March is on the march and so are the arts from the middle of the week on, with music, theater, painting, sculpture, wax work, you name it. Before that, sober reflection Monday gives way to classy revelry Tuesday.
Monday, March 3
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Shirin Ebadi—once the top city judge in Tehran, Iran, now an exiled advocate for “children, women and political prisoners”—discusses “Human Rights in the Muslim World” at Yale Law School (127 Wall St, New Haven) today from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, though you’re encouraged to RSVP here.
Tuesday, March 4 – Mardi Gras
“Mardi Gras” is “Fat Tuesday,” literally: the latter’s the English translation of the French. And it’s called Fat Tuesday because it’s the final day before the traditional Catholic- and Anglican-observed, 40-day fasting season of Lent—a last hurrah of eating and drinking and merrymaking. Tonight, well-heeled attendees to the annual Mardi Gras fundraiser at the Ives branch of the New Haven Free Public Library (133 Elm St, New Haven) may feel plump and merry indeed, with as-much-as-you-like food and drink from 116 Crown, Heirloom and nine other restaurant sponsors representing cuisines from Cuban to cupcake. Moreover, “compelling auction items will tempt you, performers will amaze you and the band will excite you to dance,” the event’s webpage promises. Tickets start at $75.
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Wednesday, March 5
Glen Matlock and Sylvain Sylvain made their biggest marks in the 1970s, but what marks they were: Matlock co-founded and played bass in the seminal UK punk act Sex Pistols from ’75 to ’78, and Sylvain Sylvain played rhythm guitar for the seminal US punk act New York Dolls from ’71 to ’77. The two have now paired up for a “Punk Goes Acoustic!!!” tour, bringing acoustic versions of songs from throughout Matlock’s career to Cafe Nine (250 State St, New Haven; 203-789-8281) tonight. So they’ll still be sticking it to the man, just more softly. 9 p.m. $18, $15 in advance.
Thursday, March 6
“In a backstage room at the dingy Four Movements Casino on the outskirts of Las Vegas, jaded magician Mark Wonderton (George Kulp) arrives after a forgettable matinee” starts the utterly compelling teaser for the New Haven Theater Company’s latest production, the world premiere of local playwright Drew Gray’s The Magician, opening tonight at 8 p.m. Tonight’s show is also another premiere of sorts—of the NHTC in its new permanent home at the English Building Markets (839 Chapel St, New Haven). Additional performances happen tomorrow and Saturday, as well as next Thursday, Friday and Saturday. $20, $12 for students.
Friday, March 7
On9 is back in action following a winter hiatus with Arts On9 tonight. From 6 to 8 p.m., sculpture takes over the former main space of The Grove (71 Orange St); clay art gets fashioned at Thali (4 Orange St); “Surrealist” games are played at Reynolds Fine Art (96 Orange St); figure painting is demonstrated at Adae Fine Art Academy (827 Chapel St, 2nd Fl); and Elm City Market (777 Chapel St) engages the culinary arts, pitting kale recipes against broccoli ones, with sampling.
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Saturday, March 8
Featuring subdued but arresting wax/mixed media paintings by Amy Arledge (such as “Chance of Rain,” pictured above), New Work in Encaustic is the new exhibition at City Gallery (994 State St, New Haven; 203-782-2489). Encaustic opened Thursday before last, but the artist’s reception is this afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. Free.
Sunday, March 9
Richard Wilson and the Transformation of European Landscape Painting opened this past Thursday at the Yale Center for British Art (1080 Chapel St, New Haven; 203-432-2800), just a week after the unveiling of another new YCBA exhibition, Fame and Friendship: Pope, Roubiliac, and the Portrait Bust in Eighteenth-Century Britain. Today, the center offers a guided tour of Fame and Friendship from 1 to 2 p.m., followed by a concert in the central atrium featuring “baroque harp virtuoso” Andrew Lawrence-King from 2 to 3. Even if you’re still interested in browsing the collections come 2 p.m., live music there has a way of traveling throughout the building.
Written by Dan Mims. Image courtesy of Amy Arledge. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
