This weekend's Art Detour marks the unveiling of the multifaceted Cone Gallery -- as do coffee, champagne and live music. Its main show features the self-described "abstract surrealism" of Kathleen D. Cone, gallery curator, CEO and CFO. Meanwhile, Cone's La Bohemian Museum & Collectibles, which keeps regular business hours to purvey vintage items and showcase upcoming artists, will debut "binary-chaos." What exactly is that? Suffice it to say that the collection's artist, in the nomenclatural tradition of he who was once called Prince, goes by "judas." The third concurrent exhibition features Carlos Valcarcel's impressionism, located in Studio 3. "It's a mix of everything," Cone says of the gallery, located at 1324 Grand Avenue. "But the idea behind it really is to give the local artists a viable resource for being able to make money and . . . promote the arts."
Cone Gallery's grand opening runs from Friday, March 5, through Sunday, March 7. For more information, call 602-258-3455 or visit www.conegallery.com. -- Elizabeth Exline
Labor Party
Work songs welcome the weekend
FRI 3/5
The history of the work song is a rich tapestry of suffering, sustenance and -- ultimately -- hope. The work song was invented, after all, to help participants believe that the work would eventually end, and help them keep their eyes on that very prize. So when your workday winds down on Friday, March 5, mosey on over to the Arizona Science Center, 600 East Washington, and check out "Miners, Cowboys and Washerwomen: The Work Songs of Arizona." Hosted by Dr. Jay Cravath, a specialist in Native American song, the event explores the roots of work songs in Arizona. Part of the center's Adults' Night Out series, the free event runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m., and the historical films that accompany the performance will set you back $5. Call 602-716-2000 or see www.azscience.org for more information. -- Maidi Terry
Different Tokes
Reformed artist performs in Tempe
TUE 3/9
"Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" -- great song, gross aftertaste. Two years after his salute to the Quik and the Kool, Rufus Wainwright continues to pump out notable numbers. The first track on his new album, for instance, leans on historic orchestration: the theme from Ravel's Bolero. "It's circular and incessant, which I think suggests a recurring nightmare," the singer-songwriter-tortured-soul writes on his Web site. "But then the recurring nightmare becomes strangely comforting. With that song, I think I just needed to remind myself that life is still beautiful."
Behold the beauty -- and the beat -- this Tuesday, March 9, when Wainwright rolls into Tempe's Club Rio, 430 North Scottsdale Road. Shannon McNally opens the all-ages show. Tickets are $15; call 480-784-4444 or see www.ticketmaster.com. -- Jill Koch
