Black History Month, All of February:
As you know (if you haven’t been hibernating under a rock for the last 50 years), February is Black History Month. While much maligned for being the shortest month, it was chosen by the man credited with creating Black History month, Harvard-educated historian Carter G. Woodson, because it includes the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. If you’d like to learn more about Black history, Metropolitan Community College has online programming that is free and open to the public available here. University of Nebraska at Omaha has a virtual event on Thursday, Feb. 4 (tonight), at 6 p.m. Register to attend panel discussion “A Pandemic in Our Communities: Addressing Health Disparities in the African American Community” here. For more Black history facts, follow Culxr House on Facebook here. They are dedicating a post every day to learning about an array of Black history topics.

Let's Talk Art, Thursday, Feb. 4:
Craving a little more art in your life? Joslyn Art Museum is here for you. Join them online for a special program with Ximena A. Gómez, Ph.D., who will discuss devotional images of the Virgin of Copacabana from colonial Peru. Gómez specializes in the art of Latin America, and she will cover the ways that Francisco Tito Yupanqui’s miracle-working statue was redefined and mobilized through the ritual dress of sculptures and other topics. She will speak for 30–40 minutes, with a Q&A session to follow. Be sure to register ahead of time here.
Image: Unknown artist (Bolivian), Virgin of the Rosary, late 18th century, oil on canvas, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick H. Lowell, 1965.665

Illustration by Anthony T. Peña

Becoming BFF, Friday, Feb. 5:
Need more art? This month’s Benson First Friday is “a little bit virtual,” and “a little bit in-person,” ready to accommodate your art-viewing needs. This month (and every month), you can check out all BFF has to offer from the safety of your own home by viewing their digital art walk "WALK IT OUT: with MLC." Another way to get involved is by joining their Members-Only Happy Hour, no jacket required. Members receive drink specials, local art, a special performance, and more. Interested but not a member? Show up at The Sydney at 6 p.m. to sign up with their membership coordinator. Learn more about this event here.

Let's Have A Good Time, Friday, Feb. 5:
For those who want to do something special in anticipation of V-Day but want to ensure they (and their loved ones) stay safe, attending Ranky Tanky at Holland Performing Arts Center could be the answer. Ranky Tanky is a Grammy Award-winning group that performs timeless music born from the Gullah culture mixed with gospel, funk, R&B, and jazz. Holland shows all have limited seating capacity for social distancing and masks are required. Get your tickets here ASAP.

Super (Pasta) Bowl, Saturday, Feb. 6:
Looking forward to watching the Super Bowl (or in my case, the Puppy Bowl) from home, but not excited about doing the cooking? Check out the Take & Make Super Bowl Drive-Thru Event from La Festa Italiana Omaha for an easy solution. They have pizza, meatball subs, or a full-on pasta meal if you’d like. You don’t even have to pre-order. Just drive up, tell them what you want, and take it home to enjoy during the bowl game. They will be taking orders from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Find out more here.

Event times and details may change. Check with venue or event organizer to confirm.