We’ve got your weekend: Panels, films, art, and good-feeling fun

Event pick of the week: Woke Dreams at the CAC

Woke Dreams, which will be held at the CAC on Monday, January 20.

When: Monday, January 20 from 12:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Where: Contemporary Arts Center (900 Camp Street)

Cost: Free and open to the public

What: The CAC and The Helis Foundation are hosting Woke Dreams, a reflective celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 91st birthday, Woke Dreams will explore Dr. King’s legacy, today’s social movements, and the role that art plays in advancing activism and social justice. Activities include artist Jose Cotto’s cultivating history, documenting dreams project to capture intimate one-on-one portraits of individuals and their dreams; a memorial altar installation by Jet Costello and resident art collective Les Femmes Féroces to honor murdered Trans women from across the country; “When Oppressed, Knowledge Endures: WOKE,” a curated set by DJ Raj Smoove; and a multi-generational and multi-disciplinary panel discussion exploring the impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on today’s civic activism. 

And now for the rest of the week(end)

You can disco diva for a good cause this weekend.

Wednesday, January 15/The Saint Bar and Lounge (961 St. Mary Street): Sometimes there are events that we fall in love with simply because of their name. Case and point, The Saint will be hosting Hades Night Market on Wednesday. Do you see what we mean? Now, what exactly is this? It’s a market, silly. The Saint wants to ring in the beginning of a new decade right. They say the revelry will begin at 8:00 PM and go until 1:00 AM. They’ll have Jenny Green McDaniel and Sami Jean slinging libations, Aloha Nola will be providing the south pacific flavors, Jordan Ingram will be equipped both with spinning tunes as well as rare records for sale. It’s described as an intimate evening surrounded with exceptional local artists, vendors, makers and shakers. 

Thursday, January 16/Molly’s at the Market (1107 Decatur Street): Does the current state of our environmental situation drive you to drink? Then you’re in luck (also, this environmental destruction and abuse is serious!!). You can learn just how serious it is by attending Media Night at Molly’s at the Market. The city’s coastal reporters are ready to drown you in drinks and describe your demise, which they will offer in the form of these players/bartenders/reporters: Tristan Baurick, The Advocate | The Times-Picayune; Travis Lux, WWNO; Mark “Schleiffy” Schleifstein, The Advocate | The Times-Picayune; Sara Sneath, The Advocate | The Times-Picayune; and
Tegan Wendland, WWNO. The drinking and depressing starts at 7:00 PM.

Thursday, January 16/Gallier House (1132 Royal Street): Ready to go back in time while remaining in this time period? What? Set in 1874, Goat in the Road’s production of The Uninvited follows nine characters who live in, or orbit around, the Gallier House. It is six years after architect James Gallier, Jr.’s death, and his wife, two of his daughters, and household staff members Charity and Rene are preparing for an evening of entertaining when a mob of young men passes by, seeking to re-segregate the integrated school next door. News of the mob and an uninvited guest disrupt the household and expose the race and class divisions embedded in the characters’ lives. The event is based on a real-life incident that took place in December 1874. Times of the  shows vary (with two shows per night), and you can check out www.hgghh.org for a full schedule. Tickets cost $35.

Friday, January 17/ Vintage Rock Club (1007 Poydras Street, New Orleans): Vintage Rock Club, New Orleans’ first throwback bar and video music experience venue, is partnering with Ashley Sievert Gives Back to host STUDIO 54 on Friday, January 17 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. They’ll be celebrating the debauchery of disco with food, drinks, dancing and your favorite 70s hits! Tickets, which you can get here, are $75 and include early entry, open bar, hors d’oeuvres, and lots of swag from the decade of disco.  Also, we love events with a heart, and a portion of proceeds from the event’s ticket sales will benefit Kidd’s Kids, a 501c3 whose mission is to provide hope and happiness by creating beautiful memories for families of children with a life-altering or life threatening illness. Now you can disco dive and feel good about it. 

Friday, January 17/Zeitgeist Theater (6621 St. Claude Avenue): On Christmas day 1987, Ralph receives the totally rad gift of a VHS camcorder and just like any red-blooded American child, he’s eager to test out his new toy. Now you are privy to Ralph’s filmed adventures with his best friend, random clips from late-night television, and, because he’s recording it all over his parents’ wedding video, snippets of his mom and dad in happier times. This is a pop-culture fantasia for fans of Adult Swim and late-night channel surfing fiends. Are you confused? No worries. It’s a movie called VHYes, and it’s an analog exploration into the mind of a child, an 80’s television mixtape, and a bizarre mashup of what happens when the two collide. Sounds super weird, right? Well, so is life! 

Saturday, January 18/Newcomb Art Museum (6823 St. Charles Avenue): To celebrate the opening of Newcomb Art Museum’s latest exhibition “N̶O̶T̶ Supposed 2-Be Here,” they’re having exhibition-inspired art activities for all-ages  from 4:00 to 5:00 PM on Saturday. The free opening reception featuring artist remarks from Brandan Bmike Odums, music by DJ RQ Away, and catering by Chef Ashley Jonique will then follow from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. “N̶O̶T̶ Supposed 2-Be Here” at Newcomb Art Museum is the first solo show in a museum setting by artist Brandan Bmike Odums. The exhibition, which features brand new site-specific installations, as well as past work, is part retrospective and part futurescape. Addressing the question of who or what kind of art belongs in a museum, the show explores four different takes on inclusion and identity drawn across notions of art, race, place, and accessibility. “N̶O̶T̶ Supposed 2-Be Here” is a chance for audiences to envision and engage with the bold histories –and futures– that Odums’ work encapsulates, and explore the alchemy of one of New Orleans’ most prominent contemporary visual artists.