Virginia L. Montgomery: Blue Moon Cocoon
January 15–March 21, 2026
Opening: Thursday, January 15, 5-7pm

AEIVA presents Blue Moon Cocoon, an exhibition of recent video, sculpture, and photography by Texas-based artist, Virginia L. Montgomery (VLM). VLM’s surreal, synesthetic artworks unite elements of mysticism, physics, and neuroscience through an idiosyncratic visual vocabulary of recursive symbols and gestures, including imagery of luna moths the artist hand-raises in her studio. Orbits, circles, and spheres invoke scientific principles like the Coriolis Effect—the theory that matter swirls into circular formations—unifying the work around a sense of cosmic awe at the interconnectedness of matter and motion, from the microscopic to the planetary.

Virginia L. Montgomery (VLM) is an award-winning experimental filmmaker and multimedia artist working across video, performance, sound design, and sculpture. She received her MFA from Yale University and her BFA from The University of Texas at Austin. VLM has had solo presentations with The New Museum (NY), Times Square Arts (NY), Museum Folkwang (Germany), Wright Lab at Yale University (CT), The Lawndale Art Center (TX), False Flag (NY), and Hesse Flatow (NY). She has also exhibited in group exhibitions at institutions including SculptureCenter (NY), Ballroom Marfa (TX), Blanton Museum (TX), Contemporary Austin (TX), La Panacée-MoCo (France), The Hessel Museum at Bard College (NY), Banff Centre (Canada), Socrates Sculpture Park (NY), Kunsthal Charlottenborg (Denmark), and Tate Film at Tate Modern (UK), among others.

Image credit: Virginia L. Montgomery, Luna Moth with Stars, 2025. Courtesy of the artist.

Join us as September Reed shows you how easy it is to paint your own masterpiece on a mini- canvas and easel. We will provide all you need to paint your own masterpiece. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

The vagus nerve is the great communicator between most systems in your body, including major organs of the brain, digestive system, and heart. It also corresponds perfectly with the bodies seven energy centers known as the chakras. Join us as trauma therapist C. J. Llewelyn reveals how these two systems work together to heal your past and clear your body of intense reactions that no longer serve you. Llewelyn, author of Chakras and the Vagus Nerve, teaches you how to identify the information your nervous system is sending and work toward calming it. Free program but must register for headcount. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Bags of yarn sitting in a pile in your closet? Fabric piling up from unmade costumes? Canvases and paints gathering dust in a corner from a brief flirtation with the arts? Give those poor supplies a new home at our craft swap! Bring your supplies to the adult services desk any day in January before the day of the event (bagged and CLEAN) and we'll set up the tables for the swap with what you bring! Items can be brought on the day of the swap as well and added to any table. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Join us as we welcome Dr. Emily Riser, the Director of the Tanner Center for Multiple Sclerosis. She and her husband, Dr. John Riser, also a board-certified neurologists, established Alabama Neurology Associates in 1988, one of only two practices in Alabama that is certified by the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers. “Our goal was to create a medical home for MS patients so that they could get centralized, convenient and optimal care rather than fragmented services. We are on the frontlines in MS research and have access to the latest disease-modifying medications and innovations.”

Have you been wondering about all the new changes to our Medicare Benefits? Karen Haiflich will answer all your questions about how benefits are currently computed, how to become insured, and how to file a claim.

Join us as Jesse Bates presents story time for adults, which features classic short stories that captivate as well as entertain. The stories, written by notable authors, are read aloud. No registration is required, so drop by for some nostalgic fun.

Check the schedule for class location for each class. To register, contact Stephanie at The Literacy Council slyas@literacy-council.org

Clase de inglés gratis para adultos (abierto a adultos de 18 y mayores) los martes, de 6:00-⁠20:00 , 13, 20 & 27de enero de 2026

Yoga is an excellent way to reduce your risk of falling. Its slow, measured movements, strengthening poses and focused breathing help you to improve your balance, flexibility, stability and strength as well as giving you a sense of well-being and enhanced quality of life. Bring your own mat if you have one or use one of ours. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

NYC Trained Improvisers bring their talents to the Magic City. Come laugh into the new year with comedy fresh out of Faraway Theater!

