Poetry, pottery and a painting party

This weekend abounds with artsy activities, from an exhibition opening and two book release events to a film festival and a woman-centric arts festival. There’s also a plethora of new plays, a range of concerts, unique holiday shopping opportunities and more.

For Friday evening’s live music, we have blues/roots musician Erik Ryden at Harrison Roadhouse at 6; a duo of members from funk/rock/blues band Serita’s Black Rose and singer-songwriter Greg Nagy at UrbanBeat at 7; Main Street Dueling Pianos at Lansing Brewing Co. at 7:30; acoustic cover musician Rory Nevins at the Peanut Barrel and Michigan State University’s jazz nonets with jazz guitarist Dan Wilson at the Music Building’s Murray Hall, both at 8; a dual EP release show for noise-pop band Narc out the Reds and rock band Royal Science at the Green Door at 8:30; and pop band JP & the Energy at Mash Bar and party band Smokey Bear at the Irish Pub, both at 9. Saturday evening, we have Main Street Dueling Pianos at Dimondale’s Country Creek Reception Hall at 6; smooth-jazz/R&B band AWD at UrbanBeat at 7; folk-rock-funk band Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers at Grewal Hall at 8; party band Geech at the Green Door at 8:30; pop-punk band Something Missing, alt-rock band Ego Riptide and singer-songwriter Lucas Powell at the Avenue at 9; rock bands J.H. Patton & the Good Companions and the Five ‘N’ Dime Poets at Mac’s Bar at 9:30; and local DJ collective Scratch Pilots at UrbanBeat at 10. Ending the weekend on Sunday is the Meridian Community Band at East Lansing’s MacDonald Middle School and a Lansing Symphony Orchestra string quartet at the First Presbyterian Church of Lansing’s Molly Grove Chapel, both at 3 p.m.; Red Cedar Spirits’ weekly Sunday Jazz show at 6 p.m.; folk-rock band the Aimcriers at the Avenue at 7 p.m.; and Mac’s Bar’s weekly Harmony Sundays DJ show at 9 p.m.

The Arts Council of Greater Lansing will host an opening reception 5 to 8 p.m. Friday for local artist Cindy Souders’ new exhibition at its office in Old Town. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and chat with the artist as they view her work.

Other art displays on view this weekend include the Mid-Michigan Art Guild’s fall art show at the Neighborhood Empowerment Center, which is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; The Michigan Made Holiday Exhibition and Market at the Lansing Art Gallery, which is open 3 to 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; "The Searching Eye: Images of Mid-Century Detroit” at the Library of Michigan, which is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; “Extinct: An Artistic Study of Animals Loved and Lost” at the Art Williamston gallery, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; and "Eye Witness,”“Complex Dreams,” “Diasporic Collage: Puerto Rico and the Survival of a People,” “Freedom in the Automation Age” and “Seeing in 360 Degrees: The Zaha Hadid Design Collection” at the Broad Art Museum, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

If you’d like to make some art of your own, Paint Your Poison will host a paint party 2 p.m. Sunday at the Wooden Nickel II in Dansville. Attendees will paint a pre-traced highland cow with guided instruction. There will also be themed trivia with prizes.

It’s a busy weekend for local theater, with the opening of four shows: Riverwalk Theatre’s “Urinetown,” with performances 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday; the MSU Department of Theatre’s “A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes,” with performances 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the school’s Pasant Theatre; Lansing Community College’s “Cosplay,” with performances 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the school’s Black Box Theatre; and Peppermint Creek Theatre Co.’s “What the Constitution Means to Me,” with performances 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Stage One at Sycamore Creek Eastwood. Additionally, the percussion-focused stage show “STOMP” finishes its three-night run at the Wharton Center 7:30 p.m. Friday, and All-of-Us Express Children’s Theatre wraps up its production of “Puffs” 7 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at East Lansing’s Hannah Community Center.

MSU ice hockey fans can look forward to a two-game match against Ohio State University 7 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday at Munn Ice Arena. Additionally, the women’s basketball team will take on Yale University 7 p.m. Friday at the Breslin Center.

If that’s not enough action, Capital Pro Wrestling returns to the Fledge 3 p.m. Saturday for a series of matches.

Two local pottery groups will hold fall sales this weekend: Clayworks Pottery 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at Faith Church on Lake Lansing Road and the Greater Lansing Potters’ Guild 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at All Saints Episcopal Church in East Lansing. Grace United Methodist Church will also host a holiday gift fair 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, featuring fair-trade items made by struggling artisans from around the world and survivors of human trafficking, plus a bake sale to raise money for South Lansing Ministries’ food bank.

East Lansing’s annual Women in the Arts Festival runs 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Edgewood United Church, featuring headline performances by singer-songwriters Joy Clark on Friday and Holly Near on Saturday as well as local artist market and a café run by women’s chorus Sistrum. Saturday will also offer a day stage highlighting local musicians, including Sistrum, and a special “lesbo bingo” game.  

The East Lansing Film Festival will offer several screenings of indie films and blocks of shorts Friday through Sunday at Studio C! in the Meridian Mall. For a schedule of showings and film descriptions, visit the website.

The Future of Comedy Show returns to Spare Time Entertainment Center 8 p.m. Friday, featuring performances by Michigan comedians Steve Kaz, Nicole Melnyk, Dan Grinnell and Niecole “Big Juicy” Middleton.

Shop for lightly used children’s items at Delta Township’s parent-to-parent sale 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Drolett Community Center. For a $2 early-bird fee, shoppers can enter the sale at 9 a.m.

Comics artist and MSU Professor Ryan Claytor will wrap up the national release tour for his new book, “One Bite at a Time,” 4:30 p.m. Saturday at A Novel Concept. His discussion of the book, a 20-year retrospective of his comic, illustration and design work, will be moderated by his 11-year-old son.

Finally, the Poetry Room will hold a release show for North Carolina poet Neil Hilborn’s new book, “About Time,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Robin Theatre. Also performing are former Lansing Poet Laureate and Poetry Room founder Masaki Takahashi, MSU Poetry Club president Claire Donohoe and Detroit poets Ashley Adams, also known as Galaxy the Poet, and Robert Cohen Jr., also known as RJMC.

Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best of weekends.

(Have an event? Be sure to list it free at lansingcitypulse.com/calendar. Think it’s worth at least a short story? Send a news release to nicole@lansingcitypulse.com for consideration.)