Dreaming of spring

The PBS Wisconsin Garden & Landscape Expo helps break winter's hold, in Isthmus Picks for Feb. 18-25

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Countdown to Mars: Perseverance, Thursday, Feb. 18, 1:15 pm: It's not every day that a vessel from Earth lands on Mars. But things are on track for that rare occurrence, with NASA's latest mission expected to land and launch the new Perseverance rover on Thursday. Discovery Education is partnering with NASA for this special free livestream presentation, designed for schools but open to all, which will provide some background on the project and also a look at the landing itself as it happens. Register here.

Art Toast, Thursday, Feb. 18, 7 pm: "I did not know then that there were actual Black artists," writes DarRen Morris in the artist statement on his website. Morris is currently in a Wisconsin maximum security prison, sentenced to life without parole at age 17. Morris says he was "party to the unintentional death of an innocent man. Although I was involved in this death, I am not a murderer." He has no formal artistic training and paints on whatever surfaces he is allowed, sometimes cardboard. Artist Philip Salamone and author Judith Adrian will discuss Morris's art in the context of the exhibit From Here On Out: Celebrating Black Lives and Black Artists at Marzen, Integrated Art Group's showroom. The event is co-hosted by Cafe CODA, Madison Music Experience and Marzen. The event will be live on Facebook, but registration is appreciated.

Winter is Alive, through March 7: What is Winter is Alive? What isn't Winter is Alive, is a better question. This multi-disciplinary art festival encompasses film, visual art installations at various locations around Madison, community, dialogue, reflection and inspiration to engage with the natural world and address climate change. So a mashup of a carnival and a Zen retreat center, maybe. This week's livestreams include a presentation by the JVN Project, hosted by Dawry Ruiz (7 pm, Feb. 18); and Climate ExChange, a visual art exhibit followed by live discussion by its curators in Germany and the U.S. (1 pm, Feb. 23). Find the schedule and info on installations at winterisalive.org; livestream links will show up there and at twitch.tv/winterisalive. Winter is Alive is presented by Dane Arts and Garver Events with additional support from the Madison Arts Commission and Sustain Dane.

Beloit International Film Festival, Friday, Feb. 19-Sunday, Feb. 28: Featuring more than 100 films available for on-demand screening, Q&A sessions with filmmakers, several free drive-in outdoor screenings, and more, the Beloit International Film Festival makes the leap to virtual for its 16th season. Individual tickets ($10) go on sale on opening day, and are good for five days following purchase; a festival pass is $120. The wide-ranging program features two films of particular interest in the Badger State: the drama Small Town Wisconsin, from Milwaukee director Niels Mueller, and the documentary Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod, about a Green Bay native taking on the copyright system in a novel way, directed by Ryan Camarda.

Waiting for Spinal Wind, Friday, Feb. 19, 8 pm: The title may seem slightly threatening, until/unless you catch the reference: the comedic canon of mock documentary films (Waiting for Guffman, This Is Spinal Tap, etc.) starring Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, and many more talented cast members. An equally all-star lineup of Madison performers gathers virtually for a variety show featuring songs and skits from the films and other related material, all tied together by the inimitable Sockrates Sock Puppet Carnival of Morals and Logic. If you have not encountered the Sockrates troupe in the past, it's time to get acquainted. Donations benefit the Madison Children's Museum; the livestream premiere can be found on Facebook.

National Wear Red Day, Saturday, Feb. 20, 10 am: This annual event helping fight heart disease in women through awareness and fitness activities will celebrate its 10th anniversary virtually. Hosted by the Foundation for Black Women's Wellness, Wear Red Day features special guests including cardiologist Dr. Sandy Charles (Novant Health), the Rev. Veloris Brooks (Spirit & Truth Ministries, Milwaukee) and health coach Venus Washington (Venus Inspires), and is hosted by Foundation President Lisa Peyton-Caire. Register on Eventbrite for a link to the Zoom event, or find the livestream on Facebook; donations help support Wellness Center programming, which has continued in online form during the last year.

Garden & Landscape Expo, Saturday-Sunday Feb. 20-21: While it's nicer to see plants in person, there's no reason you can't learn plenty from the garden experts virtually. The 28th annual PBS Wisconsin Garden & Landscape Expo will be two full, free days of leafy inspiration. In store: educational sessions with gardening professionals, a vendor mall, virtual garden tours captured at the peak of summer, open Q&A forums, activities for kids and families, and a garden photo competition. Free registration is available now at wigardenexpo.com.

Hearts for Helping: Live from Dane County, Saturday, Feb. 20, 7 pm: The nearly year-long stay-at-home recommendations caused by COVID-19 have prompted the renaissance of the telethon, though cast on the internet rather than produced for television. The Hearts for Helping event to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County will be webcast live from The Sylvee, with appearances by Doug E. Fresh, Claudia Jordan, Pooch Hall, Brian J. White, and Madison's own Old Soul Society, among others; Community Hero awards; a youth talent show; silent auction; and more. Watch free via the Boys and Girls Clubs Facebook and YouTube pages; the goal is to raise $350,000 online during the program. Register here to make a donation or participate in the silent auction.

