We're all getting more creative about how we spend our time, knowing that the pandemic is still a major factor. Fortunately, several local venues are stepping up, offering live and virtual happenings that can help to curb both boredom and anxiety.
Here's a look at just a few of your choices this week, from tai chi in a tranquil outdoor setting to a spirited online trivia game to benefit a trio of good causes.
Most events are subject to change these days, due to public health conditions. Check for updates before you head out. And mask up, because they're required at all the in-person events we've included here.

Betye Saar, Mystic Sky with Self-Portrait, 1992, Offset Lithograph, 21 1/2 x 25 1/4 in. Gift of the Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
ASU Art Museum
Highlighting Women Artists
Next month, Kamala Harris will become the first woman to serves as U.S. Vice President, making it a great time to think more about women in the arts, who represent just over 12 percent of works in major American museum collections. You’ve got several options this week, including “Art in Focus: Highlighting Women Artists from the Collection” at ASU Art Museum and “Unapologetic: All Women, All Year” at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Admission is free at ASU Art Museum; SMoCA has free admission on Thursdays and the second Saturday of the month (including December 12). Reserve timed-entry tickets online before you go.Theater Meets Trivia
Get ready to show your musical theater chops as Phoenix Theatre Company presents a virtual game show hosted by Toby Yatso, one of the city’s most-lauded theater talents, who teaches in the ASU music department. Expect Jeopardy-style questions, presented to a trio of Arizona talents including Ron May, founding artistic director for the alternative theater company Stray Cat Theatre. It’s happening at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 8. Tickets are free but you can donate when you register, because the contestants are playing to benefit three local charities: Hands & Voices, one-n-ten, and Rosie’s House.Tai Chi in the Garden
Spend some time with nature as the Japanese Friendship Garden presents a tai chi session where you can relax amid the calming influence of trees, water, rocks, and koi. You’ll enjoy flowing movement rooted in ancient Chinese practices, which has been lauded for its positive impacts on body, mind, and spirit. The class takes place from 9 to 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, December 10. Admission is $3; register online.
Fire (United States of the Americas) 2 (detail) from the "Teresita Fernández: Elemental" exhibit.
Phoenix Art Museum