What to see, do and hear: dancing birds, Letters Fest, hip-hop pop-up, more

MUSIC

Science Gallery Atlanta and Earwax Records worked together on the “You Don’t Got Dis: A Hip Hop Legacy” exhibition that celebrates hip-hop culture in Atlanta and the legacy of the famed record shop. EarWax opened in 1993 and was the first Atlanta retailer to carry an extensive selection of hip-hop and served as a meeting ground for that community. The exhibition features photographs and concert flyers, rare mixtapes, magazine collections and a pop-up store filled with vinyl. Through December 3 at Science Gallery Atlanta. Free.

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Brittany Howard rose to fame as the front woman and guitarist of the four-time Grammy Award-winning Alabama Shakes and the band’s infectious throwback R&B sound. Howard’s 2019 debut solo album, Jaime, yielded a single that received a Grammy for Best Rock Song. Howard has released “What Now,” the first single from her upcoming album of the same name. She is a powerhouse vocalist who brings in influences that range from blues to R&B to hip-hop. And in one of our favorite social media posts of the fall, Howard recently revealed that she uses blue painter’s tape to protect her manicure when she plays guitar. She performs Saturday at The Eastern. Tickets start at $49.

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ART+DESIGN

A new exhibit, The Load That We Wear, opens Thursday at Gallery 72. The solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Jean Patrick Icart-Pierre explores the burden of trauma and the beauty of identity. Icart-Pierre writes: “I translate my quiet and introspective nature alongside my immense pride in my African heritage into works of art that critique contemporary society through distinct perspective and political sensitivities.” Through January 31, 2024. 

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The Hambidge Center will host a film screening and book signing at the Decatur Library on Thursday. Virginia Troy, author of Dynamic Design: Jay Hambidge, Mary Crovatt Hambidge, and the Founding of the Hambidge Center for the Arts and Sciences, will share her experience researching her new book after a showing of Hal Jacobs’ documentary Mary Crovatt Hambidge: Whistler, Wanderer, Weaver, Utopian. Donna Mintz, who contributed a chapter to the book, will discuss her perspective. (Mintz is an occasional ArtsATL contributor.) Hambidge Executive Director Jamie Badoud will talk about the future of the Center. Fourth Floor Gallery, 7 p.m. Free.

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Whitespace Gallery will host artist talks on Saturday with Adam Gabriel Winnie, Eddie Farr and Neill Prewitt, followed by a special sound performance by Craig Dongoski and violinist Nathan Crafts. 2 p.m.  Free.

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THEATER 

The Prom at Out Front Theatre will have its final dance, so to speak, this weekend. Written by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin and with music by Matthew Sklar, the production has been on Broadway and the silver screen and is well worth seeing for its “big-time joy, zany comedy and great music,” says ArtsATL writer Benjamin Carr in his review.  Tickets start at $25. 

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The Georgia State University School of Film, Media & Theatre invites audiences to embark on a journey through time and culture with the stage play Bunmi & Babajide: Much Ado in Lagos, 1963. A re-imagining of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, the play promises romance, humor and the rich tapestry of 1960s Lagos, Nigeria. Tickets start at $10. 

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Once on This Island: The Musical continues its run at Kennesaw State University this Thursday through Sunday at Stillwell Theater. The Tony Award-winning musical is the tale of Ti Moune, a fearless peasant girl in search of her place in the world and ready to risk it all for love. The soundtrack contains Caribbean rhythms and instruments. Tickets start at $12. 

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DANCE

Flamenco Black is a music and dance concert featuring choreography by Yinka Esi Graves, a British flamenco dancer of Ugandan descent. It’s part of the 2023 Atlanta Flamenco Festival. Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the Emory Performing Arts Center. Tickets $30.

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Bluebird Uncaged is a professional ballet company dedicated to creating works that foster hope and dignity. The ensemble will perform Sterling’s Path at Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre’s white box theater this weekend. It’s a fairy tale about a powerful dragon and a magical bird and the girl caught between them. Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Free.

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The upcoming Kennesaw State University Department of Dance performance titled Sage features works by four choreographers: the university’s provost, Ivan Pulinkala; Senegalese choreographer Pape Ibrahima Ndiaye (aka Kaolack); and professors Autumn Eckman and Lisa K. Lock. Performed by students in the university’s Dance Company. Friday and Saturday 8 p.m. KSU Dance Theater in Marietta. Tickets $15-$25.

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The collective Fly on a Wall is hosting Petar Miloshevski’s The Passion According to BIBI Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Newly arrived from London, Miloshevski performs the solo show as his creation — BIBI, “the latest 1N5TA-5EX robot.” The Windmill Arts Center. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

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BOOKS

The annual Letters Festival, presented by Lost In The Letters, returns Thursday with a reading and conversation with Anya Liftig and conversation with Stephanie Dowda DeMer at the Whitespace Gallery. Then, Friday and Saturday, there are readings and workshops at Atlanta Contemporary. Writers at the festival include Marium Khalid, Courtney Faye Taylor, Babak Lakghomi and Justin Torres. Free, but donations are encouraged.

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FILM+TV

This Sunday, the Spelman College Social Justice Program will host a film screening and panel discussion of Her Name Was Hester in the Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Center Auditorium. The documentary deals with cultivating reconciliation within a local community, and panelists include filmmaker Dr. Brian Campbell and cast members Stacie Marshall, Melvin Mosley and Betty Mosley. Snacks and beverages provided. 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Free.