ckelly

Oakhurst Wine Crawl, Feb. 23

ckelly — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:38:00 GMT

The 6th Annual Oakhurst Wine Crawl will be held Saturday, Feb. 23, from 4-7 p.m. The neighbors and local businesses of Oakhurst Village present the celebration of the Oakhurst community and will feature wines from around the world as selected by two local Oakhurst residents. Participating local Oakhurst businesses will each feature a different wine selection to taste. Participation limited to 750. Tickets are $20. Tickets are on sale now at these local Oakhurst businesses: • Steinbeck's • Universal Joint • Kavarna Cafe • Tajma-Hound • Real Source Real Estate This event sells out annually so make sure to purchase your tickets in advance so you’re not left out in the cold. Tickets will be available at the door the day of the event for a cost of $25 per tickets. Cash Only. Proceeds from the event will be used to support volunteer efforts in the community including MLK Volunteer Day, needs for senior citizens, and materials for our local schools.

Leo Frank Exhibition Opens at Breman Museum

ckelly — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:43:00 GMT

The national premiere of Seeking Justice: The Leo Frank Case Revisited recounts the racially charged and tragic events surrounding the murder of Mary Phagan in 1913 and the lynching of Leo Frank just two years later. National and local media covered the murders, which remain officially unsolved and controversial nearly a century later. The Breman Museum exhibition will be on display now through December 31, 2008. The Breman is located at 1440 Spring St. NW in Midtown Atlanta. Museum admission is $10 adults, $6 seniors, $4 students, and $2 children. Admission includes three galleries. Special events may require separate admission. For more information, call (678) 222-3700 or visit www.thebreman.org.

Soundtrack To Nothing @ The Opal Gallery

ckelly — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:32:00 GMT

The Opal Gallery is pleased to present Soundtrack to Nothing, photographs by New York based artist Christy Bush. The exhibition runs Feb. 5 to March 18 and there will be an opening reception and artist talk on Feb. 5 from 5 to 6 p.m. followed by a reception until 8 p.m. Christy Bush's portrait series of teenage music fans possess the stark formal beauty reminiscent of the French New Wave movies of the early 1960's. The twenty-four black & white and color photographs on dispay are a result of a two-year documentary project in which she explores the intimate world of teenagers in love with music. By linking her subjects from various music venues and assigning them fictitious names, Bush presents a narrative that is timeless and universal. Playing in conjunction with the photo exhibition will be an actual soundtrack -- with songs written by The Last Night (recording project of Sam Fogarino and Dagon James in collaboration with Swervedriver's Adam Franklin, Grasshopper of Mercury Rev, and Michael Stipe). Christy Bush lives in New York City and holds a BFA from the University of Georgia in Athens. She has participated in several exhibits in Georgia and works as a professional photographer. The exhibit's star-studded soundtrack will only be available with a book set by Bespoke Gallery Publications and can be purchased in Atlanta at A Cappella Books. The Opal Gallery is located at 484 B-2 Moreland Ave. For more information, visit www.theopalgallery.com.

Anne Frank: Within & Without Returns To Center For Puppetry Arts

ckelly — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:56:00 GMT

Anne Frank: Within & Without returns to the Center for Puppetry Arts after playing to sold-out audiences during its first run two years ago. This original production by Associate Producer Bobby Box tells the remarkable story of a young girl whose hopes, dreams and inner strength carried her from day to day during one of history’s darkest times. The runs January 22 – February 17 and recommended for ages 12 & up. No one under age 8 admitted. For tickets call (404) 873-3391 or visit www.puppet.org.

