Sonder Quest on Unsplash
A statue against a blue sky.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 16: The oldest official state celebration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. is Wisconsin's own “Tribute and Ceremony,” which returns to the Capitol Rotunda at noon on Jan. 16. The theme is “Let Justice Rule,” and the guest speaker is Lawrence University President Dr. Laurie A. Carter; music will be by members of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and the event will also be broadcast live on Wisconsin Public Radio and on the Wisconsin Channel from PBS Wisconsin. The King Coalition of Madison & Dane County Observance begins with a freedom songs sing-in at 5:15 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Overture Center. The program begins at 6 p.m., featuring guest speaker Donzaleigh Abernathy (daughter of the Rev. Ralph Abernathy), the MLK Community Choir, and the presentation of the Madison-Dane County MLK Humanitarian Awards (to Dr. Charles Taylor and the late Wayne Strong). Find a live broadcast on Madison City Channel and WORT-FM. For information on related events, visit mlkingcoalition.org.
Immersive Van Gogh, through Feb. 20, Greenway Station: If you've ever wanted to just fall into a scene depicted in one of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings...this traveling presentation by Lighthouse Immersive is about as close as you can get. Spaces are transformed with large-scale projections of digitally recreated incarnations of Van Gogh's works. Purchase tickets for timed entry at vangoghmadison.com; the experience is hosted at 1651 Deming Way, Middleton, in the Greenway Station retail center. The residency continues through Feb. 20.
Meet & Greet with UW Women's Hockey Team, Tuesday, Jan. 17, Vilas Park, 6 p.m.: In what has become an annual winter tradition, the UW women's hockey team takes a break from its busy schedule for a social with Madison Parks. Due to weather and ice condition, skating won't take place this year, but the event will continue as a meet and greet. Admission is free, the warming shelter will be open, and concessions available. The Badgers next home matchup is with Minnesota State, at 2 p.m. Jan. 21-22 at LaBahn Arena.
Resource & Ruin: Wisconsin's Enduring Landscape, through March 26, Chazen Museum of Art: Landscapes are probably the biggest crowd-pleasers in the art world, but they also convey important evolving attitudes toward the land. “Resource & Ruin: Wisconsin’s Enduring Landscape” highlights 40 paintings, sculpture, ceramics and more spanning the 18th century to the present that depict the varied flora and geography of the state with an eye to their fragility in the current environment of climate change and development. Works by John Steuart Curry, Ansel Adams, Georgia O’Keeffe and Frank Lloyd Wright will be on display.Ojibwe Storytelling Series, Tuesdays, through Jan. 31, Zoom, 7 p.m.: The winter months are for storytelling in Ojibwe culture, and the Wisconsin Historical Society invites you to listen. Join in on Zoom Tuesdays in January as tribal leaders share stories sure to be both interesting and educational. The group of Indigenous speakers — still to come are Valerie Barber (Jan. 17), Chris McGeshick (Jan. 24), and Wanda McFaggen (Jan. 31) — will share stories that entertain while teaching attendees about Native American culture and history. Register for each livestream at wisconsinhistory.org.
courtesy University of Chicago Press
A close-up of Lawrence Tabak.
Lawrence Tabak
Lawrence Tabak, Wednesday, Jan. 18, Shake Rag Alley, Mineral Point, 7 p.m.: The Winter Writers Reading Series is underway, and this week features a talk by Lawrence Tabak, whose most recent book is Foxconned: Imaginary Jobs, Bulldozed Homes, and the Sacking of Local Government. Now out in paperback, the book examines the Walker administration's contract for tax subsidies with Foxconn — the largest such deal ever offered to a foreign corporation, and one which taxpayers are still on the hook for. (Tabak may also have something to say about Walker's activities since leaving the governor's mansion.) For a link to the Zoom webcast of the talk, register at shakeragalley.org.
Fly Tying Classes, Wednesdays, Jan. 18-March 8, Fitchburg Community Center, 7 p.m.: This popular program appeals to the crafter as well as the angler. The beginning and intermediate level fly-tying classes, taught by Southern Wisconsin Trout Unlimited instructors, are free; students provide their own fly-tying tools and thread. Other materials are provided. Advance registration is required; find more info at swtu.org.
courtesy Loveblaster
Two people pose for the camera.
Loveblaster
Loveblaster, Wednesday, Jan. 18, The Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Madison's slowcore/indie/strummy/emo duo Loveblaster should be a perfect fit for the intimate Bur Oak. It's a great Madison band bill, all for less than you'd pay for a nitro cold brew, also featuring folk-punk lo-fi singer/songwriter TS Foss, the sweet bedroom pop of Miscellaneous Owl, and tuneful ambient folk from Ryan Liam.
Jamie Pacton, Thursday, Jan. 19, Mystery To Me, 6 p.m.: Verona-based author Jamie Pacton's YA fantasy debut, The Vermilion Emporium, was published in November. And while the story about two misfits who discover the deadly secret to weaving lace from starlight inside a magical curiosity shop takes place in the fictional city of Severon, it has very real roots in south-central Wisconsin. In 2018, Pacton found herself inside a now-closed women’s clothing and consignment store in Fort Atkinson called The Vermilion Emporium. “It was such a delightful and incongruous name for a shop in this little rural town that it stuck with me,” she says. "I started daydreaming about a magical curiosity shop with the same name, and that magical shop became the heart of my story and the title of my book.” The talk at Mystery to Me requires registration, and a livestream is available; find info at mysterytomebooks.com.
courtesy Blooming Footprint
A collage of members of the 2023 lineup of Jazz is Dead.
Jazz is Dead
Jazz is Dead, Thursday, Jan. 19, Barrymore Theatre, 8 p.m.: It's not a statement on the genre — it's a reimagination of music by the Grateful Dead as jazz fusion. The ensemble is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a tour focusing on the Dead album Wake of the Flood (celebrating a 50th anniversary). Also of note: Jazz is Dead 2023 features a reunion of two former Other Ones, bassist Alphonso Johnson and guitarist Steve Kimock. They're joined by drummer Pete Lavezzoli (a past member of many Dead-adjacent projects) and Codetalkers guitarist Bobby Lee Rodgers.
Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.
