Luxury Garage Sale Grand Opening Soiree - Atlanta Pop Up

Popping up for one month this April 15 through May 15, 2018, coveted Chicago-based upscale consignment brand, Luxury Garage Sale, is inviting fashion-loving Atlantans the opportunity to shop a curated collection of high-end designer consignment including top-selling brands like Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton along with boutique overstock at up to 90% off retail prices.  The pop-up shop will be located in the heart of bustling Inman Park - providing shoppers a true boutique ‘luxe for less’ experience featuring stand-out designer clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories for women, one-on-one styling, full service consignment services, and more.  Their team of style experts also makes personal house-calls to help consignors vet their pieces and appraise them for those looking to consign new or lightly used luxury items.  

Join us as we celebrate the official grand opening of the Luxury Garage Sale Atlanta pop-up shop in Inman Park this Wednesday, April 25th from 7 to 9 p.m. Sip champagne, bites from The Brasserie and Neighborhood Café at PARISH, a selection of Wild Heaven craft beer and more.   

Benefiting Doggies on the Catwalk, for this evening only, 10% of proceeds will go towards the acclaimed 501c 3 founded by E. Vincent Martinez. Special guests and Doggies on the Catwalk models Vickie Kirbo of Kirb Your Style  & Ashley Stamoulis of SUTHINGIRL will also be in attendance and ready to host you!    

RSVP to rsvp@carenwestpr.com and we will make sure you’re on the list!

Luxury Garage Sale’s Atlanta pop-up, is located at The Shops at Highland Steel (240 N. Highland Avenue, Atlanta, Ga.) right by Pure Barre and across the street from Char.  

Get ready to shop ’til you drop! 

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Giant sculptures return to Atlanta Botanical Garden on May 5

THE GIANT TOPIARY EXHIBITION Imaginary Worlds returns May 5 to the Atlanta Botanical Garden with an all-new menagerie of living plant sculptures. The show runs through Oct. 28 and can be seen at both the Midtown and Gainesville locations.

Photos: Atlanta Botanical Garden

Imaginary Worlds first lumbered into the Garden in 2013/14, returning now by popular demand and mostly with creations that have never been seen before. The sculptures, which will be seen inside and out, are mostly custom-made and come from  the nonprofit International Mosaiculture of Montreal.

The  sculptures — steel forms covered in soil-and-sphagnum moss and planted with thousands of meticulously groomed plants — will be staged in 14 installations. In Midtown, look for a giant phoenix towering over the Alston Overlook, as a mermaid lounging beside Howell Fountain, a massive dragon and sleeping princess near the Great Lawn, a peacock inside the Fuqua Orchid Center, and three camels making their way through the Skyline Garden. The Gainesville landscape, meanwhile, will see such characters as a friendly ogre, panda bears and frolicking frogs.

The process began taking root about six months ago when conceptual drawings were done in Montreal, metal frames were fabricated and plant palettes were chosen. The empty frames were shipped to Atlanta in January, where the Garden’s horticulturists began covering them with a mesh fabric and stuffing them with soil. More than 200,000 plants, mostly annuals, were inserted one by one. The sculptures were built in sections and planted inside a greenhouse outside the city, then trucked to the Garden when the weather warmed for assembly. 

The exhibit is free with Garden admission ($21.95; $15.95 ages 3-12; under 3 and Garden members free in Midtown). From May through October, the Garden is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; and 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Thursday featuring illuminated sculptures and Cocktails in the Garden. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.876.5859.

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MOTOAMERICA’S SUZUKI CHAMPIONSHIP DESCENDS ON ROAD ATLANTA THIS WEEKEND

The MotoAmerica Suzuki Championship descends upon Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia this weekend, Friday April 13 through Sunday, April 15, 2018.  This can't-miss event includes three full days of motorcycle road racing, freestyle BMX, skateboarding, stunts, and live music… plus Tony Hawk and Friends getting rad on a 40-foot skate/BMX ramp on Saturday and Sunday.  If all that's not enough, the event features The Wall of Death motorcycle stunt riders, an interactive kids zone with Stryder bikes, a pump track, Mini Moto exhibitions and bounce houses, and renowned DJ Jayceeoh spinning a special set on Saturday.  While the demos, skating, BMX and motorcycle stunts and races last all weekend, Hawk will be skating on Saturday only on his personal, state-of-the-art vert ramp brought in just for the event. 

