Week Ahead: Australian guitarist, play about Nina Simone, back to school party, comedy

Week Ahead: Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2022

HAPPENING NOW

Daniel Champagne: 7-10 p.m. today, Heartwood Soundstage, 619 S. Main St. Tickets: $20 (258-8557) Champagne is an Australian guitarist who has built a worldwide audience through energetic performances and unique tapping- and finger-style playing.

Simply Simone: 8-9:45 p.m. today, Star Center, 11 NE 23rd Ave. Tickets: $22 adults, $18 seniors, $15 students. (ticketleap.com) Created by David Grapes and Robert Neblett, the play tells the story of Nina Simone, child prodigy, jazz superstar, civil rights activist and more. Simone was a true diva of the 20th century and genuine powerhouse.

Katie Hughs, Alainna Whatley, Riley Suarez and more: 8 p.m. Tuesday, High Dive, 210 SW Second Ave. Tickets: $10 in advance, $12 day of show. (highdivegville.veeps.com) Comedians take the stage.

Planet Booty “Sweaty Already” Tour: 9 p.m. Wednesday, High Dive, 210 SW Second Ave. Tickets: $13 in advance, $15 day of show. (highdivegville.veeps.com)

GNV Market: 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Heartwood Soundstage, 619 S. Main St. Featuring more than 40 vendors, live music, craft beer and fresh produce.

Live Love Ladies – Gainesville: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Heartwood Soundstage, 619 S. Main St. Tickets: $15. (258- 8557) All-female curated lineup infused with hip hop, soul, indie rock and more.

Exotic Legends XL Male Review: 7 p.m. Thursday, High Dive, 210 SW Second Ave. Tickets: $35 VIP first two rows in advance, $40 VIP first two rows day of show; $20 general seated admission in advance, $25 general seated admission day of show. (highdivegville@gmail.com)

Matcha and Sooza Brass Band: 7-9 p.m. Friday, Bo Diddley Plaza, downtown Gainesville. Free. Funk-rock and brass band performances. Part of the "Free Fridays" concert series.

Back to School Bash: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, First Missionary Baptist Church, 1515 SE 15th St. Featuring a Bounce House, magic show, DJ, COVID testing and food.

Hoggetowne Burlesque and Drag Showcase: 8 p.m. Saturday, High Dive, 210 SW Second Ave. Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 day of show. (highdivegville.veeps.com)

CASTING CALL

Invitation to Craft Vendors: Event set for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 19, The High Springs New Century Woman’s Club, 23674 W. U.S. 27, High Springs. (386-518-3276, craftshopgirl@gmail.com) Tables will be available both inside and outside. Handmade items only.

UPCOMING

Bags and Bingo Fundraiser: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 10, GFWC High Springs New Century Woman’s Club, 23674 W. U.S. 27, High Springs. Tickets: $20 before Sept. 1, $25 afterward. Brunch will be served. Proceeds will be donated to Unity Foster Ministries of High Springs.

McIntosh 1890s Festival: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 5, 5835, Ave. G., McIntosh. Free entry. Featuring more than 280 arts, crafts, plant and antique vendors.

EXHIBITS

"Wandering the Milky Way – A Tour of the Solar System": On display through Jan. 1, 2023, Cade Museum, 811 N. Main St. Tickets: $12.50, $10 seniors and college students, $7.50 ages 5-17, free ages 4 and younger. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. (371-8001, cademuseum.org) From Jupiter’s swirling red spot to the icy geysers on Neptune’s moon Triton, our corner of the Milky Way is full of wonders just waiting to be explored. Meet the inventors who’ve used robots, rockets and rovers to take the people of Earth on a tour of the planets. Discover how a new generation of innovators is sending us out of the solar system into the space between the stars.

Inner Beauty Exhibit: Florida Museum of Natural History, 3215 Hull Road. Free admission. Colorful, high-resolution images showcase the artistic wonders of modern preservation science while real specimens from the museum’s collections showcase their true size.

"Speechless: Text & Image in Global Culture": On display through Dec. 30, Harn Museum of Art, Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road. Fascinating look at how words, aesthetics and materials have supported religious, political and socio-cultural agendas for millennia.

"Elusive Spirits: African Masquerades": Ongoing exhibit, James G. and Caroline Julier Richardson Gallery, Harn Museum of Art, Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road. Masks from the mid-20th century to the early 21st century show the continuity of masking but also features new directions in masquerades. Although much of the exhibition focuses on the spiritual and religious foundations of masking, it also explores masking aesthetics looking at dazzling costumes, music and dance.

"At First Flush": Noon-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, Cade Museum, 811 S. Main St. (cademuseum.org) The permanent exhibit explores the history of the invention of toilets and how they made modern cities possible. It ponders the science of soap and introduces visitors to NASA’s Zero-G toilets, which help astronauts go boldly where no human has gone before.

"Science Up Close: Fantastic Fossils": Florida Museum of Natural History, 3215 Hull Road. Admission: $7 adults; $6.50 Florida residents, seniors and non-University of Florida college students; $4.50 ages 3-17; free to museum members, children ages 2 and younger and UF students with a valid Gator 1 Card. (floridamuseum.ufl.edu/visit/plan, floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhibits/fantastic-fossils, 846-2000) The exhibition is a collaborative endeavor linking the museum’s exhibits and collections staff, giving people a look at never-before-seen specimens and real fossils. Researchers from the vertebrate paleontology, invertebrate paleontology and paleobotany collections will be in the exhibit as part of its working lab, providing a glimpse into the daily life of curators, collection managers, students and volunteers.

"She/Her/Hers: Women in the Arts of China": On display through March 24, 2024, David A. Cofrin Asian Wing. (harn.ufl.edu/exhibitions/current) Exhibition unravels the intersecting roles women played as subjects, artists and consumers of art in traditional, modern and contemporary China. Features a wide range of works -- paintings, calligraphy, textiles, ceramics, bronzes, photographs, and lacquer and silver wares, some of which have never been on view before. Organized around four themes -- "Representing Femininity," "Anonymous Beauty," "Female Artists" and "Beyond the Boudoir" -- this exhibition not only realizes a full spectrum but also provides a more nuanced view of women’s dynamic engagements with and contributions to the arts of China throughout history.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Week Ahead: "Wandering the Milky Way" is a tour of the solar system