Grab your curiosity and get ready to uncover Birmingham’s best-kept secrets. In Secret Birmingham, local writer Cherith Fluker leads you from the ordinary path to explore the surprising stories that make the Magic City unforgettable. Birmingham’s civil rights history is powerful and well-known, and there are so many more tales waiting to be discovered. Did you know the city is the birthplace of Veterans Day? Or that it’s home to Vulcan, the world’s largest cast-iron statue, proudly watching over the city? You’ll wander past the Heaviest Corner on Earth; explore a peaceful Japanese Garden honoring Birmingham’s sister city, Hitachi, Japan; and learn about the city’s sky-high dreams of a dirigible docking station. There’s even a sculpture honoring Frank Stitt, Birmingham’s own James Beard Award–winning chef, who helped put the city on the culinary map. From quirky landmarks to rich cultural connections, Secret Birmingham is your guide to the unexpected side of this booming Southern city. Locals and first-time visitors will discover new reasons to fall in love with Birmingham’s charm, history, and hidden treasures. Adventure awaits, and this book is your compass. Book signing to follow; books available for purchase.

Friday, January 23, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Large Auditorium

The Homewood Library Foundation is excited to welcome local legend and award-winning journalist John Archibald for a fundraiser on Friday, January 23 at 6:30 p.m. The evening will feature refreshments and a new talk about the South and the world around us showcasing his trademark observations and, if at all possible, hope for the future. Mr. Archibald will be available to sign after the talk and books will be available for purchase. Tickets are $45 each and may be purchased at homewoodlibraryfoundation.org.

Blackbox Theatre Workshops offer to teach standard acting and stage skills to adult performers of any age or experience. Be dressed ready to move!

It’s Mardi Gras Season and it’s time to have fun! Saturday Night January 24 The Mardi Gras Murder Mystery Dinner Event will take place at Arlington Historic House and Gardens.

Step into the mystery and magic of Mardi Gras Seson at the Arlington Historic House! This is an in-person event, hosted by TV Personalities Southern Ghost Tours ! You are invitesd to don your best mask and Mardi Gras colors if you like, and unravel clues in a thrilling interactive murder mystery set in New Orleans during Mardi Gras Season.

Expect an evening full of secrets, suspense, and lots of fun. Get ready to mix and mingle, investigate, and celebrate Mardi Gras Season like never before!

Enjoy a Farm to Table Dinner by Chef Matthew Murphree at the beautiful 1840's Arlington Historic House .

This Event is perfect for date night, friends night, family night, group night, any type of celebration and more .

You may tour the beautiful 1840’s Mansion with its array of priceless antiques and it’s beautiful manicured gardens .
Arlington Historic House is the oldest surviving home in Birmingham and has a storied past . It's collection of historic antiques, artwork and artifacts are among the many treasures you will find in the museum.

More information can be found by contacting your host at www.southernghostgirls.com

This is an interactive event, but participation is optional. Costumes, Mardi Gras masks and accessories are optional.

Free secured parking inside the gate adjacent to the mansion.

