine arts festival with local and regional artists and live music.

• Application Deadline: March 2, 2018

 

5 Telltale Signs You Went to Phoenix Comicon 2016

Phoenix Comicon

May 24-27
Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix 
Pop culture convention featuring actors, top comic book writers and artists, programming, and vendors. Full event passes $65 through April 30.

 

 

+California

Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico, 1915–1985

Now – Apr 1, 2018
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
Exhibition about how four design movements — Spanish Colonial Inspiration, Pre-Hispanic Revivals, Folk Art and Craft Traditions, and Modernism — defined California and Mexico throughout the twentieth century.

 

Book Show (Store + Event Space)

Highland Park, Los Angeles

• Jan 2, 7pm. Collage + Cry: Monthly community collage art night. Materials and light snacks provided. Crying optional. $5 donation.
• Jan 5 + Feb 2, 8pm. EAT ART Open Mic: Monthly storytelling open mic. 5-minute performances of poetry, short stories, spoken word, songs.

 

SPAWN Creek Walk

Jan 6, 13, + 20
Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Lagunitas
The Salmon Protection and Watershed Network (SPAWN) leads a leisurely guided tour through multiple creek sites in the Lagunitas Watershed to look for endangered coho salmon that have returned to spawn. Open to all ages and abilities. Pre-registration required. $15 donation requested.

 

Pacific Standard Time Festival: Live Art LA/LA

Jan 11-21
Los Angeles
International celebration of art and performance at indoor and outdoor locations throughout greater Los Angeles. Latin American and Latino artists from more than a dozen countries will perform in parks, plazas, galleries, and theaters.

• Jan 11 + 12, 8pm: Tijuana. Multimedia solo show written and performed by Gabino Rodríguez about the actor’s move to Tijuana to become a minimum-wage factory worker for six months. In Spanish with English supertitles. Tickets $15.
• Jan 16-18, 8:30pm: Teatro Línea de Sombra: Durango 66. Installation/performance using construction vehicles, tons of soil, and giant projections in an underground urban space. In Spanish and English with English surtitles. Tickets $15.
• Jan 21, 3pm: “cumbre: look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west.” Rafa Esparza’s three-part performance about familial histories of immigration into the United States and the deeply complex history of downtown Los Angeles. The final segment includes a collaboration with artist Sebastian Hernandez.

 

An Evening of Lights: Astronomy and Bioluminescence

Jan 12, 8pm
Drakes Beach, Marin County
Learn about identifying stars, nebulae, and constellations. If it is cloudy, the focus will turn to bioluminescence and nocturnal wildlife sounds. Ages 12+. Fee $50.

 

Jewish Meditation

Jan 16, Feb 20, + Mar 20 at 2pm
Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
Instruction and exercises on meditation techniques that draw from Jewish contemplative practice, texts, and traditions. Lead by meditation teacher Alison Laichter, founder of the Jewish Meditation Center in New York City. Free.

 

San Francisco is for makers

 

Pacific Coast Pop-up

A Little Lodge, San Francisco
Jan 17-31
Outdoor themed pop-up shop featuring clothes from the new Blood and Bolts collection.

• Jan 17, 4-9pm: Opening party. Music, free drinks, photography, and shopping.

 

Museums Free-for-All

Southern California
Jan 28
Free general admission at museums throughout Los Angeles and Southern California.

 

Craftcation: Business + Makers Conference

Apr 4-8
Ventura Beach Marriott, Ventura
Four days of creative business classes and craft workshops. $450 registration through Feb 1. Then $470.

 

+Colorado

Hung Liu: Transformation

Now – Feb 18
Loveland Museum/Gallery, Loveland
Exhibition featuring 15 large-scale paintings and a room-size installation by artist Hung Liu, whose work explores movement and migration, as well as the complex interactions between individual memory and history. $5 exhibit admission.

• Jan 12 + Feb 9, 5-9pm: Night on the Town. Museum stays open late with free admission and activities.
• Jan 23: Free day. Donations accepted.

 

Colorado Environmental Film Festival (CEFF)

Feb 22-24
The American Mountaineering Center (AMC), Golden
Screenings of 48 films that aim to motivate audiences to awareness and action on environmental issues.

 

+Massachusetts

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Exhibitions

• Now – Feb 25, 2018. The Andes Inverted: Immersive installation by Daniela Rivera with materials, images, and sounds gathered from Chile’s Chuquicamata copper mine.
• Now – Sep 3, 2018. Mark Rothko: Reflection: Exhibition of 11 Rothko pieces on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. that show the continuity of the artist’s work within western artistic tradition.
• Now – Jun 3, 2018. Black and White Japanese Modern Art: Display of a newly acquired, large-scale calligraphy by Inoue Yūichi, along with a selection of other monochrome avant-garde works from postwar Japan.
• Jan 3 + 21. Canaletto and the Art of Venice: On-screen tour of the Canaletto and the Art of Venice exhibition at Buckingham Palace. The film also explores the life of Giovanni Antonio Canal (“Canaletto”) and Venice places he painted, such as Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, and the Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo. (Screening at the Clark Art Institute, Williamstown on Jan 6.)

 

+New York

World Amigurumi Exhibition vol. 4: Dolls for Daily Life!

Now – Mar 31
RESOBOX LIC, Long Island City
Exhibition of innovative uses of the Japanese crochet art amigurumi. Free.

 

Canaletto and the Art of Venice

On-screen tour of the Canaletto and the Art of Venice exhibition at Buckingham Palace. The film also explores the life of Giovanni Antonio Canal (“Canaletto”) and Venice places he painted, such as Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, and the Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo.

• Jan 4. 1891 Fredonia Opera House, Fredonia
• Jan 5. Lake Placid Center for the Arts, Lake Placid

A Glimpse of Venice

 

Embroidery for Beginners!

Jan 14, 12-2pm
QED, Astoria
Learn the fundamentals of hand embroidery, basic stitches, and how to transfer patterns. Start embroidering an apple pattern on a tea towel during class and then take it home with you to finish. Materials – including an embroidery hoop, floss, and a needle – will be provided. Advance registration required, as space is limited. Fee $25.

 

Rick Prelinger Presents: Lost Landscapes of New York

Feb 10 + 11, 2pm
Museum of the Moving Image – Redstone Theater, Astoria
Screening of a film that combines home movies by New Yorkers, tourists, and semi-professional cinematographers, outtakes from feature films, and other footage – most of which had never been seen before the film – of New York’s cityscape to show how the city has changed over time. Tickets $20.

 

IndieCade East 2018

Feb 16–18
Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria
Celebration of independent video games, independent game makers and players with panels and workshops plus dozens of new and unreleased games. Early Bird Full Festival Pass $100 through January 1, 2018.

 

 

+Washington

Seattle Art Museum

• Now – Mar 3, 2019. Spencer Finch: The Western Mystery at Olympic Sculpture Park.
• Now – Jul 15, 2018. Talents and Beauties: Art of Women in Japan.

 

Chalk Robots

 

Grand opening for Robot vs Sloth

Feb 10, 2-8pm
Pike Place Market, 1535 1st Ave (corner of 1st and Pine), Seattle
Artist Lauren Rudeck (“LaRu”) is moving from the shop we found by following her chalk robots (Ugly Baby and La Ru). She’s opening up her own shop called Robot vs Sloth on the other side of Pike Place Market, right on the corner of 1st and Pine.

