Welcome back to The To-Do List, where Daily Memphian staffers suggest their favorite events and activities for the coming week. 

This week, clothing and pottery pop up next to Hard Times Deli, a new sculpture celebrates caregivers and the Dixon’s director talks about cat paintings.

Slowdown Dry Goods & Kelsey Berry Pottery Pop-Up at Hard Times Deli, begins Friday:

Slowdown Dry Goods founder Eli Berry, left, with his wife, Kelsey Berry of Kelsey Berry Pottery. The two will be hosting a pop-up shop next to the new Hard Times Deli. (Courtesyy Eli Berry)

Hungry for lunch? Are you also looking to pick up a handmade vase? Maybe a T-shirt or a hat, too? Boy, have I got the place. Freshly opened Hard Times Deli is hosting ceramicist (and fellow Kelsey B.) Kelsey Berry and local clothing brand Slowdown Dry Goods for a month-long pop-up in its adjacent retail space. Kelsey Berry’s pottery ranges from to-go cups to big and small vases. Each is painted in beautiful, earthy tones and sometimes combined in bold ways. The designers at Slowdown Dry Goods always deliver sharp, quirky and creative clothes and accessories. Plus, you can’t go wrong with a Hard Times sammich. Or, if you’re thinking to-go, their packaged smoked tuna salad was an unexpected hit for me. Begins at 10 a.m. 655 Marshall Ave. Click here for more information. — Kelsey Bowen

‘Monuments to Motherhood’ public art unveiling in Medical District Park, Friday:

Friday is National Caregivers Day, so what better day to unveil a series of large-scale bronze sculptures honoring caregivers? The sculptures were created by New York-based artist and activist Molly Gochman in a project made possible by the UrbanArt Commission and the Memphis Medical District Collaborative. Medical District Park, by the way, is the new name for Health Sciences Park. 11:30 a.m. Free. Madison Ave and S. Dunlap Street. Click here to RSVP. — Phillips

‘Not Only Seen, But Felt’ opening reception at UrbanArt Commission, Friday:

Gabrielle Yasmeen’s “Not Only Seen, But Felt” opens at UrbanArt Commission on Friday, Feb. 21. (Courtesy Gabrielle Yasmeen)

Photographer Gabrielle Yasmeen has curated the “Not Only Seen, But Felt” exhibition to showcase seven Black women photographers as “visual griots, capturing identity, cultural heritage, spiritual practices and legacy.” (A “griot” is a West African historian.) The seven artists are A.C. Bullard, Akeara W., Alexus Milons, Ariel J. Cobbert, Jasmine Marie, MadameFraankie and Yasmeen. Styles included are documentary, portraiture, archival, experimental and abstract. Themes of the works include community, family, labor, love and remembrance. The exhibition will be on view through April 17. 5:30-7 p.m. Free (RSVP here). 422 N. Cleveland St. — Elle Perry

Memphis Mardi Gras on Main Street, Friday-Sunday:

The after-party for Memphis Mardi Gras on Main will feature DJ Mannie Fresh. (Amy Harris/Invision/AP file)

Mowbray and Cherina Rowand of The Rowand Group, owners Fat Tuesday Memphis and Esco Memphis, are bringing back their Mardi Gras event for the second year. Events include a glow-party bar crawl beginning at 6 p.m. Friday at Fat Tuesday, with a dozen stops. A parade with floats, bands and dance teams is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday at G.E. Patterson Avenue and Main Street. A block party on Main Street and after party are both set to feature New Orleans and hip-hop royalty DJ Mannie Fresh at Esco Memphis. Finally, at 8 p.m. Sunday, a Masquerade Ball is set for Esco Memphis. Times and prices vary. 8 Main St. Suite 101 (Fat Tuesday), 158 Lt. George W Lee Ave. (Esco Memphis). Click here for more information. — Perry

Ballet Memphis ‘Winter Mix’ at Playhouse on the Square, Friday-Sunday:

Ballet Memphis will premiere a new work from choreographer Durante Verzola (center) in its February 2025 “Winter Mix” Friday-Saturday, Feb. 21-22. (Courtesy Ballet Memphis)

