Still safer at home

Another array of virtual events (and one drive-through) in Isthmus Picks for April 1-8

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ALL Prize artist talks, Thursday April 1, 5 p.m.: Arts + Literature Laboratory focuses on the recipients of the 2021 ALL Prize, awarded to graduating master of fine arts degree candidates at UW-Madison; this year's recipients are Rita Mawuena Benissan and Conley Clark. The exhibitions will be on view at ALL through May 1; on April 1, Benissan and Clark discuss their work on Facebook Live. Benissan is a narrative photographer who works with other media (painting, printmaking, textiles) to explore her Black and Ghanian American heritage. Clark is a multimedia artist interpreting culture through a queer perspective, questioning especially gender-conformity The gallery is open noon-5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, or by appointment.

Anthony Deutsch, Friday, April 2, 7 p.m.: Olbrich Gardens Canopy Sessions series of concerts in the Bolz Conservatory returns with a performance by Milwaukee-based singer and pianist Anthony Deutsch, who also composes music for and leads the trio Father Sky. In addition, Deutsch knows a whole lot of classic jazz, rock and blues songs, so expect a varied set list. A livestream can be found on Facebook; also, limited advance in-person tickets can be found here (if not sold out).

PhotoMidwest Spring Member Show, through April 3: The spring PhotoMidwest member show is actually up on the walls at the very nice gallery space at the surgery waiting area at UW Hospital. However, unless you are actually waiting for surgery there, you cannot go see it in person. “The show will exist to boost morale for the dedicated hospital employees and patients and their families who are suffering through the pandemic and really appreciate the art being displayed in the hospital,” the PhotoMidwest group writes in a statement. But all can enjoy it virtually at the PhotoMidwest website in a nice gallery presentation. Many images will nudge you to see the world, and especially this corner of the Midwest, in new ways.

Five Star Tease, Friday, April 2, 9 p.m.: In 2019, this burlesque revue settled in comfortably at Five Nightclub, with nearly a year of weekly performances in the books when COVID-19 closed down the world. For 2021 the “Ambassador of Cheese & Tease,” host Mercury Stardust, is taking the show on the (digital) road with a weekly residency hosted by virtual venue The Spaceship. This Friday's performance features headliner Persephone B. Diamond. Tickets here.

Flight of Lights, Through April 4: Who says Christmas has the monopoly on light displays? The Dane County Regional Airport stepped into the entertainment void last year with its first version of Flight of Lights, a drive-through light display at the airport, which had a) plenty of space and (at the time) b) little traffic. This year's displays honor first responders and front-line health care workers, take you on an imaginary tropical vacay, cheer on Wisconsin sports teams, cheer on spring (!), and pay homage to, of course, the wonders of flight. Free; stay in your car; and north-siders: if you are thinking of taking your favorite Darwin Road shortcut into the airport, don't. Entry is from International Lane only. Flight of Lights is a collaboration from Dane County Regional Airport, Dane County, Dane County Parks, Traditions Specialty Lighting, Affirm Agency and Holiday Fantasy in Lights. More at flightoflights.com.

History of the Arboretum’s Lost City, RSVP by April 6: One of Madison's enduring legends is that of the so-called “Lost City,” a neighborhood development that went bust during the Great Depression and was subsequently folded into the nascent UW Arboretum. This two-session virtual class will explain everything you ever wanted to know about the sometimes haunting history, as well as a video tour. That should enable you to explore the actual area and find the few remaining deteriorating curbs and foundations among the underbrush. The class ($15) is taught by Kathy Miner, Arboretum naturalist, and takes place on Zoom at 7 p.m. April 13 and 15; register here by April 6.

Lunafest, April 8-10: This film fest of short films made by and about women could be the sleeper hit of 2021 so far. The roster of seven beautiful films (total running time 86 minutes) includes Overexposed (about a female expedition to the North Pole), Knocking Down the Fences (about professional softball), A Line Birds Cannot See (animation), The Scientists Versus Dartmouth (women in science), Connection (Native American woman fly-fishing), and more. The $18 ticket benefits five woman-centric organizations in Madison via the Zonta Club. Films are viewable until 9 a.m. April 10.

“Black Woman Professor — White University”: Nellie Y. McKay at UW-Madison, Thursday, April 8, 4 p.m.: Many UW-Madison grads are fortunate enough to have studied with Dr. Nellie McKay. A bright light in the academy, and trailblazing African American scholar, McKay nonetheless felt she had to keep many aspects of her private life hidden. Dr. Shanna Greene Benjamin joins us thanks to the Friends of the UW-Madison Libraries to discuss her new biography of McKay, Half In Shadow: The Life and Legacy of Nellie Y. McKay, with UW professor Dr. Monica M. White. The book is out in April from University of North Carolina Press. Join the livestream on YouTube, no registration is required.

Stephen Fleischman Lectureship, Thursday, April 8, 6 p.m.: A California native and graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, Martin Kersels is a sculptor, performance artist and videographer who often uses himself as a subject in his projects, which have been exhibited around the world. His first solo exhibition took place at the Madison Art Center, the forerunner to today's Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, and Kersels will give a Facebook Live talk on his work and relationship to Madison as part of the lecture series named for retired director Stephen Fleischman.

Primer for an Impossible Conversation, Thursday-Friday, April 8-9, 7:30 p.m.: In the 2020 production Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed, creators Marcella Murray and David Neumann presented a staged version of their real-life ongoing dialogue about race. In Primer for an Impossible Conversation, Murray and Neumann collaborate with Tei Blow for a continuation of the conversation designed for a performance in our pandemic-era world of connecting in virtual spaces, co-commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and Wisconsin Union Theater. Tickets for the livestream performances are pay-what-you-can.

Madison’s Every Place Has a Story Walking Tour, ongoing: What once happened in this spot, militarily speaking? If you don’t know, there’s an app for that. “Madison’s Every Place Has a Story Walking Tour,” a self-guided, interactive tour linking Wisconsin’s military history to places right here in Madison, has launched via a free mobile app. And there's plenty of time to be walking the city this spring to try out the 19 sites, including the Capitol and Camp Randall. The app enhances your site visit with historic photos, documents, and artwork from the Wisconsin Veterans Museum collections. For more info, see: wisvetsmuseum.com/wisvetsevents.

Rock Steady: The Revolutionary Soul of Nikki Giovanni, Thursday, April 8, 8 p.m.: Let us not forget the revolutionary poetry of Nikki Giovanni. A founder of the Black Arts Movement of the late ’60s, Giovanni is the subject of Fermat’s Last Theater’s latest livestreamed production, Rock Steady: The Revolutionary Soul of Nikki Giovanni. The play, featuring Quanda Johnson, Melvin Hinton, Akiwele Burayidi and Ari Smith, includes poetry, dance, story and song and will introduce the audience, or remind them, of Giovanni’s work: direct, angry, playful, powerful.

We hope it's handy for you to find the Picks in a single weekly post. The individual Picks can still be found in the usual places online: collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events.