 

+Washington D.C.

Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend

Now – 2019
Natural History Museum
Understanding this unique tusked whale through traditional Inuit knowledge and scientific research. Free.

 

Women in the Arts and a Pop-up Makerspace

 

Hung Liu In Print

Jan 19–Jul 8
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Best known as a painter whose work explores themes such as movement and migration, artist Hung Liu also creates pieces using an array of printing and collage techniques. She describes printmaking as “poetry,” layering images with highly textured surfaces and  screens of drip marks. Museum admission $10.

• Jan 7 + Feb 4, 1pm: Tour: Fierce Women. Fast-paced, drop-in tour highlighting the work of women who blazed trails as artists, activists, and innovators. No advance registration – sign up at the Information Desk upon arrival to reserve your spot. Free (as part of the monthly Community Day).
• Feb 21, 12pm: Gallery Talk: Hung Liu In Print.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL

+France

Expo Orchidées de Colombie (Colombian Orchid Expo)

Now – March
Galerie de Botanique, Jardin des Plantes, MNHN, Paris
Project to highlight the historical collections at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, as well as the biodiversity of Colombian flora. There will also be light and sound installations by Claudia Isabel Navas.

Make a Euro-Inspired Mini Lamp Garland

Paris Déco Off

Jan 18-22
Paris
Home decor companies open up their Paris showrooms to the public and interior designers to debut new collections. There are also displays, such as the Linen Lux lamps. Free.

 

+Hong Kong

Chinese New Year Celebrations

Feb 16-18
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
The city’s biggest festival includes a parade, food and flower markets, performances, and a fireworks show over the harbor.

• Feb 16, 6-9:45pm: International Chinese New Year Night Parade. A variety of street performances followed by floats and entertainment by local and international performers. Free street viewing. Spectator stand tickets HK$300-480.
• Mar 2: Spring Lantern Festival. The last day of Chinese New Year (a.k.a. “Chinese Valentine’s Day”) is focused on couples with colorful lanterns hung in parks, flower markets, and restaurants.

 

+Italy

The Cinquecento

Now – Jan 21, 2018
Palazzo Strozzi, Florence
Exhibition of 16th century art in Florence with works of art by such artists as Michelangelo, Bronzino, Giorgio Vasari, Rosso Fiorentino, Pontormo, Santi di Tito, Giambologna and Bartolomeo Ammannati. Combo ticket to the exhibition, Baptistery of St. John, and Opera del Duomo Museum: €8.

 

Italy: a 30,000-Foot View

Carnival of Venice

Jan 27 – Mar 13
St. Mark’s Square, Venice
Pre-Lenten celebrations with revelers in elaborate masks and costumes.

• Jan 27-28: Festa Veneziana on the water.
• Feb 3, 11am: Mask contest.
• Feb 11, 3pm: Costume contest.
• Feb 18-28: Eighteenth-century artisan boutique. Traditional ateliers – shoemakers, costumers, gondola artisans, mask makers, glass artists, and weavers – will set up shop in Piazza San Marco.

 

+NEW ZEALAND

Gardens Magic

Jan 9-28
Wellington Botanic Garden – Soundshell stage, Wellington
Nightly outdoor concerts and lighting installation at the Botanic Gardens. Picnic while you watch local Wellington musicians perform. Free.

 

CubaDupa

Mar 24-25
Cuba Quarter, Wellington
Festival with a wide range of street performances, including theater, bands, and opera, as well as a parade and interactive art installations. Free.

 

+TAHITI

Festival International du Film documentaire Océanien de Tahiti (FIFO)

Feb 3-11
Maison de la Culture, Pape’ete
Festival of documentaries about the culture, history, and issues of Oceania.

• Feb 7, 5:30pm. Screening of Headhunt Revisited: With Brush, Canvas and Camera.

Art Inspires Expeditions in “Headhunt Revisited” Documentary

 

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As always, if you go to anything on the list, let me know how it goes!

FYI, I try to make sure all this information is correct, but there could be errors or changes. Also, I don’t necessarily endorse (or know) every single thing about each event, the venue, or organizations connected with it. 

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Top and Hong Kong photo via Discover Hong Kong.

Massachusetts photo via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Paris photo via European Flax.

New Zealand photo via  Amandala Photography.

Tahiti video via Headhunt Revisited: With Brush, Canvas and Camera.

There are people making great things in every corner of the world.

Here’s some of the good November/December-ish stuff from Italy, France, the U.K., and the U.S. (Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington) that’s come up on my radar recently.

+Arizona

Phoenix Art Museum

• Now – Dec 17: Past/Future/Present: Contemporary Brazilian Art from the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art

 

Raptor Free Flight!

Now – March 2018
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson
Watch hawks, falcons, and owls fly completely untethered in the open desert, while a narrator explains the characteristics of each species. Two presentations daily (at 10am and 2pm) with different birds of prey native to the Sonoran Desert region each time. Included with admission.

 

All Souls Procession

Now – Nov 5
Tucson

Pre-event workshops (Sep/Oct):

• Oct 28, 9am-1pm + Oct 29, 1-6pm at 1011 E Miles Street: Mask & Papier-Mâché Craftshop. Free.
• Oct 29, 11am-2pm: Flower Crown Workshop. Please bring at least one object with meaning for you to include in your crown. $25 contribution includes materials.
• Oct 29, 3-5pm: Personal Altar Workshop. Create a personal altar to carry with you in the Procession! Craft supplies provided. Please bring any photos, flowers, lights, or other objects that you would like to incorporate into a small, hand-held altar. Free. Reservations encouraged.

Procession Weekend:

• Nov 3, 7:30pm at Tucson Music Hall: Mariachi Los Camperos performance. Tickets $30-78.
• Nov 4, 3-7pm at Armory Park: The Procession of Little Angels, Children’s Altar, and Personal Altars Vigil.
• Nov 5, 12pm at Maynards Market + Kitchen: Face Paint Town. Live music, food and drink specials, and over 20 face paint artists. Free.
• Nov 5, 6pm: The All Souls Procession & Finale Ceremony. Gather at Grande Avenue south of Speedway Boulevard, starting at 4pm.

**Maynards Market + Kitchen

 

Día de los Muertos Celebration (DBG)

Oct 27 – Nov 7
Desert Botanical Gardens, Phoenix
Día de los Muertos festivities with music, dance, and storytelling. Included with admission.

• Oct 27 – Nov 7. Ofrenda Exhibition: Original pieces created by local artists in the style of traditional Mexican altars.
• Nov 4-5. Live entertainment, including mariachis and ballet folklorico.

 

Día de los Muertos Festival (Mesa)

Oct 28-29
Mesa Arts Center, Mesa
Food, market, live entertainment, and handmade altar contest. Free admission.

**Día de los Muertos

 

Stitching by the Books

Oct 30, Nov 6, Nov 13 at 6pm
East Flagstaff Community Library, Flagstaff
Drop-in for help with your fiber arts projects. Knitting supplies available.
All skill levels welcome. Ages 9+. Free.

 

Return: Marshall Maude in Asia

Oct 31 – Dec 1
NAU Art Museum (2nd floor, NAU Old Main building), Flagstaff
Exhibition of ceramic work by Marshall Maude that explores both traditional methods and new technologies. Free. (Parking info.)

