Winter Arts Preview

Live and virtual shows & exhibitions set to entertain

By Collin Kelley

Atlanta’s art scene continues to keep us entertained as the pandemic continues, with a host of plays, concerts, and exhibitions that can be enjoyed virtually and – in some cases – live. See what’s on the agenda for the next couple of months and mark your calendar.

Synchronicity Theatre

The company is offering both live and streaming options of its upcoming production of “Mirandy and Brother Wind” (March 12 - April 4), the tale of a South Carolina girl determined to win a cakewalk. Synchronicity is also partnering with Hands In!, that interprets artistic works in American Sign Language (ASL) for its upcoming productions. For tickets, visit synchrotheatre.com.

High Museum of Art

The High and Portland Museum of Art, Maine, have organized “David Driskell: Icons of Nature and History,” bringing approximately 60 artworks together to present highlights of his painting career. The exhibition is the first major survey of Driskell’s work since his death in April 2020 at age 88. It will debut at the High Feb. 6. For tickets and information, visit high.org.

The Breman Museum

In collaboration with the Lumière, The Breman Museum has extended the virtual exhibition of photographer Herb Snitzer’s images of America’s jazz scene. The exhibition “A Jazz Memoir” –featuring photographs of Louis Armstrong, Nina

Simone, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Count Basie – will run through March 31. Because of the pandemic, the exhibition continues to be an enhanced online offering at TheBreman.org. and many others are showcased. Additional exhibition works reveal both Herb’s desire to use photography to effect social change and his belief that “Injustice for one is injustice for all,” acutely relevant given the current social climate. The photographs in A Jazz Memoir depict the years-long relationships between the photographer and his subjects, and the links that connect Jews, jazz and the African American community.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

The ASO kicks off 2021 with an evening that pairs the work of Joseph Haydn alongside 2017 MacArthur fellow Tyshawn Sorey. The program opens with Vaughan Williams’ haunting “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.” Cellist Seth Parker Woods will perform Sorey’s “For Roscoe Mitchell: joining the ASO under the baton of Russian conductor Maxim Emelyanychev. The virtual performance is set for Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at atlantasymphony.org.

Atlanta Photography Group

“Director’s Cut,” a virtual group exhibition, continues through Jan. 23 and features photographs that breathe fresh perspectives and a new vitality into traditional genres such as landscape, portraiture, abstracts, and still life. Director’s Cut is curated each year by APG executive director Judith Pishnery from members’ work presented to APG over the past year. visit AtlantaPhotographyGroup. org to see more.