April 26 to May 2, 2019:
Pictured above: Neal Preston photo of Freddie Mercury.
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Friday, April 26, 5-7 p.m.
Photographer Neal Preston talks at Leica Gallery Boston
Preston went from being tour photographer for Led Zeppelin in the mid-1970’s to photographing for Newsweek, Time, and Rolling Stone and People magazine. His exhibition “Exhilerated and Exhausted” is on view at the gallery through July 7.
Friday, April 26, 6 p.m.
“Gordon Parks: Selections From the Dean Collection” Opening Reception at Harvard’s Hutchins Center Cooper Gallery, Cambridge
A career-spanning exhibition of one of the most important African-American photographers of the 20th century. “Parks represented his subjects from the rural poor and black families living under segregation to fashion models and prominent cultural and political figures with empathy and dignity, employing the arts to champion social change.” These prints are from the collection of Kasseem Dean and Alicia Keys, “who hold the largest private collection of works by Gordon Parks.” Exhibition continues through July 19.
Friday, April 26, 6 to 9 p.m.
“Vănguard Retrospective” exhibition reception at Dorchester Art Project, Boston
LGBTQ Vietnamese art from around the world. Exhibition continues through May 19.
Friday, April 26, 9 p.m.
Rock & Roll Rumble 2019 Finals at Once, Somerville
Corner Soul, PowerSlut and Set Fire rock out for the prize. Followed by a set by 2017 winner (not competing this time) Carissa Johnson & the Cure-Alls.
Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
32nd Sheepshearing Festival at Gore Place, Waltham
Actual sheep being sheared. Plus sheepherding demonstrations with border collies, fiber artists, music, food, historical reenactors, wagon rides.
Saturday, April 27, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Musketaquid Earth Day at Umbrella Community Arts Center, Concord
A parade down Main and Monument Streets at 11 a.m. with giant puppets, stilt-dancers, costumes, banners and bands. Plus arts and environment festival and launching of Earth Floats at Minute Man National Historic Park, at The Old North Bridge.
Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Japan Festival Boston 2019 at Boston Common
This celebration of Japanese culture offers performances, authentic Japanese food and kawaii goods. Continues on Sunday, April 28.
Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Rhode Island Sakura Festival at Classical High School, Providence
Japanese cultural festival featuring food, traditional music, games, Arts, tea ceremony, martial arts, cosplay and Japanese souvenirs.
Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Otto Piene “Sky Art Event” at Fitchburg Art Museum
Inflatable sculpture by the late Groton artist will be flown in an outdoor event at Lowe Playground, on Elm Street, across the street from the museum.
Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Reception for “Studios Without Walls,” Riverway park, Chapel Street, Brookline
20th anniversary outdoor exhibition by 20 Boston-area sculptors. On view through June 2.
Saturday, April 27, 1:30 to 6 p.m.
“Elma Lewis 2018 Women in Community Art Collectors Edition Trading Cards” release party at 40 South vintage store, Jamaica Plain
Celebrate the launch of “The Elma Lewis 2018 Women in Community Arts Collectors Edition Trading Cards” set, created by Boston artist Neil Horsky to honor “the essential and inspirational leadership role of women” in Boston arts.
Saturday, April 27, 3 to 5 p.m.
“Nigra Sum Sed Formosa” at Roxbury Community College, Boston
Musicians from Castle of Our Skins and Handel and Haydin Society perform classical music from black composers across three centuries. Pre-concert lecture at 2 p.m. by L’Merchie Frazier, Director of Education and Interpretation at the Museum of African American History.
Saturday, April 27, 3 to 5 p.m.
Toni Bee’s Jam at Middle East, Cambridge
Celebrate the local poet’s first book, “22 Again,” with poets, singers and musicians.
Sunday, April 28, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mexican Street Food Festival at Central Square, Cambridge
Presented by New England Open Markets in partnership with the Central Square Business Association.
Sunday, April 28, 3 p.m.
Melange Boston: “Diaspora Dinner Party” at Hibernian Hall, Boston
Ethnic foods from minority-owned restaurants plus Afro-Caribbean and hip hop sounds by DJ Prince.
Sunday, April 28, 6 p.m.
“Hanky Panky: A Flagging Party” at Jacques Underground, Boston
Dance to music by DJ Jimmy DePre and bring back the “hanky code”—the color-coded signaling system from the 1970s and ‘80s—at this benefit to support The History Project, which documents, preserves, and shares the history of Boston’s LGBTQ community.
Monday, April 29, 6 p.m.
“Opportunities For Public Art Through Placemaking” at BSA/SPACE, Boston
Panel moderated by Elizabeth Keithline, artist, curator and Percent-for-Art administrator for the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. She will be joined by Wonderland editor Greg Cook; Stephanie Fortunato, Director of the City of Providence Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism; artists Napoleon Jones-Henderson from AfriCobra! and Kari Percival, an illustrator and, with Cook, creator of parades and festivals via their Wonderland Spectacle Co.; as well as Anita Lauricella, public art programmer/curator for the Boston Downtown Improvement District. Free!
Tuesday, April 30, 5:30 p.m.
“Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Apollo 11 at Fifty” exhibit reception at Harvard’s Houghton Library
From artifacts used during the Apollo 11 mission and on the moon itself by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to first editions of Copernicus, Galileo and Newton.
Wednesday, May 1, 7 p.m.
“Balkanale! Featuring Aya Safiya & Sarma Brass Band” at Lizard Lounge, Cambridge
Join the new “Balkan Underground Dance Party” to be held the first Wednesday of each month: “A bacchanale is an orgiastic musical composition, often depicting a drunken revel or bacchanal. Add in some of the best Balkan music and you’ve got a Balkanale.”
Thursday, May 2, 7:30 p.m.
TRC Fest at The Sinclair, Cambridge
The Record Co. hosts this benefit show to “build a new, world-class music workspace for Boston’s incredible community of musicians.” The dazzling lineup includes Oompa, Ali McGuirk, Anjimile, Cliff Notez, Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys and many more local stars.
Thursday, May 2, 7 p.m.
“The Larger Conversation: Creative Resilience” at Gardner Museum, Boston
Grammy-nominated hip-hop rapper/singer Phonte Coleman, chef Elle Simone from America’s Test Kitchen, and Boston graffiti artist and co-founder of Artists for Humanity Rob “Problak” Gibbs talk about “how they broke through fears and challenges to invent new opportunities and change the scope of being artists in their fields.”
Thursday, May 2, 7:30 p.m.
Gold Dust Orphans perform “The Ebonic Woman” at Machine, Boston
The sassy, satirical troupe returns with their latest comedy: “She’s a bold soul sister out to stop Trump and his cronies in their tracks! She’s ‘The Ebonic Woman.’” Running through May 26.
Friday, May 3, 6 to 9 p.m.
Somerville Open Studios speak preview
Select artists across the city open their workspaces to your prying eyes—in advance of the full city open studios on May 4 and 5. Free.
To be considered for Recommended, email your events by Monday the week (or so) before your event. Please include links to event info. Thanks!
If this is the kind of coverage of arts, cultures and activisms you appreciate, please support Wonderland by contributing to Wonderland on Patreon. And sign up for our free, weekly newsletter so that you don’t miss any of our reporting.