Weekend Pick: Arts & Leisure

If you find yourself in Cedar Rapids in the next few days, check out the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art (410 Third Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids). It is offering two-for-one admission through January 13th in connection with the New York Times Arts & Leisure Week 2008. Regular adult admission is $7.00 and free on Thursdays from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays. The museum has the largest collection of works by Grant Wood and is just blocks from the late painter’s studio. The Forest of the Future exhibit closes on Sunday, January 13th. The paintings by Chicago artist Laurie Hogin incorporate social and political commentary on the global impact of consumerism.

If you find yourself in Fairfield, check out the opening production at the new Stephen Sondheim Center at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center (200 North Main Street, Fairfield). A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum runs from Friday, January 11th through January 27th. Tickets are $28 and up. Broadway and television actor Richard Kind stars in the musical as Pseudolus.

If you find yourself in Des Moines, there are plenty of opportunities for art here, as well. Gallery exhibitions and theatrical performances I have reviewed and can readily recommend seeing are plentiful. The Birds exhibit at the Olson-Larsen Gallery (203 Fifth Street, West Des Moines) ends on Saturday, Caucus! The Musical (State Historical Building, 600 East Locust, Des Moines) has its last performance on Sunday, January 13th. Greater Des Moines Exhibited 14 goes through January 31st at the Polk County Heritage Art Gallery (111 Court Avenue), but the gallery is open only Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Prince Brat and the Whipping Boy runs through January 20th at the Des Moines Playhouse. The balls created by Lita Albuquerque for Stellar Axis are still on view at Hentschel Art Gallery (835 42nd Street). The current exhibit at the gallery has paintings that are much more affordable, a few hundred dollars for oil paintings by three artists with interesting perspectives on land, water, and city scapes.

Blues at the Botanical Center (Robert D. Ray Drive between East Grand and East University) continues with Alan Smith & Willie McKnight. Tickets are $4.00. The performance runs from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. For people who prefer Broadway musicals, Ring of Fire - The Music of Johnny Cash will have shows for two days only, Friday and Saturday, January 11th and 12th at the Civic Center’s Main Stage (221 Walnut Street). Tickets are $25.00 and up. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Presidential memorabilia from the private collections of Barry H. Landau, featuring the president’s table, and of Jordan M. Wright, including campaign items, will be on display at the Central Library (1000 Grand) from January 12th through the Monday, the 14th. Both men have written books about their collections and will talk at the library on Sunday, the 13th, at 2:00 p.m.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.