Give Mardi Gras beads new life by donating them to organizations around Baton Rouge, or making them into something new at the Knock Knock Children's Museum. Photo via Baton Rouge Moms.

Arts around town: Mardi Gras beads get new life, Surrealist film showings, and more

Now that Mardi Gras is over, those plastic beads that meant so much during the parade are now taking up space on seemingly all surfaces of the house. Rather than tossing them into the trashcan, consider donating Mardi Gras throws to The Arc of Baton Rouge, Salvation Army, Goodwill or the Louisiana Art & Science Museum to contribute to causes that serve these organizations year round. If you are feeling adventurous, make the beads into something brand new at Knock Knock Children’s Museum’s Mardi Gras Mosaics workshops this Saturday, February 17. The 45-minute-long workshops will be led by sculpture expert John Lawson for children ages 5 and up to create framed Mardi Gras mosaics. For more information and to register, visit the event page here.


The LSU Museum of Art and Manship Theatre are hosting a Surreal Film Showcase tonight, Thursday, February 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening will start with a tour of the Bonjour: Au Revoir Surréalisme exhibition, followed by screenings of a short film by Georges Méliés and Terry Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Tickets must be purchased at the Manship Theatre ticket desk and are $11 for the public and $8 for members.


Tonight, Thursday, February 15, at 7:30 p.m. is Pay What You Can night at LSU’s Claude L. Shaver Theatre for a preview performance of Swine Palace’s newest production, Arcadia. Directed by George E. Judy, the play is an award-winning comedy by Tom Stoppard which follows the Coverly estate between 1809 and the present as drama unfolds and is uncovered. Arcadia officially opens tomorrow, February 16, and will run through February 25. Patrons are invited to arrive 30 minutes early for complimentary pre-show conversations with various experts who will delve into the many complex themes of Arcadia. For tickets, visit swinepalace.org/arcadia.


Manship Theatre and the West Baton Rouge Museum are coming together in celebration of the exhibition Water Trails of the Atchafalaya, on display now at The Gallery at Manship Theatre, for a special reception tonight, Thursday, February 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Manship Theatre. The photographic and sculptural portrayals of Louisiana’s landscape will be on display through March 4.


Ann Connelly Fine Art will feature the drawings and paintings of Lisa Qualls starting tonight, Thursday, February 15, with an opening reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.


See this year’s best short films on the big screen during Manship Theatre’s showing of the 2018 Oscar nominees this Sunday, February 18, at 6 p.m. To get a preview of the films, check out the trailer here. And to purchase tickets, visit manshiptheatre.org.


The LSU School of Theatre will delve into the dark and comedic side of romance with presentations of John Cariani’s Love/Sick starting next Tuesday, February 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Claude L. Shaver Theatre. Directed by Joe Carleton, the play will run through Sunday, February 25. For a full list of showtimes, as well as ticket information, visit the event page here.


Next Wednesday, February 21, the East Baton Rouge Public Library will present author Randall Ladnier as he discusses his new book, The Brides of La Baleine, at 7 p.m. at the Main Library at Goodwood. The book chronicles the lives of the 88 French women who first came to the Louisiana colony in 1720. For more information, visit ebrpl.com.


Tonight, Thursday, February 15, at 7:30 p.m., the LSU Jazz Ensemble, as well as many other members of the LSU Jazz Studies Program, will take to the stage for the LSU School of Music’s  Jazz Showcase. The show will take place in the LSU Union Theater and tickets are available here.


Manship Theatre is hosting a showing of the web series Home Remedy this Saturday, February 17, at 7 p.m. The showing will also feature a 15-minute sneak preview of We Lived the Blues, a short documentary about two people from Baton Rouge and their story of survival amidst the flood. Tickets are available through the Manship Theatre box office.


Catch a final glimpse of the Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s exhibition Alyse Simon: Atomic Art, which closes this Sunday, February 18. The work of Simon explores radiation through celestial formations in plastic.


Next Monday, February 19, the LSU School of Music will present Cecilia Kang on clarinet and Ana Maria Otamendi on piano for a concert featuring works from composers worldwide. The performance will take place in the LSU School of Music Recital Hall and admission is free.


The second installment of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library’s Black History Month Film Series will take place this Friday, February 16, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Carver Branch Library. The film will follow the life and incredible Olympic story of Jesse Ownes, who rose to fame at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. For more information, visit the event page here.


The LSU Digital Media Program is bringing a whole new musical experience to Baton Rouge with its trans-media concert “High Voltage.” The presentation will take place this Friday, February 16, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Digital Media Center Theater. Admission is free and open to the public.


Tuesday, February 20, the LSU Wind Ensemble will perform “Bells for Stokowski,” “Redline Tango,” and more with guests Hila Pitmann and Frank Wickes. The concert will take place in the LSU Union Theater with $18 general-admission tickets.