An Art Nouveau pioneer dazzles at the Boca Museum, the Symphonia brings us a little night music, and Delray hosts a dog day afternoon. Plus, Ben Folds and more in your week ahead.
THURSDAY
What: Opening day of “Timeless Mucha: The Magic of Line”
When: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
Cost: $16 general admission, $12 seniors
Contact: 561/392-2500, bocamuseum.org
It is often the great artist’s burden to be appreciated posthumously. Such is the legacy of Czech master Alphonse Mucha, whose pioneering contributions to the turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau movement were most appreciated after his 1939 death. It’s hard to imagine this now, but Mucha’s most enduring works, which included vivid and sinuous theatrical posters, public murals and decorative panels rooted in nature, myth and feminine beauty, were dismissed as “outdated” in the artist’s own time. Today, with their pastel colors, elegant arches, billowing forms and flower-power aesthetic, Mucha is recognized as a master influencer on generations of artists, from the psychedelic art of the 1960s to American graphic novels and Japanese manga. “Timeless Mucha,” organized by the Mucha Foundation, traces connections between the artist’s lithographs and rock posters of the Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead, comic book illustrations by Joe Quesada, and more. The exhibition runs through March 1.
FRIDAY
What: Ben Folds
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive, Coral Springs
Cost: $64.50-$117.50
Contact: 954/344-5990, thecentercs.com
The title of Ben Folds’ current jaunt through the country is straightforward and descriptive: Ben Folds and a Piano. As South Floridians were reminded at Folds’ similarly stripped-down show last winter at the Parker, that’s all one needs to immersive themselves in Folds’ offbeat vision as a virtuoso pianist and gifted singer-songwriter. He commands the stage with lyrical narratives that spiral between humorous, observant and emotionally vulnerable, while adding accents from jazz, blues and folk into his piano-pop palette. Though Folds’ most recent release is a Christmas album, this tour jettisons seasonal specificity for variety-filled set lists traversing his more than three decades in music, dating back to the debut 1995 self-titled release of his classic trio Ben Folds Five. Arrive early for opener Lindsey Kraft.
SATURDAY
What: Black Flag
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale
Cost: $65
Contact: cultureroom.net
Since their 1976 formation, Black Flag has been a standard bearer for hardcore punk, riffing on subjects from police brutality to creeping authoritarianism to social isolation and mindless consumption, in lyrics that strike at the heart of America’s corroded institutions. Across five decades and two official reunions, the SoCal pioneers have shed more singers than a choir audition, with new vocalist Max Zanelly, welcomed into the group in 2025, currently spitting out the nihilistic lyrics. Zanelly joins fellow new members David Rodriguez on bass and Bryce Weston on drums. Greg Ginn, the lone original member, still grounds Black Flag with his experimental guitar work, and the group’s breakneck anthems—from “Damaged” to “Gimme Gimme Gimme”—still resonate. Arrive early to see opening act the Queers, proudly puerile pop-punk melodists with 30 years of pogo-ready fan favorites.
SUNDAY
What: Delray is Going to the Dogs
When: Noon to 4 p.m.
Where: Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach
Cost: Free
Contact: downtowndelraybeach.com
Holiday events are here, whether we’re ready for them or not—and this one is off the leash. Well, not really—you still need to leash at your dog, but four-legged friends are welcome at this sixth-annual market and canine confab also known as Pooches & Presents in the Park. Throw a seasonal sweater on Fido and let him romp around in the Doggie Splash Zone and Lure Course, and enjoy pet photo ops and other activities for kids and dogs. Treats for “people and pups” will also be plentiful. Vendors will be selling specialized merchandise if you want to get an early start on Christmas shopping, while Santa will be on hand for pictures. And if you don’t have a dog, this event is the perfect time to adopt one, as several rescue pooches will be available. Dogs clad in the cutest holiday attire will be eligible for prizes.
What: The Symphonia: “Mozart and Tim”
When: 3 p.m.
Where: St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 100 N.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton
Cost: $58-$95
Contact: 561/376-3848, thesymphonia.org
The “Tim” in the title of the Symphonia’s latest concert is Tim Brumfield, an organist who has explored both the inner and outer limits of his instrument, from classical rigor to jazz improvisation. In addition to his seven-year stint as the organist for the world’s largest gothic cathedral, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, Brumfield has collaborated with an impressive range of artists, from jazz legends Dave Brubeck and Max Roach to folk icon Judy Collins. Brumfield is the guest soloist on this program’s “Organ Concerto,” a neo-Baroque masterpiece by Francis Poulenc. The “Mozart” tease in the title refers to Wolfgang’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik,” or “A Little Night Music,” which opens with one of the most instantly recognizable allegros in all of classical music. Aaron Jay Kernis’ contemporary composition “Musica Celestis” completes the program.
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