Come join us for a night of slick n' bluesy rock n roll, indie pop, and ethereal alternative music at Var Gallery & Studios with Nashville's Jon Bayley, Manic After Midnite, and Milwaukee's own Timothy and The Blind Fiction! This intimate location features local artwork in a beautiful artistic space equipped with a bar that supports live music. This show is all ages and has limited space, so please arrive early and grab your spot by 8:00pm. $7.00 suggested cover at the door Lineup: Manic After Midnite Jon Bayley Timothy Charles and the Blind Fiction

Amdur Productions proudly announces the 5th annual Third Ward Art Festival, located in the heart of Milwaukee’s thriving arts and fashion district. Exquisite artwork of all mediums including ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, sculpture, mixed media, paintings, drawings, photography, printmaking, wood and furniture will be represented at the festival. Free and open to the public, the Third Ward Art Festival showcases the work of more than 140-juried artists, 36 of whom are from Wisconsin. In addition to the incredible artwork available for purchase, attendees will be able to interact with artists through demonstrations and booth chats. With a wide range of price points and an ample selection of artwork, the festival offers something for everyone!

Our 35th season opener celebrates all things Made for Milwaukee - the people, the places, the food - and the exciting and imaginative music premiered right here in our city by Present Music. Join us to revisit works that made local and national history by Michael Torke, Kamran Ince, Jerome Kitzke and Sean Friar, then witness the world premiere of Ryan Carter’s On a better filtering algorhythm. Present Music is just getting started. Hang on for this beautiful and mind-blowing ride! Doors open at 6:30pm for pre-concert activities.

A Cuban American singer, songwriter, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, and producer based in Brooklyn, NY, Jose Conde leads the genre bending Latin band OLA FRESCA and his own solo project. Conde is a dynamic and electrifying performer engaging his audiences with stories, rhythmic songs, and dancing. Conde has been featured in Darling Harbor Latin Festival in Sydney Australia, Montreal Jazz fest, the New York Central Park Summer Stage, and more. Conde moves international audiences substantially with his music. Join Café el Sol for La Peña, featuring live Latin music and our famous Friday fish fry buffet.

With its hills, winding paths and beautiful setting, the Milwaukee County Zoo is a great place to ride your bike. At the Zoological Society of Milwaukee's annual bike ride fundraiser, you can do just that. Kids can cruise in the Critter Caravan, a special 2.5-mile kids' route through the Zoo. Their favorite plush-toy animal friends can tag along in a bike basket or backpack. Seasoned riders with a passion for pedaling can choose one of the distance routes (10- to 20-mile+ rides), sponsored by Mallery & Zimmerman, S.C., that start at the Zoo and continue north along the Menomonee River Parkway and the Oak Leaf Trail. Kids can enjoy a post-ride snack, make some crafts and get a temporary tattoo in the Kids 'n Critters Corral, sponsored by Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, S.C. After the ride, all participants can enjoy lunch. Rides start at 8 and 8:15 a.m. The registration fee includes entry to the Zoo and parking, a continental breakfast, lunch and a long-sleeve T-shirt. Remember to bring your bike helmet! Last year's event raised more than $26,000 for the Zoological Society and its support of the Milwaukee County Zoo. More route information to come soon! Registration begins at 7 a.m.; staggered rider departure begins at 8 a.m. Milwaukee County Zoo & neighboring trails Register online by Sept. 9. Cost: See below. Reduced member pricing available. Registration fee includes: Entry into Zoo Parking Long-sleeved T-shirt Continental breakfast and buffet lunch Crafts and activities for children Wearing a helmet is mandatory to participate in this event. Registration Fees Zoological Society Member Non-Member Day of Ride Adult (14 & over) $35 $40 $45 Child (13 & under)* $12 $15 $20 Family of 4** $85 $100 XX * No one under 18 is admitted without an adult. ** Family of 4 is defined as 2 adults and 2 children

The Starving Artists' Show is an annual outdoor art show held on Mount Mary University's front lawn. It features artwork in a variety of media by local and national artists. All artwork is priced at $100 or less. The entry fee is $10. This is used to support Mount Mary student scholarships.

