9 essential Atlanta arts events this weekend
Each week, ArtsATL curates a selection of the most exciting arts and culture events happening in Atlanta this weekend, highlighting nine must-see experiences.
::
Thursday
In the 1940s and ’50s, following from Jean Cocteau, queer filmmakers were entranced with classical mythology and the “geography of the body.” Then, following from Andy Warhol and Jack Smith, a younger generation built on this foundation, entwining mythology with camp, old Hollywood, psychedelics and drag. At 7 p.m. on February 12 at the Plaza Theatre, Film Love: Queer Undergrounds will illuminate this through-line with a program of rare films from the 1960s underground.
This group exhibition features Atlanta LGBTQIA+ photographers whose work expands the possibilities of contemporary photography. The title speaks to the many failed attempts throughout history, including today, to erase LGBTQIA+ lives and stories. An opening reception and artist talk takes place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on February 12 in the Fine Arts Gallery on the Clarkston campus of Perimeter College. The show will be on view through March 26.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The legendary dance troupe will present new work and iconic performances such as Revelations. Performances are at the Fox Theater at 7:30 p.m. February 11 through February 13; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. February 14; and 3 p.m. February 15. Read our introduction to the company’s new artistic director.
Atlanta Center for Photography exhibitions
The Atlanta Center for Photography will launch its spring 2026 exhibitions from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on February 12. Le’Andra LeSeur: After Stone, After Ruins (Notation 2) is the second iteration in a three-part exhibition in which LeSeur explores the body’s response to landscapes shaped by historical violence. Beta—Local, a Puerto Rico-based, artist-led initiative focused on making time and space to expand artistic practices and knowledge exchanges in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, will present a new installation titled La recia voluntad de permanecer en el lugar. The installation brings together selected excerpts from essays by Marta Aponte Alsina, Édouard Glissant, Reniel Rodríguez and Jaime Pagán. A series of small found objects and handmade structures will accompany and interact with the texts.
More on ArtsATL: Center for Puppetry’s The Mirrored Pool reflects music and mood of Earth, past and present
Friday
Sandler Hudson Gallery hosts London-based artist Lynch’s largest solo exhibition in North America. The Glasgow-trained artist will present an immersive assemblage of his signature paintings and works on paper. The show opens with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on February 13 and will be on view through March 28.
Beau McCall: Divas, Blues, and Memories
This exhibition features dazzling collages and button-encrusted works, treating music as both sanctuary and soundtrack as music channels the songs, performers and friendships that have carried McCall from the disco floors of the 1970s to the present day. The exhibition will be on view from February 13 through June 28 at Hammonds House Museum, with an opening night reception and celebration from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on February 13.
Experience one of ballet’s iconic romantic ghost stories when Atlanta Ballet presents the story of a young peasant girl whose world is shattered when she uncovers the shocking betrayal of her beloved Albrecht. Performances are at 8 p.m. February 13; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. February 14; and 2 p.m. February 15 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
Saturday
Little Five Points becomes the stage for an immersive sci-fi love story, where aliens walk among us, an FBI agent is hot on their trail and audiences follow two intersecting journeys through local businesses, live performances and hidden clues. Before the performances, which are at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on February 14, the 2026 Heart Mural will be unveiled, located on the wall between Savage Pizza and Stratosphere at 484 Moreland Ave., with an opening celebration from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. You can purchase a heart and leave a message for your loved one to be hand-painted into the mural. Both events are fundraisers benefiting the Little 5 Points Cultural District.
Sunday
Spend an evening with the Tony and Olivier Award-winning actress, singer and dancer as she performs at Atlanta Symphony Hall at 7:30 p.m. on February 15.
More things to do this weekend and beyond
Community Documentary Night will honor Black History Month with a screening and discussion about The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords. This documentary is the first film to chronicle the history of the Black press, including its central role in the construction of modern African American identity. See it at the Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Sandy Springs from 6:45 p.m. to 10 p.m. on February 13 … Years after her Indian family was forced to flee their Uganda home, Mina finds herself in a faraway land in Mississippi Masala. Her passionate romance with a charming Black carpet cleaner, played by Denzel Washington, faces familial and community obstacles. The 1991 film was directed by Mira Nair, the mother of New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, and will screen at the Tara at 3 p.m. on February 14 … Come feel the love at Dad’s Garage with Valentine’s Day at The Garage, where the ensemble gets romantic (or maybe a bit X-rated) in a super lovey-dovey improv show. It’s the perfect place for an offbeat date. The fun begins at 7 p.m. on February 14 … Gwinnett Ballet Theatre presents Love & Passion, a night of romance-infused dance featuring Bizet’s Carmen. Performances are at 7 p.m. February 13 and 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. February 14 at the Gas South Theater in Duluth … The High Museum of Art’s HeArts Party will feature a burlesque performance by The Atlanta School of Burlesque, chocolate tasting in the Dark & Sweet Lounge by Bitzel’s Chocolate, guided tours exploring desire in the High’s collection, dancing to live music and more … Lover’s Below: Cosmic Crush is the Supermarket’s annual Valentine’s Day, happening from 8 p.m. until midnight on February 13. It features an interstellar art market, live performances, a BYO art exhibit with The Bakery Atlanta, tech installations and more … ABV Gallery’s Art from the Heart is a special Valentine’s Day-themed event where artists will create works live, offering one-of-a-kind pieces for yourself or a loved one. It happens from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. February 13 … Black Royalty: A Celebration of African American Essence is a portrait experience rooted in dignity, ancestral pride and sacred presence. On view at the Mayor’s Gallery in City Hall from February 12 through April 10, with an opening reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on February 12 … In 2026, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival returns to Atlanta area theaters February 18 through March 3 and streaming March 6 through March 15. The Festival begins with an opening night extravaganza at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center featuring the screening of Once Upon My Mother … Paulina is the reigning Queen Bee at Ghana’s most exclusive boarding school and sets her sights on the annual Miss Universe pageant. But when new girl Ericka transfers from America in the middle of the year, Paulina’s carefully controlled world is thrown into chaos in Schoolgirls or, the African Mean Girls Play. See it at Kennesaw State University’s Onyx Theatre from February 17 through February 22 … Revisit a beloved ’80s romance with Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, Jon Cryer and Annie Potts in the 1986 film Pretty in Pink. It screens at the Tara at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. February 14 and February 15 and at 8 p.m. February 16.
STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL THINGS ArtsATL
Subscribe to our free weekly e-newsletter.
