TGI'F' Top Picks 2/4/21

The Endless Junkmail Scroll & Other Trashformational Artworks

The Endless Junkmail Scroll & Other Trashformational Artworks is an installation and interactive site by Vernita Nemec, will be on display Friday though March 26 at Southeast Missouri State University's Catapult Creative House. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday. Nemec, also known by the performance name Vernita N'Cognita, is a visual artist, performance artist, curator and arts activist based in New York City where she has lived since 1965. She was born in Painesville, Ohio, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ohio University in 1964. She is known for her soft stuffed sculpture, collages, artist's books, photographs and installations. "The Endless Junkmail Scroll Installation" is an interactive site that hangs from the ceiling and twists through space, requiring the viewer to walk beneath and through it. In addition to the exhibition, Nemec will give a recorded artist's talk at 7 p.m. Feb. 11 on Zoom as a part of the "After Hours: Conversations on Art and Culture Lecture Series" at Catapult Creative House." The exhibition, opening reception and artist's talk are free and open to the public. Face coverings will be required, and social distancing guidelines will be in place. Attendees are welcome to tour the entire Catapult facilities including the Southeast's Department of Art and Design students' studios and gallery, which currently feature multimedia work by Southeast student artist Ashlyn Kinman. Visitors are also invited to browse the merchandise in the Shoppe, which features student work and local business products. The exhibit will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Virtual Books Talks

Join the library staff as we read and share books we love. Tune in via Facebook Live to say hello, ask questions and let us know what books you are reading. This is a virtual event. Join at www.facebook.com/capelibrary/live from 1230 to 1 p.m. Friday. For more information, call (573) 334-5279

Polar Plunge 2021

This "unbearable" event -- 2 p.m. Saturday at Cape County Park North in Cape Girardeau -- is a unique opportunity to show your bravery as you support local Special Olympics athletes by plunging into the frigid winter waters. Proceeds benefit Special Olympics Missouri. SOMO exists to provide year-round sports and training opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and our athletes need you to get involved. Become a coach, volunteer, recruit a future athlete and learn how to make a difference! Participants must be at least 10 years old and raise a minimum of $75 by event day. The Polar Plunge is a project of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Missouri. Cape Girardeau PD is proud to host this event. Mail offline donations to: Special Olympics Missouri, Cape Girardeau Polar Plunge, 1625 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Include the names of the Plungers in the memo line of checks. Contact Penny at Williams@somo.org with questions.

Black History Month: 'John Lewis: Good Trouble'

As part of Black History Month, this documentary is a depiction of John Lewis, a civil rights leader. Lewis was a congressman that advocated for equality, voting rights, gun control, health care reform and immigration. The event will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Rose Theater on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration theme for 2021 is "Speaking to the Moment: Reconciling the Dream." It will be held virtually at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Nikki Giovanni, a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator is the keynote presents for the evening. A distinguished professor in writing and literature at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and best-selling author, Giovanni has long inspired students and audiences to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others. The evening will be hosted by Southeast students Raven Cole and Anthony Shepard. Musical performances will be by Joseph Jefferson, the Southeast Jazz Collective, Southeast student Peighton Robinson and Jonathan Bibbs, a Virginia-based singer-songwriter and educator. To register for the 2021 MLK Celebration, visit www.semo.edu/mlk. Registration is free. For more information about Southeast's free Black History Month events and activities, visit www.semo.edu/mlk/events.