5 things to do this weekend, including story time at Harvard Art Museums and a Celtic ballads workshop

If you saw the Academy Awards this past weekend, it might have put you in the mood for more “Barbenheimer.” The award for Best Picture went to “Oppenheimer,” and now that film will be playing at several movie houses this weekend, including the Somerville Theatre. For those who prefer pink on their silver screen, “Barbie” will be playing at the Worcester Public Library on Friday afternoon followed by a talk by a psychology professor who does research in children’s understanding of gender, power and status. If none of that interests you, we have more options for you, including an ode to one of the most famous theremin players, a celtic workshop and storytime inspired by a new museum exhibit.

Photographer Christian Walker graduated from Tufts University’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 1984. This exhibit surveys his work as a gay, Black artist who worked in both documentary as well as experimental photography in his career from the 1970s to ‘90s. Active in the Boston and Atlanta art scenes, Walker used his art to examine sexuality, race and the intersections of the two. The galleries at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts are free and open to the public.

If you’ve ever found yourself enjoying 1980s-style synth or any electronic music, you have the inventor of the theremin, Leon Theremin, to thank. It was the first fully electronic instrument and to this day it’s one of the most out-there sounding inventions — conjuring images of 1950s science fiction films. This concert is an ode to one of the instruments’ most talented and renowned players, Clara Rockmore. Director-choreographer Jessi Stegall uses Rockmore’s arrangements to accompany a cast of 11 dancers.

There’s no wrong time of year for Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” but the piece does sequentially begin with spring then go through the remaining three seasons. The performances this weekend are presented by Boston Baroque, the musical group dedicated to using instruments from the periods for which the music was written. With a program of Vivaldi, Geminiani’s concerto grosso, Op. 5, No. 4 and Handel’s “Silete Venti,” HWV 242, the orchestra will use instruments from the early 1700s. Friday’s concert will be at the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall and Saturday’s concerts will have both in-person and livestreamed options available via GBH’s Calderwood Studio. In-person tickets start at $25 and streaming at $9. [Want more classical music concert recommendations? Check out our spring music guide.]

A new exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums titled “LaToya M. Hobbs: It’s Time” features a massive series of prints telling the story of a day in the life of a Black mother in five scenes. The fourth scene, “Bedtime for the Boys,” shows the mother reading a story to her son, who sits up on his bed smiling. The museum will host a reading event inspired by the artwork at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday where a youth librarian from the Cambridge Public Library will read stories aloud for visitors. Admission is free to the Harvard Art Museums. [Read our seasonal art guide for more art exhibit recommendations.]

Here’s something for those seeking a participatory St. Patrick’s Day experience that doesn’t involve crowds at the parade. The workshop on Sunday will be led by multi-instrumentalist and singer Lindsay Straw. It’s a two-part class where attendees can go to either or both. The first part begins at 10:30 a.m. and focuses on ornamentation and style, reviewing early influences of Celtic ballads and Irish Sean-nós to more recent English-speaking performers. The second part of the workshop explores narrative ballads and love songs. Attendees will sing through several songs and compare them to different styles and roots. Tickets for one part are $40 and both parts are $65. Participants who sign up for the two-part bundle will receive a 20% discount for St. Patrick’s Day Brunch in Club Passim.