FOUR solo exhibitions by artists trained or practicing in the ACT open at M16 Artspace today, Thursday, July 16 at 6pm, all welcome.

PETER Fisher began his creative career illustrating for magazines such as ‘OZ’, presents an exhibition of paintings, “Underwater Landscapes”. Merryn Sommerville confronts questions of gender and social conditioning with her haunting images of children. Amelia Zaraftis was the winner of the M16 Studio Residency as an Honours graduate of the Sculpture Workshop at ANU last year. Cat Mueller’s playful work mashes the handmade and the digital in a riot of colour and mark. At M16, Blaxland Crs Griffith.

CLASSICAL Indian dance is to the fore at Canberra Dance Theatre’s studio tomorrow, Friday July 17 at 7pm, as Shahrin, Jenni White, Mahesh Radhakrishnan, Liz Lea, the GOLDs and the CDTeens, who premiere the new work they have been creating while Shahrin has been in residence at CDT. Tickets at the door. The studio is located on the corner of Barry Drive and Kingsley Street in Canberra City.

‘GLIMPSE’ is the fourth of six emerging arts showcases to be run by RAW Canberra this year. Director Kristen Wehlow is bringing 30 of Canberra’s best emerging talent spanning genres such as fashion, music, visual and performing arts, and photography. At Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen, tomorrow, Friday, July 17 from 7:30pm. Tickets at the door or RAWartists.org/Canberra/glimpse

NATIONAL Film and Sound Archive Sound archivist Graham McDonald demonstrates the fascinating and historic techniques of recording onto wax cylinders and lacquer discs tomorrow, Friday July 17, 5:30-7pm at the NFSA Theatrette. He’ll record live performances from some local artists, including the popular Doctor Stovepipe and a group from the Canberra City Band. Friday with Friends, FREE entry. Drinks and nibbles from 5:30 pm. recording from 6 pm

THE National Capital Orchestra has those virtuosi , duo piano soloists Edward and Stephanie Neeman, performing Poulenc, Rachmaninov and under the baton of musical director, Leonard Weiss this Sunday, August 16 at Llewellyn Hall, ANU at 3pm. Bookings to ticketek.com.au

‘Naked Girls Reading’ began in Chicago in 2009 and now it’s reached at the Polit Bar Upstairs 8 Franklin St, Manuka. At 7pm today, Thursday, July 16, you can hear 3 girls reading entertaining excerpts from top fantasy writers in 3 x 20 minute sets. Tickets at the door or bookings to eventbrite.com.au

SINGER-SONGWRITER Damien Leith, billed as “the soft spoken musician with the Irish-accent,” is bringing his one man cabaret music-play “The Parting Glass: An Irish Journey on the road” to town, complete with a ‘sitting in a pub having a pint’ atmosphere. “The music throughout the show is Irish music,” he says…” the band play all the traditional instruments, fiddle, tin whistle, bodhran – it is a real Irish experience.” At The Street Theatre, 8pm Sat July 18, bookings to 6247 1223 or thestreet.org.au

FORM STUDIO and Gallery has “Water: Land: Sky,” in which glass artist from Canberra and a painter from the Blue Mountains, Debra Jurss and Ruth LeCheminant, present two perspectives on the subjects of water, land and sky. Exhibiting until August 2 at 1/30 Aurora Ave Queanbeyan, weekdays 10.00 – 2.30 weekends 10.00 – 4.00pm.

THE Salt Room is a poetry event series which is taking place in The Main Hall, Gorman Arts Centre, 55 Ainslie Avenue, and Braddon tomorrow, Friday July 17 from 7.30pm. Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres join BAD! SLAM! NO! BISCUIT! to experiment with poetry in performances by Melinda Smith (Canberra), Stackhat (Sydney) and Raphael Kabo (Canberra) with audio-visual by Danny Wild (Canberra). Tickets at the door.

IN THE first ever Miss Burlesque Australia ACT state final, ten local burlesque beauties will battle it out for their state title and the chance to compete in the Grand final in Darwin. Saturday July 18, Canberra Theatre. Tickets: tickets.canberratheatrecentre.com.au

“FREE Spirit – A Celebration of Life” is a mixed media celebration of life joys through the eyes of LuLu, a whimsical little figure dedicated to making the world a happier place and the creation of artist Antoinette Karsten. The show opens 2:30pm this Saturday, July 18 and continues until Saturday, August 8 in Tuggeranong Arts Centre foyer space.

ASOC’ (The Artists’ Society of Canberra) has a Grand Opening at 3pm this Saturday July 18 of its new shopfront at Bespoke Framing and Photography, 8 Townshend Street, Phillip.

“AUSTRALIAN Woodfire: Curator’s choice” is in the Woolshed at Strathnairn Arts until August 2, with a formal opening at 2pm this Saturday, July 18 at 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt.

Queanbeyan Art Society’s Members July 2015 Exhibition will hang in the QAS gallery under the Queanbeyan Bridge until Saturday, July 25. All works are for sale. Entries for the August Queanbeyan City Council Competition/Exhibition close on the same day. Entries for the 8th QAS Charity Art Show supporting ‘Soldier On’ close Friday September 12, details at qarts.com.au