Tuesday, November 12, 2024
6 PM Reception; 6:30 PM Lecture

Please join us for an artist talk with Carlos Castro Arias. He will share a special presentation on his Athenaeum show, The Splinter in the Eye, and how it connects to his career and process. The reception will take at 6:00 p.m., followed by a lecture at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 13, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Thursday, November 14, 2024
7:30 PM

A year after publishing his Surrealist Manifesto, Breton organized the first group exhibition for La peinture surréaliste in the Gallery Pierre in Paris. It included work by Giorgio de Chirico, Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, Jean Arp, Max Ernst, Joan Miró, André Masson, Man Ray, Jean Tanguy, and Pierre Roy. New members joined the group in 1929: former Dadaist Tristan Tzara, Salvador Dalí, filmmaker Luis Bunuel, and sculptor Alberto Giacometti. A group of talented women artists have long stood in the shadow of their famous male peers. This lecture also explores the contributions of Leonora Carrington, photographer Dora Mar, Lee Miller, and Meret Oppenheim. The beginning of WWII scattered the surrealist group all over the world.

Thursdays, November 14 & 21, 2024
7:30 PM

On October 15, 1924, André Breton published his first Surrealist Manifesto in Paris which gave birth to the surrealist movement. These two lectures celebrate the centennial of surrealism. Surrealist artists and writers were inspired by Sigmund Freud’s dream analysis and the exploration of the subconscious mind. They tried to express themselves without any restrictions of reason, moral, or aesthetic considerations. Surrealists under the leadership of Breton marked a transition from the anarchist Dada movement to the proposition of a superior alternative in Surrealism.

Friday, November 15, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, November 15, 2024
4 PM

Free Art Classes for Teens (13–18 years old) 

Free Teen Art, the Athenaeum’s free program for teens offers a rotation of multidisciplinary art instructors and curricular activities involving the use of the Athenaeum library resources and art exhibitions as starting points for projects.

Saturday, November 16, 2024
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Sunday, November 17, 2024
9 AM–1 PM

We invite you to stop by the Athenaeum’s booth at the La Jolla Open Aire Market held on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.!  There you will find, in addition to Athenaeum publications and artists’ notecards for sale, friendly staff and volunteers ready to chat with you and to tell you about the Athenaeum’s latest news and upcoming events. The market is located at the La Jolla Elementary School, 7335 Girard Avenue. We look forward to seeing you there!

Monday, November 18, 2024
12 PM

As members of the San Diego Symphony, long time friends Jing and Julia were thrilled when kismet sent the matched set of long time friends Abraham and Nathan to join the orchestra at the same time. Through the pandemic the four discovered a remarkable shared musical chemistry, and recently have performed for a wide range of San Diego audiences—from thousands of migrant children housed at the convention center to symphony donors onstage at The Rady Shell.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024
6 PM Reception; 6:30 PM Lecture

Please join us for an artist talk by Los Angeles–based artist Amy Adler. Working across the disciplines of drawing, performance, photography, and film, Adler creates an interplay between mediums that focuses itself on the concept of the film still, realized through layered and nuanced hand-drawn images. Adler will share a special presentation of her career, process, recent projects, and 2024 mural for Murals of La Jolla, Location, on Tuesday, November 19. The 6:30 p.m. lecture will follow a reception beginning at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Thursday, November 21, 2024
7:30 PM

From Paris, surrealism spread to Belgium, where René Magritte became a leading figure. In New York, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, and Dorothea Tanning represented surrealism at Peggy Guggenheim’s Gallery of the Century. In Mexico City Frida Kahlo and Diego Riviera together with a group of exiles from WWII, like Leonor Fini and Remedios Varo, organized and showed surrealist art. Exhibitions sprang up in Belgrade, Cairo, Prague, Brussels, London, and San Francisco. A historical survey of Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism at MOMA in 1936 introduced the movement to a wider audience.

Breton’s death in 1966 left no heir to unite the divergent branches of surrealist artists all over the world and led to the end of surrealism as a unified movement, but its influence continues today.

Friday, November 22, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Monday, November 25, 2024
12 PM

Rob Thorsen will play bass and flute and Holly Hofmann will play flute and alto flute.

