Memories of Gene Kelly, sculpture and death on this week's arts agenda

Most of us know Gene Kelly as a graceful dancer, accomplished actor and movie star.

He was much more, and Invisible Theatre is bringing his widow here to tell us about the person she knew.

Patricia Ward Kelly wrote and performs in “Gene Kelly — The Legacy,” here for two performances — at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31.

With film clips, unreleased audio recordings, keepsakes and memories, she gives us the Gene Kelly she knew and loved.

Performances are at the Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway. Tickets are $40. 882-9721 or invisibletheatre.com

Sculpture Fest fills

2 weeks, 2 venues

The 7th annual Tucson Sculpture Festival opens with a reception 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30. Like the event, the opening reception will be at two places: Borderlands Brewery, 119 E. Toole Ave., beginning at 6 p.m., and the Sculpture Resource Center, 640 N. Stone Ave. at 7 p.m.

The fest continues from noon to 6 p.m. daily through Feb. 13, which means you’ll have about two weeks to see some of the amazing works created by more than 50 local artists.

Among those showing (take a deep breath): Steven Bye, Danielle Neibling; Mike Jones; Linda Chappel; William Witzigman; Monica Durazo; Tamara Scott-Anderson; Francisco Norzagaray; Thomas Kerrigan; Carlos Encinas; Aleksandra Alexander and Cathy Woodard.

Lucky Tucson, we are loaded with talented artists. It’s free.

‘Death Monologues’ here for 1 show Sunday

While the title suggests otherwise, we’re told “The Death Monologues” is “uplifting.”

The one-woman show, written and performed by Giselle Suarez, has just one performance — Sunday, Jan. 31 — at Live Theatre Workshop.

The play, according to the press release, “has helped release the fear, guilt and grief that many have about death and dying, and has shed a very different light on this commonly dark subject.”

The 55-minute show is 6 p.m. at Live Theatre, 5317 E. Speedway. Tickets are $10 at the door. 327-4242 or livetheatreworkshop.org

Tucson arts groups get $130K from TPAC

The Tucson Pima Arts Council has handed out $130,000 in grants to Tucson arts groups.

That’s nice, but this is nicer: They are General Operating Support grants — money that can be used where it is needed. Those kinds of funds are historically more difficult to secure.

The recipients are:

• $10,000

• : Loft Cinema; Children’s Museum Tucson; Tucson Museum of Art; Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Arts for All.

• $5,000

• : BICAS; Invisible Theatre; Live Theatre Workshop; Sonoran Glass School; Southwest Folklife Alliance; The Drawing Studio, and True Concord Voices & Orchestra.

• $2,500

• : Borderlands Theater; Funhouse; Odaiko Sonora; Stories That Soar/Literacy Connects; Arts Express; Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra; Kore Press; Casa Libre en la Solana; Sons of Orpheus; Warehouse Arts Management Organization; Winding Road Theater Ensemble; POG Poetry in Action; Tucson Fringe Festival; Arizona Balalaika Orchestra; Many Mouths One Stomach; Zuzi Dance; Artifact Dance Project, and Safos Dance Theatre.