1 Come home.

Artist Matt Eaton, who works in sculpture and printmaking, got his start at New Mexico Highlands University before becoming a professor at the Institute of American Indian Arts and then a collaborative assistant to renowned artist and curator Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (French Cree/Salish/Shoshone).

His first solo exhibition, Home House Houses Home, opens Thursday with a reception from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Ray Drew Gallery on the NMHU campus in Las Vegas. “I saw one of his pieces in a group show and knew his work would make a strong solo exhibit,” says Gina Von Hartmann, head curator of the university’s art collection. “Sometimes you just know.”

The exhibition features a dozen of Eaton’s pieces, including five large iron and steel sculptures. “The modular components have a whimsical feel, but also a kind of melancholy funhouse, almost carnival nature,” Von Hartmann says. “The work has an unsteadiness to it. They look like they could start moving at any moment—there are wheels and pullies.”

Some of the works in Eaton’s exhibition were made just before the pandemic; others he completed this week. “The central piece was just finished yesterday,” he says of one of the sculptures. “The first time I saw it up was when I installed it at the gallery.”

“There are so many things I think about when I am dealing with these images,” Eaton says. “Contemporary things like the what’s happening in Gaza and the homes burning in L.A. There’s a print that’s just a pile of houses that I made just after things started happening in the Middle East. It has something to say about destruction, whether it’s through war or natural disasters. It’s never-ending fodder for metaphors I can create.” See the exhibition through February 27.

Join the Incite Shakespeare Company in Santa Fe for "Piglet: The Hamlet Impact Festival." Photograph courtesy of Incite Shakespeare Company.

2 Pig out on Shakespeare.

Hamlet, a tragic and storied prince from the world of Shakespeare, is the inspiration behind Piglet: The Hamlet Impact Festival, produced by the Incite Shakespeare Company in Santa Fe. The festival sees three contemporary playwrights confronting their experiences and inspirations with Hamlet, creating new works surrounding or including the character.

The plays hit the stage at New Mexico Actors Lab this weekend: Believe None of Us by Jemma Alix Levy; Bernhardt/Hamlet by Theresa Rebeck; and Wittenberg by David Davalos. Original scenes include Hamlet at Wittenberg University, where his professors, Martin Luther King Jr. and John Faustus, get into a heated debate about the prince. The festival continues next weekend with three more showings. Get tickets here.

Don't miss the Brick Convention in Albuquerque for a weekend of amazing LEGO displays, hands-on building, and life-sized LEGO characters. Photograph courtesy of the Brick Convention.

3 Play with the power of LEGO.

Let your inner LEGO architect flourish at the Brick Convention, a LEGO fan event in Albuquerque on Saturday and Sunday. Taking over Expo New Mexico, the convention features fabulous LEGO displays and hands-on building activities for all ages and skill levels. See exciting life-sized LEGO characters like Nintendo’s Super Mario, stunning LEGO floral bouquets, retired LEGO sets, traders selling loose bricks, and dedicated building areas where you can jump in on the action.

Head to the Fort Selden Historic Site for the Horno Pizza Cookoff, where you can bake your own custom pizzas. Photograph courtesy of NM Historic Sites.

4 Go to a pizza party, New Mexico style.

Whether your preference is frozen or fresh, veggie or pepperoni, get ready to make your favorite pizza in the horno at the Fort Selden Historic Site in Radium Springs on Saturday during the Horno Pizza Cookoff. From 10 a.m. to noon, folks can pop their pizzas into the traditional Pueblo oven, which can reach temperatures of up to 900 degrees, and have a crispy pie in just a few minutes. Bring your own ingredients, family, and friends. Fort Selden staff will be there to assist with the horno cooking.

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery is reviving the spirit of Santa Fe’s Club Alegría with a tribute series featuring live performances by Latin ensembles Nosotros and Son Como Son. Photograph courtesy of Nosotros.

5 Hit the dance floor.

Before Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery was Tumbleroot, it was Club Alegría, the home of Santa Fe’s Latin dance scene. The iconic club on Agua Fría returns Saturday with a tribute series happening at the bar featuring Latin groups, musicians, and DJs who aim to foster a Club Alegría renaissance. The rebirth starts with two of New Mexico’s powerhouse Latin ensembles, Nosotros and Son Como Son, taking the stage starting at 8 p.m.

For more things to do, check out our online calendar of events.