Every February, Ballet Memphis brings this production of new and returning works. It includes two world premieres: One is the third Ballet Memphis commission from company dancer Emilia Sandoval, and the other is from Filipino-American choreographer Durante Verzola. The third work is a return of former resident choreographer Trey McIntyre’s “The Barrramundi,” featuring Seu Jorge’s interpretations of popular David Bowie songs. It’s about the life cycle of a barramundi fish. Each work is related to Ballet Memphis’ season theme of dualities. Click here to read about how Sandoval incorporates the music of Daniel Caesar and Moses Sumney into her piece. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $35 and $55 (tickets here). 66 S. Cooper St. —Perry

‘The Mousetrap’ at the University of Memphis Department of Theatre and Dance, opening Friday:

Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” has run longer than any show in London’s West End. The murder mystery opened in 1952 and only temporarily paused performances for the COVID-19 pandemic. In the play, a woman is murdered in Monkswell Manor, and staff and guests are suddenly stranded inside during a snowstorm. Fear escalates until another murder takes place. The unsuspecting plot twist at the end is a tightly held secret, as Christie was dismayed by the plots of her works being revealed. Audiences are asked to not reveal the killer’s identity in order so as not to spoil the play for future audiences. The Feb. 20 production was canceled due to weather conditions, so the show will run Feb. 21-23. Times vary. 3745 Central Ave. See here for more information. — Alys Drake

‘The 7-Year Swashbuckling Soiree’ at Crosstown Brewing Co., Saturday:

Crosstown Brewing Co. will celebrate its seventh anniversary on Saturday, Feb. 22. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

You know that feeling when you’ve watched your friend’s kid grow up, and it makes you feel both proud but also old? That’s how I feel about Crosstown Brewing Co. turning seven. I remember the grand opening like it was yesterday, and since then, my neighborhood brewery has become the foundation for so many great memories: birthdays, music shows, post-marathon celebrations, Sunday fun days. This Saturday, CBC is inviting us all to raise a glass to seven years of memory-making. There’s a pirate theme, so swashbuckling gear is recommended. Relentless Breeze and The Wayback Machine will provide the tunes. 3 p.m. Free. 1264 Concourse Ave. Click here for more information. — Phillips

Memphis ChoralArts presents ‘All Men Sing, American Voice’ at First Baptist Church, Saturday:

This year’s Grammy Music Educator of the Year, Adrian Maclin (Cordova High’s choral director), will lead the Memphis Men’s Chorale and men’s chorus of Cordova High, Raleigh-Egypt High, Germantown High and Soulsville Charter schools in this concert with the Memphis Wind Symphony. They’ll be celebrating American composers including Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Randall Thompson and Moses Hogan. The concert begins and ends with Thompson’s “Testament of Freedom,” based on Thomas Jefferson’s writings. (Maclin is assistant artistic director of Memphis ChoralArts.) 7 p.m. $15 for adults, $5 for students (with ID). 200 E. Parkway North — Perry 

Youth Villages Soup Sunday at The Kent, Sunday:

Youth Villages will host its annual Soup Sunday on Sunday, Feb. 23. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian file)

Winter has been back in full force this week, and this annual soup party fundraiser for Youth Villages couldn’t come at a better time. Warm up with soup samples, and support YV’s LifeSet program while your slurp. All funds raised from the event will go toward this effort to provide young people with support as they age out of foster care at 18. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $85. 61 Keel Ave. Click here for more information. — Phillips

Black history presentation at Elmwood Cemetery, Sunday:

Elmwood Cemetery will host a talk Black History Month talk on the Civil Rights leaders, business people, musicians and others buried there on Sunday, Feb. 23. (Ziggy Mack/Special to The Daily Memphian file)

Elmwood Cemetery’s Black history presentation tells the stories of the Civil Rights leaders, business people, a nun being considered for sainthood, musicians, writers, politicians and more. Executive Director Kim Bearden’s lecture is indoors, an hour-long and seated. 2 pm. $20 (plus fees). 824 S. Dudley St. — Perry

The Book Mixer at The Cove, Sunday:

The Cove will host a Book Mixer on Sunday, Feb. 23. (The Daily Memphian file)

