Filming through the margins
Breaking political and artistic boundaries in film is the purpose of The New Negress Film Society (NNFS), providing new light to marginalized groups through the works of marginalized filmmakers, the organization premieres Penny Stamps: New Negress Film Society, a lecture which coincides with the Ann Arbor Film Festival. The New Negress Film Society formed in response to its first film screening in Brooklyn, which featured short films from a group of emerging black female artists. —JB
Thursday, March 23. 5pm. Michigan Theater, 603 E Liberty St. 734-668-8397. michtheater.org. Free
Make Art, Not War
The University of Michigan School of Social Work is bringing back its Social Justice Arts Festival. The event explores how art can be used as a tool to explore and promote social justice and change. This year’s theme is “In Our Space: Using Art to Name Our Reality.” The festival will feature many different mediums and genres including: photography, painting, sculpture, performance art, poetry, workshops, interactive mediums and digital display. —JB
Saturday, March 18. 12pm. William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center, 1443 Washtenaw Ave. ssw.umich.edu. sswartfest@gmail.com Free
Monologues from a closet
Clothing can say, and indicate, much more about a person than mere fashion. “Love, Loss & What I Wore,” an exhibition based on the book by Ilene Beckerman, explores the world of contemporary women as the characters reflect on memories, frustrations and aspiration associated with their clothes. Step into the worlds of these witty women with an in-depth look at their expressive wardrobes. Runs through March 4. —JB
Wednesday, March 1. 2pm. $18. Riverside Arts Gallery, 76 N Huron St, Ypsilanti. 734-483-7345. riversidearts.org
Writers: The Next Generation
Get a chance to hear from emerging writers with readings from Kristen Roupenian & Robert Heald. The Mark Webster Reading Series showcases work by second-year MFA students in the Helen Zell Writers’ Program. The Series typically features one poet and one fiction writer in a relaxed setting open to the public. Kristen Roupenian, now working on a novel, is the 2015 Grand Prize winner of the Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards. Robert Heald is pursuing an MFA in poetry at U of M. Also on Mar 24 with Rebecca Marie Fortes and Young Eun Yook. —JB
Friday, March 3. 7pm. Helmut Stern Auditorium, UMMA, 525 S State Street. 734-764-0395. events.umich.edu. Free
