Atlanta Arts category interest

THE ARTS

Tales of Downtown Atlanta, an oral history project created by Sundiata Rush and honoring the city and its stories, will host its first listening party this Friday at Georgia State University. Billed as “part podcast, art exhibit and old-school mix tape,” the series covers topics dear to Atlanta, such as its railroad history, Woodruff Park, Sweet Auburn and much more. A number of locals offered their time and talent to spin tales, including artist Fabian Williams, musician OkCello, comedian Mark Kendall, civic leader Rohit Malhotra, actress Karen Ceesay, choreographer Lauri Stallings and more. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. inside the GSU Creative Media Industries Institute. Free, but registration is required.

Friday only.

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THEATER

Cool off with a pastoral comedy at Shakespeare Tavern, where As You Like It continues its run this month. Directed by Laura Cole, this staging stars Gracie Wallace as Rosalind and Kenneth Wigley as Orlando. Come early before the Saturday matinee at 2:30 p.m. and order lunch from a British pub-style menu, plus beer, wine or coffee. Tickets are $28, with discounts available.

Ongoing through July 27.

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ART+DESIGN

They call themselves “two old broads who have been doing amazing work that’s been underrecognized and unnoticed,” and now they are being recognized in a Gallery 100 exhibit curated by Julia A. Fenton. FINDINGS: Susie Winton andamp; Rebecca Des Marais features groupings of their tactile, three-dimensional works that use the discards and leftovers of everyday life to create beauty and memories. Des Marais also is inspired by the natural world.

Through August 29.

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Kole Nichols will give an artist talk at White Space Gallery this Friday to open his show Knock Twice. A multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Alabama, Nichols often utilizes printmaking, drawing, painting and sculpture in his work. The talk begins at 6 p.m. and is followed by a sound performance with Nichols’ collaborator Terrence Wimberly. Free.

Through July 27.

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Opening this Friday in the Jack Sinclair Gallery at ArtsXchange is The Art of Being: A Meditation of Blackness andamp; Queerness. Inspired by bell hooks’ concept of the complexity of being queer, the show includes four Black queer artists — Emmy Marshall, Valencia Washington, Ari Rozario and Jonathan Elijah — depicting themes such as joy, authenticity and freedom within their art. Free.

Through August 17.

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BOOKS

Next Wednesday, Caden Mark Gardner and Willow Catelyn Maclay, co-authors of the book Corpses, Fools and Monsters, will join filmmaker Millie De Chirico for a lively discussion on the image of trans people in cinema. From silent film all the way to now, Corpses tells the story of trans history and future in a variety of film genres. An event by Charis Books andamp; More, the discussion is virtual and free to attend, but donations are encouraged.

7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

July 24 only.

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MUSIC

The eighth annual Jazz Matters concert is next Friday at The Wren’s Nest, a home-turned-museum in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood that was once the home of Joel Chandler Harris. The concert will honor Camille Russell Love — outgoing director of the Bureau of Cultural Affairs of the City of Atlanta — and former jazz club Dante’s Down the Hatch, closed since 2014. Longtime Atlantans are sure to appreciate this concert’s homage to the performance style from that era, including tunes to remind listeners of the Paul Mitchell Trio.

Tickets are $30 each, with reserved tables available.

July 26 only.