Leah Chase (Photo provided by: New Orleans Film Society)
Wednesday, June 26/Marigny Opera House (725 Saint Ferdinand): Shotgun Cinema’s last Science on Screen event for this season ends in space with Todd Douglas Miller’s new documentary, Apollo 11. If you haven’t been to one of these screenings, it is time to make up for it because they are full of information, questions, beautiful films, and it all takes place in the soaring ceilings of the opera house! Restoring never-before-seen 65mm film and magnetic audio recordings, Apollo 11 shares the NASA mission that brought the US to the moon. Before the film begins, Dr. K. Renee Horton, Space Launch System (SLS) Lead Metallic/Weld Engineer, will discuss her crucial work at the NASA Residential Management Office at Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans. Dr. Horton will present BEFORE the film. Dr. Horton will speak at 6:30 PM, and the film will begin after at approximately 7:30 PM. This film and lecture are free and open to the public. For more information, you can check out their event page here.
Thursday, June 27/Orpheum Theater (129 Roosevelt Way): The Orpheum’s summer movie series is back, and they are kicking the series off with Chasing Dreams: A Leah Chase Story, in memory of our community’s recent loss of the legendary Chef Leah Chase. This short documentary will be immediately followed by a screening of Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table, a documentary on another late New Orleans culinary legend, which debuted at New Orleans Film Festival in 2016. The doors open at 6:30 PM with the first screening taking place at 7:00 PM. These films are free and open to the public. For full list of summer films, check out the Orpheum’s website.
Friday, June 28/New Orleans Museum of Art (1 Collins Diboll Circle): NOMA’s first global contemporary exhibition Bodies of Knowledge opens on June 28, and is on view through October 13, 2019. The exhibition brings together eleven international contemporary artists to reflect on the role that language plays in defining our cultural identities. In celebration of the opening night of Bodies of Knowledge on Friday, June 28, NOMA presents Black Magic, a dance performance by New Orleans choreographers Edward Spots and Donna Crump, featuring students from Dancing Grounds. Considering the body as a carrier of cultural memory, this performance considers movement as a language that can call forth the many different histories our bodies keep. The performance begins at 5:00 PM, and you can find more information about the performance here.
Friday, June 28/SoBou (310 Chartres Street): Are you looking for a little Friday lunch inspo? How about discussing entrepreneurial ideas over cocktails? Welcome “Barpreneurs,” which is where entrepreneurs meet in a bar, hence “Bar” and “preneurs.” They bring in a different speaker each week to talk to them over lunch and cocktails. Kristine Creveling from Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation will be joining this week, so you can pull up a chair, take a sip of something delicious, and share ideas. The “Barpreneurs” begins at 12:00 PM and goes until 1:00 PM. For full details and future events, you can check out their event page.
Friday, June 28/Miragerie (2231 St. Claude — we think?): You know we always like to send you on some pretty indescribable adventures each week. Well, we’re not even sure how to describe this event called “Benefit of the Doubt.” What’s it a Benefit for? The Doubt! They say not to worry about it. They’ll make sure you get everything you want, have a great time, and then some. You choose your archetype at the door — are you a Fairy? Goblin? Vampire? Werewolf? Or Wanderer? Decide on an adventure and follow your character with color coded clues through our menagerie of mirages, at the crossroads- 2231 Saint Claude (the place between the realms). This event, which we’re still not sure how to describe, begins at 9:00 PM, will cost you $25 (door) or $20 advance, and you can find out full details here.
Saturday, June 29/Gasa Gasa (4920 Freret Street): You ready to “Dance with Somebody” or feel those “Summer Lovin” vibes? What we’re really asking is, are you ready for some hot karaoke? Well, start warming up your vocals and brush up on your go-to belting tunes because the Nola Cherry Bombs‘ 4th Annual Cherryoke Karaoke Party is happening. This year they’re raising funds for Operation Restoration.OR. OR is an incredible, local, non-profit that supports women and girls impacted by incarceration to recognize their full potential, restore their lives, and discover new possibilities. Come out and help support their amazing programs and initiatives. There will be prizes, jello shots, dancing and more. The karaoke extravaganza begins at 9:00 PM and goes until 1:00 AM! For full details, you can check out their event page.
Sunday, June 30/Crevasse 22/River House (8122 Saro Lane, Arabi: Yes, making your own monster can be a walk in the park. Summer Sundays at Crevasse 22 /River House continues this weekend with a short guided walk through the woods at the art center in Arabi. Artists Jonathan Mayers and Jeff Becker will help you gather natural materials, then return inside to lead a found-object monster-making session for all ages. While you’re enjoying this little slice of paradise downriver, you can take in the Landscapes and Monsters exhibition in the River House Art Center, which explores the beauty of southeastern Louisiana’s natural landscape as well as the ecological threats to our region due to coastal erosion and rising sea levels. It’s free and open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, and located at 8122 Saro Lane, adjacent to the Mississippi River levee, about 25 minutes from the French Quarter.
Monday, July 1/The Lafitte Greenway (2101 St. Louis Street): If you haven’t gotten your sweat on yet this summer (who are we kidding), we have the perfect opportunity to pour out all of your insides. Friends of the Lafitte Greenway are putting on 12 weeks of free, all-levels, body positive outdoor yoga on the Greenway. That’s right, 12 weeks of moving, stretching, sweating, breathing, and sweating. All you need to bring is a friend (okay, that’s optional), water, and a towel. Also, this series is rain or shine. In the event of rain, yoga will move to the covered patio at Greenway Apartments, 2606 St. Louis St. (at Dorgenois). For full details on the event, you can check out their event page here.
Earthtalk: “Cool Roofs” for New Orleans
It’s hot outside, but it could be cooler! In this article, Brooke Theis explores Cool Roofs, an effective solution to the urban heat island effect that makes the New Orleans heat so unbearable. The author also explores inequalities in how people experience the environment from identity perspectives like race and class.
Big Chem-EZ: How can small Louisiana communities access clean drinking water after a hurricane?
When I went to visit the Pointe-au-Chien tribe after Hurricane Ida with my Service Learning class, I heard that one of the biggest challenges in the aftermath of the hurricane was finding enough drinking water, so in this article, I explore water purification methods: 1) when they are necessary, 2) how they work, and 3) if they really make your water safe to drink.