 

Astronomy Nights

Nov 3 + Dec 1 every 30 minutes from 6-10pm
Mesa Community College, Mesa
Monthly Planetarium shows open to the public the first Friday of the month during the Fall semester. Free admission (first come, first served).

 

NU (Native + You)

Heard Museum, Phoenix
Monthly (First Friday) events at the museum with free general admission to the museum’s galleries. Food and beverages available for purchase. Heard Museum Shops open until 8 p.m.

• Nov 3, 6-10pm. First Friday: Stamp It! Make and take stamped-metal jewelry. See the new exhibition Awa Tsireh: Pueblo Painter and Metalsmith.
• Dec 1, 6-10pm. First Friday: Light It Up! Make an ornament, enjoy hot cocoa and holiday lights, and shop the Ornament Market at the Heard Museum Shops.

 

Camelback Studio Tour and Art Sale

Nov 3-5
Scottsdale
Visit artists’ studios, see artists at work, and purchase art. Free admission.

 

Tucson Comic-Con 2017

Nov 3-5
Tucson Convention Center
Community-based pop culture convention with a mission statement of “Pop Culture For All!” Full weekend passes $30.

 

Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival

Nov 9-11
Tucson Expo Center
Expo with sewing, quilting, needlework, and craft supply vendors (both local and national), as well as workshops and presentations. Admission $10 or free with online coupon (printable PDF).
**The Festival in Phoenix.

 

Hidden In The Hills Studio Tour and Sale

Nov 17-19, 24-26
Cave Creek, Arizona
Self-guided tour of open artist studios in the Cave Creek and Scottsdale area with demonstrations and art for sale. Free admission.

 

Phoenix Pizza Festival

Nov 18, 11am-5pm
Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix
Festival of top pizza makers, benefitting Downtown Phoenix Inc. Advance tickets $10.
**Phoenix Pizza Festival 2016

 

Holiday Arts + Crafts Fair

Nov 18-19
Du Bois Center (at Northern Arizona University), Flagstaff
Juried show of handmade arts and crafts benefiting the United Way of Northern Arizona. Admission $2 at the door.

• Live music
• Raffle
• Free parking

 

Las Noches de las Luminarias

Nov 24 – Dec 30
Desert Botanical Garden
Garden lit by 8,000 candles inside luminaria bags. There is also stargazing, hot cocoa and apple cider, sculptures by artist Jun Kaneko on display throughout the garden, and a variety of musical performances. Tickets $30.

 

Mesa Christmas Market

Nov 24 – Dec 23
Downtown Mesa
Over 90 vendors with food and hand-crafted gifts surrounding the Merry Main Street 35-foot Christmas tree.

 

Succulent Success

Nov 25, 9am
Phoenix Public Market
Learn how to care for succulents and the best varieties to grow both indoor and outdoors. Pop-up truck will have succulents, containers, and soil available for purchase.

 

12th Annual Crafeteria Indie Craft Fair

Dec 1, 6-10pm
Medlock Plaza parking lot (Frances/Stinkweeds/Golden Rule Tattoo), Phoenix
Annual arts and crafts festival with local handmade original work, (jewelry, toys, knitwear, beauty products, holiday decor, etc.), as well as live music and food trucks. Free.

 

Fall Tempe Festival of the Arts

Dec 1-3
Downtown Tempe
Juried art show with 350 artist booths lining Mill Avenue and the surrounding streets. Handmade ceramics, wearable art, jewelry, woodwork and photography for sale, as well as food vendors, wine and beer gardens, and live entertainment. Free admission.

 

ARTrageous Benefit Ansel Adams: America

Dec 2, 8:30pm
Virginia G. Piper Theater, Scottsdale
Gala to Benefit Scottsdale Arts Education + Outreach featuring Ansel Adams photography set to music. A full orchestra will perform a commissioned symphonic work by Dave Brubeck and his son Chris Brubeck. Concert + after-party tickets $75.

 

Mesa Arts Festival

Dec 9-10, 10am
Mesa Arts Center
Annual festival with original works of art for sale, live entertainment and artist demonstrations, and kids’ activity area. Free.
**NEARBY: Community Garden.

 

Phoestivus

Dec 14 + 21, 5-10pm
Phoenix Public Market
Holiday celebration with a Phoestivus Pole, Pheats of Strength, and Airing of Grievances, as well as a market featuring locally grown and hand-crafted gifts from more than 130 local vendors. Free admission and free parking near Roosevelt/Central Light Rail Station.

 

+California

Play!

Now – Dec 30
Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto
Group exhibition of artists who believe in the importance of play and make it part of their work.

• Includes work by Robert Xavier Burden, who creates intricate designs centered around toys.

 

Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico, 1915–1985

Now – Apr 1, 2018
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
Exhibition about how four design movements — Spanish Colonial Inspiration, Pre-Hispanic Revivals, Folk Art and Craft Traditions, and Modernism — defined California and Mexico throughout the twentieth century.

 

Día de los Muertos Family Festival

Oct 29, 10am-5pm
Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach
Celebration with art and craft workshops, craft activities, live music, dance performances, gallery tours, face painting, sculpture garden, food and craft vendors and Community Ofrenda and Art Exhibition. Free.

 

Freeway Lace Guild’s Annual Lace Day

Nov 4, 10am-3pm
Pasadena Christian Church, Pasadena
Lace displays, classes, vendors. Pre-register to receive a goodie bag. Admission $5 (free for ages 25 and under).

• Pre-register to receive a goodie bag, as well as the option to order lunch ($8) and/or a commemorative bobbin ($15).
• 1pm: presentation on Renaissance Lace by William McConnell.
• Mini classes by experienced lacemakers.

 

Eternal I Endure

November 4, 6pm
Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena
Movement theater piece inspired by the work of Rodin, in honor of the hundredth anniversary of the artist’s death. The performance will include images, text, fragments of Rodin’s life story, and music. Included with admission.

• Reserve a spot by going to the Main Entrance gallery and getting a sticker up to an hour before the performance.
• General admission seating begins at 5:45pm.

 

Meet Me in the Woods

Nov 4 – Dec (date TBD)
A Little Lodge, San Francisco
Kanako Abe’s solo show of intricate hand-cut paper artworks inspired by wildlife.

• Opening reception Nov 4, 6pm.

 

The Art of Paper Flowers and Décor: Woodland Egg Ornaments

Nov 11, 9:30am
Filoli Center, Woodside
Workshop on making a metallic or white crepe paper acorn ornament using a real, blown-out chicken’s egg. $90 fee includes materials.

 

Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair: Fall Fair

Nov 18-19, 10am – 4pm
Central Park, Pasadena
Shop handcrafted goods from over 200 local artisans. Free admission.

• Grab Bag of vendor swag for the first 25 people to check in at the information booth BOTH Saturday and Sunday.
• RSVP “Going” on the Facebook Event for a chance to win a $20 gift card.
• Dogs allowed.

 

The Fab Faux: Sgt. Pepper In Its Entirety

Nov 18, 8:00pm
The Wiltern, Los Angeles
Performance of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band in its entirety to celebrate the album’s 50th Anniversary. The Fab Faux with The Hogshead Horns, The Creme Tangerine Strings, and Erin Hill. Ages 5+. Tickets $40-65. To skip service charges, buy tickets in person at the Hollywood Palladium box office Saturdays from 10am-2pm, except holiday weekends.

