While Massachusetts businesses and cultural institutions remain partially open amid reopening rollbacks, many residents are continuing to stay home due to the coronavirus pandemic. With that in mind, this week’s BosTen offers a mix of in-person and virtual things to do this weekend. Have an idea about what we should cover? Leave us a comment on this article or in the BosTen Facebook group, or email us at [email protected].
Take a drawing lesson with the MassArt Art Museum
Almost exactly a year ago, the MassArt Art Museum (MAAM) had its grand opening, fulfilling a mission to make contemporary art accessible to everyone in the Boston area through daily free admission. Unfortunately, visitors were only able to enjoy the museum’s wonders for a few short weeks before the pandemic closed its doors, but MAAM has stayed busy in the virtual space. This Thursday at 6:30 p.m., join MassArt Studio Foundation professor Edward Monovich for a drawing session featuring a live model who will flow between poses set to music. Or, if you’d prefer to simply observe the art rather than make your own, the museum also has a new narrated curator’s tour video and a 3D virtual visit tool for its flagship installation by artist Joana Vasconcelos, both of which can be accessed online at any time.
Sip vodka concoctions with the Boston.com cocktail club
Though you rarely hear people describe themselves as vodka connoisseurs, the spirit has been the top-selling alcohol in America for more than 50 years and is the bedrock of some of the country’s most popular cocktails. Join Boston.com at 7 p.m. Thursday for its weekly cocktail club as host Jackson Cannon (The Hawthorne, Eastern Standard) and guest Brother Cleve (Paris Seaport Bar & Crêperie) will teach you their versions of two fun vodka cocktails, the Vodka Gimlet and the Kangaroo. Attending the Zoom is free, and you can purchase a kit with all the ingredients you’ll need here. Proceeds from the event benefit Off Their Plate.
Contribute to Ninety Nine Restaurant’s Have a Heart fundraiser
It’s the last weekend to participate in Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub’s Have a Heart fundraiser benefiting Pine Street Inn, New England’s largest homeless services provider. Here’s how the Give $5, Get $5 fundraiser works: Guests can either donate online or while dining at one of Ninety Nine’s 48 participating locations. Those who dine in will receive a $5 off $25 coupon for every $5 donation, while those who order online and make a donation of $5 or more will receive $5 off their online order through Feb. 21.
Enjoy movies old and new with the Black History Month Film Festival
In honor of Black History Month, The Boston Globe has spent the month of February screening films and holding filmmaker discussions that highlight the Black experience in America. Before the month is over, you can still stream two films: “Process Is The Project: Part One—Inviting Witness,” a short film from local director JME; and “Glory,” the Oscar-winning 1989 Civil War film starring Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington. Each film can be viewed at your leisure and will be followed by a virtual discussion next week. JME will discuss her film on Monday, Feb. 22 at noon, while “Glory” director Ed Zwick will discuss his film on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. For more information on how to register, check out the Black History Month Film Festival website.
Learn about the economic costs of racism with Harvard Book Store
On Friday night at 8 p.m., Harvard Book Store will welcome author and political strategist Heather McGhee to discuss her new book, “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.” Alex Wagner, co-host of Showtime’s documentary series The Circus will join McGhee to chat about how the continued economic failures of America can be traced to racism, and how its influence detrimentally affects all races, including white people. You can register for the event for free or purchase the book as part of your RSVP on Harvard Book Store’s website.
Tap in to your inner villain with Backbar’s Disney Villain Week
The first trailer for Disney’s “Cruella” dropped this week, but we’re just as excited about Backbar’s Disney Villain Week. The Somerville watering hole has crafted a delightfully wicked lineup of both mixers and cocktails to go, with menu items that include the Jafar clarified milk punch, Captain Hook, and Evil Queen from Snow White — the last of which is made with apple brandy (of course), Aperol, and rhubarb liqueur. Order a few cocktails and practice your best cackle for a brooding night at home.
Stream “I Care A Lot” on Netflix
Following positive reviews out of the Toronto International Film Festival, Netflix purchased the rights to “I Care A Lot,” a dark comedy filmed in Massachusetts in 2019 that arrives on the streaming platform on Friday. Rosamund Pike (“Gone Girl”) plays Marla Grayson, who cons her way into legal guardianship of senior citizens and drains them of their savings. After assuming guardianship of another elderly woman, Marla finds out that the woman she’s trying to swindle has someone in her life (Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”) who is as ruthless and unscrupulous as Marla herself. Pike is as entertaining a villain as she was opposite Ben Affleck in “Gone Girl,” and Dinklage holds his own. You may also enjoy spotting local landmarks, as the movie was filmed in Boston, Braintree, Dedham, Medfield, Millis, Natick, Rockport, Watertown, Wayland, and Wellesley.
Pay a visit to Aeronaut’s new Everett taproom
Aeronaut Brewing’s latest location debuted early February in the former Down the Road Beer Co. space, with a new taproom open on Fridays and Saturdays. Make a reservation, then stop by for a beer or two (and, in the near future, for Venezuelan arepas from Carolicious). Not comfortable sipping inside the brewery just yet? You can also swing by the cannery’s drive-through to pick up some beer to go.
Listen to a discussion on the modern Black family with Afrimerican Cultural Initiative
As part of Black History Month, the Afrimerican Culture Initiative will host a conversation this Saturday at 6 p.m. centered around the themes of identity, representation, and diversity in the Black family. Host Nkiru Obi will be joined by a panel of experts who will discuss the role of the extended family, the changing roles of women in society, and whether the saying “it takes a village” still holds true in modern times, among other topics. Register for the free virtual discussion via Eventbrite.
Virtual Strike for Vanessa
In August 2016, 27-year-old Vanessa Marcotte was killed while jogging near her family’s home in Princeton. Following the tragedy, hundreds of women have gathered each year for lessons in self-defense from celebrity trainer Avital Zeisler, with proceeds from the event going to the Vanessa Marcotte Foundation. This year, the event — which kicks off on Sunday at 11 a.m. — will be virtual, but all funds raised will continue to support organizations “that provide educational programs and mentorship opportunities to promote female empowerment and gender equality.”
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