Last updated 4/6/20.
3/18/20 UPDATE:
The world feels different than it did two weeks ago. It seems like a different place than it was when I published this list of Happenings we assumed would actually… happen.
Even in the few days since I started this update, things have changed rapidly. COVID-19 is on the rise, and things are being shut down left and right to prevent its spread. We’ve learned terms like “community transmission” and “social distancing.”
While we can’t physically gather, we can still be there for each other. We need the artists and shop owners who have poured their hearts into work that is now on hold indefinitely, and they could certainly use our support.
So here is what’s happening with the Happenings, along with ways YOU CAN still connect with events that have been canceled and support the people behind them.
The status updates are under each event title, followed by slashes (///) and original descriptions.
As far as I know, the information here was accurate as of 9am March 18 but, of course, could continue to change.
—S
Maybe it’s because of Earth Day. Or springtime. Whatever the reason, there seems to be some common threads running through the upcoming Happenings.
First, there is gardening: seed saving (see #12), vegetable growing (#11), and a garden with an environmentally-focused art installation woven throughout (#7). In fact, preservation of the planet is recurring theme in this spring’s art exhibitions from San Francisco (#6) to Scandinavia (#17).
So here is my list of 22 upcoming Happenings, ordered by date. There are also some free or discounted “goodies,” which I’ve asterisked (*) for you. Enjoy!
STATUS: Ongoing. You can keep supporting local art by sharing photos with the hashtag #localartloves! Originally, this was only for February, but indie artists could use the boost even more now!
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Now – ? / wherever you are / free
Monthlong celebration of local art around the world. Join in by posting photos of your favorite murals and other art from your community on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #localartloves!
2. New Zealand Festival of the Arts
STATUS: Completed. This festival managed to skate by until the final day, when the last 3 performances were canceled.
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Now – Mar 15 / Wellington, New Zealand
New Zealand’s leading arts festival, featuring cutting-edge theatre, dance, music and “art for everyone.”
3. Cambridge Winter Farmers Market
STATUS: Canceled through the end of the season.
YOU CAN continue supporting local food and farming! CWFM has a list of vendors you can buy from directly or find elsewhere.
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Now – Apr 4, Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm / Cambridge Community Center gymnasium, Cambridge, MA
The Cambridge Winter Farmers Market is a program of the Cambridge Community Center, a nonprofit that has been serving the Coast community for over 89 years. The Market strives to promote vibrant local economy, create access to fresh, healthy food, and provide a gathering space for community throughout the winter months with local food, craftspeople, and live music.
- *Different weeks include different goodies, like free tote bags, coloring pages and activities for kids.
4. 2019 SECA Art Award Exhibition
STATUS: Museum closed temporarily.
YOU CAN…
- See articles and videos on the #MuseumFromHome page
- Check out Open Space, the museum’s online “hybrid, interdisciplinary publishing platform for artists, writers, et al”
- Find some of the museum’s works online.
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Now – Apr 26 / SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA / included with general admission
SECA (the Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art) celebrates Bay Area artists Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle, Sahar Khoury, Marlon Mullen.
- *Artist-led Tour + Mixer: Mar 5. Free event + free admission to Floor 2 galleries 6–9 pm. Gallery tour 6:30 pm (first come, first served) / Mixer 7:30 pm
- H/T Rena Tom.
STATUS: Canceled through the end of the season, as are Jazz Nights at Julieanna’s Patio Cafe.
YOU CAN…
- Order takeout or delivery (in Yuma) from Julieanna’s via their special Ziggy’s On-The-Fly menu, which includes family-style entrees for four.
- Hear Yuma Jazz Company on Spotify, watch on YouTube, or buy their albums.
- Find links to other series musicians on the Village Jazz page.
- The summer music series at Lutes Casino is scheduled to start at the end of May.
