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What’s happening this week: Dolly Parton poetry reading, art contest, concerts and more

Avondale Estates Clarkston Decatur DeKalb County Stone Mountain Trending

What’s happening this week: Dolly Parton poetry reading, art contest, concerts and more

MaNiyla Cameron holds her first-place winning entry in the Elementary School ages 9-11 category during the Avondale Alliance for Racial Justice second annual Student Black History Month Art Contest awards reception at Finders Keepers Furniture and Décor on Saturday, March 5, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.
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By Lucas Hill, contributor

DeKalb County, GA — Various events are happening this week in and around DeKalb County, including a Dolly Parton Poetry Anthology reading at the Georgia Center for the Book, the Stone Mountain Masonic Lodge’s Monthly Breakfast and the Society of Saint Anna the Prophet Holy Eucharist and Vow Ceremony service. Several local government meetings are also scheduled for this week.

Here’s what’s happening this week:

Inside Out: Glass Art by Lisa Schnellinger and Charlie Holden at GSU Perimeter College

Georgia State University Perimeter College will host an art installation of kiln-formed glass by Lisa Schnellinger and Charlie Holden at its Clarkston campus through April 2. On Thursday, Jan. 26, there will be an Artist’s Talk and reception from 4-7 p.m. 

Event listing provided by a community supporter.

“Life and the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Art from the Senusret Collection” at the Carlos

“Life and the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Art from the Senusret Collection,” on view at the Michael C. Carlos Museum from Feb. 4 to Aug. 6, 2023, is an exhibition about what objects can tell us about daily life, sacred life, and the hereafter in Ancient Egypt. The collection, named after King Senusret II’s pyramid village, Hetep-Senusret in the Faiyum, was gifted to the Carlos in 2018 by the Georges Ricard Foundation with the understanding that it would be conserved and used to promote knowledge not only about the rich funerary rituals, customs and beliefs of the ancient world but also about the life of ancient objects over time. Several items in the exhibition highlight student and faculty research, technical and scholarly collaboration, methods of analysis and conservation and provenance tracing. Organized by Melinda Hartwig, curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern art, the exhibition focuses on the history of the Senusret Collection; objects of daily life; the beauty and protection of amulets and jewelry; religious votive statuettes that acted as donors’ magical participants in cultic practices; stela and reliefs; and burial items that provided for the eternal needs of the deceased. Burial objects include the coffin assemblage of the priestess of Osiris, Taosiris, which protected and transformed the wrapped body.

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter.

Black History Month Student Visual Arts Competition

The Avondale Alliance for Racial Justice is holding its third annual visual arts competition in celebration of Black History Month. This year’s theme is Fighting Black Oppression: Celebrating Change-Makers. Cash prizes will be awarded to elementary school, middle school and high school participants. All submissions will be due Feb. 15. The art contest awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 4, at 2 p.m. at Little Tree Art Studios, 2834 Franklin Street in Avondale Estates.

For more information, click here.  

Goldwater Girls to Reagan Women: Gender, Georgia, and the Growth of the New Right

On Monday, Jan. 30, at 8:30 a.m. and again at 7 p.m., the Departments of History & Political Science at Agnes Scott College are delighted to host Professor Robin Morris for a discussion of her book, “Goldwater Girls to Reagan Women: Gender, Georgia, and the Growth of the New Right.” Professor Morris’s research centers around gender and political realignment in post-1945 Georgia. She teaches courses in 20th century United States history, Southern history, and public history.

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter.

Sustainable Gardening for the Southeast at the Avondale Estates Garden Club

Learn about ways to keep your garden green and environmentally sound on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at a Sustainable Gardening for the Southeast program sponsored by the Avondale Estates Garden Club. The 7 p.m. program at the Lake House at 59 Lakeshore in Avondale Estates features Susan M. Varlamoff, retired director of the UGA Office of Environmental Sciences. Ms. Varlamoff is a Gwinnett County Master Gardener and author of the book, “Sustainable Gardening for the Southeast,” which will be available for sale at the event. The free program is open to the public and is the first of a three-part speaker series on environmental responsibility. On Feb. 8, Becky Griffin, MPPPM from the UGA-Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center in Blairsville will discuss Preventing Water Pollution in our Gardens. On March 22, Kristen Moretz, Avondale Estates Capital Projects Construction and Maintenance Director, will speak on the city’s Storm Water Studies, Plans and Projects. Seating for this event is limited.

To register online for this event, click here.

