Where-To-Go Wednesday - Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States

What: Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States 

Where: American Folk Art Museum

             2 Lincoln Square

             New York, NY

Who: All ages

When: Through September 13, 2026

In conjunction with the Nation's 250th birthday, the current exhibit, Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States, at the American Folk Art Museum looks at how patriotism is explored through art. In addition to paintings and portraits, weather vanes, quilts, and more are part of the exhibit. Artists represented include Grandma Moses, Edward Hicks, and more, as well as some unknown artists. While some of the works are meant to celebrate this country, others are meant to represent protest, grief or other things.

 And that's our view. For more about the exhibit or the American Folk Art Museum in general, visit folkartmuseum.org/exhibitions/folk-nation. There is no fee required to visit the museum.

Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.

All pictures used in this post are our own.  Any concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here.

Tips for Tuesday- Books: See To It Be It: Eleven Champions Leading Women's Sports Today & Murder on Charity Lane; Movie.: Forever Mia

We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any books, products, and/or other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

Books: See Be It: Eleven Champions Leading Women's Sports Today 

                                      & 

           Murder on Charity Lane

Today, we recommend See It To Be It: Eleven Champions Leading Women's Sports Today by Billie Jean King. Aside from being one of the greatest tennis champions that ever lived, Billie Jean King is a fierce advocate of women and the LGBTQ+ community. In connection with her advocacy efforts, she has co-written this book spotlighting the lives and careers of eleven current superstars in their sports. 

However, what makes these athletes stand out is not only their athletic prowess but also their advocacy and the way they stand up not only for themselves but for others and dedicate themselves to helping bring positive change in the world. Some are fairly well-known athletes, including basketball player Caitlin Clark and tennis player Naomi Osaka. Others probably are not as familiar outside their respective sports, like Paralympic swimmer McKenzie Coan and wrestler Amit Elor. 

Every person covered in the book is equally admirable. Each one teaches us about perseverance and commitment not only to their sports but to making the world a better place. Although this book may be particularly good reading material for young girls, really anyone can benefit from reading it. 

Today, we recommend Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols. The quirky and endearing residents of the Marigold Cottages are back, facing another unexplained death. Even if you haven't read the previous book in the series, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective, which we highly recommend (read about it in our previous post Tips for Tuesday - Books: The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective), you can still enjoy this one. 

Although the murder case is not as interesting as the last time around and there are not quite as many unexpected twists and turns, which does not mean there are not any, it is still intriguing enough. Besides, it is the characters and their relationships that make this series such a joy to read not so much the mystery. Even though the gist of the plot's resolution may not be as completely surprising if you have read the first book in the series, that doesn't make it any less satisfying or refreshingly any less formulaic. 

Movie: Forever Mia

Today, we are talking about Forever Mia. This thriller is based on the true story of a woman who was kidnapped by her abusive ex. Although this film doesn't offer anything new to the genre, it is intriguing enough and holds your attention throughout. It is not overly drawn out either, and the running time is reasonable. Plus, although it is obviously not suitable for young children, it never really rises to the level of absolutely terrifying, which may be a detriment to some but definitely makes it more tolerable for others who don't mind when things get somewhat frighteningly intense but prefer not to be scared out of their wits when watching a movie. 

And that's our view. See To It Be It: Eleven Champions Leading Women's Sports Today was published last Tuesday, August  11. Murder on Charity Lane was published today. Forever Mia is available on DVD or digitally for purchase or rental starting today.

Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go  Wednesday.

All images used in this post, except film images, are our own.  Film images have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms. Any concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here. 

More Theater Monday - Isla

We received complimentary tickets to Isla for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Isla

Where: WP Theater 

             2162 Broadway

             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for all ages

When: Through August 29, 2026

Isla is the story of three women and their escape from Cuba to a new life in America. This is not your run-of-the-mill show. The story is told quite creatively, mostly through recordings, songs, dance, pictures, and shadow puppets rather than a lot of dialogue. Much of the dialogue that there is is in Spanish. Yet, even though not all of it is directly translated to English, it is still easy to keep track of the story, and even without much talking, the show rarely lags. 

The story is based on the actual experiences of performer and co-composer Samantha Blain's mother and aunts, which gives it a particular poignancy.  In fact, Blain plays her own mother in the show, and the voices on the recording are actually her relatives speaking about their experiences.  Blain and her two co-stars, Daniela Delahuerta and Tiffany Iris, give deeply passionate and emotional performances even without much, if any, dialogue. Their singing voices are beautiful as well, particularly Blaine's. All in all, it's just a touching, heartfelt story. 

And that's our view. For more about Isla or to purchase tickets, visit www.hitthelights.org.

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Photo credits: 

All Isla production photos by Rebecca J. Michelson

Images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission.  Any Concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here.