photography by terry vlisidis on unsplash
Science of Wine
Museum of Science & History
Friday, March 8, 6:30 p.m.
Guess who’s turning 65 on Saturday! (It’s not me. I’m offended you even had that thought. Don’t you know anything about me?) If you guessed Barbie, you’re right! Or maybe not … since Barbie was meant to be 19-years-old when she made her debut on March 9, 1959, so that’d make her 84, not 65. But she’s also a doll, who doesn’t age. At all. Not even like wine. And that’s not an insult to say that Barbie doesn’t age like fine wine. Right? Or is it? I know as much about wine as I know about Barbie’s age.
Unlike Barbie’s age, which as a concept can apparently send one into an existential crisis, wine has a science to it — hence, MoSH’s Science of Wine event, that mixes wine tasting, food pairing, and activities all about the science of wine. Tickets ($80/general admission) for the event benefit museum programming and can be purchased here.
photography by carla mcdonald
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Theatre Memphis
Friday, March 8-30
In 1981, Kid Stuff Records released a vinyl called Barbie And Her Friends, where Barbie and her friends sing and talk about friendship. There’s six songs, and all but one are original. The one non-original song is “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King, which, you know, won a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1972 and was on the Grammy-winning album Tapestry. I can’t tell you how or why this little record got the rights to it, but it seems like Barbie has a friend in Carole King.
As it just so happens, this weekend marks Theatre Memphis’ opening performance of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which takes King’s music and brings audiences on a journey through the musician’s rise to fame and superstar status as a songwriter and performer.
Tickets ($35) for the show can be purchased here. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., through March 30th.
photography by kristen archer, ARCHd
SHE 901Tour
Tennessee Welcome Center
Saturdays in March, 9 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Barbie has had more than 250 careers, which is quite the resume, especially for an ageless 19-year-old. While Barbie’s storied past is impressive, women right here in Memphis have been making strides of their own for centuries. The SHE 901Tour hopes to show off just that, with Downtown tours dedicated to supporting women-owned businesses, honoring women’s history in Memphis, and empowering the next generation of women.
Each Saturday in March, groups of 10 will visit five women-owned businesses (Muggin’ Coffeehouse, ARCHd, Oh Sweets Skin Care, Stock&Belle, and Urevbu Contemporary) and three historic sites (Equality Trailblazers Monument, Griggs Business College, and Ida B. Wells Plaza). Even more women-owned businesses and historical moments will be referenced and featured in various parts of the tour.
Tours last about four hours, with two offered each Saturday. Tickets ($40) can be purchased here.
photography courtesy cossitt library
Painting on the River Series: Women’s History Month
Cossitt Library
Saturday, March 9, noon-2 p.m.
Fun Fact! The last painting Andy Warhol did was one of Barbie. In 1986, Warhol wanted to paint jewelry designer Billy Boy, who just didn’t want to be painted. But he happened to have a collection of more than 11,000 Barbie dolls and said: “Well if you really want to do my portrait, do a portrait of Barbie because Barbie, c’est moi.” And so Warhol did.
Hopefully, this weekend won’t be the weekend you make your last painting as Warhol once did. So why not let Barbie be your muse this Saturday at Cossitt Library’s Painting on the River Series? For each Saturday in March, the library has engaged a local artist to teach a free painting class on the riverfront. This weekend’s teacher is Alexandra Baker, whose class will center on healing through watercolors. All supplies are included. Register here.
photography courtesy sheet cake gallery
“A World Apart” Opening Reception
Sheet Cake Gallery
Saturday, March 9, 5-7:30 p.m.
Barbie might live in a world of Mattel’s creation, but that’s just art. And, yes, art can be play. Roger Allen Cleaves would likely agree as his paintings take viewers on epic adventures through a fictional multiverse he dubs The Land of Forget Me Nots, which draws rich references from Afrofuturism, personal experiences, and contemporary culture. His paintings will be on view at Sheet Cake Gallery beginning on March 9th through April 27th.
