Ballet, Boston Tours, and Buying Art

Finals are in full swing, Commencement is only 10 days away, and you have one more weekend in Boston before heading home for the summer. Why not treat yourself to a little fun? Whether you choose to stay close to campus or head into the city, you’re sure to find something to amuse you. BU Today has plenty of suggestions.

Friday
If you haven’t checked out the work of College of Fine Arts students lately, now is an excellent time. The school of visual arts hosts its final undergraduate art exhibitions of the year May 9 to 18 at five BU galleries. Come and observe the paintings, sculptures, and graphic designs of Boston’s up-and-coming artists. All exhibition spaces are within easy walking distance of one another: the Sherman Gallery, 775 Commonwealth Ave., will display the graphic design exhibition, and the Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery, Gallery 5, the Commonwealth Gallery, and Room 102, all at 855 Commonwealth Ave., will showcase the painting and sculpture exhibitions. Opening receptions in all five locations are on Friday, May 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. For gallery hours or additional information, contact the school of visual arts at 617-353-3371 or visuart@bu.edu.

The annual School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) Sidewalk Sale is happening Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Museum Road. The sale will feature SMFA student works in a variety of media, including painting, photography, sculpture, and ceramics. A percentage of all proceeds will benefit a local charity chosen by the students. For more information, click here.

Feel like venturing off campus? You can get to know a different neighborhood during the second annual Common Boston Weekend, a celebration of Boston’s architecture and communities. The weekend includes walking and trolley tours, film screenings, artist displays, and ethnic food festivals. Events, which are free and open to the public, begin on Friday, May 9, and take place in six locations: Ashmont Station and Peabody Square, Dudley Square, Fenway, Fort Point Channel, Jackson Square, and Maverick Square.

The Deborah Abel Dance Company presents The Perfect Relationship: A Dance Concert of Duets on Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, May 11, at 3 p.m. at the BU Dance Theater in the Fitness and Recreation Center. Interpretive dance movements narrate the evolving relationship between a man and a woman. Live music ranges from original instrumental works to blues. Tickets are $18 with a student ID. For more information, call 617-358-2500 or click here.

Saturday
If the weather is cold and rainy, head to the Museum of Fine Arts for the 17th Annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival May 7 to 18. The museum will screen 24 films that focus on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience and culture. Click here for the full schedule. Admission is $8 per film with a student ID. For more information, call 617-267-9300.

There’s still time to catch the final performances of the Boston Ballet’s Swan Lake, which ends on Sunday, May 11. Day-of-performance student rush tickets are available at the Wang Theatre box office two hours before each performance. Tickets are $20 (cash only, one ticket per ID). Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the theater, 270 Tremont St. For more information, call 617-482-9393.

Sunday
You won’t want to miss the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre 10th annual Boston Theater Marathon, a single-day, 10-hour event that features 10-minute plays — 50 in all — by playwrights from greater Boston on Sunday, May 11. Come for any show or stay all day. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased online or at the door. All net profits from tickets, merchandise, and door prizes benefit the Theater Community Benevolent Fund. Performances begin at noon and run until 10 p.m. at the Boston Center for the Arts Wimberly Theatre, 527 Tremont St. For more information, call 617-933-8600.

And don’t forget to cheer on the women’s lacrosse team as the Terriers meet the New Hampshire Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday, May 11, at noon at Nickerson Field. The Terriers and Wildcats have met twice this season, with BU taking each game by one goal. Admission is $4 with a student ID. For more information, click here.

Vicky Waltz can be reached at vwaltz@bu.edu.