“Hiii Power” by Johnny Draco is among the works you’ll see at Kai Lin Art’s “Objects,” opening Friday. (Photo courtesy of Kai Lin Art and the artist)
Each week, ArtsATL curates a selection of the most exciting arts and culture events happening in Atlanta this weekend, highlighting nine must-see experiences.
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Thursday
Plazadrome, a collaborative series hosted by Videodrome at the Plaza Theatre, presents a newly subtitled 4k restoration of the rarely seen German coming-of-age film Christiane F on Thursday, July 17. The film is based on a true story, originally a series written by German journalists about a teen girl’s experiences in the West Berlin drug and music scene. It was later adapted into a book and then a film, featuring a soundtrack by David Bowie. The film will be introduced by former TCM Underground host and film historian, writer and programmer Millie De Chirico.
A familiar voice to local public radio listeners is coming to the stage at City Winery Atlanta. Ari Shapiro of All Things Considered brings his Thank You For Listening show to Atlanta on July 17 at 7:30 p.m. If you only know him as an award-winning journalist, this solo cabaret show might come as a surprise. The show is based on his best-selling memoir, The Best Strangers in the World, which he’s turned into an evening of songs and stories.
Out on Film’s new monthly movie club screening series at Lore Atlanta presents Sean Baker’s 2015 Los Angeles-set sex worker dramedy Tangerine, starring Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor and James Ransone. Doors open at 7 p.m. on July 17, and the film screens at 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Spalding Nix Fine Art presents works by four Atlanta artists: Evan Blackwell Helgeson, Bonnie Maygarden, Mitchell Biggio and Kerry Hays. You’ll see abstract paintings by Helgeson and Maygarden, geometric wall sculptures by Biggio and textured floral collages and layered geometric paintings by Hays. The show opens with receptions from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, July 18, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 19. The show runs through September 12.
Don’t miss the meeting of two Atlanta favorites, Yacht Rock Schooner and the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus. They’ll join forces to revisit the music of Queen at Variety Playhouse at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 18.
Johnson Lowe Gallery presents Structure and Stricture, the gallery’s first solo exhibition of works by Paula Henderson, a Massachusetts-born, Atlanta-based artist. Opening Friday, July 18, the exhibition focuses on works by Henderson spanning the past two decades, including recent works never seen before. It will be on view through September 13.
Objects is Kai Lin Art’s inaugural juried exhibition of 3D works. This showcase brings together 35 contemporary artists from across the Southeast and beyond, highlighting the expressive potential and versatility of sculpture and relief sculpture. The show opens with a reception from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, July 18, and continues through August 15.
Jodie Mack’s The Grand Bizarre
Off The Wall @ 725 Ponce presents the Atlanta premiere of animator Jodie Mack’s The Grand Bizarre (2018), a multimedia travelogue about textiles, at 9 p.m. on July 18 and July 19. The film is comprised of tens of thousands of individually shot frames of psychedelic textiles, maps, alphabets, shipping containers and electronics and will be projected on the facade of an eight-story building on the Beltline, making it the largest outdoor screen in the South. This is part of a series curated by Gregory Zinman that will run on the third weekend of each month through November. See what’s coming up at Off the Wall’s new website.
Sunday
The Atlanta Blues Society’s next Gathering & Jam happens from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 20, at the Green Room in Mableton (1391 Veterans Memorial Highway). The host band will be Time Crunch, the 2024 Youth Band winners of the Atlanta Blues Challenge.
Additional events from WABE’s The City Lights Collective and more things to do this weekend
On The City Lights Collective on WABE, ArtsAtl’s Shane Harrison offers a list of best bets, airing in the 1 p.m. hour every Wednesday. This week, in addition to some of the events listed above, he discusses the ATL Comic and Pop Culture Convention, which brings in some big names, including Rainn Wilson of The Office, Cole Sprouse and KJ Apa of Riverdale, Oscar winner Mira Sorvino and a horde of Walking Dead stars. And no con would be complete without some Star Trek-related folks, so Wil Wheaton of The Next Generation and Doug Jones of Discovery will be there. Jones, in particular, has a resume that seems tailor-made for this kind of event. Even if you don’t know his name, you’ve probably seen him. His list of credits, in addition to Star Trek: Discovery, includes Hellboy, What We Do in the Shadows, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hocus Pocus and Buffy the Vampire Slayer … Over on Edgewood, there’s a dance party hosted by Lady Bunny, a drag superstar who grew up in Chattanooga and got her start in the Atlanta drag and music scene in the early ’80s. She went on to found New York’s legendary Wigstock festival. The Daytime Disco is happening on Saturday, July 19, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and revelers are encouraged to wear casually glamorous caftans, a style favored by Lady Bunny and perfect for a casual afternoon of dancing … At ArtsXchange in East Point, they’re hosting an artist talk by Sean Haynes, winner of the Inaugural South Fulton County Invitational. The talk takes place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on July 19, which is also the final day to see the colorful, sculptural pieces by New Orleans native Haynes on view in the show Journey of the Spirit: The Multi-dimensional Artistry of Sean Haynes at the ArtsxChange’s Jack Sinclair Gallery … Another unusual tribute comes to us from Pigs on a String, which offers acoustic renditions of Pink Floyd classics by Jim Gorman and David Shore from the acclaimed Pink Floyd tribute band, Interstellar Echoes. Catch them at From the Earth Brewing Company’s Front Porch stage on Sunday, July 20, at 3 p.m. … The Avondale Arts Alliance presents Small Wonders, a size-limited group exhibition. All pieces in this show will be 12” x 12” and made by local Atlanta artists. It opens with a reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 19 and will be on view at the Avondale Arts Center (84 N. Avondale Road) through August 30 … Join Lavender Lens and The Bakery Atlanta for an evening screening of Can’t Stop Change: Queer Climate Stories from the Florida Frontlines at 6:30 p.m. July 23 at The Supermarket (638 North Highland Ave. NE). The film is by Atlanta’s Yarrow Koning, who will talk about the film following the screening … Atlanta trumpeter and vocalist Joe Gransden brings his 16-piece Big Band to Eddie’s Attic at 7 p.m. on July 18 … Enjoy a cultural double feature at the High Museum of Art’s Friday Jazz series, where you’ll experience live music and explore the museum’s galleries. On July 18, Friday Jazz features multi-instrumentalist Vinnie D’Agostino, an Atlanta-based musician proficient in saxes, clarinets and flutes …Trap Movie elevates the movie experience with a live DJ, reclining chairs, a full bar and kitchen and servers. Next up is I Know What You Did Last Summer, screening at Silverspot Cinema at The Battery Atlanta from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 20 … The Art Center in Johns Creek (6290 Abbotts Bridge Road, Building 700) teams up with the Korean Art Association for GwangBok 80: Celebrating 80 Years of Korean Independence. The show will be on view beginning July 16, and there will be an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on July 18.
