TOP PICKS FOR THE WEEK
Ever thought about the history behind an antique or keepsake in your home? In “Seat of Learning,” Axle Contemporary’s latest project, Jane Lackey and Thomas Lehn reflect on tangible objects and the significance that something like their own vintage desk — whose history they’ve been pondering — can hold for either a large group or just one person. Lackey and Lehn will be showing up with the Axle van at various places in Santa Fe starting this week to tape conversations with people about whatever personal object they choose to bring with them. The videos, photos and belongings — if the visitors opt to let the artists borrow them — will be used in a 2020 exhibition at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs’ Marie Walsh Sharpe Contemporary Gallery. The couple will be parked at Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Ave., Thursday from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and the Railyard next to the Farmer’s Market from 2-6 p.m. on Saturday. They will continue the project next Friday at La Montañita Co-Op, 913 W. Alameda St. from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and back at the Railyard next Saturday from 1-5 p.m. Participants can sign up for 15-20-minute interview slots on axleart.com/seat-oflearning.
POWWOW: Located in its Dance Circle, the Institute of American Indian Arts will be hosting its Spring Powwow this weekend. The annual powwow will kick off at 10 a.m. Saturday with gourd dancing followed by the 11 a.m. grand entry, invocation, colors and songs. The festivities, ending at 7 p.m., will also include a drum contest, with $4,500 being distributed in prize money, and food and art vendors lining the area. Spring Powwow at IAIA, 83 Avan Nu Po Road, is free.
FLEA FINDS: From jewelry to sculptures to other collectible knickknacks, find an international treasure this weekend at the annual Folk Art Flea. The fundraiser for the Museum of International Folk Art, now in its ninth year, features global merchandise, including art, toys or clothes, most of it donated by people who’ve traveled the world. For the more serious buyers, the market also includes a “Collectors’ Corner.” The Folk Art Flea is open to the general public tomorrow at the museum, 706 Camino Lejo on Museum Hill, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Friends of Folk Art members can start shopping at 9 a.m. Entry to the market is free.
HIS WEIRDNESS: He may be known for his ode to another New Mexico city, but parody-master “Weird Al” Yankovic will be performing in Santa Fe this Sunday at the Lensic. “Weird Al,” famous for his parody albums mostly from the ’80s and ’90s that feature hits like “Eat It” — a nod at Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” — and “Like A Surgeon” — a riff on a Madonna hit you may know. But most New Mexicans may know him for his 11-minute 1999 hit, “Albuquerque,” an epic tale of a guy who wins a one-way ticket to the Duke City in a radio contest. His most recent album, 2014’s “Mandatory Fun,” earned him a Grammy for Best Comedy Album. The show at the Lensic, 211 W. San Francisco St., is sold out. But if you’re able to find tickets, their face value is $52-$72.