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It’s the second coming of surrealism at Ivester Contemporary. Josias Figueirido aptly updates the legacy of Dalí and Chagall with his vivid dreamscapes. His exhibit presents spirit guides Piri the Dreamer and Flying Coyote in increasingly absurd settings, smoothly bubbled characters possessing hypnotic shininess. Paintings of them hang in eerily vivid flashe paint, existing harmoniously beside their animated counterpoints in an immersive, interactive reality. It’s the wondrous love child of Cartoon Network and modernism. You don’t want to miss it.: – Cat McCarrey

Though May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Austin’s premier Asian American Film Festival serves up AAPI cinematic talent through June, too.

Eager to watch a tragic, thought-provoking, sociopolitical tragedy? Experience the student-performed, professionally directed classic (which feels like an understatement), in a replica Elizabethan theatre space by Lake Austin.

There’s not a single situation on Earth that can’t be made better by puppets. Avenue Q and Team America: World Police prove my point. For some more family-friendly puppet improvements, check out the all-ages production of La Maleta de Maebelle, Glass Half Full’s creative telling of Tricia Tusa’s picture book Maebelle’s Suitcase. It tells the story of a young girl and her bird friend, both of whom yearn to return home to Colombia. With Colombian music by Kiko Villamizar and incredible puppets, made and handled by master puppeteers, Glass Half Full offers a perfect production for all. – Cat McCarrey

Who doesn’t want to build up their CV in these trying times? Or perhaps you just want to fill your free time with something other than TikTok? Or maybe you want a behind-the-scenes, hands-on tour of Austin’s best place for sustainable craft supplies? Whatever reason you’ve got, it’s a good time to volunteer for Austin Creative Reuse’s Summer of Service program. Opportunities are abundant, with group projects like fabric rolling, dog toy making, or Funky Fabric Friday – that’s when they process all the weird stuff like purple faux fur or bright yellow vinyl. Sign up on austincreativereuse.org, complete 30 volunteering hours, and earn your Summer of Service certificate. Beats losing eight hours to ASMR slime-scoop videos, I’ll tell you what. – James Scott

We Are Blood – who are definitely NOT vampires in disguise – have totally cracked the case on how to make giving blood even more of a good deed. See, for this month only, whenever you take your juicy veins to a WAB donor center or mobile unit, they’ll donate $5 to your choice of one of three partnering nonprofits. That’s right: Donate blood, and you can give Central Texas Food Bank, Austin Humane Society, or TreeFolks a fiver to do with what they please. And usually what they please is helping our Austin community in various positive ways like keeping peeps fed, nurturing puppies and kitties, and growing big beautiful trees whose shade is sorely needed during this cruel summer. – James Scott

Hoo-wee! Does anything feel better than a dip in the pool during a hot Texas summer? While some among us may be privileged to own private watering holes, most of us get to enjoy the great Austin PARD’s work at the 44 public aquatic facilities to choose from this summer. You’ve got regional, neighborhood, and community pools; a wading pool; splash pads; and the crown jewel: Barton Springs. Check austintexas.gov/pools-splashpads for up-to-date info on which pools are open, what their entry fee is, and whether you have what it takes to be a public pool lifeguard. Now, outta the way if you don’t wanna get wet: I’m gonna do a cannonball! – James Scott

Thanks to Seventies funk band War, the word “lowrider” often calls to mind the unforgettable sax riff of the band’s 1975 No. 1 single. But lowrider can mean a snazzy customized car with hydraulics or a person who works on such a vehicle, and the culture around these cars has strengthened Mexican American communities in the Southwest since the Forties. Learn more about them at this exhibit featuring an interactive touchscreen mural, cars and bikes on display, and stories about the people who make lowriding a community. A member reception takes place May 18. – Kat McNevins

That's right: Cap City Comedy Club, the longtime cornerstone of Austin's comedy scene for nearly four decades is at a new venue in the Domain. And here's Valerie Lopez with a closer look at what's in store for the scene via the venue. Click for details!

Traveling in Mexico, you frequently encounter changarritos – portable food carts or tienditas run by hardworking entrepreneurs. The carts usually operate outside of any formal regulation and, in that way, mirror the resilience and creativity of Mexican culture. In 2005, artist Máximo González appropriated the concept of the changarrito as a way for artists to take their work directly to the people. The idea came to Austin’s venerable Mexic-Arte Museum in 2012, with dozens of artists displaying art and interacting with the public outside the Downtown gallery. The concept is back and will run through August. – Brant Bingamon

Art and … math? Not as improbable as it may seem, especially when seen through the veil of fantasy. And that’s exactly what artist/gallerist/therapist Deanna Miesch does. Compiling works inspired by 1800s mathematician Edwin A. Abbott’s imaginary world of Flatland (with touches of fellow mathematician Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland, of course), Miesch presents reality with a fanciful twist. Her visuals show our world, blurred or tilted a little askew. It’s easy to see portals to another world in every line and angle. What dimensions will you discover? – Cat McCarrey

Stand aside, Anya Taylor-Joy and Gwyneth Paltrow. Heck, I’ll include Alicia Silverstone in there as well. Get back, ladies, because there’s a new Emma in town. Austin Playhouse presents their own updated Emma, giving that meddling matchmaker a new twist in the old setting. Emma might know what’s best for everybody else, but can she see what’s right in front of her? You probably know the answer, but this guarantees a laugh-a-minute journey along the way. Romance and absurdity – a recipe for greatness. – Cat McCarrey

Esther's Follies – Austin's not-so-secret weapon in the fight against ennui – the comedy gem that still dazzles this growing urban hub – returns to the weekly live and in-person stage of their club on Dirty Sixth, the whole troupe bringing back old favorites and debuting a new program of hilarity with topical, ripped-from-the-headlines sketches and musical numbers. And you do need a laugh or two, right about this time, don't you, citizen? (And how about a margarita to go with that?) We'd add that the mind-boggling illusions of magician Ray Anderson are a bonus in the night's clever spectacle … but, the way that arch maestro conjures mystery and delight, "bonus" would be an insult.