By PAM HARBAUGH

Life is probably a balancing act right now….and art is a great tool to get you back to center. Take a look below at what’s happening. Go, relax, enjoy and breathe. But first, there’s one thing that should be at the top of your list this weekend, so it’s at the top of Brevard Culture’s list as well.

List Topper:

OPEN HOUSE AND ART SALE with works by Charles Nalle and Xochitl Ross happens 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. The artists have been working tirelessly to supply beautiful, colorful, joyful gifts for all the hungry art seekers. The event is once a year and takes place in the artists’ industrial sized studio at 829 E. Lincoln Ave., Melbourne, FL. It includes scads of pottery by Mr. Nalle and glass and jewelry by Ms. Ross. There are light refreshments served. Children and friends welcomed. Tons of pottery “seconds” and discounts on select pieces. Also, Mr. Nalle says that it typically blossoms into a sweet hang-out spot where people in the arts community gather and just enjoy each other’s company. In case you have a difficult time finding their studio, head toward US 1 and the Melbourne Causeway….then go two blocks north and spot the Chevron station. Turn west. “We’re just across the tracks,” the poster says. For more information, call 321-506-4278 or 321-729-0816. But don’t hold your breath expecting them to pick up the phone. These guys are BUSY!

Theater:

MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT is the annual holiday show/fundraiser at Melbourne Civic Theatre. It runs through Dec. 24.The production is a variety show and stars one the area’s most charismatic stage performers, Alfie Silva. It brings on stage are performers who interact with Silva and the audience. There is music, dance, celebrity impersonations and plenty of fun both on and off stage. This year, director Peg Girard is staging the show so that a few VIP tables will be placed on stage. The tables cost $250 and seat four people. They include two beverages per person and bar snacks. “Making Spirits Bright” runs Dec. 6 to 24 at various times. Tickets are $30. MCT is at 817 E. Strawbridge Ave., Melbourne, Florida. Call 321-723-6935 or visit MyMCT.org.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE comes back to the Henegar mainstage in a different version than the one a few years ago. It runs to Dec. 22. It’s the same show Titusville Playhouse did last year. “It’s a Wonderful Life” performs Dec. 6 to 22 at the Henegar Center, 625 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne, Florida. Tickets are $19 to $29. Call 321-723-8693 or visit Henegar.org.

ELF the musical runs through Dec. 22 at Titusville Playhouse. This is the musical version of the 2003 Will Ferrell movie. It has been adapted for the stage in 2010 and has scads of new music, including “Sparklejollytwinklejingley” which is a big, jolly number performed while Macy’s is being decorated. “Elf” performs through Dec. 22 at Titusville Playhouse, 301 Julia St., Titusville, Florida. Tickets are $25 to $34, with discounts available for students, military and seniors. Call 321-268-1125 or visit TitusvillePlayhouse.com.

A BEER SWILLING SPACE ALIEN is the subject of “Intelligent Life,” an original one-hour play enjoying a raucous run with the South Beach Players. I love this group. It is run by a former lady wrestler (Mad Maxine) and her partner in art, Donna Roberts. The group attracts the residents of the communities around that yellow flashing light way south in Melbourne Beach. They perform in the second floor banquet hall in the grill at Sebastian Inlet State Park. I hope they do not take offense at this, but the group has that amazing charm and fun of an “absolute beginner.” I recommend it highly. Just please leave your sophisticated beret at home. “Intelligent Life” runs through Dec. 14, with a 7 p.m. curtain (you’ll be out around 8 p.m.) They perform at the Surfside Grill in Sebastian Inlet State Park, 9707 S. Highway A1A, South Melbourne Beach. Tickets cost $12, which includes park entry fee. They may be purchased in advance at Melbourne Beach Properties at 6680 A1A, Melbourne Beach. Any left over tickets will be available at the door. For more information, send a message to South Beach Players via its Facebook page.

Nightlife:

NEW YEAR’S AT HEIDI’S JAZZ CLUB is always a sell-out, so best think about getting your tickets now. Warning: They are not cheap, but the evening is wonderful, fun and festive and includes music, dancing, a four course dinner, balloons, party favors and a midnight champagne toast. Doors open at 4 p.m.. The menu includes first course of Martini Tiger Shrimp or Beef Consomme Celestine; a second course of the Heidelberg’s Four Season Salad; for the third course, guests may choose Wiener Schnitzel, Fillet of Organic Free-Range chicken, Tenderloin of Angus Beef or Wild Caught Norwegian Salmon; and the fourth course features German Chocolate Truffle Torte or Vienna Apple Strudel. The cost is $135 per person, plus 7 percent tax and a 20 percent gratuity for a total of $171.45. A cash bar is available.Heidi’s Jazz Club is at 7 N. North Orlando Ave., Cocoa Beach, FL. Call 321-783-4559 or visit HeidisJazzClub.com

Visual Art:

CROSSCURRENTS exhibition of Contemporary Cuban art runs through March 14 at the Foosaner Art Museum. “Crosscurrents: Contemporary Selections from the Rodríguez Collection of Cuban Artists.” comprises 56 works by 19 artists, all of whom were born in Cuba, studied in Havana and immigrated to the United States in the 1990s. Much like 1930s German expressionistic art which the Nazis labeled as “Degenerate Art” and eventually censored, all of the work by these young Cuban artists faced censorship. The Foosaner Art Museum is at 1463 Highland Ave., Melbourne, FL. It is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays. Admission is free. Call 321-674-8916 or visit FoosanerArtMuseum.org.