SALUT! Baroque presents “Musical Letters” focusing on letters between composers from the Baroque period and music by JS Bach, CPE Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Telemann, Fasch and Quantz. At Albert Hall, Commonwealth Avenue, 7.30pm, Friday, February 3. Bookings to trybooking.com/NOIR

Events:

THE experimental “SoundOut” music festival, 16 hours of wildly experimental music is coming to the Drill Hall Gallery this weekend, 4pm to 5pm and 7pm to 11.30pm on both February 4 and 5, with an impressive line-up of national and international artists performing. Tickets for all sessions at the door.

 “CUSP” is the first in a series of six emerging arts showcases to be run in Canberra by “RAW: natural born artists” in 2017 and this showcase, director Lauren Thorpe says, is filled with the city’s best emerging creatives spanning fashion, music, visual and performing arts, music and more. At Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen, Thursday, February 2. Doors open at 6.30pm.

Classes and Workshops:

FROM February 4 CIT are holding adult short courses every first weekend of the month all year round at Canberra Glassworks. Costs apply and to find out more email [email protected] or phone 6260 7005.

THE Young Music Society is throwing its doors open to the public for its YMS “Try An Instrument” day, with young people trying out different instruments to determine which is the perfect fit. FREE – no appointment necessary – just turn up to Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen from noon to 4pm, February 19.

“MOVING Archetypes” with Padma Menon is a free introductory workshop at Currie Crescent Community Centre in Kingston from 10am to 11am, Saturday, February 11. Regular workshops start from Tuesday, February 14, and will run weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Inquiries to [email protected] or 0447 643 646. No previous experience of dance or knowledge of archetypes is necessary.

ACTING for The Fun of It has been offering courses since 1991. The courses are suitable for members of the general public and are now recognised as professional development courses by the Teacher Quality Institute. This year people interested can study Approaches to Acting, an introduction to performance skills, Playing Shakespeare, acting Shakespeare, The Living Text, text analysis and interpretation and Devising Theatre, creating original work over six weekly sessions. Information from [email protected] or 0408 034373.

THE Canberra Men’s Choir is a not for profit, community male voice choir and is sponsoring its “All Men Aloud” workshop at Downer Community Centre on March 3, 4, and 5. Register to [email protected] or call 0407 909602. Registrations close Friday, February 17.

MUSIC for Canberra has new classes this term in the Rock Academy, training and children’s and youth choirs as well as Vivace and Allegro choirs for over 55-year-olds. All details at musicforcanberra.org.au

BUDDING Theatre now has Term 1 Weekly Drama Class enrolments open for teens (Theatre and Film) and for young would-be performers from ages 8 to 11 (Heroes & Villains). All the classes take place in Playing Fields Studio, Civic, and inquiries to buddingtheatre.com

Arts business:

AARWUN Art Gallery is holding a black tie dinner and fine art auction to raise funds for Geraldine Cox’s ‘Sunrise Cambodia” project. At the Abbey Function Centre, Nicholls, 6pm, February 4, 2017. Bookings to [email protected] or 6230 2055.

BILK Gallery in Manuka is now seeking proposals and expressions of interest for a limited number of exhibitions in 2017 and 2018. These could be a solo exhibition, installations, experimental works or group exhibitions – specific to jewellery and objects in metal or glass. Proposals until February 28 to bilk.com.au

Concerts and Gigs:

MUSO James Southwell went to school in Canberra and played his first professional show at The Old Canberra Inn 11 years ago. He is bringing His A plus “All-Star-Band” to The Basement this Friday, February 3, to mark the release of his brand new album “The Dockside Sessions” (Where The Wind Blows), supported by guest guitarist Phil Manning and Harry Brus and his band. Tickets at the door.

THE Australian Chamber Orchestra’s 2017 season is a world premiere performance led by Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto, who, together with American folk artist Sam Amidon, will take national audiences on “a wild psychological journey exploring sex, adultery, betrayal, murder, and ultimately redemption,” at Llewellyn Hall, 8pm, Saturday, February 4, bookings to aco.com.au

LEONARD Weiss has concocted a summertime entertainment for the first Sunday concert at the High Court of Australia this year in which Canberra Youth Orchestra performs Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf”, 1.30pm Sunday, February 5, free but bookings essential to hcourt.gov.au

GEOFF Grey and the Canberra Wind Symphony will be performing 20th-century music in “Rhapsody Beyond Blue”, featuring solo pianist Emily Leong performing works by Gershwin, Ticheli, Hultgren, Young, Bernstein and Copland and this event concludes with Frank Ticheli’s triumphant “Blue Shades”. The Street Theatre, 4pm, Sunday, February 5. Bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.

CANBERRA Bach Ensemble is performing JS Bach’s “Nunc dimittis” Cantatas BWV 106, 125, and 95, and the Bass cantata Ich habe genug BWV 82 at St Christopher’s Cathedral, Manuka, 8pm, Saturday, February 4, bookings to canberrabachensemble.com

BACKSLIDERS’ “Heathen Songbook” tour winds up at Tuggeranong Arts Centre this Saturday, February 4. Tickets are $45 and available from https://www.trybooking.com/245422

“SUMMER Sounds” is still at the Australian National Botanic until February 5. Concerts commence at 5.30 pm and run for two hours. Saturday, Mr Tim and the Fuzzy Elbows (Children’s Rock), with Pablo’s 3D Stunt Show. Sunday, Royal Military Band of Duntroon (Swing/Big Band) and Jumptown Swing Dance Troupe. All welcome.

