Hope the new year has been treating you all well. If you are a fan of art openings and live music, this weekend is going to keep you busy! Enjoy these picks from my site, Free in DC.

Tonight
Swing by the opening for Dana Ellyn’s solo show “The Art of Dating,” inspired by Rachel Machacek’s new book, The Science of Single, at Tryst in Adams Morgan, from 7 to 9 p.m. Tryst was the venue for a few of Machacek’s dates in the account of her year-long, systematic dating experiment. Dana is a friend of mine and I’m definitely planing to stop by.

I haven’t been to the Red Door Loft before but it sounds like a cool new spot. Tonight, local musician Aaron Thompson performs. A $5 donation is suggested and the event is BYOB. Doors at 8 p.m.; show from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., in the alley at 443 I St., NW, in the former space of Gold Leaf Studios—just look for the red door. Joining Thompson tonight are Brooklyn-based Ladycop and Richmond-based Tungs.

The H Street Corridor’s SOVA Espresso & Wine hosts an opening for “Exposed: The Polariod Retrospective,” from 6:30 p.m. ’til close. The exhibit features over 1,000 images, all taken using instant-film cameras, by more than 20 local photographers including my friends Rosina Teri Memolo and Chandi Kelley. There will also be free Polaroid photos taken at the event for you to take home.

Friday
Speaking of delicious espresso drinks, did you know that the Counter Culture Training Center offers free coffee cuppings? The Adams Morgan facility hosts cupping from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Friday.

It’s the first Friday of the month, which means that art galleries in Dupont are open ’til 8 p.m., and Hillyer Art Space, which celebrates the opening of Kyan Bishop’s “Critical Balance” will be open til 9 p.m. The Studio Gallery will also stay open ’til 9 p.m. for the opening of the show “The Magic of the Melting Pot: Immigration in America,” which the work of 14 artists all informed or influenced by the immigrant experience, including D.C.-based artists, and friends of mine, Cesar Maxit, Graham Boyle and Aniekan Udofia.

Enjoy some live jazz hosted by Jeff Wolf from 7 to 10 p.m. at the recently updated Potter’s House in Adams Morgan. This week’s “Sounds of Hope” concert, which is donation-based and open to all ages, benefits the Restoration Project, an advocacy group working on immigration issues in Arizona.

Saturday
Lots of art openings today! Here are some highlights:

From 1 to 4 p.m. in Silver Spring, the Washington Printmakers Gallery hosts an opening for its new show “Beswick’s Legacy” featuring works from six contemporary wood engravers from the U.K.

Openings around Capitol Hill include the Fifth Annsual Photography Exhibition at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, starting at 5 p.m.;Ronnie Spiewak‘s “Leaves, Words and Screens” at CITY Gallery; Diana Quinn‘s “Bubble Splash” at The Corner Store at 6 p.m.; and Laura Elkins‘ “White House Negligee” at The Fridge, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Folks of all ages can enjoy the Music Matters Showcase at Caribou Coffee in Silver Spring, just steps from the Metro. This twice-a-month showcase is all ages, and all donations go to support the homeless. This show, the first of the new year, is from 6 to 9 p.m. and features the talents of Kukac Vrecic, Tres Amigos and Billy J. Carter.

Sunday
Sunday is the last chance to check out two shows on view at area museums:
“Arcimboldo, 1526–1593: Nature and Fantasy” at the National Gallery of Art, and “Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color” at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The NGA is free; the NMWA has a $10 cover ($8 for students and 65-plus, and free for those 18 and under).

Catch this month’s “Focus-In! Cinema for a Conscious Community” with the film Lunch Lineat Busboys and Poets 5th & K from 8 to 10 p.m. In the film, six kids from one of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago set out to fix school lunch and end up at the White House.

Enjoy music by Grieg, Sæverud, and other composers with a Norwegian-American New Year concert featuring the National Gallery of Art Orchestra,guest conductor Bjarte Engeset, and soprano Jessica Jones at 6:30 p.m. at the NGA.

Amy Melrose is the creator of Free in DC, an arts, culture, and consciousness blog highlighting free and low-cost events that are all Metro accessible in the D.C. area. You can also follow Free in DC on Twitter and Facebook.