Week Ahead: Latin blues, authors talk, line dancing, Juneteenth events, Elton John tribute

Week Ahead: June 12-18, 2022

HAPPENING NOW

Smooth Flava Line Dancing: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. today, green on the Bo Diddley Plaza, downtown Gainesville. All ages are welcome to dance and have fun.

Jose Ramirez: 6:30 p.m. today, Heartwood Soundstage, 619 S. Main St. Tickets: $20 general admission, $10 North Central Florida Blues Society members. (871-676, ncfblues.org) Presented by the North Central Florida Blues Society, Ramirez is Latin America’s most popular blues star and has played with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Buddy Guy, Anson Funderburgh, Janiva Magness, Mark Hummel, Bob Stroger and Bryan Lee. The Jose Ramirez Band placed second at the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis against more than 230 bands from around the world.

Drunken Shakespeare: "A Midsummer’s Night Dream": 9 p.m. Tuesday, High Dive, 210 SW Second Ave. Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 day of show. (Highdivegville.veeps.com)

Joslyn and the Sweet Compression: 7-10 p.m. Wednesday, Heartwood Soundstage, 619 S. Main St. Tickets: $15. Soulful music.

Xenogenesis, Now Leaving Space and Haylin Watkins: 9 p.m. Wednesday, High Dive, 210 SW Second Ave. Tickets: $8 in advance, $10 day of show. (highdivegville.veeps.com)

Powfu, Snow and Ouse: 8 p.m. Thursday, High Dive, 210 SW Second Ave. Tickets: $20. (highdivegville.veeps.com)

Juneteenth Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Friday, Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center, 837 SE Seventh Ave. Tickets: $25. (cottonclubmuseum.com/events, 226-8321) George Foxx, who has for many years catered the breakfast, will cater the event.

"Still Standing" Tribute to Elton John: 8 p.m. Friday, High Dive, 210 SW Second Ave. Tickets: $10 in advance, $13 day of show. (highdivegville.veeps.com)

Journey to Juneteenth: Freedom Walk 2022: 7-11 a.m. Saturday, Depot Park, 874 SE Fourth Ave. Hosted by the City of Gainesville Office of Equity and Inclusion. Featuring a DJ, live performances, presentations, games and the Freedom Walk through several historic neighborhoods.

"Movie Madness": 3 and 6 p.m. Saturday, Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Road. Tickets: $20. (392-2787) Momentum Dance Arts presents its annual recital.

"The Wilder Heart of Florida": 4 p.m. Saturday, Matheson Museum, 513 E. University Ave. (mathesonmuseum.org, 378-2280) Featuring Lars Andersen, Cynthia Barnett, Lucinda Merritt, Leslie Poole and Margaret Tolbert reading their essays.

Freedom Fest: 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Bo Diddley Plaza, downtown Gainesville. Free. Featuring live music, poetry, spoken word and activities for children.

Gainesville's Finest Artist Showcase: 8 p.m. Saturday, High Dive, 210 SW Second Ave. Tickets: $8 in advance, $10 day of show. (highdive@gmail.com) A night of hip-hop.

UPCOMING

Dance! by Davis Presents "Bright Lights & Big City Dreams": 5 p.m. June 25, Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Road. Tickets: $25. (392-2787)

EXHIBITS

"Painting St. Augustine": On display through May 2023, Harn Museum of Art, Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road. Selections from the Samuel H. and Roberta T. Vickers Collection featuring works by more than 20 artists who captured vibrant landscapes and city views of St. Augustine. The 36 paintings on display date from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries and cover a broad range of themes from views of coastlines and waterways to depictions of historic landmarks, picturesque streets and courtyards. Collectively, these paintings comprise a visual record of Florida’s oldest city.

"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: Live music, line dancing, Juneteenth, Elton John tribute