Salman Rushdie To Give Public Lecture At Emory

ckelly — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:24:00 GMT

Salman Rushdie, Distinguished Writer in Residence at Emory University, will deliver a public lecture titled "Autobiography and the Novel" at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10 in Glenn Memorial Auditorium, 1652 N. Decatur Rd. on Emory's main campus. Tickets, which are $10 ($5 with Emory ID), are available online at www.emory.edu/events. "The lecture will be an examination of how the lives of writers intertwine with their work, and in what ways, if at all, the life can be said to be the best explanation of that work," said Rushdie of the presentation. "People nowadays assume that all fiction is somehow autobiographically inspired," he said. "And of course life and experience have always contributed to art. But the fictionality of fiction is what makes it worthwhile." Rushdie's position as Distinguished Writer in Residence is a five-year appointment, and began in the spring of 2007. During each of the five years, he presents a public lecture, teaches for at least four weeks, leads a graduate seminar, participates in undergraduate classes, advises students and engages in symposia with the academic community. In 2006, Rushdie placed his archive at Emory's Robert W. Woodruff Library. Included in the archive are Rushdie's private journals detailing life under the fatwa, as well as personal correspondence, notebooks, photographs and manuscripts of all of his writings, including two early unpublished novels. Rushdie is one of the world's best-known writers of fiction and essays and a leading champion for human rights. His novel, "Midnight's Children" (1980), won Britain's most prestigious literary award, the Booker Prize, and was selected in 1993 as the best novel in 25 years of the Booker Prize. Subsequent novels, including "The Satanic Verses" (1988), "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" (1999) and most recently, "Shalimar the Clown" (2005), involve a panoramic scope, weaving mythology, pop culture, politics and religions from around the world to epic effect. The lecture is presented by Emory's Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, Emory College and the Emory Creativity and the Arts Initiative.

Loving Exhibition Warm Up for Trinity School Event

ckelly — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:38:00 GMT

In the interest of complete transparency, I went to high school with artist Laura Loving. She was always talented and we all knew big things were ahead for her. She lives and works in New York now, but has an exhibition of her original paintings at Saks Fifth Avenue in Atlanta through February 9. The exhibit is a preview to The Trinity School's annual fundraiser, "Spotlight on Art", sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue. Saks Fifth Avenue is located at 3440 Peachtree Road in Phipps Plaza and open Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday 12:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Spotlight on Art is the Trinity School’s acclaimed art event and fundraiser. Now in its 27th year, Spotlight on Art is considered to be one of the top elementary school fundraisers in the country. Proceeds from the event will fund Trinity School student financial aid and continuing education for teachers. A donation will be made to The Joseph Sams School of Fayetteville, Georgia. The Joseph Sams School Inc., is a private, non-profit school serving children ages two to fifteen who have mild to severe intellectual and or physical disabilities. Following the Saks Fifth Avenue preview, the Spotlight on Art artist market will be held February 19th through 23rd at the Trinity School’s campus, located at 4301 Northside Parkway. The artist market will feature more than 7,500 pieces of fine and decorative arts, crafts, jewelry and garden decorations from 300 established and emerging artists. Please see www.spotlightonart.com www.spotlightonart.com for additional information and schedule. To see and find out more about Laura's work, visit www.LauraLoving.com.

Emory Gets Alice Walker's Archive

ckelly — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 21:18:00 GMT

Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winner and internationally known Georgia-born novelist and poet, will place her archive with Emory University. "The Alice Walker Archive will provide a major bridge in the university's collections on African-American literature, history and culture," said Steve Enniss, director of Emory's Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library. "Walker is one of Georgia's most beloved writers, and it is particularly gratifying that she has chosen to return her archive to the state where she was born, to the city where she attended college as an undergraduate, and to Emory which has, in the intervening years, become a major research center in literary studies." In 1983 Walker became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which honored her novel "The Color Purple." The book depicts oppressive early 20th century life in the South for a young African-American woman named Celie. Other honors bestowed upon Walker and her writing include the 1983 National Book Award, also for "The Color Purple"; the 1973 Lillian Smith Award from the National Endowment for the Arts for "Revolutionary Petunias and Other Poems"; the Rosenthal Award from the National Institute of Arts & Letters; and Radcliff Institute, Merrill and Guggenheim fellowships. Faculty, students and visiting scholars from around the world who study Walker's archives at Emory will be within a 90-minute drive to her home in Eatonton, Ga., and within 20 minutes of Spelman College, which she attended for two years.

Menopause: The Musical Returns By Popular Demand

ckelly — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:19:00 GMT

The it musical comedy Menopause: The Musical will return to 14th Street Playhouse on February 22 by popular demand. After 635 performances from April 2005 – February 2007 made it the longest-running musical in Atlanta history, the show will be back for a limited engagement. Inspired by a hot flash and a bottle of wine, this hilarious musical rendition of “the change” has been entertaining and educating women from coast-to-coast for more than five years. From the work of writer Jeanie Linders, the show is a 90-minute production, which includes re-lyricized tunes from the 60’s and 70’s that will have women -- and men -- laughing out loud in their seats! Performances are Wednesday through Sunday, with matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and evening performances on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. An additional, one-time Sunday evening show will be featured at 5:30 p.m. on February 24.Tickets for all performances are $42.50 and can be purchased at the theatre box office, by calling 404.733.4750 or you can visit www.menopausethemusical.com. Discounts for groups of 15+ are available by calling 404.606.2323. The 14th Street Playhouse is located at 173 14th Street in Atlanta.