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Now – Apr 23, 6 – 8 pm, Thursdays / Yuma Palms Regional Center, Yuma, AZ / free
Outdoor jazz concert series hosted by Yuma Jazz Company Quartet, featuring local performers, as well as student ensembles and bands traveling in from Los Angeles, San Diego, and Phoenix.
- *Yuma Palms Regional Center’s discounts.
- SN: We saw duo Jason + Elle in a Village Jazz Series concert during a visit to Yuma and had a great time!
6. Survival Architecture and the Art of Resilience
STATUS: Museum closed through at least May 1. Current exhibitions (including this one) will be extended through the end of May.
YOU CAN…
- Do at-home projects based on the museum’s exhibitions via their new MCD@Home library!
- See some of the work on exhibit on their Instagram + #OnViewNow highlights.
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Now – May 3 / Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco, CA
An exhibition exploring housing that is adaptable and sustainable to withstand climate change. It showcases architects and artists who have created artistically interpretive solutions and prototypes for emergency shelters.
- *Admission is free on the first Tuesday of every month.
7. Wild Rising Installation by Cracking Art
STATUS: Closed. As of March 20, the Desert Botanical Garden (including this installation) is closed until further notice.
YOU CAN flip through DBG’s online publications like trail guides and Sonoran Quarterly.
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Now – May 10 / Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ / Included with admission.
Installation of hundreds of brightly colored animal sculptures along desert garden paths by Italian artist group Cracking Art. Their work is meant to bring attention to environmental sustainability, the problem of plastic in oceans, and the importance of recycling.
- *DBG admission: Free on monthly Community Days (second Tuesday) / Discounted during Garden Happy Hour evenings.
- SN: I’ve been following Cracking Art’s worldwide installations ever since I spotted their striking red penguins at the 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky several years ago. So I was really excited to hear that their day-glo art has arrived in Arizona!
8. Woolgatherers: Paintings by Heather Day
STATUS: Museum closed through at least April 20. Events canceled.
YOU CAN take a virtual tour from home.
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Now – May 31 / Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN / admission $12
California-based artist Heather Day makes uses scraped, smeared, and flooded pools of pigment to create work that is more about sensory experience than the literal represensation of a scene.
- The exhibition will be closed to the public March 4-6.
- *Free general admission every Thursday 5-8pm.
- Virtual museum tour.
- We featured Heather Day’s work as part of our teal color story post.
9. Riders of the Purple Sage Opera
STATUS: Complete. However, two Arizona Opera fundraisers have been postponed. The Bravo Vino Arizona Wine Festival has been rescheduled for November and the Gala Luncheon for a date TBD.
YOU CAN donate online.
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Feb 28 – Mar 1 / Phoenix Symphony Hall, Phoenix, AZ / Tickets $35-145
The return of Arizona Opera’s first commissioned opera, based on the novel by Zane Grey.
- Tucson Music Hall: Mar 7 – 8 / Tickets $25-120
- *Arizona Opera Bold Card: People under 40 can get 6 tickets for $100.
- SN: We really enjoyed seeing Riders when it premiered in 2017!
STATUS: Uncertain. The March 2 event was canceled due to the weather, and I couldn’t find an update regarding future events.
YOU CAN watch their Facebook page for updates.
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Mar 2 + Apr 6 (first Monday of the month), 4:30-8pm / 13260 E. Colossal Cave Road, Vail, AZ
Half a dozen (or so) local food trucks set up shop for an evening in a parking lot in the town of Vail, south of Tucson.
11. History Reclaimed: Suchitra Mattai and Adrienne Elise Tarver
STATUS: Closed until further notice.
YOU CAN…
- Watch the Taggart Time series on Instagram Live.
- See artist’s spaces in “A View From the Easel” articles on Hyperallergic (an independent, member-supported contemporary art site). In recent editions, the artists also discuss ways being quarantined has changed their work and lives.
- Visit the West 25th Street location by appointment. Email [email protected] to schedule.