Get personal tips for improvement from an experienced audition judge, producer and director for Youth Theater. Instructor: Angie Mack Reilly | Ages: 7- High School

Inspired by seventeenth-century Dutch still-life paintings, Sheboygan-based artist Beth Lipman creates large-scale, three-dimensional interpretations in glittering glass. We are delighted to bring this mid-career retrospective to Wisconsin to celebrate a local Jewish artist with national reach. Organized by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. Get a sneak peek of Once & Again: Still Lifes by Beth Lipman with Jewish Museum Milwaukee. Enjoy wine, light appetizers and dessert (dietary laws observed), and get tours of the exhibition throughout the evening. 7:00 pm – Doors open 7:30 pm – Presentation by artist Beth Lipman Free parking available RSVP by Wednesday, September 7

Award-winning poet Lawrence Kessinich is the author of “Cinnamon Girl,” a new novel set at UWM and on Milwaukee’s east side from 1969-70, one of the most tumultuous years in our history. He recall the social upheaval of the era and asks us to consider: what caused it, and what did it accomplish? UWM’s Master Chats feature distinguished professors and alumni speakers presenting on a range of engaging topics. Sponsored by the UWMAA Emeritus Board, Presidents’ Circle and UWM Libraries. Light refreshments will be served. Free and open to the public. Reserve your spot at attend.com/masterchats Paid parking is available in the UWM Student Union parking garage.

Opening Reception for “ECO ephemeral”: Works by Thomas Ferrella and Artists’ Books from Special Collections September 16 @ 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Please join us for the opening celebrations on September 16, 2016 at the UWM Golda Meir Library. All are welcome! At 4 p.m. there will be a walking tour of the exhibition, guided by the curator, Pamela Caserta Hugdahl. The tour will include several of artist Thomas Ferrella’s temporary outdoor installations on campus. Meet at the Grind cafe on the first floor of the Golda Meir Library. From 5 to 6 p.m. there will be a reception in Special Collections on the fourth floor of Golda Meir Library. This thesis exhibition approaches environmental concerns through an art historical perspective by considering works of art by Dr. Thomas Ferrella, M.D. and artists’ books from Special Collections at UW-Milwaukee Libraries. The exhibition evades conventional boundaries of galleries in order to present artists’ books in their intended manner and to display Ferrella’s outdoor installations in context with UWM’s award-winning sustainability initiatives. The results exemplify how we shape earth and in turn how our actions upon earth impact us, emphasizing human interdependence on fragile ecosystems. Ferrella’s artworks and medical expertise in combination with the content in the artists’ books and UWM sustainability initiatives argue for a holistic approach to environmentalism that is yet to be embraced by much of the world’s human population. The exhibit, located in the Grind and in Special Collections, runs from Sept. 10 to October 12, 2016. Exhibition and accompanying catalogue made possible by the Jeffrey R. Hayes Graduate Research Award, granted through the Department of Art History, and by Jan Serr and John Shannon. Co-sponsored by the UWM Libraries.

The two main Galleries will feature an expansive new body of work by Mark Mulhern which reflects his ongoing interest in the figure and its surroundings. Introspective but unselfconscious, the work is filled with subtle gestures and freely painted locations that invite contemplation on the part of the viewer. Inspired by the Brocante (vintage markets) of France and garden parties, these paintings expose moments of everyday life through simplified abstraction. Mulhern’s paintings capture fleeting moments, but are the result of making marks, revising, amending, and finally, accepting the end result.

The International Institute of Wisconsin (IIW) will host a benefit concert on Sunday, September 18 to raise funds for its Refugee Resettlement Program. The event will be held at 2 p.m. and again at 6 p.m. It will include a reception, an arts & crafts installation and a silent auction held prior to the concert (which will be held at 3 p.m. and repeated at 7 p.m.) William Neil and Tom Gullion of Project Fourth Stream – known for their intrepid fusing of jazz improvisation and classical composition – will headline. The guest artist will be Issam Rafea, a composer and virtuoso with the oud: pear-shaped cousin of the lute and ancestor of the modern guitar. Also included will be a performance by Saadi Tawfeeq al Baghdadi, a traditional Iraqi musician, who will play the oud and the ney: a flute made of reed. IIW is dedicated to the promotion of international cooperation, understanding and multicultural perspectives. For more than seven decades IIW has assisted with the resettlement of refugee individuals and families fleeing violence or persecution in their homelands; its goal being to welcome these newcomers into our society and help them to integrate. Last year IIW lit the way for 290 refugees; 290 men, women and children who fled the darkness of turmoil in Burma, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Sudan. With the help of fundraisers, such as this benefit concert, IIW will continue striving forward on its humanitarian mission; will continue brandishing a torch in the dark. The cost of the New Beginnings benefit concert is $30 per person, or $25 for those under age 25 with a valid Student ID.

Dr. Ute Schneider (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany) speaks about Heinrich Schiffers, an influential 20th century German geographer who specialized in Africa. Dr. Schneider is currently a Best Fellow at the American Geographical Society Library. Talk at 2 p.m. Reception at 1:30 pm.