Art & Shopping at Composition Gallery

ckelly — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:24:00 GMT

If you've never been to Composition Gallery in Candler Park (and why haven't you?), this is the perfect time. The gallery, located at 1388 McLendon Ave., is having its second annual Holiday Print and Gift Sale for the next two weekends (Dec. 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23). There will photography by Women In Focus, Atlanta's non-profit artist-initiated womens photography group, as well as handmade jewelry and gift items. It would also be a good opportunity to see the new show, Translations: Photographs by Dan Chung. www.compositiongallery.com.

Get Peddling!

ckelly — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:16:00 GMT

The Atlanta Bicycle Campaign is moving downtown, and it's doing so on bikes. On Saturday, December 15, volunteers will pedal the organization out of its current offices in a church basement to its new offices at 233 Mitchell Street in downtown Atlanta. ABC members and volunteers, including the Atlanta Intown Touring Club, will use panniers, bike trailers, baskets and messenger bags to make the Move By Bike happen. ABC will also host a basement sale that will include some items of interest to cyclists along with office supplies and furniture. Volunteers and staff of the nonprofit bicycle advocate will move heavier items, such as furniture and electronic equipment, by FlexCar. "Move by Bike" is part of a two-pronged agenda to 1) raise the organization's visibility with decision-makers and government agencies, and 2) weave environmentally friendly practices into its daily operations. The Atlanta Bicycle Campaign is Atlanta's largest member-based bicycle advocacy organization. ABC advocates for better conditions for biking, provides Confident City Cycling classes that teach people to ride safely, offers programs to break down the barriers to biking, educates drivers and cyclists on how share the road, and strives to make Atlanta a bike-friendly community. Visit www.atlantabike.org for more information.

Have you seen Margot?

ckelly — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:48:00 GMT

I went to see Margot at the Wedding, Noah Baumbach's new film starring Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh as estranged sisters. The movie is polarizing critics in that "love it or hate it" sorta way. I loved it. Baumbach, who wrote and directed The Squid and The Whale, has an ear for devastating dialogue. His characters wield words like cutting instruments and watching Kidman and Leigh slice and dice each other is both difficult to watch and liberating. Critics who don't like the film have said the two sisters are so loathsome as to be unwatchable. Completely untrue. Kidman plays Margot, a writer who has mined her families tragedies and foibles to create numerous bestsellers while living a heady, literary life in Manhattan. Her sister, Pauline (Leigh), is just as smart, but has gone down a different path. She still lives in the family home, located on some Bergman-esque seashore that is never identified. Pauline is getting married to a jobless loser named Malcolm (Jack Black mostly out of his depth) and invites Margot to the wedding. The two haven't seen each other in years and it's suggested that Margot only accepted the invitation to see an ex-lover living nearby and to find a new topic for her next novel. When she meets Malcolm, Margot sets about trying to talk her sister out of the marriage. "He's not ugly," Margot says sweetly, "he's just completely unattractive. We were ignoring guys like him when we were sixteen." The plot is mostly seen from Margot's androgynous adolescent son, Claude, who she treats like an adult, complete with cutting remarks about his manners, appearance and lack of ambition. It's Kidman's best role since The Hours and she finds an amazing balance between the character's vulnerability and nearly pathological need to one up everyone and everything. Kidman's not running around like a loony -- she often underplays it and lets her expressive face and Baumbach's searing dialogue do the work for her. This is also Leigh's best role in ages, a smarter variation on the usual "prostitute on pills" character that has become her trademark. It's not an easy film to watch, mainly because it cuts so close to the bone on the dynamics of dysfunctional families. The ending will leave a few people perplexed, but it's a better than expected resolution without neatly tying up all the strings. Give it a shot.