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Mar 5 – Apr 11 / Taggart Contemporary Gallery at 514 West 25th Street, New York, NY
Two-person exhibition of work by interdisciplinary contemporary artists Suchitra Mattai and Adrienne Elise Tarver, featuring painting and embroidery as well as a large-scale, site-specific installation by Mattai. Both artists use intricate formal approaches to reveal the voices of individuals who have been obscured through oppression and deep rooted stereotypes, engaging with narratives of subjugation that remain relevant today.
12. Master Gardeners Presentation: Warm-Season Vegetable Gardening
STATUS: Events canceled and libraries closed until further notice.
YOU CAN…
- Access digital media with your library card.
- Check out the awesome gardening resources on the Native Seeds/SEARCH site!
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March and April / Tucson, AZ
Representatives from The University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension present an overview of warm-season vegetable gardening with topics like what vegetables to plant, how to plant them and protect them from the sun and critters, and how to feed and water them.
- Murphy-Wilmot Library: Mar 21, 10am. CANCELED.
- Kirk-Bear Canyon Library: Mar 22, 1:30pm. CANCELED.
- Mission Library: Mar 26, 12pm. CANCELED.
- Oro Valley Public Library: Apr 3, 1:30pm.
STATUS: Canceled.
YOU CAN…
- Find seed saving information on the Native Seeds/SEARCH site.
- Plan to go to the July 9th workshop at the Miller-Golf Links Branch.
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Mar 26, 2:00 pm / Joyner-Green Valley Branch, Green Valley, AZ
Native Seeds/SEARCH’s introduction on how and why to save seeds from your garden, basic botany for gardeners, tool and equipment recommendations, and tips for getting the most out of the seeds you save.
- *Can’t be there? There is also seed saving information on the Native Seeds/SEARCH site.
STATUS: Spring Fair postponed until 2021.
YOU CAN…
- Mark your calendar for the fall edition of the Fair September 24 – 27.
- Pre-register to be notified of ticket releases and other announcements.
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Mar 26-29 / Metropolitan Pavilion, New York City, NY / Tickets $20-70
The spring edition of the New York Affordable Art Fair will showcase thousands of original contemporary artworks priced between $100 – 10,000 from over 70 local, national and international galleries. Besides shopping a curated selection of paintings, prints, photographs and sculptures, you can enjoy hands-on workshops, live performances, guided tours, talks, kids’ activities, and a café.
- *Free admission Friday from 6pm – 8pm.
STATUS: Postponed. New dates TBD.
YOU CAN…
- See a list of participating yarn boutiques and shop their online stores.
- Check out Wild Hunt Design’s excellent list of ways to “support your local yarn store during this stupid pandemic” for more ideas! (H/T to participating shop The Knitting Tree, L.A., who re-posted it.)
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Mar 26 – Mar 29 / L.A. County, CA
Fiber arts community event taking place throughout Los Angeles County at 18 local, women-owned yarn shops. Each one is committed to education, meeting customers face-to-face, teaching yarn crafts, and inspiring creativity.
- *Shops will offer discounts, commemorative totes and pins for purchase, free patterns, and prizes.
The Yarnover Truck mobile boutique will be stopping at these shops:
- 3/26 at The Altered Stitch, Valley Village
- 3/27 at Alamitos Bay Yarn Company, Long Beach
- 3/28 at The Knitting Tree L.A., Inglewood
- 3/29 at Make One Yarn Company, La Verne
STATUS: Postponed until the fall.
YOU CAN take a virtual workshop from the show’s choreographer Rohit Gijare. $5/class
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March and April
Stage show inspired by Hindi cinema with dance, live music, and storytelling.
Select dates:
- Mar 27: Albuquerque, NM
- Mar 28: Chandler Center for the Arts, Chandler, AZ
- Mar 29: Fox Theatre, Tucson, AZ
- Mar 31: High Point, NC
- Apr 9: University of California, Berkeley, CA
- Apr 17-18: Irvine, CA
- Apr 23: Fayetteville, AR
17. Earth, Wind, Fire, Water – Nordic Contemporary Crafts
STATUS: Postponed. New opening date TBD.
