HELEN MUSA previews what’s happening in the Canberra region this weekend.

THE National Film and Sound Archive of Australia is screening “Mystify: Michael Hutchence”, with a Q&A involving director Richard Lowenstein at the conclusion of the film, at Arc Cinema, 6pm, Friday, February 7. Then at the Arc, 2pm, Saturday, February 8, director Anthony Buckley will be at the NFSA for another Q&A following his new film “At the Coliseum Deluxe”. Bookings for both at nfsa.gov.au

CRAFT ACT: Craft + Design Centre presents “Distorted Trajectories”, glass by Madeline Prowd and Marcel Hoogstad Hay, and “Emerging Contemporaries”, a selection of early career artists and designers working in areas such as furniture, ceramics, glass, jewellery and textiles. Both are launching in the 2020 artistic program and are being opened by Gordon Bull and Deborah Clark, Level 1, North Building, 180 London Circuit, 6pm, Thursday, February 6. There will also be a free floor talk from 12.30-1pm, Saturday, February 8.The exhibitions continue until March 21.

AUSTRALIAN National Capital Artists are exhibiting “A Provisional Landscape”, with works by Beck Gibson and Nina Juniper, at ANCA Gallery, 1 Rosevear Place, Dickson, until February 23.

“COUNTERPOINT” is a series of saggar-fired ceramic works by emerging artist Katrina Leske, part of the ANU School of Art and Design Emerging Artist Support Scheme. Opening by Richard Thomas, director of Canberra Potters Society, at Altenburg & Co, 104 Wallace Street, Braidwood, 11.30am, Saturday, February 8, all welcome. The show continues 10am-4pm, Thursday-Monday, until March 15.

RICHARD Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra will get off to a cracking start for 2020 with an epic Beethoven celebration, starting with Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 1 and 2, then climaxing in the exhilarating “Eroica” Symphony. At Llewellyn Hall, 8pm, Saturday, February 8. Bookings to aco.com.au

MARKING the 250th year since Beethoven’s birth, The Australian String Quartet will be in Canberra to perform two of his joyous opus 18 string quartets, balanced by “Aheym”, an intense contemporary work by American composer Bryce Dessner, better known as a member of the rock band The National. At Gandel Hall, National Gallery of Australia, 2pm, Sunday, February 9. Bookings at asq.com.au

A NEW collaborative jazz band formed by Mike Nock, Jonathan Swartz, Julien Wilson and Hamish Stuart, is promoting the new album “This World” and will appear at The Street Theatre, 4pm, Sunday, February 9. Bookings to thestereet.org.au or 6247 1223. The band will then move on to bushfire-ravaged Braidwood, whose music lovers have noted the titles on the bill, “We shall rise again” and “And in the night comes rain”. At St Andrews Anglican Church, 47 Elrington Street, Braidwood, 7pm, Monday, February 10. Tickets at the door.

“THE Burning” will be the centrepiece in a suite of exhibitions by photographers Nick Moir and Hannah Bronte, and painters Waratah Lahy and Tony Curran, opening Tuggeranong Arts Centre’s 2020 season, which has adopted as its creative theme for this year, “Solastalgia”. The 2020 season will launch at Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 2pm, Saturday, February 8. Free event, all welcome, no bookings required.

“PALATE of Pioneer Places” is a collection of watercolours by Canberra artist Isla Patterson of eight homesteads of early settlers around the Hall district. The collection will be shown with written histories and maps of the area. At the Link Art Space, 1 McClymont Way, Strathnairn, until February 16. In conjunction with the exhibition is a launch in The Link at 5.30pm on February 6 which will focus on the history of the area, a new booklet created by the Conservation Council and a set of heritage postcards developed by local historian Mary Hutchison. All welcome.

MONIKA and Stan Kornel of the Sydney Consort say their coming recital will be the ensemble’s last. They will play Baroque music pieces chosen by the public, chamber music compositions of J.S. Bach, Handel, Castello, Vivaldi, Royer and others. At Wesley Music Centre, 3pm, Sunday, February 9. Bookings at trybooking.com or at the door.

THE Sandy Evans Trio and Andrew Robson will be playing at Eric Ajaye’s Jazz Haus at the Austrian Club, Mawson, at 7.30pm Friday, February 7. Tickets at the door.

PIANIST Christian Lillicrap teams up with Phoenix Collective artistic director and violinist Dan Russell for a recital, “Ye Olde England”, which will feature violin and piano sonatas by Delius and Elgar topped off with “The Lark Ascending” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. At the High Court of Australia, 1.30pm, Sunday, February 9. Free, but registrations essential at hcourt.gov.au

CANBERRA Jung Society has Professor Bruce Stevens as its next guest talking on “The Unconscious Revisited” at MacKillop Centre, 50 Archibald Street, Lyneham, 7.30pm for 8pm, Friday, February 7. Tickets at the door.

THE Australian Haydn Ensemble will present a program inspired by 18th century leaders and armies, including Haydn’s Emperor Quartet and Military Symphony. At Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, 7pm, Thursday, February 6. Bookings 1800 334388 or australianhaydn.com.au or at the door.

M16 Artspace has following new exhibitions: “Illumination” by the Tin Shed Art Group, which includes Jenny Adams, Noelle Bell, Julie Delves, Eva van Gorsel, Manuel Pfeiffer, Alan Pomeroy, Peggy Spratt and Delene White, curated by Manuel Pfeiffer; “Colour Me Happy” by Alicia Gilchrist; “ Rondo”, sculptures by Do?rte Conroy; and in ChuteSpace “Crystal Grotto” by Portia Lawson. At 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, opens 6pm, Thursday, February 6, all welcome, then runs noon-5pm, Wednesday to Sunday, until February 23.

“DISTANT Vison” marks 45 years of the Canberra Potters’ Society with work by more than 35 artists from the Canberra Potters’ Collection. Opening 6pm, Wednesday, February 5, by Ian Hodgson, former CPS president and life member. It’ll then run 10am-4pm, Tuesday to Sunday, at Watson Arts Centre, 1 Aspinall Street, Watson, until March 1.

IN “Water Shadows” artists Jo Victoria and Stefan Gevers share a love of process. Victoria’s porcelain works are delicate, light and translucent while Gever’s contemporary watercolour paintings inspired by Lake George also display a lightness of touch. The exhibition opens at Suki and Hugh Gallery, 38A Gibraltar Street, Bungendore, 3pm-5pm, Saturday, February 8, all welcome. It then runs until March 15.

THE Goulburn Art Award is now open for submissions. Running since 1992, the award is open to professional artists living within a 120km radius of Goulburn and working across any medium. Awards will go to one overall winner, a Young Artist Award for those in years 10, 11 and 12 and a Highly Commended. The 2020 edition will be judged by National Portrait Gallery director, Karen Quinlan. Submissions to goulburnregionalartgallery.com.au