 

Sacred Families in Hindu Art

Dec 2, 1pm
Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena 
Tour to explore museum pieces that depict divine Hindu families (Vishnu and Lakshmi, Shiva and Parvati etc.) Included with admission.

 

A Pastel Drawing Workshop: Degas’s Tactility in Two and Three Dimensions

Dec 2, 11am
Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena
Workshop on pastel drawing based on Degas’s painting and sculpture. $35 fee includes museum admission and materials.
**Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena

 

 

+Colorado

Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair: Winter Fair

Dec 9-10, 10am – 5pm
McNichols Building, Denver
Shop handcrafted goods by over 150 local artisans. Free admission. (Optional donation to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies.)

• Grab Bag of vendor swag for the first 25 people to check in at the information booth BOTH Saturday and Sunday.
• RSVP “Going” on the Facebook Event for a chance to win a $20 gift card.

**3 Denver Sites Not to Miss

 

+Massachusetts

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Exhibitions

• Now – Feb 25, 2018. The Andes Inverted: Immersive installation by Daniela Rivera with materials, images, and sounds gathered from Chile’s Chuquicamata copper mine.
• Now – Sep 3, 2018. Mark Rothko: Reflection: Exhibition of 11 Rothko pieces on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. that show the continuity of the artist’s work within western artistic tradition.
• Now – Jun 3, 2018. Black and White Japanese Modern Art: Display of a newly acquired, large-scale calligraphy by Inoue Yūichi, along with a selection of other monochrome avant-garde works from postwar Japan.

 

+New York

9th Annual Latke Festival

Dec 18, 6-9pm
Brooklyn Museum
Potato pancake tasting event to benefit The Sylvia Center, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching healthy eating habits to children and their families. $70 general admission ticket includes unlimited latke tastings, beer, wine, and nonalcoholic beverages.

 

Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead

Oct 28, 12-5pm
American Indian Museum Heye Center
Day of the Dead celebration with traditional dances performed by Cetiliztli Nauhcampa and craft activities like decorating skeleton puppets and making paper flowers. Free admission.

 

+Washington

Seattle Art Museum

• Now – Mar 3, 2019. Spencer Finch: The Western Mystery at Olympic Sculpture Park.
• Nov 4, 2017 – Jul 15, 2018. Talents and Beauties: Art of Women in Japan.

**A short visit to Seattle.

 

Stinging Nettle Gather + Cordage-Making with Stephanie Wood

Nov 4-5, 10am-4pm
White Salmon Studio, White Salmon
Gather stinging nettles near Gifford Pinchot National Forest, while learning sustainable harvesting techniques. Then process the nettles into cordage or yarn. Tuition + materials $225.

+Washington D.C.

Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend

Now – 2019
Natural History Museum
Understanding this unique tusked whale through traditional Inuit knowledge and scientific research.

 

A Concert for Tomorrow’s Ancestors

Nov 4, 3pm
Potomac Atrium (American Indian Museum)
Musical collaboration to bring together the Day of the Dead with Native American Heritage Month. Performance by Sones de México Ensemble of Mexican folk genres, including huapango, gustos, chilenas, and son jarocho. Free.

 

Workshop Wednesdays

First + third Wednesdays, 1:30pm
National Museum of African Art
Drop-in workshops highlighting different artistic processes. All skill levels and ages welcome. Free.

• Nov 15. Looking for Contours: Countour lines in the Museum’s collection inspire your own work of art.

**Navigating the National Mall in Washington D.C.

 

National Christmas Tree: America Celebrates Display

Dec 1-31
President’s Park (White House)
The National Christmas Tree is decorated and surrounded by the “Pathway of Peace” and smaller trees with handmade ornaments for each U.S. state and territory. Free.

• The National Christmas Tree lights are on nightly from approximately 4:30-10pm.
• The Pathway of Peace is open 10am-10pm.
• Tickets for the November 30 National Christmas Tree Lighting are no longer available, but the event will be broadcast on the Hallmark Channel on December 4.

**The National Christmas Tree.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL

+France

L’Orchestre de Paris fête ses 50 ans

Nov 1 + 2
Philharmonie de Paris, Paris
2 free public concerts to celebrate the 50th anniversary of l’Orchestre de Paris. The orchestra will perform works by Stravinsky, Debussy, and Berio, as well as a newer piece by Jörg Widmann.

 

Christkindelmärik (Christmas market)

Nov 24 – Dec 24
Strasbourg city center
Traditional holiday market started in 1570 with 300 stalls with vendors of handcrafted items, regional produce, and typical Alsatian Christmas decorations.

• Demonstrations by craftspeople.
• Local baked goods, beer, and wine, including mulled Alsace white wine for sale.
• Sharing Village of charities and humanitarian organisations.
• OFF market focused on responsible consumption.

+Italy

Venice Biennale

Now – Nov 26
Giardini and Arsenale, Venice
“Viva Arte Viva” – International exhibition of visual art, theater, architecture, music, dance, and film. Full regular tickets €25.

• Now – Nov 26. PROPAGATION: Bees + Seeds, glassworks by artist Judi Harvest (part of the Beauty and the Beast exhibition) in Palazzo Tiepolo Passi. Free.

 

The Cinquecento

Now – Jan 21, 2018
Palazzo Strozzi, Florence
Exhibition of 16th century art in Florence with works of art by such artists as Michelangelo, Bronzino, Giorgio Vasari, Rosso Fiorentino, Pontormo, Santi di Tito, Giambologna and Bartolomeo Ammannati. Combo ticket to the exhibition, Baptistery of St. John, and Opera del Duomo Museum: €8.

 

Artissima Fair 

Nov 3-5
The Oval, Torino
International Fair of Contemporary Art with emerging as well as established contemporary artists from nearly two hundred international galleries.

+UK

The Big Barbican Adventure

Now – Dec 31
Barbican Centre, London
Clue solving, drawing and games for families along the Barbican do-it-yourself adventure trail. Pick up a free trail kit for The Big Barbican Adventure from the Barbican Centre Information Desk on Level G. Allow at least one hour to complete the trail. Ages 6+. Free.

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As always, if you go to anything on the list, let me know how it goes!

FYI, I try to make sure all this information is correct, but there could be errors or changes. Also, I don’t necessarily endorse (or know) every single thing about each event, the venue, or organizations connected with it. 

**Asterisks point to related Travelcraft Journal posts.

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Massachusetts photo via Jessica Tennant.

The Happenings List is made up of things I would do if I could do everything and be everywhere.

This edition includes September and October events in Italy, Spain, the UK, and the U.S. – specifically, Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington (state), and Washington D.C. If you are able to go to something on the list, please tell me about it!

Look for the asterisks (**) to read more about a place or event on Travelcraft Journal.

+Arizona

Phoenix Art Museum

• Now – Sep 10: Virtue and Valor: Sikh Art and Heritage
• Now – Oct 15: Longer Ways to Go: Photography of the American Road
• Now – Dec 17: Past/Future/Present: Contemporary Brazilian Art from the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art

Wall Draw

Now – Sep 29, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 10am to 5pm
Beasley Art Gallery, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
Annual community show that allows you to draw on the gallery’s walls.

