It’s the last week in January—are you a better person yet? If not, there are plenty of opportunities to make some art, learn a skill, or get educated on a niche topic. You can also sit and judge strangers’ home videos, if that’s more your speed.
MONDAY, JANUARY 28
PINCH POTS, NOT PEOPLE: Calico’s Arts and Drafts this week will give you everything you need to make the pinch pot of your dreams. A vessel of endless possibility, the pinch pot is ideal for holding hair pins, coins, baby teeth, and fortune cookie fortunes that really struck a chord. (Calico, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., FREE)
OH MY POD: Do you love the sound of your own voice? Do you look at the podcast field and think, “there just aren’t enough?” Then join industry experts to learn the ins and outs of building a pod from scratch. (Mindspace, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., $5)
HAND LETTER EVERYTHING: Are you a barbaric animal who doesn’t know how to hand letter? Fix that at this class so that you’ll no longer be an embarrassment to your parents. You’ll leave with a set of personalized cards and a renewed sense of self. (Shop Made in DC, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., $75)
GET FELT UP: If you can’t keep a plant alive but want to jump on the succulents bandwagon, come make a felt cactus. Unlike people, this soft little guy requires minimal effort and won’t hurt you. Ticket prices includes materials, wine, and snacks. (The Lemon Collective, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., $45)
MORE: Backcountry Film Festival (Penn Social, 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m., $15), Bounce Back Hip Hop Yoga Flow (Dacha Beer Garden Loft, 6 p.m.-7 p.m., $18), A Silent Voice screening (Regal Cinemas Gallery Place 14, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., $13.25)
TUESDAY, JANUARY 29
STRANGERS’ HOME MOVIES: What’s weirder than the disembodied voice of your parents narrating grainy footage of your childhood? The disembodied voice of strangers’ parents narrating grainy footage of their childhood. The D.C. Public Library put out a call for residents’ home movies, so come enjoy popcorn, a cocktail, and the realization that your childhood was more normal than you thought. (Suns Cinema, 8 p.m., FREE)
DO YOU EVEN SPIN, BRO?: Rhino Records releases reissues of classic and rare vinyls, and Songbyrd is hosting a prize-packed happy hour to celebrate the first release of the year. Have a beverage, grab a swag bag, and feel superior to the streaming masses. (Songbyrd, 6 p.m.-10 p.m., free entry)
GET BODIED: Prepare for your next personal crisis by learning to cut hair from a professional. Wayne Tuggle will teach you how to cut all types of hair texture for any head shape. (The Shop at Shaw, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., $25)
ALL THE TEA ON BREXIT DRAMA: Want to understand what the bloody hell is going on with Brexit? The group Young Professionals in International Affairs is hosting a discussion on the messy madness and its implications for the rest of the world. (Cleveland Park Library, 6:30-8:30 p.m., FREE with registration)
MORE: Deconstructing The Beatles: Magical Mystery Tour (Landmark E Street Theatre, 7 p.m., $15), Guided Mindfulness Meditation (Rhizome DC, 7 p.m., $5 donation suggested), The Farm Bill: A Citizen’s Guide (Busboys and Poets at 14th and V, 6:30 p.m., FREE), Animation Demo Reels (WeWork, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE with registration)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30
FEEL THE PULSE: With the Smithsonians set to reopen on Tuesday, it’s time to catch up on all the federally funded art you might have missed during the government shutdown. We’d start with Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Pulse at the Hirshhorn, an exhibit that requires you to feel something, even in these frigid times. The piece fills the entire second floor of the museum with lightbulbs, and uses visitors’ biometric data and heart rate to light the place up. (Hirshhorn Museum, through April 28, FREE)
LIKE TWITTER BUT WITH ART: You react to contemporary culture every day on social media, here’s your chance to do it with 300 percent more elegance. Join Artist’s Proof Art Gallery and Batignolles (the local French contemporary art society) for their opening night reception featuring four artists whose work is basically one big shrug emoji. Visitors are meant to “complete” the work by reacting to the intentionally vague pieces. (Artist’s Proof, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE with RSVP)
WOMEN WHO SCULPT: If you’re less into French men and more into female sculptors, check out the opening reception for Women Who Work, Care, and Create from Zenith Gallery. This exhibit features nine contemporary female sculptors whose work traverses a variety of methods, mediums, and moods. (1111 Sculpture Space, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE with RSVP)
MORE: Candlelight yoga (The Line Hotel, 7 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE), Beatles tribute show (The Ugly Mug, 8 p.m.-12 a.m., FREE), Overachievers Comedy Show (DC Improv, 8 p.m.-10 p.m., $10), Rob Maletik Band (Blues Alley, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., $22)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 31
SINCE GENOVIA ISN’T REAL: Spend an evening at the Embassy of Bulgaria. The cost of your ticket includes a buffet of classic Bulgarian food, traditional libations including a “special wine not readily available in the U.S.,” diplomats available to answer all of your Bulgaria questions (like, “Where can I readily procure this special wine?”), and the possibility that the Bulgarian ambassador might make an appearance. The anticipation! Or, should we say, очакването! (Embassy of Bulgaria, 7-9:30 p.m., $50)
GET HYPNOTIZED IN SOMEONE’S HOUSE: If vitamin D lamps and supplements haven’t busted your mid-winter S.A.D., try getting hypnotized. The cost of admission to Janna Gayle’s home for her Mid Winter Mood Boost workshop also includes an unspecified use of essential oils, pulling oracle cards, and the healing sounds of a large Tibetan singing bowl. (Bloomingdale, 7-9 p.m., $20.48)
SHOW OFF FOR A CAUSE: Put all those hours of watching Zoboomafoo to good use at the Endangered Species Protection Network’s trivia night. The categories include not only animal knowledge, but pop culture and history, so choose your team of 3 to 4 wisely. (Buffalo Billiards, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., free entry)
MORE: Comedian Moshe Kasher (DC Improv, 7:30, $20), Ecstatic Dance and DJ set (The Edgewood Arts Building, 8:45 p.m.-10:15 p.m., $15), POPPY on tour (9:30 Club, 6 p.m. doors, $25), Profs & Pints: Elections in the Trump Era (The Bier Baron Tavern, 6 p.m., $12-$15)
