dsmWeekly: November 20, 2018

When you're close enough to read the sheet music from your chair, that's an intimate concert. Experience it tonight.

SYMPHONY MUSICIANS IN THE SPOTLIGHT TONIGHT

We've heard only good things about the Des Moines Symphony's intimate series of performances—Spotlight at the Temple—which continues this evening in the Grand Hall of the Temple for Performing Arts.

The concerts feature small ensembles performing in the round with patrons encouraged to have a cocktail and experience the music up close—and to mingle with the musicians in an informal post-concert reception.

Doors open this evening at 6:30, an hour before the performance by three small chamber-music ensembles. The program includes several etudes by Philip Glass as well as pieces by Vivaldi, Kodaly and others. Instrumentation includes marimbas, mandolin, violin, cello and claims of a seven-string guitar. General admission tickets, $15, provide access to rows of seating and to standing room at tall cocktail tables. A $40 VIP option provides reserved seating at cabaret tables and a drink ticket. Tickets can be purchased online here.

Whether you're a beer drinker or a wine fan, here's a little something to consider this holiday season.

SIP, SIP, HOORAY! TWO TASTES OF HOLIDAY CHEER
By Wini Moranville

For gatherings from Thanksgiving through Christmas, I seek wines and beers that are approachable to many, but also unique. Here are two favorites:

• Sauvion Vouvray 2017: This white wine is just so perfect for daytime holiday gatherings. It’s low in alcohol (11.5 percent), making it great for day drinking; it has a honeyed melon-fruit roundness and slight sweetness that make it a lovely aperitif, yet it also has a nice "thwack" of acidity that is so food-friendly. The quintessential Loire Valley chenin blanc is also available for a good price ($13.99) at Ingersoll Wine and Spirits (3500 Ingersoll Ave., 515-255-3191; ingersollwine.com).

• Shiner Cheer: I fell hard for this peach- and pecan-infused amber-brown wheat beer around Christmastime last year. Yet because I’m much less confident in my beer tastes than my wine tastes, I turned to local beer czar Jeff Bruning, partner in the spate of Full Court Press beer-centric restaurants, to ask what he thought. Turns out, he likes it enough that it’s on tap at the High Life Lounge. "When I first tasted it, I appreciated the way the tannic/bitter qualities of the pecans balanced the peach flavors," he said. (The High Life Lounge is at 200 S.W. Second St., 515-280-1965; thehighlifelounge.com.)

Shiner Cheer is also available widely at retail locations including these.

Wini Moranville writes about food, wine and dining for dsm magazine and dsmWeekly. Follow her on Facebook at All Things Food–DSM.

Black Friday isn't all about getting up at 3 a.m. to battle a crowded big-box sale. Instead, you can actually have fun shopping.

POP-UP BLACK FRIDAY MARKET AT CAPITAL SQUARE

The Black Friday Pop-Up Market is returning to Capital Square's atrium Friday, Nov. 23, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This 10th annual event, produced by Market Day, includes more than 75 vendors offering original art, clothing, jewelry, home goods, ceramics, toys and more. More than 3,000 people are expected to attend the free event.

Approximately 85 percent of vendors selected for the 2018 event are Iowans and 15 percent are based in nearby states. Get more info at marketdayiowa.com.

"While everyone’s having a great time at Market Day, a very important thing is happening," notes longtime vendor John Bosley, owner of Bozz Prints. "Makers are testing their concepts, receiving direct feedback from customers and taking a number of fundamental steps that help their hobbies develop into viable businesses."
Other local businesses that have sprung from the Market Day experience include Fontenelle Supply Co. and Preservation.

Artist Jeff Rider discusses his work with a recent visitor in his Mainframe studio. Photo: Karla Conrad.

FINE ART OF CHARITY ON DISPLAY AT MAINFRAME

Art for art's sake is fine, of course. But art goes a step beyond that on Saturday, Nov. 24, at Mainframe Studios, where artists are committing a portion of their sales to heartfelt causes.

It started with painters Tim Hugunin and Jeff Rider, who both have daughters afflicted by cystic fibrosis. They are teaming up to present "Art for Life: CF Art Benefit Show." It's part of Mainframe Studios' "Small Biz, Give Big" open-studio event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Up to 75 percent of proceeds from sales will go toward cystic fibrosis research. Hugunin's and Rider's paintings will be on display in the common area and in the artists’ studios on the fourth floor of Mainframe Studios, 900 Keosauqua Way.

Hugunin and Rider inspired other artists to donate to causes during the event. They include:

• John Bosley of Bozz Prints: 10 percent to Shoes That Fit.

Kim & John Novotny of Light the Earth: 10 percent to Wildwood Hills Ranch.
Tammy & Adam Winn of the Red Door Press: 10 percent to Young Women’s Resource Center.
Natalie Girod of Isa Maisa: 10 percent to A Street Cat With No Desire.
Deshara Bohanna of Design Fetish by Deshara: 10 percent to Youth Emergency Services Shelter.
Amy O’Brien of Amy O’Brien Art: 15 percent to American Diabetes Association.
Jen Lawler of Jen Lawler Designs: 10 percent to After School Arts Program.
Gretchen Bohling of Gretchen Bohling Design: 15 percent to Animal Rescue League of Iowa.
Andy Davis: 10 percent to Great Outdoors Foundation.

The event will also feature music performed by Courtney Krause from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Soup, sandwiches and adult beverages will be for sale by the Tangerine Food Company.

A riot of color and some high-stepping action go a long way toward holding the attention of youngsters attending "Aladdin."

HOLIDAY HEROES: ALADDIN, ELF, BALLET & SANTA

Got those kids and grandkids booked up to see (and meet) their heroes of the holidays? Consider the bonding opportunities you have in the days ahead:
     • "Aladdin," the Disney stage production, is at the Des Moines Civic Center Nov. 28–Dec. 9. Details are here.
     • Also live-on-stage, "Elf, the Musical" is at the Des Moines Community Playhouse Nov. 30–Dec. 23.
     Details. You can even take in "Breakfast With Buddy the Elf" Dec. 8 and Dec. 15. Of course, details are here.
     • Ballet Des Moines brings "The Nutcracker" to life Dec. 7–9 at Hoyt Sherman Place. Get info here.
     • And for a bit of Younkers-era nostalgia, Santa Claus, that "right jolly old elf," will be appearing at events in
       the Tea Room Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 24 and 25. Details are here.