7 things to do in the capital region, from a murder mystery with beer to a jazz festival

An art exhibit in Laurel has a centerpiece that asks visitors to peer into a virtual reality.

This other world has gotten two starkly different reactions from people who have tried it out, according to the artist.

“A good amount of people come out with the sense that it is sort of calming and meditative,” Aaron Oldenburg said. “And then another set of people come out of it completely terrified.”

Oldenburg’s “Night Walks” is one of his works that use video game design as an artistic medium. The Baltimore-based artist wants to evolve the form beyond a player’s traditional aims, such as accomplishing tasks or solving problems, he said.

The exhibit, which also features interactive displays and prints of images from “Night Walks” and other works, runs through Aug. 8 at Montpelier Arts Center. A public reception will be held on Saturday from 2-4 p.m.

The 46-year-old teaches game design at the University of Baltimore. He started building “Night Walks” during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the work is informed by a sense of isolation and melancholy that he felt and perceived in others.

If you choose to put on a headset, you’ll find yourself on a balcony and see silhouettes of neighbors in distant dwellings all around you. Eventually, these blobs morph into each other and start shifting around. But Oldenburg prefers that you find out for yourself what happens.

One of his key influences was the anxiety he feels about the climate. Oldenburg said he’s found a new pathway for his work that focuses on the ways the intersection of games and art can foster connection and empathy.

But his artwork is guided by a feeling he couldn’t shake while playing games as a teenager.

“At some point around when I was 16 or so, I discovered weird art movies and other artists,” Oldenburg said. “Seeing how they changed my way of viewing the world, just saying, ‘Why aren’t there any games that do that for me?’”

Here are other events happening around Montgomery and Prince George’s counties over the next week.

‘Convergence’

Friday through Aug. 2

At Gallery B, The Black Art Today Foundation will exhibit work that blends media and styles, with pieces intended to complement and speak to one another. The Maryland-based nonprofit highlights Black, Indigenous and other artists of color.

Admission is free. The gallery is open Fridays through Sundays at varying hours, with an opening reception on Friday from 4-6 p.m.

Digging into albums

Friday, 6:30 p.m.

The 33 1/3 series of books features inventive and exhaustive dives into music albums that have shaped their respective scenes and the soundscape of the world.

Some authors of these short dispatches will speak at People’s Book in Takoma Park, including Baltimore resident Zak Fusciello, who was a fan of the Annapolis emo/post-hardcore pioneers Moss Icon before becoming the band’s drummer. His writing on the acclaimed “Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly” will release Nov. 12.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of up to $12.

A murder mystery and beers

Friday, 6:30-8 p.m.

Hagerstown’s Authentic Community Theatre will make the trip down to Waredaca Brewing Company in Laytonsville to present a live and interactive murder mystery show. The troupe is bringing the production around to other Maryland locales, where guests can enjoy a pint while figuring out the case.

Tickets are $19.38.

Janelle James

Friday, 8 p.m.

The outlandish “Abbott Elementary” comedian will wind down a week in which she earned her fifth Emmy nomination with a stand-up performance at The Theater at MGM National Harbor.

Tickets start at $56.30.

‘America, Out Loud’

Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Kwame Alexander, a D.C.-area resident and prolific author of children’s literature, will present his perspective on America’s 250th birthday at Olney Theatre Center. He’ll be joined by special guests, including the Amy Shook Trio, who will perform stories and poems.

Admission is free; a livestream will be available.

Lake Arbor Jazz Festival

Wednesday through July 19

The music showcase takes over MGM National Harbor and other venues in Prince George’s County for five days. Performers include the all-women R&B/go-go ensemble Be’la Dona and Grammy-winning saxophonist Gerald Albright.

Ticket prices vary by show.