Arts Agenda 

Comedy

Bayou Kitchen Comedy. Extreme Improv: Fridays 8pm - Chicago Style long form improv "The Gallery"; Saturdays 8pm - "Who's Line Is it?" style improv; Psychotic Pooch at 10pm. Fridays and Saturdays. www.extremeimprov.comwww.psychoticpooch.com. $10. 1958 E 7th St. 866-467-7681.

The Comedy Zone Upcoming Performances. July 9-10: Brian Regan & Dave Tucker; July 15-17 & 22-24: James Gregory; 30-31: Gary Valentine. www.comedyzone.net. 516 N. College St. 704-348-4242.

Tyber Creek Pub The Pink Turtle Sketchprov Experience. Reservations suggested. www.pinkturtle.net. Fridays, 8pm. Free, $5 beginning 7/16. 1933 S. Blvd. 704-301-1564.

Dance

Summerreach Open Rehearsals Martha Connerton/Kinetic Works invites the public to watch rehearsals of works in progress for SummerDance 2004 concerts. Saturdays, 12:30-2pm. $5. Spirit Square, 345 N. College St. 704-338-1533.

Museums

Charlotte Museum of History Main Streets of Our State. A traveling photography exhibit. June 30-Jan. 2. Powerful Persuaders: World War II Posters. An exhibit of propaganda posters. Through Sept. 1. Soldier's Stories: War in the First Person. Through Sept. 30. 3500 Shamrock Dr. 704-568-1774.

Discovery Place Mix & Max: Omnimax after hours. The program is aimed at anyone looking for something different. Live music, Omnimax films, food and cash bar. Third Friday of every month. $10 members $12 (non-members). Omnimax. Now showing: Ocean Oasis, NASCAR: The IMAX Experience, T. rex: Back to the Cretaceous, and Lost Worlds: Life in the Balance. Call or visit website for times. 301 N. Tryon St. 704-372-6261.

Levine Museum of the New South Cotton Fields to Sky Scrapers. Tue.-Sun. Courage: The Carolina Story That Changed America. Brown vs. Board of Education exhibit. Through Aug. 15. 200 E. 7th St. 704-333-1887.

Mint Museum of Art Revelation: A Fresh Look at Contemporary Collections. June 30-Sept. 19. VantagePoint II. Julie Heffernan: Interior Transformations, featuring large scale paintings. June 30-Sept. 5. 2730 Randolph Rd. 704-337-2000.

Mint Museum of Craft & Design The Art of Gold. Exhibit presents 80 contemporary gold objects. Apr. 3-Aug. 8. The Nature of Craft and the Penland Experience. July 3-Jan. 30. Tradition & Change: 19th and 20th Century Craft At The Mint. Ongoing exhibit. Tue.-Sun. 220 N. Tryon St. 704-337-2009.

Museum of York County Eewww, YUCK! Understanding Nature's Most Unhuggable Creatures. Through mid August. Rock Hill From A to Z. June 30-Aug. 15. Summer Movies for Children. : Awesome Animals. July 6-7: Piglet's Big Movie; July 13-14: Finding Nemo; July 20-21: 101 Dalmatians. Tues. & Wed. at 11am & 2pm. Vernon Grant. An exhibit of Grant's work, Storybook Village. Through Oct. 31. 4621 Mount Gallant Rd., Rock Hill. 803-329-2121.

Schiele Museum, Gastonia 1500 East Garrison Blvd. 704-866-6900.

Readings & Signings

Beatties Ford Road Library Dr. Rovenia Brock. Author will discuss and sign Dr. Ro's Ten Secrets to Livin' Healthy. Thu., July 8, 6:30 p.m. Peter Reinhart. Author will discuss and sign American Pie, My Search for the Perfect Pizza. Tue., July 13, 7 p.m. 2412 Beatties Ford Rd. 704-432-6706.

Borders, Morrocroft Dawson Perkins. Author will discuss and sign The Team. Sat., July 10, 2 p.m. 3900 Colony Rd. 704-365-6261.

Newsstand International Patrick Minges. Author will sign Black Indian Slave Narratives. Wed., July 14, 1 p.m. 5622-128 E. Independence Blvd. 704-531-0199.

Park Road Books Kathy Reichs. Author will read and sign Monday Morning. Thu., July 8, 7 p.m. C.C. Allentini. Author will read and sign Dead of Winter. Sat., July 10, 1 p.m. Valerie Ann Leff. Author will read and sign Better Homes and Husbands. Sun., July 11, 1 p.m. Park Road Shopping Center, 4139 Park Rd. 704-525-9239.

