Discover the magic of animation in The Science Behind Pixar, an interactive exhibition at the Connecticut Science Center. With over 50 hands-on activities, explore the STEM concepts behind Pixar’s groundbreaking films, from character design to final rendering. Get up close with life-size re-creations of Buzz Lightyear, WALL•E, and more in this behind-the-scenes look at the artistry and technology of animation.

Real Art Ways presents After Progress, a solo exhibition by Adam Viens exploring the tension between thought and feeling through abstract, mixed-media works. This exhibition invites viewers into a contemplative space where natural processes and human mark-making collide, revealing the disconnect between how life is lived and how it’s imagined.

Real Art Ways showcases Megafauna (these desperate earthly forms), a solo exhibition by Ezra Moth exploring ecology, queer liberation, and speculative futures. Through living materials and radical art, Moth imagines alternative worlds where biology, gender, and resistance intertwine in vivid, transformative forms.

Real Art Ways presents thick, hazy, cleer, blew, a solo exhibition by Shona Macdonald that captures weather’s fleeting presence through layered, atmospheric drawings. Through drifting cars and swirling flags, the work explores how the invisible forces of air and atmosphere shape perception and memory.

An interfaith Shabbat dinner goes wildly off the rails when an accidental death interrupts the meet-the-parents moment in Bad Shabbos (2024, R). With a cast that spans comedy royalty and dramatic heavyweights, this darkly funny ensemble film delivers chaos, culture clashes, and unexpected heart. Not quite “oy vey,” not quite Weekend at Bernie’s—it’s somewhere brilliantly in between.

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence (2024, NR) is a moving portrait of a fearless artist whose songs cut deep and truths run deeper. From the controversy of “Society’s Child” to the lasting ache of “At Seventeen,” this intimate documentary traces Ian’s trailblazing journey through fame, activism, and survival.

Real Art Ways presents Materialists (2024, R), a sharp, stylish reimagining of the romantic comedy from director Celine Song. Dakota Johnson stars as a luxury matchmaker navigating a love triangle between Pedro Pascal’s picture-perfect partner and Chris Evans as the irresistible ex who complicates everything.

Showing now at Real Art Ways, Familiar Touch (2024, PG-13) follows Ruth as she navigates memory loss, shifting identity, and unexpected connection. Sarah Friedland’s debut feature offers a warm, clear-eyed look at aging, anchored by Kathleen Chalfant’s graceful and layered performance.

Although Mark Twain rests in Elmira, his Hartford story lives on at Cedar Hill. Explore the remarkable lives of his Nook Farm friends and collaborators on this guided walking tour with Twain historian Steve Courtney. Meet notable residents like Reverend Joseph Twichell, Charles Dudley Warner, and Isabella Beecher Hooker—figures who shaped Twain’s world and Hartford’s history. Presented in collaboration with the Mark Twain House & Museum.

Karibu Nyote—All Are Welcome. Hartford’s Swahili Community Center hosts a joyful celebration of World Kiswahili Day, highlighting the language, traditions, and culture shared by over 200 million people across Africa and beyond. African attire is encouraged as the Greater Hartford community gathers in unity and pride.

**This event has been moved to the Hartford Public Library’s Center for Contemporary Culture at 500 Main Street in Hartford.