The weekend and beyond. Not bad for July.

I got a call a few months ago from someone I know who lives in the Still Hopes retirement community in West Columbia looking for suggestions about doing some art shows there or connected with that place.
Looks like things worked out because tonight a photo exhibition that's a collaboration between Still Hopes residents and photo students, or recent grads, at the University of South Carolina opens at City Art.

"Connections through Light" pared a student with a resident. Each wrote a story and then the other interpreted it with photographs. Five students and five residents, ranging in age from early 20s to middle 80s, took part. The show opens Thursday, July 9 with a reception from 4 to 7 pm. It will be on display through July 31. City Art, 1224 Lincoln St. (Upper left photo by Kari McIlwain,)

Take a stroll a few blocks east and you can see an exhibition of paintings by Pamm Collins at Frame of Mind on Main Street across from the art museum. An opening reception takes place from 5:30 to 8 Thursday, July 9.

While the cross-dressing, rock 'n' roll aliens continue doing "The Time Warp" at Trusuts Theatre, more family-friendly fare hits the stage at Town and Workshop theaters where it's all Disney.

Town opens "Beauty and the Beast" and Workshop "High School Musical 2" Friday, July 10.

"Beauty and the Beast" started as a fairy tale, was published in the mid-1700s, made into an animated Disney movie which became the stage show.

It's about Belle, the Beauty, who falls for the Beast and in the stage version there are lots of dancing napkins, cutlery and so on. It should not be confused with Jean Cocteau's 1924 film. The show is directed by Shannon Willis Scruggs and stars Kristina Kusa as Belle, Greg Pipkin as the Beast.

The musical runs through July 26. towntheatre.org or (803) 799-2551.
"High School Musical" is based on an ancient Greek myth and was first turned into a stage play by Bertolt Brecht in 1952 in the East Germany. Oh, no wrong show.

Walter Graham is directing this ensemble piece that taps into the Midlands' young talent in a story about young life. Through July 25. workshoptheatre. or (803) 799-6551.

For those who are not all that fond of either old or new Disney, you can head to the Columbia Museum of Art Friday, July 10 for The Columbia Guitar Orchestra.
The eight-members of the classical guitar groupo will play "Kemp's Jig" and "Yellow Bird" by the always-popular Anonymous, the three-movement "Rodriguesca" by Javier Riba, "Trio Facile" by Leonard Von Call and other works. The Guitar Orchestra has been around since 2005. The concert starts at 7 and is free with museum admission.

Speaking of the museum, if you haven't heard yet, free admission day is now Sunday rather than Saturday.
Starting next month, the the museum will be open only the first Friday night of the month, but will almost always have some event going on that night.
Also, museum admission is doubling, going from $5 to $10, so it might be a good time to either buy a membership or write a letter of complaint, although you could do both.

Phil Garrett of Greenville has been a significant figure in South Carolina art for several decades. He's long been a painter and printmaker, often chosing as his subject matter plants, horses and fish.
A decade or so ago he also started King Snake Press and artists come from throughout the region to make monotype prints there.
You can see a new batch of his horse paintings at if Art Gallery, 1223 Lincoln St., starting Tuesday, July 14. The artist will be there that night from 6 to 9.