to do in MARCH

“Abstraction is my means to express emotion. My passion is finding and utilizing abstracted forms from my everyday visual experiences … I create a visual idea of the emotions I go through while experiencing feelings of anxiety or a variety of internal energies.”

Messick collages found imagery of her surroundings into photoshop and then translates these images to canvas using acrylic paint, acrylic paint markers, texture mediums and abstracted designs.

— Mike Krainak

March 10-26

Bellevue Little Theatre

Aksarben Cinema

The 18th Omaha Film Festival (OFF) will take place at Aksarben Cinema from March 7-12.

Despite discussions about its collapse, the art of cinema is surviving and thriving in one industry corner: indie festivals.

In fact, our annual Festival is part of the last refuge for film buffs — MovieMaker magazine voted OFF one of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” for two years in a row.

View the showcase schedule at www.off23.eventive.org/schedule, and check out the Weekend ($50), All Films ($65), and All Access ($90) passes. Or purchase individual tickets to the film of your choice for $7-$10.

— Matt Casas

March 10

Artist Jada Messick returns to Project Project with Part II of “I should probably find a therapist,” which opens Friday, March 10, 6-9 p.m. Featuring geo-abstract paintings, the exhibit will focus on mental illness, racial experiences, spiritual and personal growth, friendships, family, insecurities and “simply just making something fun to look at,” the artist said in her show statement.

Don’t miss the Grammy Award-winning musical “A Little Night Music” at the Bellevue Little Theatre from March 10-26.

Praised by The New York Times for being “sophisticated and enchanting,” the musical, set in 1900 Sweden, was written by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. It first appeared on Broadway in 1973.

Fifty years later, the work still holds up. One of the most enduring tracks includes “Send in the Clowns,” which, for all you music nerds, switches between some very odd time signatures.

Tickets are $15-$25 for the 7:30 and 2 p.m. shows.

— Matt Casas

March 11

The 144th St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place in the Old Market on March 11.

And just in case you didn’t know, St. Patty’s isn’t just about wearing green and bar hopping. Our annual parade represents the rich cultural contributions and struggles of Omaha’s Irish community since the 1860s.

The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. start at 16th and Harney and make your way to 13th and Howard.

— Matt Casas

March 11

The Admiral

Flogging Molly is coming to The Admiral on March 11.

The famously Celtic punk band, which has been shredding stages around the world since ’95, will share the spotlight with fellow punk legends Anti-Flag and British folk outfit Skinny Lister.

Flogging Molly’s sixth studio album, “Anthem,” was self-released to warm reception by fans and critics alike in 2022.

The record delivers on the band’s trademark, no-holds-barred sound, complete with drunken lullabies that effortlessly align with the spirit and name of its latest LP.

Doors open at 7 for this 8 p.m. show. Tickets cost $39.50-$59.50 before fees.

— Matt Casas

March 12

Omaha South High School image. During quarantine, he writes in his show statement, he started experimenting with alternative processes “as a coping technique and time-filler.”

Though sometimes overlooked, the Gallery of Art and Design at Metro’s Elkhorn Valley campus offers regular showings by students, faculty and alum. Starting March 15, the gallery will feature “Mindscape,” work by Jing Huang, originally from China and currently residing in North Carolina. Jing, who will attend the opening, is the recipient of several awards and grants, and has exhibited, lectured and taught worldwide.

These images are direct evolutions of doodles he had been doing for years, of “simplified representations of idealized landscapes.”

— Kent Behrens

March 17-18

Holland Center

Experience “Folklórico” at Omaha South High School on March 12.

Led by conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez and the Omaha Symphony, the event will include music by Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Peruvian, and Brazilian composers whose work represents some of the most exhilarating cultural diversity of Latin America.

You can count on captivating, choreographed dancers to elevate the performance and bring the passionate compositions to life with overflowing enthusiasm.

The performances will flow between English and Spanish.

Tickets cost $15 for this 2 p.m. event, which is co-presented by El Museo Latino.

— Matt Casas

March 15 - April 12

Gallery of Art and Design, Metropolitan Community College

“Mindscape” features her recent ceramic work exploring elements of social and cultural displacement, identity, nature and sense of place. The primordial and voluptuous abstract sculptures are informed through dualities of East and West values and society.

