Five Reasons to Leave the House This Weekend

Work by Jim Hodges from Give More Than You Take at the ICA. / Photos by John Kennard via icaboston.org

Art
Free Artist Talk: Jim Hodges Talk at the ICA

Hodges’ new exhibit certainly gives the audience a visual feast. His pieces are colorful, graphic, and some quite literally splash rays of light across the wall. Give More Than You Take is the first comprehensive survey of Hodges’ work, which looks at the artist’s career since 1987. “Jim’s work is…poetic and political, sublime and significant, and I’m excited that our audiences will have the summer to spend with Jim’s art,” says Jill Medvedow, the Ellen Matilda Poss Director of the ICA. Hodges will discuss his work with Medvedow in a free talk on Thursday night.

Free admission and talk, Thursday, June 19, 7 p.m., exhibit open through September 1, Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave., Boston, 617-478-3100, icaboston.org.

Literature
Jennifer Weiner at Brookline Booksmith

Call her work chick lit if you want. She’s ambivalent to the term. Go ahead and call her a feminist. She identifies as one. In any case, Weiner undeniably writes books that women relate to. The author of Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, The Next Best Thing, and many more released her latest, All Fall Down, this week. The novel takes a poignant look at addiction through main character Allison, a wife and mom in the suburbs with a pill problem. Weiner will read from All Fall Down and take part in a Q&A and signing at Brookline Booksmith.

Free ($27 for copy of All Fall Down), Saturday, June 21, 6 p.m., Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-566-6660, brooklinebooksmithonline.com.

Film
Citizen Koch at the Brattle Theatre

Oscar-nominated directors Carl Deal and Tia Lessin (Trouble the Water) premiere their scathing new documentary, and will be on hand at the Brattle to talk about it. Citizen Koch looks at the rise of the Tea Party and the role that political funding, particularly from billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, played in financing it. Like most well-executed documentaries, the film will likely leave you feeling highly agitated in a 47 / 99 percent kind of way.

$10 general admission, showings with filmmakers on Friday, June 20, 7 p.m., and Saturday, June 21, 7 p.m., Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-876-6837, brattlefilm.org.

Science
EurekaFest at the Museum of Science

Lemelson-MIT’s annual EurekaFest encourages young people to embrace their creativity and put it to good use through invention. While the event begins Friday at MIT’s Stata Center, the finale competition takes place on Saturday at the Museum of Science, where high school students from around the U.S. will take on the “Duck ‘n’ Hover” challenge: to design and build a wind-powered invention that will carry rubber ducks and hover up three stories. In other words, here’s what happens when a drone and a duck boat crossbreed.

$23 regular admission, Saturday, June 21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, 617-723-2500, eurekafest.org.

Cars
The Great Race in Lowell

For more than 30 years, the Great Race has traveled various courses between Florida and Maine. Classic and vintage automobiles make the trip and stop at various spots along the way where spectators can see the rides firsthand. This year, the Great Race will stop in Lowell later in the afternoon on Saturday, but Lowell’s making a daylong party out of it. A full day of auto-envy begins with a vintage and classic car showcase starting at 11 a.m., and this weekend also marks the kickoff of the 25th annual Lowell Summer Music Series.

Free, Saturday, June 21, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Great Race cars ETA 4:45 p.m., on display 6-8 p.m., Downtown Lowell, 978-459-6150, merrimackvalley.org.