Friday, May 7, 2010

Tonight from 5 to 9 pm, Absolutely Art and Café Zoma will host an opening reception at 2322 Atwood Avenue to showcase the work of neighborhood artists Laura and Sarah Meddaugh as well as the works of Lance Owens and Alexis London. Music and food will be provided during the reception. More info at absolutelyartllc.com or 249-9100

Tonight at 7 pm, the Downtown Gardens Group and the Peregrine Forum will sponsor a free screening of Food Matters, a 2008 film which sets about uncovering the trillion-dollar worldwide “sickness industry” and gives viewers some scientifically verifiable solutions for overcoming illness naturally. The showing will be at Amrosia Coop, 225 E Lakelawn Place. More info at 920-585-3496.

Saturday at 2 pm, Orpheum Theater (216 State St.) will offer a special Screening of the acclaimed anti-war documentary, the Good Soldier. The show will be introduced by Will Williams. Admission is free for all high school students.

Saturday from noon to 4 pm, the Procession of the Species will host a free Giant Puppet and Mask Making Workshop at the Old Atwood Community Center (2717 Atwood Ave.). Participants will have an opportunity to work with artists to create new puppets, masks and props. Papier mache, sculpt cardboard, costume sewing, banner printing and more will be taught. All ages are welcome but children must have adult supervision. More info at MadProcession.org or 241-0259.

Saturday at 7:30 pm at Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee, guest artist and world-renowned Iraqi-American musician Amir ElSaffar and his group, Safaafir, perform ancient Iraqi lyrical music, known as maqam, featuring rich vocal improvisation and exotic instruments including the santoor, the djoze (spiked fiddle) and tabla. Present Music will perform Istathenople by Turkish-American composer Kamran Ince and Six Yiddish Songs and Dances by Israeli composer Betty Olivero. More info at presentnusic.org or 414.271.0711.

Saturday from 9 to 2 pm, the UW-Arboretum will hold a fund raiser at 1207 Seminole Highway in Madison. Native woodland flowers, ferns, prairie plants and native shrubs and trees will be for sale under the tent near the visitor center. All plants are native to the area and propagated – not dug from the wild. Experts will be available to answer questions and information sheets detailing care are available with each species. Proceeds from the sale benefit Arboretum projects. More info at 263.7760