Daily Loaf

Today marks the beginning of a three-day interactive multi-media art event, 11:11 – Let There Be Light, Art, Sound, a celebration of the creativity that molds our communities and keeps us from falling prey to the everyday tedium of mainstream mediocrity. The star of the event is Alex Grey, who, along with his artist wife Allyson, leads today’s psychedelic/spiritual/visionary/postmodern art movement. Alex’s most well-known works are his glowing “x-ray” paintings of human bodies, which offer detailed, anatomical-style examinations of his subjects’ physical and metaphysical anatomy. On Thursday, Alex stages a reading from his book, Art Psalms. Afterwards, he’s joined Allyson for the first two hours of a six-hour painting demo, which is paired with video projection painting by Johnathan Singer, and live multi-sensory music by Scott and Anne Kennedy. During the Friday night “Alex Grey Gala Event,” Soulful Arts Dance Academy presents a program of moves, Alex and Allyson take four hours to finish their painting demo, and attendees take part in a “Paint Your Plate Dinner” while being treated to a series of short film presentations by Elevate Films. Other interactive diversions include the “Sound Atrium Experience” rhythm chamber; a light installation by Jason Jensen; an LED Art Gallery featuring lighted spiritual artworks by Michael and Ami Bowen as well as a gallery with pieces by local and national artists such as Jim Warren, Fiorella Podesta and Eva Ruiz; and live and silent art auctions all throughout. Nov.11- 13, 6-10 p.m. Thurs., 6-11 p.m. Fri., First Unity Campus, 4500 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, $44 Thursday/$66 Friday, 1111event.org. – Leilani Polk

At tonight’s installment in The Met Live series, see Giuseppe Verdi’s epic Egyptian drama, Aida — rife with soaring songs that turn your heart acrobatic — from its heartbreaking arias to heartpounding choral numbers. The opera is broadcast in HD from the famed stage of the Metropolitan Opera House.  Encore presentation, 6:30 p.m., Weds., Nov. 11. Visit fathomevents.com for tickets and complete list of participating theaters, $20-$22.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, Jeffrey Hess, Tracy Crow and Kevin Jones — three local contributors to Home of the Brave: Stories in Uniform — share their stories of “sacrifice in combat, physical and emotional wounds” and more. The anthology also includes contributions form Kurt Vonnegut, Tim O’Brien, Tobias Wolff, Chris Offutt and more. Visit inkwoodbooks.com for more info. Wed., Nov. 11, 7 p.m., Inkwood Books, Tampa.

Dudley Clendinen, a former reporter, national correspondent and editorial writer for The New York Times visits to discuss and read from his A Place Called Canterbury: Tales of the New Old Age in America, now in its third print run. Visit eckerd.edu/events for more info. Wed., Nov. 11, 4 p.m., Lewis House, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg.

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