Cassandra Clare – “Chain of Thorns” with Little Shop of Stories

Cassandra Clare (along with a special guest to be announced) is coming back to Little Shop of Stories on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. for one spectacular night of brave shadowhunters, dramatic finales, and page-turning books. This event will take place at Agnes Scott College in the Gaines Chapel at Presser Hall. $30 for a ticket gets you into the event as well as a pre-signed/personalized copy of “Chain of Thorns,” an exclusive tour tote bag, and a pack of character cards. Additional copies of “Chain of Thorns” may also be purchased through Eventbrite to be signed (not personalized) by Clare. If you would like a signed book, but cannot attend the event, please order through the Little Shop website. There will be no signing line at this event; as stated above, all books will be pre-signed and personalized.

For more information, click here.

Jamila Minnicks debuts “Moonrise Over New Jessup” with the Georgia Center for the Book

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m., the Georgia Center for the Book welcomes debut author Jamila Minnicks for a discussion of her captivating novel, “Moonrise Over New Jessup.” This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Copies of “Moonrise Over New Jessup” are available from Center’s partners at Brave + Kind Bookshop, (you can pick your copy up at the event, or afterward at the bookstore). For the safety of the invited speakers, staff, and all attendees, the Center respectfully requests that masks be worn in the venue for the duration of the event. Jamila Minnicks’ extraordinary debut novel, “Moonrise Over New Jessup,” winner of the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, offers an insightful and fresh perspective of Black people flourishing in the American South, and doing what it takes to maintain independence “on their side of the woods” during the Civil Rights movement. Through Alice Young’s unforgettable voice, the fictional town of New Jessup is rendered as a loving, thriving, and complex community where social progress and self-reliance are intertwined.

For more information, click here.

“Let Me Say This: A Dolly Parton Poetry Anthology” Reading

On Thursday, Feb. 2, from 7-8 p.m., the Georgia Center for the Book welcomes editors Julie E. Bloemeke and Dustin Brookshire, as well as contributors to read from “Let Me Say This: A Dolly Parton Poetry Anthology.” This event is free and open to the public. It will be held on the Fourth Floor of the Decatur Library. Registration is required. “Let Me Say This: A Dolly Parton Poetry Anthology” offers 54 poets’ takes on often-unsung facets of this diamond in a rhinestone world—calling in Dolly’s impeccable comedic timing, her lyric mastery, her business acumen, and her Dollyverse advocacy. These poems remind you to be better and to do better, to subvert Dolly cliché, and encourage you to weave Dolly metaphor into your own family lore. Within these pages, Dolly takes the stage and the dinner table; readers see the public Dolly of the silver screen and the private Dolly of identity contemplation. Dolly raises praise and question, and she butterflies into your hearts unabashedly to claim the mantra “In Dolly We Trust.”

For more information, click here.

Kirk Concert Series: Sonic Escape

On Thursday, Feb. 2, from 7-8:30 p.m., Agnes Scott College will host Sonic Escape in the latest in their Kirk Concert Series. In this family-friendly show, listeners get up-close and personal with the flute and violin (and a duo that combines them like never before).  While Sonic Escape’s mission (most joy per minute of any show) might not be obvious, the results sure will be – imagine fingers flying, feet-tapping and, if things go as planned, lots of smiling. Maria & Shawn combine their world-class training with an addiction to expanding upon classical tradition. In fact, Sonic Escape’s signature “hyper-instrumental” shows fuse multiple genres and sounds heard in diverse cultures, with a dedication to movement and audience interaction. Sonic Escape beckons you with adrenaline-pumping original works, folk influences and virtuosic arrangements of familiar classics.

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter.

Anne-Sophie Mutter and Mutter Virtuosi

A musical phenomenon performing major traditional works while constantly exploring new territory for her audience, Anne-Sophie Mutter, the “undisputed queen of violin-playing” (The Times, London) takes the stage with the Mutter Virtuosi in a celebratory concert that hails 20 years from the opening month of the Schwartz Center. Enjoy exemplary string music that includes “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi and the Atlanta premiere of Unsuk Chin’s “Gran Cadenza” – a virtuoso duo for two violins, written expressly for Mutter. Guests are invited to join the Schwartz Center for a celebratory toast following the evening’s concert. This event takes place on Thursday, Feb. 2, 8 p.m. at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.

For more information, click here.

Family Series Pajama Concert at the Carlos Museum

Come to the Carlos Museum on Friday, Feb. 3, from 7-8 p.m. for musical stories, hot chocolate, and pajamas. The Carlos and the Emory Chamber Music Society welcomes Jessica Wu, Yinzi Kong, and narrator Lois Reitzes for a musical performance of Ferdinand the Bull and The Road to Hamelin. Throw on your pj’s, grab your favorite stuffed animal and enjoy a telling of two well-known stories. 

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter.

