Put down those bath beads—no one wants those for Christmas. Instead, pick up some one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork for the loved ones left on your list. Neighboring galleries Matrix Fine Art and New Grounds Print Workshop (3812 Central SE, Suites 100 A and B) invite you to their holiday show and sale. The reception on Friday, Dec. 11, goes from 5 to 8 p.m. Artwork is priced from $25 and up. For more information on these galleries and this event, go to newgroundsgallery.com or matrixfineart.com.

This time of year is perfect for gathering up your friends and family and heading as far from the mall as possible. So in between your last minute holiday purchases, put on your crushed velvet and patent-leather finery (universal Christmas attire still, right?) and go see a play. There are so many great ones in town this month, I just couldn’t choose one. Maybe you shouldn’t, either.

New Mexican poet, author and journalist Demetria Martinez has one or two stories to tell. Martinez was the religion editor at the Albuquerque Journal in the ’80s, working part-time while writing poetry. In 1987, she was indicted on charges of conspiracy relating to smuggling refugees from Central America to the U.S. She was acquitted the following year.