Arts & Culture

Christopher Rhodes has always loved comic books. But during the pandemic, he began to envision a different kind of comic book, one in which superheroes used their powers not just to stop muggings and local crime, but also to fight social battles like racism, police brutality and political unrest.

Every day for the entire month of August, a different Massachusetts museum or cultural institution will offer free admission as part of Highland Street Foundation’s August Adventures program.

Ruthie Foster’s career spans three decades. The blues musician has released nine studio albums, five of which were nominated for Grammy Awards, played stages in dozens of states, and received seven Blues Music Awards and a Living Blues Critics’ Poll Award.

In 2016, Fred Woodard envisioned bringing more jazz music to Dorchester and Roxbury by organizing a day dedicated to the genre.

The Newport Jazz Festival enters its 70th year this summer. Starting Aug. 2 and running through Aug. 4, the festival’s lineup is an inclusive and eclectic musical selection that defies genres.

Summer in Boston sounds like the splash of water in the Boston Common Frog Pond, the roar of Red Sox fans belting out “Sweet Caroline” and the rush of bike pedals pumping through Franklin Park. On the city of Boston’s “Dear Summer Mixtape Vol. 2,” the season also sounds like the nimble rhythms of jazz, the beats of R&B and the catchy melodies of pop.

What once stood as an unused, grassy patch in the Charlestown Navy Yard now holds artworks honoring the past.

Just like the people who wear them, hoop earrings come in endless shapes, sizes and colors. Beyond a fabulous fashion accessory, they are a means of ethnic and ancestral expression, particularly for Black, Latine and Indigenous communities.

For one weekend in July, Danehy Park in Cambridge transforms into a dance party, a celebration of community, a local business market, a cookout, and most importantly — a two-day jazz concert.

During family gatherings, Andre Robinson used to observe as his cousin embodied the role of DJ, placing the needle on the records as he stood behind the tables. At about 3 years old, Robinson had begun losing his hearing, but the music at the get-togethers was always just loud enough for him to perceive it. He was captivated but unsure if he could pursue music, given his deafness.

A head of state believes he has been betrayed, despite all evidence to the contrary. He sets out to destroy his perceived rival and ruins many people in the process. So begins William Shakespeare’s late-career play, “The Winter’s Tale.”

In “Possession of A Recalcitrant Dream,” Hakeem Adewumi’s photographic installation on the exterior of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, myth, monsters and identity merge.