By Lucas Hill, contributor

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DeKalb County, GA — Various events are happening this week in and around DeKalb County, including the Iberian Pig’s National Wine and Cheese Day events, a conversation with authors Ayana Gray and Roshani Chokshi hosted by Little Shop of Stories, and a member mixer and author event hosted by the Avondale Alliance for Racial Justice. A few local government meetings are also scheduled for this week.

Here’s what’s happening this week:

Oliver Jeffers: 15 Years of Picturing Books

Born in Australia and raised in Northern Ireland, Oliver Jeffers is an award-winning artist and author working in painting, bookmaking, illustration, collage, performance, and sculpture. From his 2004 debut “How to Catch a Star” to his more recent titles such as 2017’s “Here We Are,” his work has been translated into more than 50 languages and sold more than 14 million copies worldwide. This retrospective exhibition showcases nearly 100 artworks, some never seen, including original line drawings, sketches, and finished illustrations, from 16 of Jeffers’ picture books, including “The Day the Crayons Quit” and its sequel, “The Day the Crayons Came Home.” The exhibition is organized into six sections, focused on Jeffers’ artistic process, character development, and storytelling. In addition to engaging graphics and design elements, the galleries will feature a few reading areas where families can dig deeper into the stories. The exhibit is on view at the High Museum of Art until Aug. 7.

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter.

What Is Left Unspoken, Love

“What Is Left Unspoken, Love” is a 30-year survey of contemporary art featuring artworks that address the different ways the most important thing in life—love—is expressed. Organized during a time of social and political discord, when cynicism often seems to triumph over hope, this exhibition will examine love as a profound subject of critical commentary from time immemorial yet with a persistently elusive definition. “What Is Left Unspoken” will feature nearly 70 works, including paintings, sculpture, photography, video and media art, by more than thirty-five international artists based in North America, Europe, and Asia. The exhibition is organized into six thematic sections that may complement, overlap, contradict or disaffirm one another, providing categories inspired by some of the most firmly rooted concepts of love. The exhibit is on view at the High Museum of Art until Aug. 14. The museum recognizes that the final gallery of this exhibition has some flashing/strobe light elements that may impact people with photosensitive epilepsy and seizures.

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter.

Claywork: Bold Molds

The Carlos Museum will hold a Claywork camp July 25 – 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for children ages 10 – 12. Coiling, pinching and even throwing on the wheel may be the most familiar ceramic techniques, but artists throughout time and across cultures have also made elaborate clay forms using molds. Atlanta artist and museum educator Ana Vizurraga will explore mold-made vessels, musical instruments, and figurative objects created by the Moche, Maya and Jama-Coaque cultures of South and Central America with children in the galleries. In the studio, she will teach them to make molds from a variety of materials, from clay to silicon, and use those molds to create and replicate their own figurative works. Sessions are $250 per week for Carlos Museum members, $300 per week for nonmembers. Camp Carlos offers a 10% discount to families registering siblings for the same camp. Children attending the camp must be vaccinated against COVID-19. Please note that this camp is currently full – there is a waitlist with spots available, but no spots are guaranteed.

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter.

Decatur School Supply Distribution

City Schools of Decatur is holding a school supply and book bag distribution event on Monday, July 25, from 4-7 p.m. in the CSD parking lot located at 125 Electric Ave. School supplies and book bags will be available on a first come, first served basis for elementary, middle, and high school students. Last week, City Schools of Decatur postponed the outdoor activities of the back-to-school bash, which included distributing school supplies. The CSD planning committee will announce possible alternative dates for the back-to-school bash outdoor event once a further review has been completed.

For more information, click here.

National Wine & Cheese Day 

Celebrate National Wine and Cheese Day this year with the Iberian Pig Buckhead and Decatur. Join the Iberian Pig on Monday, July 25th from 5-9 p.m. for $5 glasses of Más Así wine and a choice of three different cheeses for $12. Available all evening for dine-in only at both the Iberian Pig Buckhead and the Iberian Pig Decatur. Reservations are recommended.

For more information, click here.

Decatur Farmers Market

The Decatur Farmers Market will be held on Wednesday, July 27, from 4-7 p.m. on the lawn of First Baptist Church of Decatur, 308 Clairemont Avenue. There will be new vendors plus returning favorites, including hot meals from Strada Napoli Pizza, Aleppo Kitchen, and Mrs. Rosa. Every week, educational chef Katie Kriner will show you how to prepare easy meals with fresh produce and market items.

For more information, click here.