Whether you’re making good on your New Year’s resolutions, or you just want to dive into a good book, it’s a great time for a fresh read. But, in the days of an oversaturated market, where do you go for a book recommendation? Not TikTok, I will tell you that much. At the Book Mixer at nautical-themed bar The Cove, you can exchange reads with locals in the same boat (pun intended). But, dear reader, this is not just an opportunity to get your hands on a new book. This is the chance to grab your soapbox and tell everyone why they should read your favorite book. How often do you get to force people to listen to you about books? I know you’ve got a beloved book (or books!) gathering dust on your bookshelf. Why not re-home it? 5-8 p.m. $13.73. 2559 Broad Ave. Click here to buy a ticket.— Kelsey Bowen

Community Griot: Quilting Liberation at Cafe Noir, Sunday:

Quilters sang during a preview of the exhibit, "The Quilts of Gee's Bend," at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Tuesday, May 31, 2005. On Sunday, Feb. 23, Cafe Noir will host a quilting liberation event. (Chitose Suzuki/AP file) 

Cafe Noir is kicking off a series about Black quilt-making. The first session features local quilter Susan Rogers, who will share quilting’s historical and cultural significance. It includes a hands-on, quilt patch-making activity, with materials provided. Sewing experience is not required. 5-7 p.m. $10 (RSVP here). 635 Madison Ave. — Perry

‘Faces of Bowie’ Aladdin Sane Weather Vane Sculpture Unveiling at Connect Music, Tuesday:

Part of Mike McCarthy’s “Faces of Bowie” sculpture will be unveiled on Tuesday, Feb. 25. (Courtesy Marvin Stockwell)

Artist/filmmaker Mike McCarthy has been hard at work on a 10-foot-tall David Bowie sculpture called Aladdin Sane Weather Vane. And on Tuesday, the anniversary of Bowie’s 1973 performance at Memphis’ Ellis Auditorium, he’ll unveil part of the sculpture: four bronze Bowie heads representing Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Tokyo Pop, and Halloween Jack. Wine and cheese will be served. 6-10 p.m. Free. 158 Vance Ave. Click here for more information. — Phillips

Munch and Learn: ‘My Favorite Paintings of Cats’ at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Wednesday:

The Dixon Gallery & Gardens’ weekly lecture series features artists, scholars and staff in the Winegardner Auditorium. In this one, the Dixon’s director shares his favorite feline paintings. Kevin Sharp has been at the Dixon since 2007 and previously served as director of Visual Arts at Cedarhurst in Mt. Vernon, Illinois; curator of American Art at the Norton Museum of Art, in West Palm Beach, Florida; and research curator at the Art Institute of Chicago. He has expertise in 19th century French and American art and has organized or co-organized more than 50 exhibitions. For the lecture, guests are asked to bring their own lunch from Park & Cherry to the auditorium. Noon to 1 p.m. Free talk, but lunch can be pre-ordered from Park & Cherry at 901-312-1277. 4339 Park Ave. Click here for more information. — Perry

‘Beauty and the Beast’ Soirée and Sneak Peek at Theatre Memphis, Wednesday:

Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” opens Friday, but donors can get a sneak peek at this fundraising party for Theatre Memphis. For a $100 ticket, you’ll get access to a cocktail buffet at 5:30 p.m. and an early general-admission show at 7:30 p.m. Plus, you’ll leave with a commemorative “Beauty and the Beast” gift and $50 tax-deductible contribution. If you want to go even further, you can pay $500 to sponsor a character in the show. 5:30-10:30 p.m. $100 or $500. 630 Perkins Extd. Click here for more information. — Phillips

Storyfest at the Halloran Centre for the Performing Arts, Wednesday:

The Halloran Centre for the Performing Arts will host Storyfest on Wednesday, Feb. 26. (Courtesy Orpheum Theatre)

Students from Middle College High School at Christian Brothers University will present theatrical performances based on personal stories in this annual event. This year’s performance is divided into two presentations, each featuring numerous students. One deals with the fears and obstacles faced while growing up, and in the other, students share stories of how they have dealt with setbacks. 7 p.m. Free (and a free parking pass comes with registration). 225 S. Main St. Click here to register. — Phillips

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