Arts editor HELEN MUSA has lots to share in today’s “Artsday” column…

IN a blast from Canberra’s musical past, Mick Moriarty of Gadflys fame returns to his hometown with his band-on-the-side, Dame Joan’s Love Children. He’s bringing Canberra old boys Pete Vezen and Pat Hayes, of Falling Joys fame, and Elmo Reed, from King Curly, as well as violinist Kathryn Brownhill, to play a set of road-tested tunes. At Smiths, Alinga Street, Civic, 7pm, Saturday, November 6. Book at  smithsalternative.com

TUGGERANONG Arts Centre is re-opening to the public on Saturday, November 6, with two new exhibition openings – the video exhibition “Diversitea Talks,” by Alexa Malizon, Alexa Rory Gillen’s exhibition, “Uncalibrated Space” and a two-week extension of the “Dark Euphoria” exhibition by SA Adair and Meredith Hughes. As well, Fresh Funk students are deep in preparation for the end-of-year show, “Mulan”.

NATIONAL Opera has just announced that tickets are on sale for Puccini’s “La Rondine”, Canberra Theatre, March 16, 18, 20. Book at  nationalopera.org.au

NEW exhibitions at Deakin’s Beaver Galleries are Tom Moore’s “Glassorama-BioDrama! Diorama all the ding-dong-day!” where his creatures exist in an imagined future where the natural world has evolved to keep pace with human-induced climate change; and Tasmanian printmaker, Michael Schlitz’s woodcuts. Until November 21.

THE Australia Council is hosting an online forum to discuss the positive effects of arts and creativity for mental health and wellbeing. Federal Arts Minister Paul Fletcher; Christine Morgan, CEO of the National Mental Health Commission and adviser to the PM on Suicide Prevention; Adrian Collette, CEO of the Australia Council; Greta Bradman, singer and psychologist; Marianne Wobcke, First Nations arts and health practitioner and Georgie Harman, CEO of Beyond Blue, will be online from 11am  to 12:30pm, Friday, November 5. Register at  addevent.com/event/yS9443801

RUTH Dodd’s exhibition of paintings, “Past and Present Works”, is running at Kyeema Gallery, Capital Wines, Gladstone Street, Hall, until November 11.

ROMANIA’S official nomination for the 2022 Oscars, “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn”, by director Radu Jude, offers a critique of the many issues of misogyny, shaming, censorship, hypocrisy and bigotry. There’s a preview at Dendy Canberra, 10am, Monday, November 8. Book at dendy.com.au

M16 Artspace has returned to regular programming, with three new shows: “Plain Air, High Plane”, by Mark Mohell, Macdonald Nichols and Peter Ranyard; “Congruent – Incongruent” by Manuel Pfeiffer and Eva van Gorsel; and “Plate Show: Just Desserts”. Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, Wednesday to Sunday, noon -5pm until November 21.

HELEN Stephens Gallery is opening Vanessa Bell’s exhibition, “Western Gums”, opens in Collector, 2pm, Sunday, November 7.