Wednesday, November 27, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Sunday, December 1, 2024
7:30 PM

The series continues Sunday, December 1, with the Billy Childs Quartet, featuring Childs on piano, Matthew Stubbs on clarinet, Dan Chmielinski on bass, and Benjamin Ring on drums. Multi-Grammy-winner Billy Childs has been a favorite performer on the Athenaeum series going back to his debut at the library in 1996. He remains one of the most diversely prolific and acclaimed artists working in music today. As a composer, he has been commissioned by Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Kronos Quartet, the Dorian Wind Quintet, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the American Brass Quintet, the Ying Quartet, the Lyris Quartet, and Anne Akiko Meyers.

Monday, December 2, 2024
12 PM

The Stanton Street Duo is a chromatic harmonica and 7-string guitar ensemble based in San Francisco. Since their participation as finalists in the CAG Elmaleh Competition in NYC, the duo has performed across the US and Mexico. Praised for their virtuosity, intensity, and musicality, the Stanton Street Duo continues to attract a diverse range of audiences through their dynamic and electrifying live performances. Beyond their focus on elevating and reimagining traditional Latin American music styles, the Stanton Street Duo demonstrates their versatility and range in their performance of classical and film composers as well as their own original compositions. 

Monday, December 2, 2024
7:30 PM

On Monday, December 2, Grammy-nominated pianist Andrius Žlabys will perform a varied program of works by J.S. Bach and César Franck and his own composition Echoes of Light, an homage to Mozart. Žlabys states, “At the center of the piece, there are two fragments from Mozart’s Requiem. [What follows is] influenced by Carl Sagan’s writings. I imagine fragments of Mozart’s Requiem continuing to echo through space and time, perhaps never again detected, yet always present.” Žlabys has received acclaim for his appearances with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Rotterdam Symphony, and Philharmonic Orchestra of Buenos Aires.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Thursday, December 5, 2024
7:30 PM

SDNVW (San Diego New Verbal Workshop) is a contemporary vocal ensemble inspired by the experimental music tradition of the late 20th century. They perform, improvise, and compose as a collective and frequently work with living composers to explore the unique sonic capabilities of the human voice in concert with instruments, electronics, and movement.

Friday, December 6, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, December 6, 2024
6–9 PM

Join us at the Athenaeum Art Center on December 6, 2024, at 6 p.m. for the hilarious and beloved "Brian and Ryan's Kitschmas Pageant"! Back by popular demand, this whimsical holiday extravaganza promises to bring laughter, joy, and a healthy dose of kitschy cheer.

Saturday, December 7, 2024
5–7 PM

The Executive Director & Board of Trustees cordially invite members of the Athenaeum to the Members’ Holiday Party. Join us for music, refreshments, and piano-side caroling to celebrate the holiday season! The Athenaeum is transformed with décor that will leave you feeling bright and gay, including a traditional European Christmas Village display. Enjoy eggnog, sweets, and grandiose cookie displays by Girard Gourmet. Sing along to carols with pianist John Evans, and listen to live jazz music.

Wednesday, December 11, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, December 13, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

December 14, 2024
10 AM–5 PM

Get a gift for a friend or yourself at the Athenaeum's Annual Holiday Bookstore in the La Jolla Art Studio! As usual, we will have a large selection of gently used books, CDs, vinyl LPs, and sheet music. Find a great gift for yourself or a friend! The number of shoppers will be limited according to guidelines. Masks and physical distancing are recommended.

Saturday, December 7, 2024
5–7 PM

Please join us as students of the School of the Arts Writer's groups share their recent work—poetry and short prose. Our featured reader will be Kathleen Principe. This is a free event.

Sunday, December 15, 2024
9 AM–1 PM

We invite you to stop by the Athenaeum’s booth at the La Jolla Open Aire Market held on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.!  There you will find, in addition to Athenaeum publications and artists’ notecards for sale, friendly staff and volunteers ready to chat with you and to tell you about the Athenaeum’s latest news and upcoming events. The market is located at the La Jolla Elementary School, 7335 Girard Avenue. We look forward to seeing you there!