PHOENIX Pub in Civic has: Thursday, February 2, 8pm, Pregnancy, Earache and Little Lunch; Friday, February 3, 9pm, Friday Night Fiesta and Los Chavos; and Saturday February 4, 9pm, The Fuelers and The Black Horses. Tickets at the door.

Theatre:

IT’S educational, we are told. “Puppetry of the Penis” is back at the Playhouse Saturday, February 4 as part its “an action packed tour” across the country. The show has been hosted in over 35 countries and performed in six languages. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6257 2700.

Exhibitions:

“COINCIDENCES” is an exhibition by John Wardle Architects opening in 17 Kendall Lane, New Acton, this Friday, February 3 at 6pm, all welcome. A series of prominent photographers each visited two John Wardle Architects buildings and took a single image of each site. The show runs until Friday, February 17.

QUEANBEYAN Art Society’s “Anything Goes” Exhibition opens at 2pm this Sunday, February 5, on the banks of the Queanbeyan River at Trinculo Place. All welcome.

PAINTERS Margaret Carr and Isla Patterson have an exhibition called “Pathways of our Lives” at the Bungendore Fine Arts Gallery, 42b Ellendon Street, Bungendore. Opening at 2pm on Saturday February 4 and running through February and March, 7 days, 10am to 4.30pm.

BEAVER Galleries have “Refraction” — studio glass, in which each of the artists has been set a theme to work within, creating a bouncing of ideas, “much like how light refracts through glass”. At 81 Denison Street, Deakin Tuesday to Friday, 10am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday, 9am-5pm, to February 12.

“DEFINING Moments” is an exhibition acknowledging the moments of success and of disaster that demonstrate the pivotal role Matthew Curtis and Harriet Schwarzrock has played in the journey of two glass artists. At Canberra Glassworks, 10am–4pm, Wednesday to Sunday, until March 26.

CERAMIC works by Amanda Bromfield and Paul Dumetz are on show at Watson Arts Centre, Aspinall Street, Watson, 10am–4pm, Thursday to Sunday, until February 5.

PAINTING and photographic works by Jenny McEwan Mason & Nathan Kellett are showing in Gallery One & Two at Strathnairn Arts Gallery, from February to March 5. Opening at 6pm on Friday, February 3. All welcome.

BILK Gallery’s bi-annual glass miniatures exhibition is at the gallery in Palmerston Lane Manuka until February 25.

WELL-known Canberra painter Val Johnson reflects the variety of work done over the past two years in “Life & Landscape”. Subject matter is based on travels overseas, to the Australian outback, and on the coast. At Yarralumla Gallery and The Oaks Brasserie until February 25.

“PLUCKED” is an exhibition of sculptural installations by gallery@bcs’s Emerging Artist Support Scheme prize winners Martin Rowney and Keith Bender. At Belconnen Community Centre, Swanson Court, 9am-4.30pm, Monday to Friday until February 10.

PHOTOACCESS presents two new exhibitions, “Move up to the Views” by David Flanagan and “Finlandia Hymn” by Anja Longhead – both local artists. In the Huw Davies Gallery, opening 6pm on Thursday, February 2, all welcome, and running to February 26.

M16 ARTSPACE has “Intersections”, “aeth?r” Lucy Palmer and “The Earth Element: Life’s Fragility” by Marilyn Stretton. All at 21 Blaxland Crescent Griffith, 12pm-5pm, Wednesday to Sunday until February 5.

FEBRUARY’S artist at Ginninderra School House Gallery , Gold Creek, Nicholls is Elena Macintyre, whose exhibition, “Stop a Moment, Smell the Flowers”, watercolour and ink on glass. Until February 26.

THE Nancy Sever Gallery is presenting as its first exhibition for 2017 Suzanne Moss’s “Make Light of It”. A brilliant academic student in the visual arts, in 2014 she was artist-in-residence at Hill End and in 2015, at Borgo Santo Pietro in Tuscany. Several paintings in this exhibition were inspired by the 13th century Persian sufi mystic, Rumi. 4/6 Kennedy Street, Kingston, February 4 to March 5, 11am–6pm, Wednesday to Sunday.

THE SoART Gallery is holding a “fun” fundraiser, “Eccentric Accessories”, at the Narooma School of Arts & Soldiers War Memorial Hall from February 2-14. The official opening with drinks & nibbles is this Friday, February 3 at 6pm, all welcome.

THE National Portrait Gallery’s summer exhibition, “The Popular Pet Show”, on display until March 13. 

“VERSAILLES: Treasures from the Palace” is still at the National Gallery of Australia, until April 17.

THE Photography Room at Kingston Bus Depot presents three new exhibitions by artists Sean Davey, Spiro Miralis and Dimitri Mellos opening Friday, February 3 and running until March 12.

THE Royal Australian Mint is now showcasing the story of Stuart Devlin, Geelong-born designer of Australia’s circulating coins and goldsmith and jeweller to Queen Elizabeth II in an exhibition called “The Designer with the Midas Touch”. Until April 2017.

AMIEL Courtin-Wilson’s winning digital video work “Charles” 2015, will be on display with six other finalists in the Digital Portraiture Award 2016 exhibition which is open to the public at the National Portrait Gallery until Sunday, April 9.

“THE Sell: Australian Advertising, 1790s to 1990s” at the National Library of Australia until April 25. FREE exhibition.

THE Australian War Memorial “The Holocaust: witnesses and survivors”, a show that includes over 85 collection items from both institution.

 

 

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