Virginia Overton exhibition

Now – Oct 1
MOCA, Tucson
Site-specific installation by Virginia Overton in response to the Neo-Brutalist space of MOCA’s Great Hall.

Astronomy Nights

Sep 1, Oct 6, Nov 3, Dec 1 every 30 minutes from 6-10pm
Mesa Community College, Mesa
Monthly Planetarium shows open to the public the first Friday of the month during the Fall semester. Free admission (first come, first served).

Operacon Extravaganza

Sep 7, 7pm
Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson
Explore how opera is created with live performances, theatrical make-up demonstrations, and Q+A sessions with Arizona Opera. Free.
**Arizona Opera’s World Premiere Riders of the Purple Sage.

Arizona Restaurant Week

Sep 15-24
Central and Southern Arizona
Restaurants throughout the state offer prix-fixe dinners for $33 or $44 per person.

Rock Art of Spur Cross

Sep 16, 8am
Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, Cave Creek
Moderate two-hour hike to visit petroglyphs created by the Hohokam people hundreds of years ago. $3 entry.

Ballet Under the Stars

7pm. Outdoor performances by Ballet Arizona. Free.

• Sep 21. Beardsley Park, Sun City West.
• Sep 22. Fountain Park, Fountain Hills.
• Sep 23. Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix.
• Sep 28. Tempe Center for the Arts Amphitheater, Tempe.
• Sep 30. Estrella Lakeside Amphitheater, Goodyear.

The Story of Opera in Wine

A talk on opera’s history is paired with a tastings of European wines. Part of Arizona Opera’s OperaCon. Tickets $20. Registration required.

• Sep 26, 7pm: Tucson
• Sep 26, 7pm: Phoenix

National Public Lands Day Lake Pleasant Clean Up

Sep 30, 7am
Lake Pleasant Regional Park, Peoria
Volunteers are wanted to clean up trash in the park. Free full-day park entry for people who sign up online and help from 7am to 11am. Check in the morning of the event at the main contact station of Lake Pleasant Regional Park.

Pinners Conference + Expo

Oct 6-7
WestWorld, Scottsdale
Craft, home, food, beauty, entertaining, wellness, and photography classes and over 200 exhibitors. One-day tickets $8-29, not including class kit fees.

Film: Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast with Score by Philip Glass

Oct 11, 7pm
Tucson
Screening of Jean Cocteau’s classic film La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast) with an updated soundtrack by Philip Glass. Part of Arizona Opera’s OperaCon. Tickets $5.

Arizona Taco Festival

Oct 14-15
Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Scottsdale
Festival with about 50 restaurants serving $2 tacos, lucha libre wrestling, live music, tequila and margarita expos, and chihuahua beauty pageant. 1-day tickets $12.

• Oct 14, 12-5pm. Tequila Expo: Up to 10 samples of fine tequila from a selection of over 100. Tickets $20 + festival admission.
• Oct 15, 12-5pm. Margarita Tent: Showdown between local bars and up to 10 cocktail samples. Tickets $20 + festival admission.
• Oct 15, 2:30pm. Chihuahua Beauty Pageant: Participant  application fee ($15-25) supports the Arizona Chihuahua Rescue.

**Pizza Festival.

 

Fall Festival + Antique Show

Oct 14-15
Pine-Strawberry Community Center, Pine
Local apples, antique show, book signings by local authors, and chili cookoff. Free entry + $5 to taste/judge.

Raptor Free Flight!

Oct 21, 2017 – March 2018
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson
Watch hawks, falcons, and owls fly completely untethered in the open desert, while a narrator explains the characteristics of each species. Two presentations daily (at 10am and 2pm) with different birds of prey native to the Sonoran Desert region each time. Included with admission.

Día de los Muertos Festival

Oct 28-29
Mesa Arts Center, Mesa
Food, market, live entertainment, and handmade altar contest. Free admission.

Camelback Studio Tour and Art Sale

Nov 3-5
Scottsdale
Visit artists’ studios, see artists at work, and purchase art. Free admission.

Tucson Comic-Con 2017

Nov 3-5
Tucson Convention Center
Community-based pop culture convention with a mission statement of “Pop Culture For All!” Full weekend passes $30.

Hidden In The Hills Studio Tour and Sale

Nov 17-19, 24-26
Cave Creek, Arizona
Self-guided tour of open artist studios in the Cave Creek and Scottsdale area with demonstrations and art for sale. Free admission.

ARTrageous Benefit Ansel Adams: America

Dec 2, 8:30pm
Virginia G. Piper Theater, Scottsdale
Gala to Benefit Scottsdale Arts Education + Outreach featuring Ansel Adams photography set to music. A full orchestra will perform a commissioned symphonic work by Dave Brubeck and his son Chris Brubeck. Concert + after-party tickets $75.

+California

Sculpture Is: 2017 “In the Garden”

Now – Oct 31
Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens, Watsonville
Eleventh annual Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) sculpture exhibition in the two-acre Sierra Azul Nursery demonstration gardens.
**Trailer or Tipi camping about 20 minutes from Watsonville (#2).

60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival

September 15 – 17
Monterey County Fairgrounds, Monterey
The longest-running jazz festival in the world, celebrating the legacy of jazz with performances and educational programs. Tickets: Full weekend $145-410, Single day $45-164. Daily parking $15-40

Play!

Sep 16 – Dec 30
Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto
Group exhibition of artists who believe in the importance of play and make it part of their work.

• Opening celebration: Sep 15
• Includes work by Robert Xavier Burden, who creates intricate designs centered around toys.

The Fab Faux: Sgt. Pepper In Its Entirety

Nov 18, 8:00pm
The Wiltern, Los Angeles
Performance of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band in its entirety to celebrate the album’s 50th Anniversary. The Fab Faux with The Hogshead Horns, The Creme Tangerine Strings, and Erin Hill. Ages 5+. Tickets $40-65. To skip service charges, buy tickets in person at the Hollywood Palladium box office Saturdays from 10am-2pm, except holiday weekends.

+Colorado

Calder Monumental

Now – Sep 24
Denver Botanic Gardens
Large metal sculptures by artist Alexander Calder placed throughout the gardens. Included with admission.
**Denver Botanic Gardens.

Pastels on 5th

Sep 9, 10am
Downtown Loveland
Sidewalk chalk art festival and fundraiser for Alternatives to Violence (ATV) victim services.

Silversmithing

Sep 12 – 26, Tuesdays, 5:30pm
Center for the Arts, Crested Butte
Create a set of five stackable sterling silver rings with different metal textures. In the process, learn soldering, annealing, chasing and polishing, as well as how to safely  handle a jeweler’s tools. $85 + $45 Supply Fee. Includes take-home resource and instruction packet.

+Massachusetts

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Exhibitions

• Now – Feb 25, 2018. The Andes Inverted: Immersive installation by Daniela Rivera with materials, images, and sounds gathered from Chile’s Chuquicamata copper mine.
• Sep 24, 2017 – Sep 3, 2018. Mark Rothko: Reflection: Exhibition of 11 Rothko pieces on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. that show the continuity of the artist’s work within western artistic tradition.
• Sep 30, 2017 – Jun 3, 2018. Black and White Japanese Modern Art: Display of a newly acquired, large-scale calligraphy by Inoue Yūichi, along with a selection of other monochrome avant-garde works from postwar Japan.