YOU CAN see photographs online from the “Eyes as Big as Plates” project by Riitta Ikonen and Karoline Hjorth.
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Mar 28 – Jun 14 / Galleri F 15, Moss, Norway
Exhibition bringing together seventeen Nordic artists and artist groups, who use their craft, tools, and deep material knowledge to address environmental issues and confront a longing for a deeper connection to the earth. Their work encompasses biology, geology, and cosmology, and challenges our perception of materials, of the natural world, and of ourselves.
STATUS: Postponed until late 2020.
YOU CAN…
- Follow the Festival’s filmmakers on social media to see what they are up to in the meantime.
- Watch Festival film trailers.
- Go to Creator Camp in Nashville in September.
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Apr 16 – 19 / Tropicana Hotel, Las Vegas, NV / Ages 12+ / free
Film festival held alongside ClexaCon, a multi-fandom event celebrating positive representation of LGBTQ+ women in the media. The festival will include short films, features, episodics, animation, and music videos.
- SN: The film festival is organized by my friend Stacy Calvert, who I met through BlogHer.
- Stacy will be screening her new short The Bra Mitzvah during a panel on The Ins and Outs of Making a Short Film, as well as moderating a filmmaker forum.
19. Bookworks: An Artist’s Book Fair
STATUS: Postponed. Rescheduled date TBA. SFCB will be closed through at least April 7.
YOU CAN shop their online store for books, merch, and enamel pins.
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Apr 17 / San Francisco Center for the Book, San Francisco, CA / free
Social event for local book artists and artist’s book collectors – especially beginners – to connect over cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres.
20. 7-Night Southwest Ireland Luxury Knitting Retreat (2020)
STATUS: On.
YOU CAN register online for your tour of choice! The Irish Tourism Group has amended their policies to be more flexible if you decide to postpone a recently-booked tour, but you still need to make changes at least 4 weeks in advance.
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Apr 22 / Southern Ireland / €2,999
Tour of Ireland that combines seeing the countryside with knitting workshops and meeting local craftspeople. Includes knitting workshops (with yarn and patterns), accommodations, Irish breakfast daily, sightseeing (accredited guide, transportation, and entrance fees included), and activities like a traditional music show and whisky and chocolate tasting.
- 9-night Wool Lovers Tour of Ireland Knitting Tour (2020): May 31.
- SN: This sounds like an amazing way to see Ireland – especially if you love knitting!
21. Biennial of Contemporary African Art in Dakar (Dak’art 2020)
STATUS: Postponed. New dates TBD.
YOU CAN see work from past Dak’art Biennials on their Instagram.
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May 28 – Jun 28 / Dakar, Senegal
Cultural and artistic event that has been taking place in Senegal for the past 30 years. The 2020 theme is “Ĩ ‘Ndaffa / Forging / Out of the Fire.”
- AfroEats Festival – highlighting and promoting African cuisine.
- Cinema Museum – bringing mobile film screenings into the nooks and crannies of Dakar.
- Art education workshop for children with renowned illustrators.
STATUS: Registration open through June 15. Organizers are monitoring the COVID-19 situation to see if event plans will need to change.
YOU CAN join the EGA Stitch-a-long Group and start a new project!
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Sep 4 – Sep 8 / Sheraton, Back Bay Boston, MA
Embroiderers’ Guild of America (EGA) National Seminar with over 60 classes, including some region-sponsored mini classes.
- Registration opens March 14.
- You can purchase a name tag kit in advance to embroider and personalize.
- *Free tutorials online from Needle Arts Magazine.
Post originally published February 28, 2020.
The Happenings List is made up of a seasonal events I’ve found for lovers of art, craft, and culture. I typically edit organizers’ event descriptions for length and clarity.
I try to make sure everything is accurate at the time I put the list together, but, of course, changes or errors are always possible.
Use this as your starting point, and then tell me about the Happenings you go to!