Five classes will compete in the Suzuki Championship at Road Atlanta: Superbike (Saturday and Sunday), Supersport (Saturday and Sunday), Junior Cup (Saturday and Sunday), Twins Cup (Saturday) and Stock 1000 (Sunday). Practice and qualifying will be held on Friday and Saturday. Additionally, WERA will race its 1000 Superbike class on Sunday.

Action enthusiasts looking for the full experience, can treat themselves to VIP Full Throttle ticket packages that includes entrance to the incredible M2 Lounge — luxury suites and stages that deliver the ultimate viewing experience for all the action. Besides complimentary food and drink, VIP goers will experience meet-and-greets with riders and Maxim magazine hostesses, escorted pit lane access, and a chance to walk the track and see first-hand the twists and curves that make MotoAmerica one of the world's most exciting new sports. 

MotoAmerica’s Full Throttle ticket package will cost $119 prior to April 11 and $149 after April 11, and that package is nearly sold out. Premier VIP Parking is available for $50 prior to April 11 and $75 after April 11.  There is also a VIP Full Throttle ticket package that includes entrance to the M2 Lounge – luxury suites that deliver the ultimate viewing experience for all the action. The VIP Full Throttle ticket package is available for $299 for the two-day experience.

For more information, the full schedule of events and to purchase tickets, visit http://motoamerica.com. 

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13 GA semifinalists for 2018 James Beard Awards

The James Beard Foundation has named the 2018 semifinalists for its annual awards honoring excellence in cuisine, culinary writing and culinary education in the United States. The awards, established in 1990, often are called “the Oscars of food.”

Finalists will be announced March 14 in Philadelphia; winners will be announced May 7 in Chicago. The Georgian nominees — most are in the metro Atlanta area — are as follows:

National awards

OUTSTANDING BAKER: Sarah O’Brien of Atlanta’s Little Tart Bakeshop (two locations plus farmers markets).

OUTSTANDING BAR PROGRAM: Decatur’s Kimball House.

OUTSTANDING WINE PROGRAM: Miller Union in West Midtown.

OUTSTANDING CHEF: Hugh Acheson of Five & Ten in Athens.

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR: Steve Palmer of The Indigo Road group (Oak Steakhouse in Alpharetta, O-Ku sushi in West Midtown, Colletta Italian Food & Wine at Avalon in Alpharetta, and Donetto in West Midtown).

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR (2): Parnass Savang of Atlanta’s Talat Market, Thai pop-up in Candler Park, and Brian So of Spring in Marietta.

Regional awards

BEST CHEF: SOUTHEAST (6): Atsushi Hayakawa of Sushi House Hayakawa on Buford Highway, Ryan Smith of Staplehouse (returning nominee) in Atlanta; Matthew Raiford of The Farmer & The Larder in Brunswick; Meherwan Irani of Chai Pani (Indian) in Decatur; Rui Liu of Masterpiece (Sichuan Chinese) in Duluth; and Mashama Bailey of The Grey in Savannah. Miller Union’s Steven Satterfield won Best Chef: Southeast in 2017 and can’t be nominated again for five years.

Other categories include best new restaurant; outstanding pastry chef; outstanding restaurant; outstanding service; outstanding wine, beer or spirits professional; and best chefs in the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New York City, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southwest and West regions.

Another semifinalist of interest to metro Atlanta/Georgia foodies is Duane Nutter, formerly of One Flew South and now with Southern National in Mobile, Ala., for best new restaurant.

For a complete list of the 2018 James Beard semifinalists, go HERE.