The Salem Flea

Sep 17, 10am
Derby Square, Salem
Juried selection of vendors of vintage furniture and clothing, antiques, and architectural salvage, as well as a handmade goods by local artisans.
**A Weekend in Salem.

+New York

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Arts + Crafts Ideals in Buffalo

Edmund B. Hayes Hall, University at Buffalo
Buffalo is celebrating the 150th birthday of Frank Lloyd Wright and the region’s role in the American Arts + Crafts movement.

• Now – Oct 29. Wright’s Larkin: Arts and Crafts in Industry: Exhibition of Wright-designed objects from the Larkin Company Administration Building, which Wright was commissioned to design.
• Oct 20-22. Frank Lloyd Wright and the Buffalo School: An International Arts and Crafts Conference presented by the New York State Arts and Crafts Alliance. Conference registration $120, Arts + Crafts landmarks tour tickets $80.

Kimchi

Sep 10, 11am
Q.E.D., Astoria
Course on making kimchi, its health benefits, and the science behind fermentation. Fee $45.

 

+Pennsylvania

Festival O17

Sep 14-25
Philadelphia
25 performances of new and classic operas at multiple venues across Philadelphia.

• Sep 16-24. We Shall Not Be Moved: World Premiere chamber opera with classical, R&B and jazz singing, spoken word, contemporary movement, and video projection. Tickets $50-100.
• Sep 23, 7pm. Opera on the Mall: Screening of an opera broadcast at Independence National Historical Park. Free.

Apple Butter Frolic

Oct 7, 10:30am
Mennonite Heritage Center, Harleysville
Autumn festival with Mennonite folk craft and farming demonstrations, wagon rides, and Pennsylvania Dutch (German) food – like scrapple, ground cherry pie, and a large caldron of apple butter! Proceeds help support the Mennonite Heritage Center.

+Virginia

Monticello

• Now – Oct 27, Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm. Harvest Tasting Tour: One-hour tour of Thomas Jefferson’s vegetable garden with a tasting of seasonal produce from the garden. Monticello Day Pass required + $15 ticket.
• Sep 9. 2017 Heritage Harvest Festival: Celebration of Thomas Jefferson’s agricultural and epicurean legacy.
• Sep 30, 9:15am. Get to Know Your Trails: Monticello Trail Ranger-lead walk along a woodland path to learn about the trail’s history. Tickets $18.

**Monticello.

+Washington

Seattle Art Museum

• Now – Sep 10. Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors.
• Now – Oct 22. Common Pleasures: Art of Urban Life in Edo Japan.
• Now – Mar 3, 2019. Spencer Finch: The Western Mystery at Olympic Sculpture Park.

**A short visit to Seattle.

+Washington D.C.

Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend

Now – 2019
Natural History Museum
Understanding this unique tusked whale through traditional Inuit knowledge and scientific research.

Workshop Wednesdays

First + third Wednesdays, 1:30pm
National Museum of African Art
Drop-in workshops highlighting different artistic processes. All skill levels and ages welcome. Free.

• Sep 6. Bead Making: Create and string paper beads.
• Sep 20. The Big Draw: Introduction to African art and drawing fundamentals, followed by guided tour through African Mosaic exhibition and sketching. All materials provided. Registration required.

**Navigating the National Mall in Washington D.C.

INTERNATIONAL

+Italy

Sere d’Arte a Castel Sant’Angelo

Now – Sep 14
Castel Sant’Angelo, Rome
Art, music and theater at the second-century Mausoleum of Hadrian (the tomb-turned-castle-turned-museum). Tickets €14. Includes admission to Castel Sant’Angelo and Palazzo Venezia.

• Sep 2, 9pm. Sonia Bergamasco reads “Ritratto di donna” (Portrait Of A Woman)
  by Nobel Prize in Literature winner Wislawa Szymborska.
• Sep 7, 9pm. Two for You: jazz covers by Max Ionata and Dado Moroni.
• Sep 14, 9pm. “La valigia di Ravel” by Fabrizio Sinisi, with Sandro Lombardi and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino orchestra.
• Sep 14, 11pm. Live concert with Dewey Dell.

Venice Biennale

Now – Nov 26
Giardini and Arsenale, Venice
“Viva Arte Viva” – International exhibition of visual art, theater, architecture, music, dance, and film. Full regular tickets €25.

• Aug 30 – Sep 9. Venice International Film Festival.
• Sep 29 – Oct 8. International Festival of Contemporary Music.

Regata Storica 2017

Aug 30, Sep 3
Canal Grande, Venice
Centuries-old parade of gondolas and other traditional boats, as well as the most important races of Venice’s rowing season.

• Aug 30: Presentation of the teams and blessing of the gondolini.
• Sep 3, 4pm: Historic boat parade on the Grand Canal, followed by races.

Venice Glass Week

A celebration of the city’s tradition of glass artisans.

• Aug 30 – Sep 13. Gold: a precious Murano Glass art installation at the Apolline Halls of La Fenice Theater. Included with La Fenice tour admission €10.
• Sep 12, 6:30pm. Readings on the theme of glass by experts and enthusiasts of glass art in their native languages, followed by Italian translations – at Teatrino di Palazzo Grassi. Free.
• Sep 12 + 15, 10am. We Are All Beadstringers workshop with Marisa Convento. Free. Reservation required.

**Teatro La Fenice.

 

Mushroom Festival: Festa Del Fungo

Sep 23 – Oct 1
Piazza della Libertà, San Sisto di Piandimeleto
50th Edition Regional Mushroom Show.

Artissima Fair 

Nov 3-5
The Oval, Torino
International Fair of Contemporary Art with emerging as well as established contemporary artists from nearly two hundred international galleries.

+Spain

Noches en los Jardines del Real Alcázar

Now – Sep 9, 10:30pm
Real Alcázar, Sevilla
Nightly (Monday – Saturday) concerts in the gardens of a historic palace, including flamenco, classical, and world music. Doors open at 9pm, so you can explore the gardens before the concert. Beverages available for purchase. Ages 8+. Tickets €6.

+UK

The Big Barbican Adventure

Now – Dec 31
Barbican Centre, London
Clue solving, drawing and games for families along the Barbican do-it-yourself adventure trail. Pick up a free trail kit for The Big Barbican Adventure from the Barbican Centre Information Desk on Level G. Allow at least one hour to complete the trail. Ages 6+. Free.

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While I’ve done my best to be accurate, sometimes things change or weren’t listed correctly in the first place. Also, I choose events that seem fun, unique, and like something you’d be interested in, but your mileage may vary. I may not endorse everything connected with a particular event, organization, venue, etc. So consider this your starting point, double check the details, and then venture forth!

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Italy photo via Regata Storica.

Spain Real Alcázar photo via Noches en los jardines del Real Alcázar.

The Happenings List

Our curated list of upcoming festivals, workshops, shows, and other goings-on for makers and explorers – June through August 2017 (and beyond)! If you go to something from one of our Happenings Lists, please tell us all about it!

Read on for events in Italy, Germany, the UK, and the U.S.: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Asterisked (**) items link to related posts on Travelcraft Journal.

