The full schedule of events for the Frank Zappa sculpture dedication, set for Sept 19, has been announced, and it figures to be a fantastic day. Starting with a pre-dedication talk by Zappa's wife, Gail, at the Creative Alliance, it also includes free concerts by Zappa's son, Dweezil, as well as local bands such as Arbouretum. The dedication ceremony, at the Pratt's Southeast Anchor Library in Highlandtown, will start at 2 pm and include remarks from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake, Dr. Carla Hayden, Peabody's Jeff Sharkey, Gail Zappa, and Saulius Paukstys, president of Lithuania's Zappa fan club. An after-party will be held at the Creative Alliance. You can check here for further details.

What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?

Calder's Circus is life-changing. The first time I saw the movie I was left speechless. So many elements combined to produce a liberating message. Alexander Calder was so inventive and productive but also playful. Here was a man in the movie crawling around on the floor and pretending to be a circus ringmaster. He brought motion and life to small circus figures that he had twisted from wire and constructed from scraps of wood, cork, tin and fabric. For me it was an art expander. Art had been paintings and sketches, but suddenly it was embracing a child-like innocence, and acceptance. Everything was possible. Bits of wire came to life. A circus could fit into a few suitcases. An adult could crawl on the floor. Art could pour straight from my heart and art could be whatever I created. It could be fun. It could be useful or pointless. It could be huge or tiny. With that movie the walls and...

A few months back, I posted an item about folk artist Danny Doughty's lively paintings (at Joie de Vivre in Cambridge) and noted that I was curious what he'd do next. I stopped in recently and found that Doughty is collaborating with artists Joyce Fritz Ritz and Bob Ritz to create three-dimensional sculptures of his work. The results are great fun.

It's as if Doughty's paintings have, to some extent, come to life, because visitors can circle around the figures for multiple perspectives. "For me, it's like stepping through the frame into the painting," says Doughty. "It allows me to see the work in a new way, and that's exciting."

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Here are some additional thoughts on Robert Palmer's Pressure Drop sessions at Blue Seas Recording Studios. You can check out the "Blue Seas Saga" in our current issue.

PHILL BROWN, ENGINEER ON  PRESSURE DROP ALBUM
 
On the studio [Hunt Valley]: "The 'live' room was not large but a great acoustic space and big enough for our lineup of drums, bass, percussion, two
guitars, various keyboards and a lead vocal. There were good mics and the desk was fantastic - a truly beautiful sound."
 
On the Pressure Drop sessions, "From Robert and my point of view we were all having a ball. A brilliant 'one-off' American band [Little Feat], some cool songs, Robert
singing live and singing his heart out. A wonderful studio, great food, humor, some good grass...What's not having a good time?"
 

STEVE SMITH, PRODUCER OF PRESSURE DROP
 
"Robert and I had a great time [in Baltimore] and loved it. At our hotel we met the guy that owned Head Sportswear who was...