What to see, do and hear: John Pruitt, Earth Matters, Lauri Stallings and more

ART+DESIGN

Designer Stephen Burks will discuss his High Museum of Art exhibition, Stephen Burks: Shelter in Place, next Thursday, November 10, at 7 p.m. He will be in conversation with curator and writer Glenn Adamson, exploring his ideas about domesticity. Tickets $20. Free for members. Registration required.

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Signature Contemporary Craft (aka The Signature Shop & Gallery) will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a commemorative exhibition titled Beyond Our Years. The exhibit will highlight timeless methods and philosophies in craft-making and includes artists who are longtime partners of the gallery, among them Philip and Matt Moulthrop and Ron Meyers, and new artistic collaborators such as Sydnie Jimenez and Sarita Westrup. Opening reception and anniversary celebration Saturday 5 to 8 p.m.

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CHIMERA at Kai Lin Art is a genre-defying selection of new work by artist Stan Clark, whose work takes viewers on a trip through tall tales, both familiar and strange. Clark borrows from mythology and features fantastical creatures composed of parts from various animals. Imagine work that blurs the lines between drawing and painting, printmaking and collage, pop and classical motifs. Through December.

DANCE

On Friday, Georgia Public Broadcasting hosts a screening of Move Me, a documentary film about dancer Kelsey Peterson, who suffered a life-altering spinal injury in 2012. Atlanta’s Full Radius Dance will follow with a live performance. The dancers and company founder Douglas Scott will also participate in an artist talkback to discuss their work, ableism, adaptation, redefining one’s self and art as a healing process. Full Radius has championed the right of physically disabled individuals to dance and presents performances regularly in Atlanta. 7 p.m. Free. 260 14th Street NW.

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The official opening of Lauri Stallings’ Free Bird Being takes place at Serenbe on Saturday and follows Stallings’ longstanding inquiries into the lives of Southern people. It takes a cue from the Pearl Cleage poem “This Space That We Have Made Together” and features an intergenerational ensemble of musicians and women movement artists. Think possibility, memory and the warmth of relationship. After the Serenbe launch, the glo project will travel for the next two years to communities in the deep South. 6:30 p.m. Deer Hollow, 8455 Atlanta Newnan Road, Chattahoochee Hills. Free.

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Dancer-choreographer Nathan Griswold, co-director of Fly on a Wall collective, premieres his new work Tile this weekend at The Windmill Arts Center. The source material for the full evening work is the cultural and personal memories that Griswold and his collaborators have shared over the last two and a half years. Over time and tellings, memories change, moving from absolute truth to something else. The excellent lineup of performers comprises Christina Massad, Leo Briggs, Jenna Latham, Darvensky Louis, Nicholas Goodly and Walter Apps. Music by Atlanta composer Ptar. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 4 p.m.  Tickets $20.

BOOKS

Former news anchor John Pruitt has turned author with his first novel, Tell It True, just released. The book digs into familiar turf for the longtime television news icon, focusing on the challenges faced by journalists as they cover a societal revolution. Pruitt will discuss the novel as part of the Author Talks series at the Atlanta History Center on Wednesday, November 9, at 7 p.m. Tickets for non-members start at $10.

THEATER

Earth Matters on Stage is a festival that pairs environmental concerns with performing arts. Theater Emory is hosting this year’s festival, and the winning play, Transmissions in Advance of the Second Great Dying, will be on stage tonight, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Mary Gray Munroe Theater. ArtsATL editor at large Jim Farmer writes how the play inspires deep reflection on climate change. Tickets are $15 each, with discounts available.

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The Tony-winning musical In the Heights finishes a successful run at City Springs Theatre this weekend. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame, In the Heights deals with issues of family and pride in the New York community of Washington Heights. ArtsATL editor at large Jim Farmer’s review calls the performance an “affectionate and joyous production, almost impeccably staged and performed.” Tickets start at $37 each.

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What if penicillin had never been invented? The Mold That Changed the World tells the story of Scottish physician Alexander Fleming and his invention of this life-changing medicine with plenty of music, dance and acrobatic awe. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2 p.m. at Pullman Yards, Building 12. Tickets start at $25.

MUSIC

Tony Hightower shows off his jazz chops at the City Winery in a concert Monday at 8 p.m.  Hightower is the son of the late legendary Atlanta vocalist Theresa Hightower, and his new album is Legacy. He started out as an R&B singer, then switched paths in 2014 with the release of his first jazz album, The New Standard. Hightower recently told ArtsATL that his new album features more vocal acrobatics while also staying true to the roots of jazz. “I’m getting comfortable and seeing what works, trying to push my limits,” he said. Tickets start at $30.

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The Concerts@First series returns Sunday at 3 p.m. with the M5 Mexican Brass. The concert, co-presented by the Mexican Arts Council, will feature a variety of works, from Rossini to Paul McCartney. The M5 Mexican Brass is considered Mexico’s foremost brass quintet with a mix of classical, blues, folk and traditional Mexican music. The concert is at the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. Tickets are $20.