+Arizona

Phoenix Art Museum

• Now – Sep 10: Virtue and Valor: Sikh Art and Heritage
• Now – Oct 15: Longer Ways to Go: Photography of the American Road
• Now – Dec 17: Past/Future/Present: Contemporary Brazilian Art from the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art

 

Full Moon Hike at Red Rock State Park

Jun 9, 6:15pm + Jul 8, 6:30pm + Aug 7, 6pm
Red Rock State Park, Sedona
2-mile interpretive hike led by a knowledgeable naturalist. Watch the sunset from an overlook and hike back by moonlight. Arrive at least 30 minutes early with water and a flashlight. $5 fee + park admission ($7/adult). Reserve your spot at least one day in advance by calling Red Rock State Park at (928) 282-6907.

**A rainy day trip to Sedona.

Urban Forestry: Workshop + Discussion

Jun 10, 1pm
Tempe Public Library, Tempe
Tempe Urban Forestry Master Plan co-author Bonnie Richardson talks about the benefits, care, and planning of trees. 18 yrs+

The Tucson 23: A Mexican Food Festival

Jun 17, 6pm
JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort + Spa, Tucson
Celebrate the “Best 23 Miles of Mexican Food in America” with Food demos, live music, and menu samplings from local wineries, breweries, and Mexican restaurants. Tickets $49.

**Feburary photo + Tucson Mexican food.

2017 Grand Canyon Star Party

Jun 17-24, 8pm
South Rim: Grand Canyon Visitor Center
North Rim: Grand Canyon Lodge
Nightly astronomy programs, slide shows, constellation tours, and telescope viewing. Free.

Melodramas and Megastars: The Theatre in Territorial Arizona, 1879-1912

Jun 24, 7pm
Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, Flagstaff
Readers theatre presentation on the development of Atlantic Coast theatrical culture in the Arizona Territory with humorous anecdotes and excerpts from the plays.

Butterfly Walk

Jun 24 + Jul 22 + Aug 26
8:30am
Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior
Leisurely guided tour through the Hummingbird-Butterfly Garden, Demonstration Garden and Children’s Garden collections to see, photograph and learn about butterfly species. Included with admission.

Summer Entertaining Cooking Class

Jun 24, 6pm + Jun 25, 11am
Chef Chamberlin’s Office, Phoenix
Step-by-step tips for creating a seasonal three-course dinner (and wine pairings!) with St. Francis Mixologist Titus Fauntleroy, Phoenix Public Market Café Pastry Chef Sarah Chisholm, and Chef Aaron Chamberlin. Tickets $100.

The Magic Flute Opera + Gelato Film Fest

Jun 25, 1pm
Arizona Opera Atrium, Phoenix
Screening of The Magic Flute with gelato and wine available for purchase. Free.
**Lunch with Arizona Opera.

Agave Nectar, Nopalitos and a Taste of Desert Edibles

July 23, 8am
Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior
Guided tour along Curandero Trail with desert plant enthusiast Jim Shepherd with a tasting of desert edible samples including prickly pear jelly, nopalitos, mesquite flour, and agave nectar. Trail is not wheelchair accessible. Included with admission.
**Video of desert edibles cooking demo at Mission Garden, Tucson.

Star Party at Homolovi State Park

August 19, 30 minutes after sunset
Homolovi State Park Visitor Center Museum and Observatory, Winslow
Stargazing at Homolovi’s Visitor Center Museum and Observatory. Included with park admission.

HOCO Fest 2017

Aug 30 – Sep 3
Hotel Congress plaza
5-day music festival with over 40 national and regional acts. Ages 16+. Tickets $15-20.

+California

Sculpture Is: 2017 “In the Garden”

Jun 1 – Oct 31
Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens, Watsonville
Eleventh annual Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) sculpture exhibition in the two-acre Sierra Azul Nursery demonstration gardens.

**Trailer or Tipi camping about 20 minutes from Watsonville (#2).

Show + Tell

Jun 3, 10am
Santa Cruz Museum of Art + History
Local artisans give talks and demonstrations about their creative process and how their products are made.

dineLA Restaurant Week

Jul 14-28
Los Angeles
Fixed-price menu at restaurants throughout Los Angeles.

60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival

September 15 – 17
Monterey County Fairgrounds, Monterey
The longest-running jazz festival in the world, celebrating the legacy of jazz with performances and educational programs. Tickets: Full weekend $145-410, Single day $45-164. Daily parking $15-40

+Colorado

Color: Works by Teresa Booth Brown

Now – Aug 6
Denver Botanic Gardens, York Street – Gates Garden Court Gallery
Exhibition of collage works by artist Teresa Booth Brown. Free.

 

Calder Monumental

Now – Sep 24
Denver Botanic Gardens
Large metal sculptures by artist Alexander Calder placed throughout the gardens. Included with admission.
**Denver Botanic Gardens.

 

Loveland Museum Summer Exhibit Programming

• June 9, 6pm: Artist Demonstration and Discussion. Sally Elliott shares her painting process and inspiration.
• Jul 14, 6pm: Strings in the Gallery. Concert in the Main Gallery by the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra.
• Jul 20, 1pm: Painting Workshop with Sally Elliott. Learn experimental techniques in watercolor and gouache. Pre-registration required. Fee $50 non-members.

Denver Botanic Gardens 2017 Summer Concert Series

June – August
Denver Botanic Gardens, York Street – UMB Bank Amphitheater
Concerts in the round with garden admission included. Bring your own food or pre-order a picnic supper from Offshoots Café ($38 for two people). As of writing this, tickets are still available for the following shows:

• Jun 13, 6:30pm. Punch Brothers. Tickets $69
• Jul 28, 6:30pm. The Mavericks. Tickets $65
• Aug 3, 6:30pm. Dwight Yoakam. Tickets $82-182
• Aug 7, 6:30pm. Randy Newman. Tickets $74
• Aug 27, 6:30pm. Lucero with special guest Paper Bird. Tickets $62

 

Foote Lagoon Summer Concerts

Jun 22 – Jul 27, Thursday evenings
Foote Lagoon Amphitheater, Loveland
Weekly outdoor concert series.

Cherry Pie Celebration 2017

July 8, 5pm
Peters Park and 5th Street, Loveland
Cherry pie contest, vendor booths, activities for kids, and live music by Dixie Leadfoot (Rockabilly/Country/Swing) and Joe O’Bryan Band (Blues/Rock). Pie by the slice, ice cream, and drinks available for purchase. Free admission.

Pastels on 5th

Sep 9, 10am
Downtown Loveland
Sidewalk chalk art festival and fundraiser for Alternatives to Violence. Free.

+Florida

#BlogHer17

June 22-24
Hilton Bonnet Creek, Orlando
Annual conference for online content creators. Blogger/influencer passes $399.

+Indiana

Concerts on the Canal

Now – July 27, Thursday evenings
Indianapolis Downtown Canal
Outdoor concert series on the Historical Society’s Kruse Family Stardust Terrace. Food and beverages available for purchase or bring your own. On Thursdays during concert season, the History Center is and open until 8pm.

**Fountain Square in Downtown Indiana.

+Massachusetts

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Exhibitions

• Now – Jun 4. Club Americano: New York-based and Mexico City-born artist Pablo Helguera explores the historic formation and contemporary definitions of American identity in an intimate one-room exhibition and shared space.
• Now – Jun 18. Make Way for Ducklings: The art of author and illustrator Robert McCloskey, in honor of the 75th anniversary of his book Make Way for Ducklings.
• Now – Jul 9. Botticelli and the Search for the Divine.
• Now – Jul 9. Matisse in the Studio.
• Now – Feb 25, 2018. The Andes Inverted: Immersive installation by Daniela Rivera with materials, images, and sounds gathered from Chile’s Chuquicamata copper mine.

