The name “Mesopotamia” derives from a Greek term meaning “land between the rivers.” The Royal Ontario Museum’s latest major exhibit, which opens on June 22, takes this literally, as visitors flow between painted representations of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers on the floor.

Presented by the British Museum and rounded out with pieces from institutions in Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia, Mesopotamia: Inventing Our World covers 3,000 years of human development in the cradle of urban civilization. Most of the 170 artifacts on display have never been shown in Canada.

There are a lot of chefs in the kitchen for the Canadian premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s Passion Play, a triptych set in three time periods that tells the stories of amateur actors (played by real actors) involved in staging performances of the story of Christ. Three different Toronto independent theatre companies, all with reputations for innovative staging and creation in their past work, each tackle one of the three acts. Ordinarily, such a complicated arrangement would be to a show’s detriment, but not in this case. While you need to be prepared for a marathon of theatre (the show runs four hours, incluing two intermissions), you’re certainly going to get your money’s worth.

“A cross between Woodstock and the Algonquin Round Table,” is what Michael Redhill called it. Dorothy Parker grinding out an electric cover of “The Star Spangled Banner”? Well, not quite. Rather, Redhill, the literary curator for Luminato 2013, was describing A Literary Picnic, the annual festival’s celebration of storytelling, creativity, and the written word.

The 2013 Toronto Jazz Festival descends on the city this Friday with a huge “free for all” event. That means all of Friday’s programming at every Jazz Festival venue is, yes, completely free of charge. There will be concerts from local favourites Molly Johnson and Mary Margaret O’Hara, plus a show by Smokey Robinson and Martha Reeves, who will be launching the fest from its epicentre, Nathan Phillips Square.

Here’s a rundown of some of the shows worth checking out on Friday—and during the rest of the festival, when you’ll actually have to pay.

Folks who are planning on having a swim in the pool at Scadding Court Community Centre over the next few days may find themselves a little disappointed. Those who want to go fishing, however, will probably be ecstatic.

For the rest of the week, the Community Centre will be holding its annual Gone Fishin’ event, meaning its indoor pool will be an indoor fish pond. The pool has been drained, dechlorinated, and refilled with 2,000 rainbow trout, to be caught by local children and families.

Caroline Larsen, Moho Beach (2011), oil and canvas on board.

Have you ever hoped to upgrade the art in your house from posters of Starry Night, the Mona Lisa, and bowls of fruit to something more contemporary and local?

The Art Gallery of Ontario’s Art Rental + Sales Gallery offers a surprisingly affordable way to do that. Located at 481 University Avenue, the gallery gives AGO members the opportunity to rent or buy pieces from a hand-picked fine-art collection, for as little as $20 to $50 per month.

The Art Rentals + Sales Gallery began in 1965 as way of raising funds for the AGO’s general operations. The works come from different Toronto dealers, galleries, and independent artists. The gallery has a rotating collection of about 500 works right now, with everything available for rental or sale. Danielle Forest, the gallery’s co-coordinator, says renting is a good way for novices to get into art collecting.

Manasie Akpaliapik, Untitled Face, whale bone vertebrae. Courtesy of Gallery Phillip.

“It’s a great program for new collectors and for new offices or spaces that want to try out artwork before they commit to acquiring any of it,” she said. “We have 30 volunteers who are all part of the program, and they have their ears to the ground in terms of contemporary art in the city.”

The gallery shows four exhibitions each year, including “MERGE,” which runs from March 8 to April 13 and features emerging local artists.