SFR Digital-ish Picks—Week of July 1

Going Once, Going Twice, Going On

International Folk Art Market hosts online virtual auction

So many canceled events, so many organizations pivoting, so much summer weirdness—still so many opportunities.

With Albuquerque's Balloon Fiesta announcing it'll be canceled this year following a spate of similar happenings in Santa Fe, it's easy to get discouraged and think everything's ruined. Not so. For you see, friends, the internet is indeed a thing, and lo—it holdeth possibilities endless.

Take the upcoming IFAM Virtual One World series featuring auctions, a gala, artist talks and more. Obviously, we can't all hit the International Folk Art Market's gigantic Museum Hill party this year, but come 7 am on Wednesday, July 8, interested parties will be able to bid on more than 100 items—including pieces from roughly 75 artists spanning the globe.

"There's no substitute for the in-person thing, because it's a major celebration," says Stuart Ashman, the annual market's executive director and the man behind the home cooked Cuban meal auction item. "If the next phase is something like 100 people can gather, we may have to do a market that's all summer long and bring in 10 artists at a time. We have a strategic planning committee that's looking at all of the possibilities that are out there; we're talking about setting up tents in our parking lots, we have a retail space as well. We're gonna continue serving the artists in any way we can."

The first week of the auction also includes an online gala event on Friday, July 10, and Ashman says whatever happens next, expect some type of virtual storefront will continue in order to support the artists who rely on the organization to survive.

"An online market will be ongoing regardless of what happens with COVID-19," Ashman tells SFR. "The online sales, we think, will continue to grow." Catch a preview this Sunday. (Alex De Vore)

IFAM Virtual One World Auction Preview:
All day Sunday, July 5. Free.
folkartmarket.org

The Other Wagners

Think of Wagner and opera, and Der Ring des Nibelungen or Tristan und Isolde probably come to mind. Unless you're a little more opera literate than the average schmoe (or up to date on Germanic history), you might not know Richard's wife Cosima kicked off the Bayreuth Festival in 1883 following the hubs' death, and the thing is still going down today (minus some trouble in the 1940s because of you-know-what) under the watchful eyes of new generations of Wagners. Cut to now-ish, this week, and the Santa Fe Opera's Desirée Mays presents a webinar lecture on the festival. It's a Zoom thing, and while we understand an opera lecture might be a hard sell for some, it might also scratch an itch for those lamenting the tragic cancellation of this year's season. (ADV)

The Wagner Dynasty from Richard to Katharina:
5 pm Thursday July 2. Free.
Email webinars@santafeoperaguild.org

Trouble’s Brewing

Using this time to learn seems smart, and even if you think you know a lot about US Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, there's room for plenty more. Lewis has been a tireless advocate for civil rights, gun control, voters' rights, healthcare reform and immigration, and filmmaker Dawn Porter (of the excellent 2018 miniseries documentary Bobby Kennedy for President) looks over his storied career. Through archival and modern-day footage, Porter takes us back through his earliest political days to his more current contributions to the American landscape. Given everything that's going on, a history primer/refresher might do a lot to help folks understand today's BLM protests, and Lewis, now 80, is pretty much a dynamo. Screen the film virtually through Violet Crown Cinema. (ADV)

John Lewis: Good Trouble:
Starts Friday, July 3. $12.
santafe.violetcrown.com

The Scottish Play 

When the pandemic hit, the youths from the Upstart Crows theater company—that's the one dedicated to Shakespeare—were already deep into rehearsals for Macbeth and, like, probably not saying the name out loud. Under the direction of one Liam Mitchell, himself a longtime Upstart Crow and certified Bard fanatic, they continued the work online. Once some restrictions lifted, they convened again, this time with masks and new ideas for blocking that fall well under the auspices of the state's social distancing requirements. They are now ready to present the show live for a limited audience and, unless you want to become some kind of green-eyed monster, you'll check it out. As long as you're healthy and down with observing distancing and mask rules, that is. (ADV)

Macbeth:
6:30 pm Friday, July 30-Sunday July 5. $25.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation,
107 W Barcelona Road,
982-9674.