Dust storm

When French President Charles de Gaulle flew over the Caribbean Sea in 1964, he described the islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana as “dust specks on the sea.” Taking de Gaulle’s seemingly dismissive statement as its inspiration, 516 Art’s (516 Central Ave. SW, Albuquerque, 505-242-1445, 516arts.org) exhibition Dust Specks in the Sea: Contemporary Sculpture from the French Caribbean & Haiti, counters the notion of the Caribbean Islands, still politically, economically, and socially connected to France, as peripheral in the art world. Featuring works by artists Ronald Cyrille (Guadeloupe), Julie Bessard (Martinique), and Adler Guerrier (Haiti/Miami) and more, the exhibition highlights the regions contemporary art practices and position the artists firmly in the context of a globalized art scene. The exhibition, a collaboration between 516 Arts and New York City’s Hunter East Harlem Gallery, opens with a free open house at noon on Saturday, June 19 (through Sept. 18). The open house is preceded by an 11 a.m. online talk with Cyrille, Bessard, Guerrier, and curators Arden Sherman and Katie Hood Morgan. Register for the talk in advance at 516arts.org/events and view related events scheduled throughout the summer. — Michael Abatemarco

Apply directly to the skin

Lit Balm is a free, interactive, livestream reading series that began in spring 2020 to soothe the souls of poetry lovers around the world. Hosted by writers in Louisiana; Massachusetts; and Melbourne, Australia, Lit Balm features readings by award-winning poets followed by an open mic for audience members. (To sign up, email info@litbalm.org). Diane K. Martin, author of Conjugated Visits (2010) and Hue and Cry (2020), reads with Helen Ivory (The Anatomical Venus, 2019) and Fred Marchant (Said Not Said, 2017) at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 19. Zoom link and reading archive available at litbalm.org.

— Jennifer Levin

This Little Light

illuminates Juneteenth The Santa Fe Opera and the Kentucky Opera are teaming up to offer a free online workshop/performance of This Little Light of Mine, a new opera about Mississippi voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. Composed by Chandler Carter to a libretto by Diana Solomon-Glover, the opera tells the story of the Black former sharecropper whose political activism and powerful oratory during the 1960s helped lead to the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. This Little Light of Mine will be available on the Kentucky Opera’s YouTube channel starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 19, in celebration of Juneteenth, the oldest national commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

— Mark Tiarks/For The New Mexican