Friday, 6-9 pm. Elaine Erickson Gallery in the Marshall Building presents “The Meaningful Object” with installations, sculpture and jewelry referencing war and contemporary cultural issues. All 12 featured artists will be available for comments on their art at the opening reception, Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

After being a battleground for two world wars, Europe’s appetite for warfare declined while America’s willingness to employ force continued. Stanford humanities professor James J. Sheehan lucidly explores the tectonic shift that moved European nations from garrison states to consumer societies . . .

The setting of Russell Banks’ latest thriller, pre-World War II Europe, suggests a tale of grand historical intrigue, but Banks is too much of a seasoned purist to fall back on post-Da Vinci Code cliches.

Saturday, March 15, 1pm O'Donnell Park, E. Wisconsin Ave. & Prospect Ave.

War—what is it good for? Well, if you’re talking about war in the sense of prolonged, often armed conflict between nations, states or parties, then absolutely nothing. But if you’re talking about the band War, well, then the answer is a night filled with old funk favorites from the ’70s, like “Low Rider” and “Why Can’t We Be . . .