Spoken Word

Jackson's Java Poetry Open Mic. Hosted by Jonathan Rice. Thu., July 8, 8 p.m. 8544 University City Blvd. 704-595-9526.

Mama's Caribbean Grill Uptown Saturday Nite. Featuring singers, rappers, and poets. Sign up for the Open Mic Showcase. Details: www.freewebs.com/motifentertainment. Every second and last Saturday of the month at 10pm-until. $7 cover. 1504 Central Ave. 704-375-8414.

Southend Performing Arts Center BareBones Poetry Project. SPAC will feature regional authors reading selections of their poetry, short stories and performance poetry. Third Tuesday of every month, 8 p.m. 201 Rampart St. 704-332-5300.

Tonic The Soul Movement. An underground nite for Spoken Word/Poetry, Soul Classics, Neo-Soul, Deep/Soulful House, Urban Grooves & Underground Hip-Hop. www.thesoulmovement.com. Sundays. $5 before 9:30pm. 1427 E. 4th St. 704-580-7187.

Theater: Openings

Bel Canto An audience interactive murder mystery. www.rhcommunitytheatre.org. July 12, 19, 26, August 2, 9, 16 at 7pm. $30. Station Bar & Grille, Rock Hill, 122 S. Oakland Ave. 803-324-2578.

The Deliverer Willing to lose his life for his religion, Barabbas finds himself fighting the God he defends. July 9-10, 23-24, 8pm. $5-$15. King's Arena, Fort Mill, 2175 Gethsemane Ct., Fort Mill.

Drift Presented by BareBones Theatre Group. Jul. 15-17, 8pm; Jul. 18, 2pm. $19.99. Spirit Square, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000.

The Foreigner A comedy for the whole family, presented by Central Piedmont Summer Theatre. July 7-17, Tues (7pm), Wed-Sat (8pm), Sun (2:30pm). $16. Pease Auditorium, CPCC, 1200 Elizabeth Ave. 704-330-6534.

The Importance Of Being Earnest Old Courthouse Youth Theatre'sproduction of Oscar Wilde's classic. July 7-10, 8pm; July 11, 2:30pm. $5-$10. Old Courthouse Theatre, 49 Spring Street, NW, Concord. 704-788-2405.

Intimate E-Pistles Cyrano meets Queer as Folk in this romantic comedy. July 8-10 & 14-17, 8pm. $12-$15, Pay What You Can Night July 14. Off-Tryon Theatre, 3143 Cullman Ave. 704-375-2826.

(sic) A presentation of the City Stage Series. Jul. 8-10, 8pm; Jul. 11, 2pm. $19.99. Spirit Square, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000.

West Side Story A landmark Broadway musical, presented by Central Piedmont Summer Theatre. July 21-31, Tues (7pm), Wed-Sat (8pm), Sun (2:30pm). $16. Pease Auditorium, CPCC, 1200 Elizabeth Ave. 704-330-6534.

Theater: Ongoing

Betty's Summer Vacation A comedy written by Christopher Durang and directed by Lon Bumgarner. www.actorstheatrecharlotte.org. Jun. 23-Jul. 11, Wed/Thurs 7:30pm, Fri/Sat 8pm, Jul. 11 2:30pm. $17-$22. Actor's Theatre, 650 E. Stonewall Street. 704-342-2251.

Honk, Jr. A musical for kids based on the Ugly Duckling. July 5-17, Tues-Sat, 10am. $5. Pease Auditorium, CPCC, 1200 Elizabeth Ave. 704-330-6534.

Visual Arts: Openings

Art Preserve The Animal Farm. A group exhibit featuring animal related paintings and 3-D objects. A portion of proceeds benefit N. Meck. Animal Rescue. Opening Reception: July 16, 6-9pm. July-August. 3200 A North Davidson. 704-358-8882.

Bank of America Gallery Decades. Art from the Collection of Bank of America 1940-1990. July 14-Oct. 30. Hearst Tower, 114 N. Tryon St. 704-386-7324.

Depot Visual Arts Center, Mooresville John Brady. An exhibit of paintings. Through July. 103 W. Center Ave. 704-663-6661.

ElderArt Gallery New Artists Exhibition. Works included are abstract, impressionistic and mixed media. July 16-Aug. 31. 1427 S. Blvd. 704-370-6337.

Icehouse Center Gallery, Davidson Work From The Wood Studio. A look at woodturning and wood working. Opening: July 9, 6pm. July 9-Aug. 10. 432 S. Main St. 704-892-7323.