Ayana Gray In Conversation With Roshani Chokshi

Little Shop of Stories will host a panel with authors Ayana Gray and Roshani Chokshi on Wednesday, July 27, at 7 p.m at the DeKalb County Public Library, 215 Sycamore Street in Decatur. Celebrate Gray’s new YA release, “Beasts of Ruin,” the sequel to her debut fantasy novel, “Beasts of Prey.” Join Little Shop for an evening full of mythical beasts, amazing authors, terrible and great deities of old, and new favorite books. Admission is free, but one ticket must be “purchased” for each member of a group to reserve spots.

For more information, click here.

Tucker Farmers Market 

The Tucker Farmers Market will be open on Thursday, July 28, from 4-7 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 4882 Lavista Road in Tucker. The market features over 35 vendors which include a diverse group of local farmers, bakers, growers, and producers from Tucker, metro Atlanta, and Georgia. The market is accepting online orders. The online store opens on Thursday afternoons and closes at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays.

For more information, click here.

Oakhurst Farmers Market 

The Oakhurst Farmers Market will be open on Saturday, July 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sceptre Brewing Arts, 630 East Lake Drive in Decatur. Find all of your freshest produce, meat, delicious baked treats, and more among the weekly vendors. Additional offerings include live music and chef demonstrations featuring seasonal recipes.

For more information, click here.

Clarkston Health Fair

There will be a Clarkston Health Fair on Saturday, July 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Clarkston Shopping Plaza, 1144 North Indian Creek Drive. There will be free school supplies, hygiene packs and food, as well as free health screenings for blood pressure and diabetes. Free hearing checks for children will also be available, as well as free COVID-19 vaccines. The first 150 people vaccinated will receive a $100 gift card.

For more information, click here.

Forever Family Gathering

The Forever Family is on a mission to connect as many family members as possible. This summer’s gathering is on Saturday, July 30, from 1-7 p.m. at Glen Lake Park, 1121 Church Street in Decatur. Many of the older family members want to leave the younger family members a roadmap to stay connected to the ever-growing family. The family plans to meet yearly, alternating one year in the summer (preferably in July) and the following year in the fall (preferably Thanksgiving). Of course, not everyone will be able to make it to the family gatherings each year, but the family is working on a plan that will keep everyone included no matter where they are.

For more information, click here.

Decatur Ghost Tour

Decatur Ghost Tours will host a tour on Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m. Discover Decatur’s spirit community with tales of murder, passion, vice, war and tragedy. The tour begins in the heart of Downtown Decatur’s Historic Town Square, a diverse enclave of quaint shops and restaurants that share common space with the ghosts of Decatur’s exciting past. Don’t be surprised if you capture orbs and apparitions with your camera – Decatur’s dead are pretty restless. Meet for the tour in the Decatur Square at the bandstand. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children ten and under.

For more information, click here.

Avondale Estates Farmers Market 

Join neighbors, visitors and vendors on Sunday, July 31, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the Avondale Estates Farmers Market, located in the parking lot of My Parents’ Basement, 22 N Avondale Road. Browse a colorful array of locally sourced food and goods. Items offered include baked goods, cheeses, eggs, homemade jellies, meats and produce.

For more information, click here.

AARJ Member Mixer

The Avondale Alliance for Racial Justice is hosting a member mixer and author talk on Sunday, July 31, from 5-6:30 p.m. at Little Tree Art Studio, 2846 Franklin Road in Avondale Estates. Members will talk with Avondale resident and author, Kenn Bivins, about his book “39 Lessons for Black Boys and Girls,” along with his other writing. Bivins is an illustrator and author who has an affinity for telling both heart-warming and heart-wrenching tales of redemption. Through his novels and non-fiction, he aspires for his readers to identify with the characters and themes that he crafts through suspense, intrigue, action, and the unexpected. He is popularly known for the children’s series, “39 Lessons,” which promotes self-esteem, wisdom, and excellent decision-making.

For more information, click here.

Upcoming Local Government Meetings​​

The Stone Mountain Downtown Development Authority will meet on Monday, July 25, at 6:30 p.m.

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners will meet on Tuesday, July 26, at 9 a.m. over Zoom and DCTV.

The Clarkston City Council will meet for a work session on Tuesday, July 26, at 7 p.m.

The Avondale Estates City Commission will meet on Wednesday, July 27, at 5:30 p.m. at Avondale City Hall, 21 N. Avondale Plaza, and over Zoom.

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners will meet on Thursday, July 28, at 5:30 p.m. over Zoom and DCTV for a zoning meeting. 

City Schools of Decatur is holding its meet and greets for multiple grades on Friday, July 29. For a full list of grades and times, click here.

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