What to see, do and hear: cosmic maps, Latin stars, novels on moonlight and more

ART+DESIGN

Opening Saturday at the Michael C. Carlos Museum, You Belong Here explores contemporary photography through the lenses of both emerging and established Latinx photographers. Their images shed light on social spaces, from the intimacy of home and family to community experiences on the streets and in nightlife.  The exhibit, which runs through December 3, also addresses the in-betweenness, or nepantla, of transnational, multiracial and postcolonial identities.

::

Now that summer is officially over, the Flux Projects’ installation Ghost Pools is also coming to a close. Closing events on Saturday include a conversation with Hannah Palmer, the artist. She’ll be at the East Point Historical Society from 10 a.m. through 11:30 a.m. to share her experience of researching the history of public swimming in East Point and her creation of Ghost Pools.  At 2 p.m. she will be at ArtsXchange with journalist Ann Hill Bond and East Point Fire Chief Corey Deon Thornton, who will share his personal memories of the city’s segregated pools. Rain or shine. Free.

::

Charly Palmer has been likened to a griot. For over 30 years, he has borne witness to the wisdom of African ancestry and contemporary experiences through his paintings. This Friday, he will sit down with Black Art In America Foundation Director, Faron Manuel, to discuss the importance of educating art patrons. In this discussion, “A Message from the Ancestors,” they will highlight how artists and patrons working well together helps establish a thriving arts ecosystem. Black Art In America Gallery and Sculpture Garden. 5:30 p.m. Free.

::

The opening reception for Sandler Hudson Gallery’s new exhibit, Michael Reese: Decoding Polaris, will take place Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the gallery. The Atlanta-based artist describes the exhibit: “During the mid to late 19th century, enslaved people found their way north by observing stars and other sky patterns. I’ve used the constellation Ursa Minor (The Little Dipper) as a design element to create reimagined cosmic mappings.” The show is a celebration of human ingenuity and an acknowledgement that the human spirit needs to be free. Through October 21.

::

THEATER

Xanadu will be on stage at Act3 Productions starting this weekend, starring Atlanta actors Kayla Perry, Branden Hembree and Jim Dailey. The musical depicts a struggling artist who falls in love with a woman with a vision for their new business: a nightclub named Xanadu. Learn more about the production’s history in ArtsATL writer Luke Evans’ recent feature on community theater. Tickets are $29 each with discounts available. 

::

Pelagius: A New Musical, written by Legacy Theatre artistic director Mark Smith, is on stage this weekend and next weekend for a total of eight performances. Inspired by a fifth century theologian named Pelagius who believed in the sacredness of the human soul, this brand-new production features music by Michael and Lisa Gungor and is based on writings of John Philip Newell. Tickets are $40 each with discounts available. 

::

Decatur Presbyterian Church will host performances of local playwright Pamela Parker’s Second Samuel from Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The comedy, first performed in 1988, addresses how a 1940s Georgia town copes after a beloved piano teacher dies, leaving surprising secrets in her wake. The cast includes Charles Bohanan, Bobbie Elzey, Nancy Powell, Nat Martin, Lory Cox, Lisa Gordon, Scott Gassman, Perry McWilliams, Edwin Ashurst, Barry West and Benji Carr, many returning from a 2018 production at Live Arts Theatre. 

::

MUSIC

James McMurtry has emerged as one his generation’s pre-eminent singer/songwriters and his song “We Can’t Make It Here” remains as a powerful anthem of the times. McMurtry’s new record, The Horses And The Hounds, marks a return to producer Ross Hogarth, who helmed the singer’s first two albums. Jason Isbell calls McMurtry “one of my very few favorite songwriters on earth” and the acorn didn’t fall far from the tree: his father was the late Larry McMurtry, whose novels included Terms of Endearment, The Last Picture Show and Lonesome Dove. McMurtry performs at Eddie’s Attic Thursday at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $36.50.

::

Top Mexican star Iván Cornejo, who released one of The New York Times best albums of 2021, comes to The Eastern for shows Saturday and Sunday. Cornejo exploded on the scene with his debut album Alma Vacia and a single that went viral on TikTok. His second album, Dañado, from last year also was a hit. Saturday’s show is sold out, but tickets remain for the show on Sunday. Tickets are $45.

::

BOOKS

Atlanta native Elizabeth Musser comes home to discuss her new novel, By Way Of The Moonlight, as part of the Atlanta History Center’s Author Talks series Sunday at 2 p.m. Publisher’s Weekly called her latest novel “perfect for book clubs” and made it one of their Top 10 picks for religion and spirituality publications. Musser — who lives outside Lyon, France — best known novel is The Swan House, which was named as one of Georgia’s Top 10 Novels of the past 100 years. Tickets start at $10 for non-members.

::

DANCE

Atlanta-based choreographer Patsy Collins frequently performs in works by other choreographers and has created works for local dance festivals. On Sunday she is presenting her first solo show at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. “subzero” is an ensemble piece for 10 dancers that explores cold, detachment and discomfort and how crystalline structures also contain the potential for chaos and shattering. 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets $10 and $15.