Wednesday, December 18, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, December 20, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, December 21, 2024
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

December 24, 2024
10 AM–5 PM

Get a gift for a friend or yourself at the Athenaeum's Annual Holiday Bookstore in the La Jolla Art Studio! As usual, we will have a large selection of gently used books, CDs, vinyl LPs, and sheet music. Find a great gift for yourself or a friend! The number of shoppers will be limited according to guidelines. Masks and physical distancing are recommended.

Friday, December 27, 2024
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, January 3, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, January 10, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Thursday, January 16, 2025
7:30 PM

The fall series concludes Thursday, January 16, with the Athenaeum debut of the Alex Kautz Quartet, featuring Kautz on drums, Chico Pinheiro on guitar, John Ellis on saxophone, and Joe Martin on bass. Renowned for his musicality, groove, and knowledge of various genres, Kautz stands out as a distinguished percussionist, educator, and composer. With an unwavering passion for jazz and world music, he has crafted a captivating and distinct musical voice. A Brazilian artist based in New York City, Kautz has been an important part of the city’s music scene for the last decade and has played and/or recorded with some of the top artists in the industry today, including Tim Ries, Magos Herrera, Nilson Matta, Chico Pinheiro, Steve Wilson, Lenny Andrade, Fabio Gouvea, Helio Alves, Victor Prieto, and Lionel Loueke.

Friday, January 17, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, January 18, 2025
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, January 24, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, January 31, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, February 7, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Monday, February 10, 2025
7:30 PM

On Monday, February 10, the Grammy-nominated ensemble AGAVE returns to the Athenaeum with Reginald Mobley, a countertenor noted for his “shimmering voice” (BachTrack) and renowned for his interpretation of baroque, classical, and modern repertoire. AGAVE will present American Originals, a program based on their album of the same name that features music by brilliant yet underrepresented composers and explores how the blending of European, African, and indigenous styles created uniquely American sounds. The ensemble will include Mobley, Co-Director Aaron Westman on violin and viola, Anna Washburn on violin and viola, Kevin Cooper on guitar and theorbo, Katherine Kyme on violin and viola, William Skeen on viola da gamba and violoncello, and Co-Director Henry Lebedinsky on harpsichord and piano.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, February 14, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, February 15, 2025
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, February 21, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, February 26, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, February 28, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, March 7, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, March 14, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, March 15, 2025
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, March 21, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, March 28, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, April 4, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025
7:30 PM

The series continues Tuesday, April 8, with the Great Wall String Quartet performing a program of Mendelssohn, Schulhoff, and Beethoven. Its members share a vision to connect with more immediacy to audiences and to give guidance to the next generation of chamber musicians. In his role at the Deutsches Symphony Orchester Berlin, violinist Wei Lu is one of the youngest concertmasters in a major orchestra. Violinist Qi Zhou is a member of the prestigious chamber orchestra Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Muenchen. Xu Wenbo is the current viola and chamber music instructor at the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra Academy in Hamburg. Hailed in New York Concert Review as “a superb cellist with intense and sensuous sound,” Yao Zhao performs with a dynamism that has secured him a successful career as the principal cello of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, April 11, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, April 16, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, April 18, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, April 19, 2025
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, April 25, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, April 30, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, May 2, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, May 7, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, May 9, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, May 10, 2025
VIP Hour: 5:30–6:30 PM
Main Event: 6:30–10 PM

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, walk into the Athenaeum’s Talk of the Town: Casablanca, Annual Benefit Celebration.

Monday, May 12, 2025
7:30 PM

The series concludes Monday, May 12, with the New Orford String Quartet presenting works by Mozart, Dinuk Wijeratne, and Schubert (Death and the Maiden). Violinists Andrew Wan and Jonathan Crow, violist Sharon Wei, and cellist Brian Manke formed their ensemble with the goal of developing a new model for a touring string quartet: bringing four elite orchestral leaders and soloists together on a regular basis over many years to perform chamber music at the highest level. The Toronto Star has described this outcome as “nothing short of electrifying.” They have seen astonishing success, giving annual concerts for national CBC broadcast and receiving two Opus Awards for Concert of the Year and a 2017 JUNO Award for Best Classical Album. Recent seasons have featured return engagements in Chicago, Montreal, and Toronto, as well as their New York City debut on Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, May 16, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, May 17, 2025
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, May 23, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, May 30, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.