Stone Mountain Masonic Lodge Monthly Breakfast

On Saturday, Feb. 4, the Stone Mountain Masonic Lodge will hold its usual monthly breakfast from 7-10 a.m. The event will be held at 840 VFW Drive, and the cost for admission is $10 for all-you-can-eat. Breakfast will include eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy. This is a Lodge fundraiser that helps support the Lodge overhead and maintenance.

For more information, click here.

Oakhurst Farmers Market 

The Oakhurst Farmers Market will be open on Saturday, Feb. 4, 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.

Workshop for Teachers: STEAM Series, Water: Past, Present and Future

Enhance your STEAM curriculum by incorporating Project Based Learning and Design Thinking during these two, interactive workshops at the Carlos Museum. Each session features representatives from different Atlanta cultural institutions and highlights ways to connect learning across curriculum. Educators will be provided with accompanying resources and entered into a drawing for tickets to participating organizations. Space for this event is limited and registration is required. The “Water: Past, Present and Future” workshop will take place on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Explore the interdependence of civilizations on water and the natural environment with the Michael C. Carlos Museum, Georgia Aquarium and Zoo Atlanta. As you look at environmental changes past and present, you will examine water sources as a key component of a healthy ecosystem and societal evolution. Collaborate with colleagues during breakout sessions to design a STEAM-focused PBL where students discover the current state of local water sources in their community. 

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter.

Society of Saint Anna the Prophet Holy Eucharist and Vow Ceremony Service

The Society of Saint Anna the Prophet, a vowed, dispersed community of Episcopal women over the age of 50, will hold the Holy Eucharist and Vow Ceremony service at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Atlanta on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 11 a.m. The Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, retired Suffragan Bishop of North Carolina and Bishop Visitor to SSAP, will celebrate and preach at the service. Two SSAP members will take life vows and four first-year provisionals will be presented.

For more information, click here.

S’mores at the Oakhurst Garden

Bring your family to roast a s’more or two by the fire on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 5-7 p.m. The Wylde Center is providing all the ingredients. S’mores in the Garden is a free event. In case of rain or wintry weather, the event will be postponed to Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 5-7 p.m.

For more information, click here.

“Promise Boys” by Nick Brooks with Brave + Kind Books

On Saturday, Feb. 4, come to Brave and Kind Books at 6 p.m. to see how “The Hate U Give” meets “One Of Us Is Lying” in Nick Brooks’s “Promise Boys,” a trailblazing, blockbuster YA mystery about three teen boys of color who must investigate their principal’s murder to clear their own names – for fans of Angie Thomas, Jason Reynolds, and Karen McManus. The Urban Promise Prep School vows to turn boys into men. As students, J.B., Ramón, and Trey are forced to follow the prestigious program’s strict rules. Extreme discipline, they’ve been told, is what it takes to be college bound, to avoid the fates of many men in their neighborhoods. This, the Principal Moore Method, supposedly saves lives. But when Moore ends up murdered and the cops come sniffing around, the trio emerges as the case’s prime suspects. With all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. But is the true culprit hiding among them? This exquisitely taut thriller shines a glaring light on how the system too often condemns Black and Latinx teen boys to failure before they’ve even had a chance at success.

For more information, click here.

Avondale Estates Farmers Market 

Join neighbors, visitors and vendors on Sunday, Feb. 5, 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.

Sunday FUNday at the Carlos: Creating Kuba-Inspired Collages

On Sunday, Feb. 5, from 1-4 p.m., join Atlanta-based artist Zachary Francois and staff of the Emory Black Student Union in the African galleries to explore the meaning behind geometric shapes and patterns found in Kuba textiles from Central Africa, then create your own Kuba inspired textile collage piece using raffia fabric and papers. Sunday FUNdays offer free admission and artmaking activities for families. Registration is not required.

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter.

Peach State Opera presents “Dreams and Desires”

On Sunday, Feb. 5, at 3 p.m. at the Cole Auditorium, Peach State Opera presents “Operatizers: Dreams and Desires,” a production of opera, operetta and classic musical theatre’s most beloved arias, duets, trios and ensembles complete with staging and narration. The theme is based around the dreamy and serene, as well as the tumultuous and passionate, with selections by Puccini, Donizetti, Verdi, Rossini, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Bernstein and more. This production features many of Peach State Opera’s most beloved performers, as well as a few fresh faces. 

For more information, click here.

Upcoming Local Government Meetings​​

The Clarkston City Council will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. over Zoom.

The Tucker Traffic Court will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 9 a.m. at Tucker Municipal Court, 1975 Lakeside Parkway.

The Kirkwood Zoning Commission will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 6 p.m. over Zoom.

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