Weekend Events Calendar: Polar Bear Plunge; Looking at Leadership; ‘Anatomy of Wings’; and more

The long winter of virtual events remains this weekend, but there’s good news: We’re seeing more variations and creative approaches to keep annual events alive. This weekend, revisit H.L. Mencken’s last hours, check out gallery openings and take a polar plunge — all from home.

Polar Bear Plunge: Jan. 29-31, virtual. The annual fundraiser in support of the Special Olympics Maryland is still taking a cold dip this year, but plungers will be doing it from their own corner of the world, with the opportunity to post online for prizes.

Mencken: The Last Hours: Midnight-1 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 29, virtual. The H.L. Mencken House chronicles the writer known as the Sage of Baltimore, on the anniversary of his death. It explores the final hours before his death, and his life and work as a whole.

Disruptive Innovations to Reduce Healthcare Costs: 7-9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29, virtual. The Baltimore Under Ground Science Space (BUGGS) presents a lecture on biomedical sensors by Dr. Govind Rao, director of the Center for Advanced Sensor Technology.

Stephen Arnold Quintet: 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, streaming. Bassist Stephen Arnold leads a virtual jazz session at An Die Musik.

Sci Fi Friday: 7 p.m. at Maryland Science Center (virtual): The virtual movie night streams the classic “Star Wars: A New Hope.” See where the whole galactic saga started, and pair it with a drink and activity.

Contextual Exposure: 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29 at the Waller Gallery. The Old Goucher gallery holds an opening reception for a new exhibition featuring multimedia artists Ada Pinkston and Rebecca Marimutu, as well as fashion designer Noel Puello.

Baltimore Artist Spotlight: “Anatomy of Wings”: 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 30. The virtual event from the SNF Parkway Theatre features a discussion between filmmakers Nikiea Redmond, Kirsten D’Andrea Hollander, Danisha Harris, and Brittany Backmon. It’s an official partner event of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

Looking at Leadership: 5 p.m. on Saturday, January, 30. Join a virtual reception for a new exhibition at Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Gormley Gallery. Curated by Sarah B. McCann, the exhibition features 13 grassroots leaders, celebrating “people who have provided light, inspiration, and a path forward” during the pandemic and movement for Black lives.

Big Chief Donald Harrison: Jan. 30-Feb. 2, virutal. Baltimore’s Keystone Korner and the D.C. Jazz Festival present a series of virtual concerts featuring the New Orleans saxophonist.

Quicksilver: 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31 at Shriver Hall (streaming). The classical group presents the program “Violini a due: A European Journey,” featuring works 17th century works by Castello, Rosenmüller, Legrenzi, and Fontana. An artist Q&A follows the performance.