Had a ball...wished you'd been there

ckelly — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:21:00 GMT

I attended the Scion Independent Film Festival screening of "Paris Is Burning" last night at Center Stage last night. The cult documentary from 1990 about the vouging scene (made famous in Madonna's hit song "Vogue") in New York's gay community drew about 75 people. I hadn't seen the film in at least ten years and had forgotten how funny and sad it was. Filmmaker Jennie Livingston chronicled the lives of members of NYC's "fashion houses" - clubs of gay and transgendered people - who competed at balls to see who could be the most "real." And when the documentary was filmed in 1987-89, "real" meant trying to assimilate into straight life. I had forgotten about these mostly young men and boys who dreamed of becoming rich and famous (and finding acceptance), but were scrabbling together a life with odd jobs (and often prostitution and theft) just so they could compete in the balls. Many had been forced out of their homes by parents who could not condone their sexuality. While no one every really talks about it anymore, Madonna stole the whole concept of vouging without ever really giving credit to the community that created it, especially Willi Ninja, one of the driving forces of the film who recently passed away. One of the members of Willi's house, Richard Ninja, was at the screening and did a Q&A afterwards. Many in the audience were shocked to learn that the majority of the people chronicled in the film have died, mostly of AIDS. It was a very sobering moment. The ballroom scene has evolved significantly since the film, becoming more active in the community and supporting HIV/AIDS organizations. Most importantly, the houses are still offering friendship and support to young people from the GLBTQ community. Balls still take place "every day" in New York, according to Richard Ninja, and they are also happening in Atlanta on a regular basis. It's gone underground again, but apparently there is a big ball happening during the MLK Day weekend in 2008. I'll try to dig up more.

Paws for Cocktails, Nov. 29

ckelly — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:58:00 GMT

Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption will host an evening of fun and celebration, Paws for Cocktails, on Thursday, November 29, from 5:30pm until midnight at The Park Tavern at Piedmont Park. The celebration’s proceeds will benefit Atlanta Pet Rescue. The event will include free food, one free drink (donated by The Park Tavern), a raffle, door prizes and a live and silent auction. Admission is a $15 donation at the door. Hosting the event are Elizabeth Azar, Preston Hobson, Lori Geary, Chuck Dowdle and Kimberley Kennedy of WSB-TV, Kelly and Alpha of B98.5 (auctioneers) and Cindy and Ray of Star94. Atlanta Pet Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, no-kill animal shelter that operates on a shoestring budget, and finds wonderful adoptive homes for over 1,200 dogs and cats, on average each year. Atlanta Pet Rescue’s main shelter is located at 720 14th Street (at Howell Mill Road) in midtown Atlanta. The facility has 3,500 square feet of space and provides safe, comfortable quarters for previously homeless, abused and/or neglected dogs and cats while they await adoption. The facility also provides an indoor, climate-controlled facility for adoptions five days a week. For more information about the 6th Annual Paws for Cocktails fundraiser, please visit the Atlanta Pet Rescue web site: www.atlantapetrescue.org.

Paris Is Burning screening, Nov. 29

ckelly — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:53:00 GMT

The Scion Independent Film Series is bringing the cult film, "Paris Is Burning," to Atlanta for a special free screening on Thursday, Nov. 29, 8 p.m. at Center Stage. This documentary by Jennie Livingston follows the lives of members of NYC's "fashion houses," where Madonna got her idea for the song "Vogue." Fashion houses compete to see which is the most "real," and also act as surrogate families for gay or transgendered people rejected by their families. It's moving and funny and a glimpse inside a fabulous world. If you're in Atlanta and want to attend the screening, visit www.scion.com/route. Doc star Richard Ninja will be on hand for a Q&A and there will be a cocktail reception.

Go All Night at the High, Nov. 23

ckelly — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:53:00 GMT

Ever thought about going to the High Musuem in your pajamas? You can do that on Friday, Nov. 23, as the High hosts its annual "Go All Night" from 9 a.m. to 2 am. Seventeen non-stop hours of artful fun at the High on the day after Thanksgiving. Escape the mall madness with great art, fun activities, and comfy pj’s! View "Louvre Atlanta," and "Inspiring Impressionism." Activities include live music, art making activities, dance lessons, a special movie marathon, and more. Family-friendly activities will be offered throughout the day and early evening hours, including kids yoga and a milk and cookie break. Wearing pajamas will get you a discount at the museum shop and entered to win prizes throughout the day and night. The high is in Midtown at 1280 Peachtree St. For more info visit www.high.org