National YoungArts Week at National YoungArts Foundation
Daily until January 15, some events are free
It's time to get a sneak peek at the future of the art world. The 36th-annual National YoungArts Week, which runs this Sunday through next Sunday, January 15, will showcase the work of promising young artists aged 15 to 18. During the day, the artists will train in master classes and workshops with leaders in their field such as choreographer and dancer Bill T. Jones, photographer Sylvia Plachy, painter Will Cotton, dancer Vernon Scott, and film director Doug Blush. In the evenings, the teens will perform for the community at the New World Center.
A "Brews & Books" Event: The Skinny Years, by Raul Ramos y Sanchez, at Boxelder Craft Beer Market
7 p.m. Monday, January 9, free
Long before Miami’s Wynwood district was home to fashionable bistros, breweries, and art galleries, it was a “a low-rent area where the cooks, cabbies, mechanics, and maids whose labor greased Miami’s tourism machine rested their heads and raised their kids.” This forgotten past is the setting for The Skinny Years, a novel by Raul Ramos y Sanchez. Stop by for a brew and chat with the author.
Miami Jazz Jam at Churchill's Pub
9 p.m. Monday, January 9, $5 for 21+, $10 for under 21
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Churchill's is a great place to drink beer, shoot pool, smoke cigs, and look surly, but it also has one hell of a jazz jam. Monday nights are what you want. The music starts around 9 p.m. and includes performances by the Fernando Ulibarri Group and surprise guests.
Bowie's Backstair Bash at Churchill's Pub
8 p.m. Tuesday, January 10, $5
Expect rousing renditions of all of Bowie's most classic hits and even some deeper cuts. Bowie mixes will come courtesy of DJ Osean Liranz between performances by bands such as Killmama, Similar Prisoners, Sofilla, and Anastasia Max. The Goblin King will be on campus to show off his juggling skills, and attendees are invited to participate in a raffle to win a surrealist painting of Bowie, live-painted by Pachi during the night's performances. We can't bring Bowie back like a modern-day Lazarus, but we can make the Starman proud.
Blues Jam at the Wynwood Yard
8 p.m. Tuesday, January 10, free
Enjoy the Wynwood Yard's weekly blues jam hosted by the Reggie Sears Band. After the band's initial set, the stage will open up to anyone who wants to sit in and play along too.
In the Lobby Lounge Jazz at Olympia Theater
6:30 Wednesday, January 11, free
This Wednesday, head to Olympia Theater for another iteration of In the Lobby Lounge. Get jazzy when the Great American Songbook will be presented by New World Symphony and Jim Gasior. Doors open at 6 p.m., and music begins at 6:30.
Photo courtesy of Schwartz Media
7 p.m. Thursday, January 12, free
Long-stem roses, be warned: You will be cut this week and placed in the mouths of dancers in downtown Miami. The Prism Creative Group, intent on elevating culture in Miami, is doing just that by bringing Tango al Fresco to Miami. The Argentine dance classes will take place on Biscayne Green, a pop-up promenade right on Biscayne Boulevard.
Miami Improv Festival headliners the Defiant Thomas Brothers reunite with in-your-face sketch comedy.
The Defiant Thomas Brothers
Thursday, January 12, through Sunday, January 15, individual shows start at $10
Name a funny celebrity — Amy Poehler, Steve Carell, Horatio Sanz, Maya Rudolph — and chances are they got their start in standup comedy. The fast-paced, script-free genre forces participants to think creatively on their feet, leading to wacky scenes that never play out the same way twice. And for four days this week, Miami's long-standing comedy center, Just the Funny, will celebrate improv with dozens of comedy groups from around the country.
Art Deco Weekend on Ocean Drive
Friday, January 13, through Sunday, January 15
Miami Beach is architecturally a special place. Sure, there's Wet Willie's and plenty of sand and waves, but the art deco era is well preserved in the buildings that now house boutique hotels and Banana Republic. That’s why every year, the nonprofit Miami Design Preservation League puts on Art Deco Weekend, showcasing the Miami Beach Architectural Historic District. Founded in 1976, the group strives to ensure this architectural style doesn’t fall into disrepair and distant memory.
Trilogy of Consciousness at Miami Hispanic Cultural Arts Center
7:30 p.m. Friday, January 13, free
Mexican filmmaker Cristian Proa will launch his trilogy of short films The Trilogy of Consciousness for the first time Friday evening.