Skating and cross-country skiing, daily, Madison and Dane County parks: With several good snowfalls and continued cold temperatures, this winter has been a boon for winter sports in Madison. Most designated city of Madison and Dane County cross-country trails require purchase of a permit (click the links for trail conditions); note that due to COVID-19 safety precautions, permits are no longer available onsite and must be purchased online or by calling 608-266-4711. Keep an eye on the city website for the status of each city ice rink. COVID-19 has forced some adjustments: While there are skate rentals available at some sites, the warming huts will not be open and sorry, no hot chocolate, either.

Josh Cohen + Richard Hildner Armacanqui, Saturday, Feb. 20, 7 pm: The reimagined Strollin' Middleton from Arts + Literature Laboratory — a series of livestream concerts from venues in the Good Neighbor City — wraps up with sets from two of Madison's most distinctive musicians. Josh Cohen plays solo bass, but like nobody else you've ever heard. Utilizing an atypical six-string instrument, Cohen has developed a technique of creating a melody line and rhythm parts all on his own. Guitarist Richard Hildner Armacanqui is a Madison native who grew up playing Peruvian music with his family. Since then he has mastered a variety of musical styles, and currently plays in Acoplados, Golpe Tierra and other Madison bands. Find the concert on Facebook or YouTube.

Mosley Storey Project, Saturday, Feb. 20, 8 pm: Percussionist Dushun Mosley is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, co-leader (with Kenneth Green) of the Detroit-Chicago collective The Vizitors, and has also performed with many other ensembles since the 1970s. Eliel Sherman Storey is a reeds player, recording engineer and founder of Transition East studio. Frequent performers in the Chicago improvisatory music scene, the duo will collaborate on "The Tales of the Africans," a livestream concert hosted by Cafe Coda.

Anwar Floyd-Pruitt, through March 1, Chazen Museum of Art: It's hard to believe there's just two weeks left to see SUPERNOVA: Charlotte and Gene’s Radical Imagination Station, a temporary installation at the Chazen. The show is from Anwar Floyd-Pruitt, creator of two of the State Street BLM murals and winner of the Russell and Paula Panczenko MFA Prize. SUPERNOVA is a multimedia explosion of joy at self-expression, full of color, nostalgia and hope. The Chazen is open Tuesday-Wednesday, noon–5 pm, and Thursday-Friday, noon-7 pm; visitors must sign up for an appointment slot in advance via Eventbrite. It's a "ticket," but it's free.

Iva Ugrčić & Satoko Hayami, Sunday, Feb. 21, noon: Flutist Iva Ugrčić has performed around the world as a soloist and ensemble member, and came to Madison to earn a doctoral degree in flute performance at UW-Madison. In addition to founding the LunART Festival, Ugrčić has performed with various regional ensembles and currently is a member of Black Marigold Wind Quintet and Sound Out Loud. Pianist Satoko Hayami has also performed and taught piano around the world, and is a current UW doctoral candidate. The duo plays works by Valerie Coleman, André Jolivet and Carl Reinecke during this livestream as part of the Wisconsin Union Theater's new Wisconsin Sound Series, featuring Madison-area performers. Tickets here.

Reimagining Dinosaurs, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 6 pm; Wednesday, Feb. 24, 9 pm: Though Overture Center remains closed for the time being, its partnership with National Geographic Live continues virtually with a pair of livestream events. Paleontologists Nizar Ibrahim and Sebastián Rozadilla will discuss recent fossil finds in the Moroccan desert and Chile, and what the discoveries mean for our understanding of dinosaurs. An audience Q&A is part of each program. Find tickets here.

You Have the Right to NOT Remain Silent: The Unlock the Vote Initiative, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 6 pm: Jerome Dillard, state director of EX-incarcerated People Organizing (EXPO), joins JustDane's James Morgan to discuss why denying suffrage to formerly and currently incarcerated people contributes to recidivism and widens racial disparities. Wisconsin law prohibits those in prison, on probation/parole or on extended supervision from voting. It’s the second JustConversations session from JustDane — the new name of Madison-area Urban Ministry. Event is virtual and free, register here for a link.

"Trace the Line" Conversations, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 7 pm: Filming for the Madison-based production company Bravebird's latest work, Trace the Line, was completed during the pandemic and the ongoing nationwide protests for racial justice. Director Alejandro Miranda Cruz will host conversations with community leaders from three cities that were a focus of protests in 2020: Angela Rose Myers Moroles, Minneapolis NAACP president; Joselynne Joy Gardner, Chicago Board of Education assistant deputy general counsel; and S.R. Mills, CEO of Bear Development in Kenosha. The livestream also features a Q&A with Porche Bennett-Bey, founder of United as One in Kenosha. Sign up here for a link to the event.

UW Symphony Orchestra, Thursday, Feb. 25, 7:30 pm: Even though the new Hamel Music Center is closed to the public due to COVID-19, the Mead Witter School of Music at UW-Madison has made great use of its concert halls with a robust livestream schedule featuring student ensembles and solo performances. This week features the next concert by the school's symphony, with a program including I Crisantemi by Giacomo Puccini, a suite of arrangements drawn from Bizet's opera Carmen by Rodion Shchedrin, and "Coqueteos" by Lena Frank. Find the livestream on YouTube; donations can be made here.

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.

Editor's note: This post has been updated to correct the day of the week for the Mosley Storey Project show (the date was correct).