This Week in New Haven (March 6 - 12)

As America celebrates Women’s History Month, women in New Haven take center stage—until Sunday, anyway, when St. Patrick gets his big annual tribute.

Monday, March 6
Nancy Kuhl (pictured above), a curator of poetry and other things for Yale’s Beinecke Library (121 Wall St, New Haven; 203-432-2977), is the featured speaker at today’s 4 p.m. “Mondays at Beinecke” event. As attendees sip tea, Kuhl is discussing Caricature Assassination: Miguel Covarrubias Murders New York, a fascinating companion show she put together for the library’s larger Harlem Renaissance-focused exhibit, Gather Out of Star-Dust. Free.

Tuesday, March 7
A series of happenings marking International Women’s Day tomorrow gets rolling with a kickoff event tonight. Starting at 6:30 inside Southern Connecticut State’s Adanti Center Ballroom (345 Fitch St, New Haven)—and also featuring folk singer Lara Herscovitch, who’s performing a set—the keynote speaker is Leora Kahn, founder and executive director of PROOF, a global photojournalism-driven project that “ social injustices and people to act.” Tomorrow, the itinerary includes a “mindfulness breakfast” from 7 to 9 a.m. at City Hall (165 Church St, New Haven); a “Women Working Toward Peace” panel discussion from noon to 1:45 at Gateway Community College (20 Church St, New Haven); a screening of the documentary Side by Side: Women, Peace and Security (2012) at the Ives Main Library (133 Elm St, New Haven); and a “Continue the Conversation” gathering from 5:30 to 7:30 at Musical Intervention (23 Temple St, New Haven). Free.

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Wednesday, March 8
Known for putting on a sensational live show mirroring the psychedelic quality of their music, the Flaming Lips come to College Street Music Hall (238 College St, New Haven; 203-867-2000) tonight for an 8 o’clock show. Opening the bill is the sometimes danceable noise rock band A Place to Bury Strangers, whose promo blurb says it’s “infamous” for putting on memorable live shows of its own. $40.

Thursday, March 9
During the final debate of the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump called Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman,” inviting an immediate viral response—in which women proudly claimed and redefined the mantle—as well as a more sustained one. Part of the latter is the Nasty Women art show opening today at the Institute Library (847 Chapel St, New Haven; 203-562-4045), which joins a larger movement of similarly billed exhibits around the world. Inviting “artists, activists, scholars, creative thinkers and anyone who identifies as a ‘nasty woman’ or a ‘nasty woman ally’” to “submit a visual or performative work,” local organizers say they’ve received over 260 submissions to date, with more expected by the March 7 midnight deadline. That’s less than 48 hours before tonight’s 6 p.m. opening reception, so it’s a mad-dash affair, whose very light curation, DIY installation protocol and volunteer-driven nature promise an organic, energized result. Free to attend.

Starting at 6:30 at the Ives Main Library (133 Elm St, New Haven; 203-946-8835), the Yale Science Diplomats, whose mission is to increase scientific literacy among non-scientists, present the latest installment of their “Science in the News” series. Titled “Our Future in the Cosmos: Living Beyond Earth,” it poses questions like: “How do we find planets outside of our solar system? If we found a planet that could be our new home, what technology would we need to make the journey? And once we reached the planet, what would it take to live there?” Free.

Friday, March 10
Hartford-based funk/soul dectet West End Blend, with four horn players, two guitarists, a bassist, a keyboardist, a drummer and lead singer Erica Bryant, aims to catalyze a “high-energy dance party” tonight at Pacific Standard Tavern (212 Crown St, New Haven). Opening the 9 p.m. bill is Root Shock, with tempos and vibes especially befitting the “reggae” piece of their “roots soul reggae” identification.

Saturday, March 11
Highlighting current exhibits Monoliths and Magic—which features pen-and-ink drawings by Edith Borax-Morrison—and Studio Still Lifes—which features paintings by Frank Bruckmann—Kehler Liddell Gallery (873 Whalley Ave, New Haven; 203-389-9555) hosts a reception today from 3 to 6 p.m. (with an artist talk at 5) and a painting demo tomorrow from noon to 1. The former is a chance to “see these two exciting exhibitions, meet the artists enjoy refreshments and conversation.” The latter, led by Bruckmann, is a chance to “learn how the paintings from Studio Still Lifes evolved” while gaining insight into “the life and practice of an artist.”
 Free to attend.

Sunday, March 12
Purportedly “the largest single-day spectator event in the state of Connecticut,” this year’s Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade commences at 1:30 this afternoon, when the first paraders step off from Sherman Avenue and Chapel Street. But the revelry begins earlier, as people stake out good spots along the route (down Chapel, up Church, down Grove) or claim valuable territory at downtown watering holes. Just remember: “the New Haven Police Department will again be enforcing all laws related to public drinking of alcohol.”

Written and photographed by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.