Opening Reception: Thursday, March 30, 5:30-7 p.m.

— Kent Behrens

March 17-May 10

Fred Simon Gallery, Nebraska Arts Council

Nebraska Arts Council’s Fred Simon Gallery offers “Landscape, Seascape, Some Kind of Escape,” a solo show by Joe Addison. The date and time for an artist’s reception were unavailable at publication.

The show features a series of bold, graphic images derived from experimentations with graphic arts masking materials and cyanotype, a process using chemicals and ultraviolet light to produce an

Grammy Award-nominated composer Andy Akiho will join the Omaha Symphony for a world-premiere performance over two nights at the Holland Center on March 17-18.

Akiho is a forerunner in today’s contemporary classical music scene. His specialty? He plays a mean steel pan.

With a little help from friends with the Omaha Symphony, the two nights are dedicated to Jun Kaneko. The 80-year-old Omaha visual artist has poured decades into creating trailblazing, abstract clay art.

Tickets cost $20-$81, with student discounts available. The shows begin at 7:30 p.m.

— Matt Casas

March 18

Benson Theater

Snazzy — a West African/ Omaha-based AfroBeat artist and choreographer known for his electrifying performances — has received nods from the Omaha Hip Hop Awards for his productions and for consistently leaving his audiences in awe.

This event will showcase a variety of local talent. And, as always, our diverse music scene is an unstoppable reason to spend a night in Benson spreading the good vibes.

The doors open at 7 for the 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $27-$55.

— Matt Casas

March 18

The Admiral Theater

Cross has been a stand-up for decades, co-creating the sketch comedy show “Mr. Show” with Bob Odenkirk in the ’90s and appearing in several films.

With his current act, entitled “Worst Daddy In The World Tour,” he’s prepared to double down on his unapologetic, dry humor and insights sandwiched between brash bits (but never at the cost of a laugh).

Tickets cost $39.50-$144.50 for this seated show, which starts at 8 p.m.

— Matt Casas

18

Culxr House

The Art Battle Omaha City Championship is going down at the Culxr House on March 18.

Ever caught wind of competitive live painting? Expect raw, unfettered greatness as some of the most talented and original visual artists create spontaneous strokes of genius before an audience.

Aside from serving as a fun local event, “Art Battle” takes place in over 50 cities globally, functioning as a launchpad for little-known artists.

Help daring, creative artists receive the exposure they deserve while sharing in their glory.

Tickets are $20-$30 for the 6 p.m. showdown.

— Matt Casas

Kaneko that recall molecular and botanical structures. Other hand-hewn works emphasize the inherent beauty in the grain, density and textures of wood.

-- Janet L. Farber

Kaneko continues its deep dive into the oeuvre of sculptors whose work is featured at the refreshed Gene Leahy Mall with the retrospective “James Surls: Nightshade and Red Bone,” opening on March 24.

Surls is an internationally recognized artist based in Colorado whose singular approach to abstracting the forms and spirit found in nature will be the focus of this exhibition of sculpture, drawings and prints. Surls creates most often in wood and metal, fashioning airy, whorled shapes

March 30

The Bemis Center

Passionate about justice? Tune in for Jillian Hernandez at The Bemis Center on March 30.

Dr. Hernandez bridges the gap between knowledge and art, but not as an armchair philosopher.

She embodies her work. Her showcase, “Aesthetics of Excess,” centers the lived experiences of Black and Latinx women who breathe life into their communities in spite of a world that polices them.

A ticket to this event, which starts at 7 p.m., costs you nothing. Can’t make it? RSVP at bemiscenter.org to receive a link to the livestream on the day of the event.

You may (or may not) be familiar with SCOBY, or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Famous for its probiotic properties, a mother culture can last generations, and is the foundation of a powerful batch of kombucha.

Given the right conditions, environment, and some patience, SCOBY has the potential to grow and thrive into a powerful superfood that can aid in digestion and balancing your gut biome. But that same SCOBY in an unhealthy environment can quickly turn bad. As powerful as the good bacteria can be in building a healthy environment, enough time kept where it doesn’t belong and the unhealthy bacteria will overpopulate, and your culture can go dormant, or even die.

Humans show up on this planet with the same potential and capacity. In the right environment, with the right support and resources, we