Joie Lassiter Gallery John Nickerson. Hotter than July II: Unusual blown and cut glass forms. July 16-Aug. 31. 525 North Tryon Street, Suite 140. 704-373-1464.

Queen's Beans Coffee Shop Daniel Coston. An exhibit of Johnny Cash photos. In the Left Wall Gallery. Through July. 1510 Camden Rd. 704-790-2326.

Synergy Studios, Shelby All That's Glass. An exhibit featuring ten regionalglass artists. Opening Reception: July 8, 5:30-8:30pm. July 8-Sept. 3. 212B W. Warren St.

The Artists Gallery Nature. Featuring the watercolors, acrylic paintings and underwater and wildlife photography. Gallery Opening: July 9. Through July. 7824-C Pineville-Matthews Rd. 704-541-6944.

Visual Arts: Ongoing

Afro-American Cultural Center Juried Artists. Exhibit features local, state and national artists. Through August. 401 N. Myers St. 704-374-1565.

Art Institute of Charlotte Gallery Group Exhibit. Life drawings by second-quarter students. July 5-30. 2110 Water Ridge Parkway. 704-357-8020.

Bank of America Plaza Surface Matters. Artists from the Southeast explore surface and materials challenging the viewer to look deeper and stretch their awareness, using newspaper, steel, concrete, monofilament, fiber, acrylics and oil. Curated by Joie Lassiter Gallery. Also at First Citizens, 128 S. Tryon. Through Nov 15. 101 South Tryon Street. 704-373-1464.

Center of the Earth Gallery Scott Upton. An exhibit of mixed media paintings. June 30-Aug. 20. 3204 N Davidson St. 704-375-5756.

Clay on Camden Shelly Johnston. Through July. 1510 Camden Rd. 704-790-2326.

Cuvee Wine & Art Gallery Sky Hixson. Through July. 710 West Trade St. 704-332-5548.

Dalton Gallery Ray Moose. A series of sculptures inspired byNative American forms and culture. July 1-Aug. 23. Center for the Arts, 121 East Main St., Rock Hill. 803-328-2787.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Fania Greenwood. A photographic exhibit titled Blooming Windows. June 30-July 15. 6500 S. New Hope Rd., Belmont. 704-825-4490.

Das Maultier Art Gallery Store/Gallery. Art and design shop located in NODA with affordable art for novice to the serious collector. In the Colony. 3472 N. Davidson St. 704-333-0277.

ElderArt Gallery Philip Mullen. A solo exhibition of oil paintings. Also a group exhibit of paintings and sculpture by gallery artists. Through August. 1427 S. Blvd. 704-370-6337.

The Gallery at Carillon Landscapes. An exhibition of paintings, large-scale drawings and wall mounted sculptures by Shaun Cassidy. Through July 16. 227 W. Trade St. 704-334-8840.

Gallery L, Main Library Dali. The Halsman photographs. June 30-Aug. 1. 310 N. Tryon St. 704-336-2020.

Hidell Brooks Gallery Barbara Fisher. Balanced, a solo exhibit. June 30-July 24. 1910 S. Blvd. Suite 130. 704-334-7302.

Joie Lassiter Gallery Amy Lixl-Purcell. An multi-media exhibit titled Bounce. June 30-July 15. 525 North Tryon Street, Suite 140. 704-373-1464.

The Light Factory Anderson Scott / Jeff Murphy. Prints and photographs. Jun. 18-Jul. 24. Kindertransport. An exhibition of photographs documenting the effort that saved 10,000 children from the Nazis. Through Aug. 18. Spirit Square, 345 N. College St. 704-333-9755.

McColl Center for Visual Art Summer Affiliates Artists Exhibition. Through Aug. 21. 721 N. Tryon St. 704-332-5535.

Pottery Central Pottery Central Gallery. Functional, sculptural and decorative pottery by local potters. Friday & Saturday 10-5 or call for appointment. 3534 Central Ave. 704-537-4477.

Stretch Gallery N Studios Henryk Fantazos. Against Modern Art An exhibit of new and retrospective works. Through July 30. 10726 Pineville Rd, Pineville. 704-552-5678.

W.D.O. Summer Exhibition. A group exhibit of crafts. Through July. Hearst Plaza Suite No. 1, 214 North Tryon St. 704-333-9123.

Waterworks Visual Arts Center Bert Hawley & Karen Parker. Exhibit of paintings. June 30-Aug. 21. 123 East Liberty St., Salisbury. 704-636-1882.