 

Boston Pops

Symphony Hall, Boston

• May 31 + Jun 1. John Williams’ Film Night: Boston Pops Laureate Conductor John Williiams and Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart conduct a concert of movie music. Tickets $36 – $122.
• June 2 + 3. Cirque de la Symphonie: live orchestral music plays while aerial flyers, acrobats, dancers, and jugglers perform. Tickets $29 – $93.

**Star Wars music at Phoenix Symphony Hall.

 

+Michigan

Detroit Home Movies

Now – Jul 29
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit
Year-long project to exhibit home movies made around 1967 that depict everyday life in Detroit’s diverse communities.

 

+New York

Flower Essence Workshop

Jun 11, 12:30pm + Jun 18, 12:30pm
Sang Lee Farms, Peconic, NY
Gather flowering plants from the farm and learn how to create your own flower essence. $85
**How to press flowers on the go.

+North Carolina

ASAP’s 2017 Farm Tour

June 24 – 25
Western North Carolina
Tours, demonstrations, and hands-on activities at working farms in the mountains to allow you to connect with the community’s food producers and learn about the region’s agricultural heritage.

+Pennsylvania

ARTLab

First and third Saturdays, 1-4pm
Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh
Interactive projects inspired by current exhibitions for visitors of all ages. Included with museum admission.

Indigo Dip-in

Jun 15, 5pm
Cultureworks Greater Philadelphia
Bring fabric or yarn you’d like to dye. Create patterns using Shibori resist techniques with clamps, rubber bands, and string. Donations accepted.

Festival O17

Sep 14-25
Philadelphia
25 performances of new and classic operas at multiple venues across Philadelphia.

• Sep 16-24. We Shall Not Be Moved: World Premiere chamber opera with classical, R&B and jazz singing, spoken word, contemporary movement, and video projection. Tickets $50-100.
• Sep 23, 7pm. Opera on the Mall: Screening of an opera broadcast at Independence National Historical Park. Free.

**Arizona Opera’s world premiere Riders of the Purple Sage.

 

+Virginia

Water/Ways + H2O Today

May 27 – Jul 9
Virginia Living Museum, Newport News
Part of the thinkWater project, these Smithsonian traveling exhibitions explore scientific and cultural perspectives on water with educational activities and digital story-collection initiatives.

Monticello

• Now – Oct 27, Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm. Harvest Tasting Tour: One-hour tour of Thomas Jefferson’s vegetable garden with a tasting of seasonal produce from the garden. Monticello Day Pass required + $15 ticket.
• Jul 4, 9am. Annual Independence Day Celebration: Naturalization Ceremony followed by a Jeffersonian Open House with patriotic music and free walk-through tours of Monticello (first-come, first-served reservations). Free admission.
• Jul 1 + Sep 30, 9:15am. Get to Know Your Trails: Monticello Trail Ranger-lead walk along a woodland path to learn about the trail’s history. Tickets $18.
• Jul 8, 9:30am. Winemaking Workshop: Two-hour participatory workshop on how to make your own wine from harvest to bottling. Tickets $24.
• Jul 22, 9am. Plein Air Painting: Paint outdoors on the Mountaintop then share your work with other participants. (Beginning instruction by Pat Brodowski at 8:30am.) Bring your own paints and supplies. Tickets $24.
• Sep 9. 2017 Heritage Harvest Festival: Celebration of Thomas Jefferson’s agricultural and epicurean legacy.

**Monticello.

Virginia Craft Brewers Fest

Aug 19
IX Art Park, Charlottesville
Celebration of Virginia’s craft beer industry. Over 100 participating breweries serving tastings.

+Washington

Seattle Art Museum

• Now – Oct 22. Common Pleasures: Art of Urban Life in Edo Japan.
• Now – Mar 3, 2019. Spencer Finch: The Western Mystery at Olympic Sculpture Park.
• Jun 30 – Sep 10. Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors.

**A short visit to Seattle.

 

Craft Party 2017

Jul 16, 12pm
Ugly Baby and La Ru shop, Western Avenue (at Pike Place Market), Seattle

Craft projects and sidewalk chalk take over the block! Join in and do a community embroidery project, wood string art, watercolor cards, and a wall of coloring. There will also be a giveaways, a photobooth, and gift bags with Ugly Baby and La Ru.
Get tickets on Eventbrite by June 14. Tickets $12.

**Chalk robots.

 

A photo posted by Christoph Jakob (@el_kalam) on Aug 15, 2015 at 3:39pm PDT

INTERNATIONAL

+Germany

Brückenfestival

Aug 12-13
Nuremberg
Outdoor festival with a curated lineup of indie bands. Free.
**Make a mini-lamp garland.

 

+Italy

Venice Biennale

Now – Nov 26
Giardini and Arsenale, Venice
“Viva Arte Viva” – International exhibition of visual art, theater, architecture, music, dance, and film. Full regular tickets €25.

• Jun 23 – Jul 1. International Festival of Contemporary Dance.
• Jul 25 – Aug 12. International Theatre Festival.
• Aug 30 – Sep 9. Venice International Film Festival.
• Sep 29 – Oct 8. International Festival of Contemporary Music.

 

+Spain

Noches en los Jardines del Real Alcázar

Jul 15 – Sep 9, 10:30pm
Real Alcázar, Sevilla
Nightly (Monday – Saturday) concerts in the gardens of a historic palace, including flamenco, classical, and world music. Doors open at 9pm, so you can explore the gardens before the concert. Beverages available for purchase. Ages 8+. Tickets €6.

+UK

Tracey Emin and William Blake In Focus

Now – Sep 3
Tate Liverpool
Exhibition exploring surprising links between the work of Tracey Emin (b. 1963) and William Blake (1757–1827). It will be the first time Emin’s My Bed has been displayed in the north of England. Free.

The Big Barbican Adventure

Now – Dec 31
Barbican Centre, London
Clue solving, drawing and games for families along the Barbican do-it-yourself adventure trail. Pick up a free trail kit for The Big Barbican Adventure from the Barbican Centre Information Desk on Level G. Allow at least one hour to complete the trail. Ages 6+. Free.

Ashdown Park events

East Sussex

• Jun 2. English Cheese and Wine Evening. Tickets £25.
• Jun 25. National Garden Scheme Open Day. All proceeds go to charity. Tickets £5.
• Jul 2, 2pm. Pimms Sunday Luncheon and Cookery Demonstration. Tickets £39.50. Call for reservations – 01342 824988.

Outdoor cinema at Ashdown Park

East Sussex
Tickets £13.

• Jul 6. Bridget Jones’ Diary.
• Jul 7. Back to the Future.

 

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While I’ve done my best to be accurate, sometimes things change or weren’t listed correctly in the first place. Also, I choose events that seem fun, unique, and like something you’d be interested in, but your mileage may vary. I may not endorse everything connected with a particular event, organization, venue, etc. So consider this your starting point, double check the details, and then venture forth!

Make Way for Ducklings illustration by Robert McCloskey via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

UK garden photo via Ashdown Park.

Spain Real Alcázar photo via Noches en los jardines del Real Alcázar.