After Iowa City has been tormented by snow storms, sheets of ice over the road, and riotous celebrations watching former Hawkeye Cooper DeJean score a pick-six in the Super Bowl, venues around town are offering a more artistic escape.
The Iowa City Downtown District’s X Marks the Arts program is a community-building initiative meant to encourage people to check out experiences around the city they wouldn’t normally look for.
This week, the program’s biggest event so far will give people a completely free way to experience the arts and culture of Iowa City. That’s right — the X Marks the Arts Free Week begins Feb. 18 and runs through Feb. 22.
With so many options, it can be difficult to find the right places to spend your time this week. This list seeks to provide inspiration and point out some of the unique opportunities that Iowa City will offer free of charge this week.
Ped Mall documentary at FilmScene – all week
Every day of Free Week, FilmScene will show a new local documentary titled “We Always Come Here,” a retelling of the history of Iowa City’s Pedestrian Mall. The film will be on a loop in the Ped Mall location starting at 11 a.m. every day until 3 p.m.
UI Symphony Orchestra at Voxman Music Building – Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
The first concert of the year for the University of Iowa Symphony Orchestra is free to attend and stream online. For the first installment in their program, they will perform “Requiem to Revival” from Grammy-winner Jessie Montgomery. The event is a perfect way to get immersed in contemporary classical music.
RELATED: Curing cabin fever with art during the coldest months of the year
SCW Pro Wrestling at The Englert Theatre – Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Since 2003, SCW has been promoting independent, professional wrestling across Iowa. The organization pulls talent from Davenport’s Black and Brave Wrestling Academy and puts on shows at venues across the state. This week, they’ll be taking the fight to The Englert Theatre for a free showcase of pro talent.
Know Iowa’s birds at the Iowa City Public Library – Feb. 22 at 1 p.m.
As a part of the Iowa City Public Library’s “Wintering Together” series, a collection of events meant for adult audiences have been hosted in the library’s event space throughout the month. This week, the library will feature an introductory bird-watching course to teach residents how to recognize the birds they see outside their windows every day. In addition, other more advanced bird-watching resources will be recommended for those wishing to pursue the hobby.
This week offers a multitude of various events across venues all around town. Events like this don’t come around often, but the X Marks the Arts Free Week goes to show how vibrant and accessible the Iowa City arts community can be.