Mon. Jan. 16

The Museum of Fine Arts always does something neat on Monday holidays. That is, they open the place to the public at no charge. This means you have (probably) a day off and no excuse not to expose yourself to culture. There's no football on TV. Nope, today's a day to learn, explore, grow ... all that good stuff. And since it's Monday January 16, it's Martin Luther King Jr. Day, maybe a day to honor Dr. King and not go shopping, and check out the 5000 new works up at the new MFA wing. At 3:30, you may want to check Berklee College of Music presentation, a premiere concert performance by Women of the World (in photo) —an ensemble of exceptional women from various continents around the world. Hailing from Japan, India, Italy, Greece, Brazil, and the United States, the five core singers and their diverse band create rich tapestries of culture and sound as they perform both original and traditional songs. (Free tickets available at Remis Auditorium beginning at 2:45 pm.) There's all sorts of quilting and painting and drawing workshops and, of course, the many galleries showing "Avedon Fashions," "Modernist Photography," a space devoted to European artists 1825-1925, embroideries from Colonial Boston,Jean-Fracois Millet's rural paintings and much more. It's open 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Check website or call for more info.

465 Huntington Ave., 617-267-9300 www.mfa.org