Pianist, accordionist and composer Ben Rosenblum has traversed a truly unique musical path, one that has seen him perform alongside world-class musicians across more than twenty music genres and over twenty countries, lead bands at prestigious venues across the world, all while maintaining a signature, melodic musical voice. Rosenblum’s journey has taken him on tours with Grammy-winning pop artist Rickie Lee Jones, Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Catherine Russell and Juno-winning contemporary Indian singer Kiran Ahluwalia. He’s played Brazilian choro with Ephrat Asherie Dance and Brazilian forró with The Late Night Show’s Nêgah Santos and famed forró band Forró in the Dark. His roots in jazz have led to an over ten-year relationship with Grammy-winning bassist Curtis Lundy, performing at festivals alongside jazz luminaries Bobby Watson, Sean Jones and Warren Wolf. He has appeared with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on accordion, and as a guest soloist on piano at Carnegie Hall’s Stern-Perelman Auditorium with Maestro Reona Ito’s New York Harmonic Band. Throughout it all, Rosenblum has always maintained the same priority - to tell a compelling story with his music, reaching the hearts of his audience and connecting on an emotional, intellectual and spiritual level. Rosenblum brings this wealth and diversity of experiences to his projects as a leader, overseeing a full tour schedule as a solo artist, with his trio and most recently, with his six-piece ensemble, the Nebula Project. Since his first album as a leader, Instead (4 stars, Downbeat Magazine), he has since released three follow-up records to critical acclaim, including favorable reviews in almost every major jazz publication (Downbeat, All About Jazz, Jazziz, JazzTimes, JazzEd, NYC Jazz Record, JazzLife Japan and many more).

New York City Jazz Artists in concert in Randolph Memorial Hall at St. Mary's on the Highlands Episcopal Church
https://www.benrosenblummusic.com/

Take time out of your busy schedule for our free yoga classes sponsored by Homewood Public Library. A gentle workout of 15 minutes in the chair, 15 minutes standing with chair, 15 minutes on the mat. All levels of fitness are welcome. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

This drop-in Adoption Information Session is designed for individuals and families interested in learning more about adoption from foster care in Alabama. Attendees will hear an overview of the adoption process, learn how APAC supports adoptive families statewide, and have time for questions and conversation with staff and adoptive parents. Lunch will be provided, and guests are welcome to attend for any portion of the event.

This partnership with the Birmingham Zoo brings together science and art in an engaging series held every Tuesday in February. Inspired by artist Virginia Lee Montgomery’s art on view in AEIVA’s galleries, explore the intersection of art and science with hands-on activities that showcase how combining two disciplines can help us look at our surroundings in new ways.

Feb 3: Butterflies under the microscope with a watercolor artmaking activity
Feb 10: Sounds in nature
Feb 17: Life cycles and the myth of the lunar moth with a model magic artmaking activity
Feb 24: Nature's dyes with a make and take dye activity

ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE SOCIETY PRESENTS “THAT’S AMORE!” If you’re looking for the perfect Valentine’s celebration, this one is back by popular demand! That’s Amore is an extraordinary Valentine’s Dinner and Dance set against one of the most romantic views in Birmingham.

Enjoy a seated dinner featuring sizzling Italian cuisine, live music, and dancing high atop Red Mountain at The Club (1 Robert S Smith Dr. Birmingham, AL 35209). Matt Scalici will perform Italy’s favorite songs and Mary Jo Fritts (DJ MJ) will spin dance favorites.

Tickets are $75 per person and a table of 10 is $750. A cash bar will be available! Complimentary valet parking, coat check, and giveaways will also be included with your ticket purchase.

An unforgettable Valentine’s night filled with great food, music, and romance—That’s Amore!

For additional information, reach out to Deanna Cataldo Hamrick dgoins22@aol.com 205-910-7625

The Italian American Heritage Society of Birmingham, AL is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage, promote and preserve Italian culture and heritage.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a legendary night of music as Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and GRAMMY Award winner Darlene Love takes the stage at the Alys Stephens Center. Known for her powerhouse vocals and timeless hits like “He’s a Rebel,” “The Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” and the beloved holiday classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” Love brings warmth, soul, and undeniable charm to every performance. From her role in the Oscar-winning Twenty Feet From Stardom to unforgettable collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and Bette Midler, she remains one of the greatest voices in music history. Make this Valentine’s Day one to remember with an evening of love, nostalgia, and rock ‘n’ roll magic.