Join Jewish Museum Milwaukee for an engaging four-part series highlighting and celebrating individuals with local roots making an impact in a diverse range of artistic arenas on a national level. Brad Lichtenstein is an award-winning filmmaker & president of 371 Productions. He’s won two Duponts: one for the recent Al Jazeera America series Hard Earned (produced by Kartemquin Films) and another for his 2001 film Ghosts of Attica (produced with Lumiere Productions). Check out our website for Brad’s complete biography.

Hear acclaimed historian and author Deborah Lipstadt share her story of Holocaust history on trial prior to the autumn release of the biopic “Denial.” The film recounts Lipstadt's battle for historical truth as she faced a libel suit by infamous Holocaust denier David Irving. The movie is based on her book, “History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier.” She will also discuss contemporary anti-Semitism. Free, but pre-registration required to guarantee a seat. Learn more and RSVP: MilwaukeeJewish.org/Lipstadt or contact Ashleigh Lund at AshleighL@MilwaukeeJewish.org or (414) 390-5741. This event is brought to the community courtesy of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and the Nathan & Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center, a program of MJF.

Bassam Aramin — a Palestinian whose daughter was killed by Israeli border police in 2007, and Robi Damelin — an Israeli whose son was killed by a Palestinian sniper in 2012 — will speak as representatives of the Parents Circle Families Forum, a joint Palestinian-Israeli organization that is devoted to reconciliation. Free. Learn more and RSVP: MilwaukeeJewish.org/FamiliesForum or contact Allison Hayden at AllisonH@MilwaukeeJewish.org or (414) 390-5781. Presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, it is part of the Let’s Talk Israel series, a comprehensive yearlong project of the Federation’s JCRC and Israel Center to increase opportunities for thoughtful and civil conversations about Israel.

Gabrielle Verdier, professor emerita of French at UWM, will speak about her recent travels to Madagascar, where she spent much of her youth. With Juan-Marcos Rodriguez-Luis. Academic Adventurers talks begin at 3 p.m. in the American Geographical Society Library, third floor, east wing of the Golda Meir Library. A reception with light refreshments, sponsored by the Friends of the Golda Meir Library, follows each talk.

Don’t miss Latino Arts’ annual fundraiser for cultural arts education! Treat your ears to live Salsa, Cumbia, and Bolero from Edward’s Latin Ensemble featuring Bruce-Guadalupe Community School alum Alejandro Cortés, and enjoy special performances from the Latino Arts Strings Program & Mariachi Juvenil. Plus, step up your skills with dance demonstrations and group lessons, auctions and raffles, and tapas and sangria from our own Café el Sol! Show your commitment to arts education by purchasing your table or sponsoring the event; call (414) 384-3100 or email info@latinoartsinc.org.

Noël Coward’s spirited, fast-paced comedy returns to the Helfaer Stage to open our 2016-2017 season! When cynical author Charles Condomine invites “happy medium” Madame Arcati into his home, a séance-gone-wrong summons the ghost of his first wife, Elvira, and leaves Charles torn between his past and his present. Audiences of all ages will adore the haunting hijinks conjured up in Blithe Spirit!

Dan Friedman’s diversity of visual material is evident in Dan Friedman: Radical Modernist, on view October 1 – December 3 in the Frederick Layton Gallery at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, with an Opening Reception and Talk by exhibit designer Christopher Pullman Friday, September 30, 6 p.m. Friedman, a design pioneer working across various media, sought to create, delight and engage with his designs, furniture and more. His legendary work is featured in this comprehensive exhibit, making its Midwest debut at MIAD. Viewers experience his unique vision, and contributions to graphic design and the broader realm of the visual arts. Highlighted in the exhibit are Friedman’s groundbreaking typography, eccentric furniture and playfully-subversive 3D objects, which were integral to both American street culture and global experimental design. This event is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Saturday.

Noël Coward’s spirited, fast-paced comedy returns to the Helfaer Stage to open our 2016-2017 season! When cynical author Charles Condomine invites “happy medium” Madame Arcati into his home, a séance-gone-wrong summons the ghost of his first wife, Elvira, and leaves Charles torn between his past and his present. Audiences of all ages will adore the haunting hijinks conjured up in Blithe Spirit!

The Grohmann Museum hosts its seventh annual festival celebrating the activities and ways of work captured in the paintings and bronzes of the permanent collection. A shoecarver, glass founder, brewer, woodworker, spinners, master painters, and the Milwaukee Blacksmith all share their expertise and demonstrate their techniques as the Museum becomes a laboratory for the creation of Lost Arts.

Noël Coward’s spirited, fast-paced comedy returns to the Helfaer Stage to open our 2016-2017 season! When cynical author Charles Condomine invites “happy medium” Madame Arcati into his home, a séance-gone-wrong summons the ghost of his first wife, Elvira, and leaves Charles torn between his past and his present. Audiences of all ages will adore the haunting hijinks conjured up in Blithe Spirit!"