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It’s a wrap: 36,000+ attend 2018 AJFF

TOP PHOTO: Death in the Terminal, which looks at a 2015 terrorist attack at an Israeli bus station and its aftermath, won the Documentary and Human Rights jury prizes.

THE 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL — 23 days long, with more than 190 screenings at seven venues — attracted more than 36,000 moviegoers, according to festival organizers. Closing night at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, featuring the Southeast premiere of writer-director Pablo Solarz’ The Last Suit, attracted a record-setting crowd of more than 1,600.

As usual, a number of awards were handed out, too. The winners:

NARRATIVE JURY PRIZE (for a feature-length fiction film): The Testament, director Amichai Greenberg’s 2018 story about an uncompromising Holocaust researcher who uncovers a long-buried secret about his family history.

DOCUMENTARY JURY PRIZE (for a feature-length nonfiction film): Death in the Terminal, Israeli directors Tali Shemesh and Asaf Sudry’s 2017 look at a 2015 terrorist attack at an Israeli bus station, and the paranoia-fueled confusion that followed.

“On My Way Out: The Secret Life of Nani and Popi,” from Canada.

SHORTS JURY PRIZE (run time of 40 minutes or less): On My Way Out: The Secret Life of Nani and Popi, Canadian directors Brandon and Skyler Gross’ 2017 piece about an ostensibly happy couple marking six decades of marriage and uncovering a painful truth.

EMERGING FILMMAKER JURY PRIZE: Winter Hunt, German filmmaker Astrid Schult’s 2017 psychological thriller about a young woman who seeks reprisal against a suspected ex-Nazi.

BUILDING BRIDGES JURY PRIZE (fosters understanding among communities of diverse religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds): Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds: The Conductor Zubin Mehta, German director Bettina Ehrhardt’s profile of the India-born maestro most often associated with the Israeli Philharmonic.

HUMAN RIGHTS JURY PRIZE: Death in the Terminal, again.

“The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm,” from American director Amy Schatz.

AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST NARRATIVE: The Last Suit, a 2017 film about a cantankerous, aging Jewish tailor who leaves his life in Argentina for a journey back in time and halfway around the world to find the man who saved him from death at Auschwitz.

AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY: Itzhak, director Alison Chemick’s 2017 impressionist, fly-on-the-wall portrait of Itzhak Perlman, the Iraeli-born master violinist.

AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT: The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm, American director Amy Schatz’s 19-minute piece from 2017, about a young boy’s tender questions, his great-grandfather’s tattooed arm and the intimate, emotional conversation about tragedy and perseverance that ensues.

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"A Viewing of Subconsciousness" by Todd Alexander

The Art Institute of Atlanta is proud to have on display in the Janet Day Gallery, artist Todd Alexander's newest show “A Viewing of Subconsciousness.” This bold, large scale exhibition of mixed-media paintings brings forth a profound impact to the viewer.

Todd Alexander, formerly from Atlanta, is a working artist who is armed with imagery, technique, talent and emotion inspired by all walks of life. Born into a family of artists, at a young age Todd experimented with watercolor and oil mediums, as well as hand-thrown pottery. He then pursued scientific and medical illustration at the University of Georgia, working afterward to produce anatomically driven creations for the medical industry. Todd’s creativity has evolved as he re-entered the studio, again picking up once familiar paints and exploring alternative ways to express himself and his subjects.

Through charcoal, paint and collage, Todd allows no boundaries. For him, it’s not about the finished product as much as the journey of discovering emotions and sharing them. His most recent productions evoke the state of balance towards which he strives, using mixed-media of paper, canvas and other elements to align reality with interpretation of dimension. Multiple layers of epoxy, gel medium, and paint allow for a new, and at times unexpected, lens for the viewer to look through and more actively participate with the image.

The works found herein distill universal emotions. Subjects take the viewer to different planes in a view of the subconsciousness - inviting curiosity and contemplation. Collectively they deliver new levels of validation and self-awareness.

The exhibition runs January 22nd- March 2nd. The opening is Thursday, Feb. 8th from 7:00- 10PM - RSVP to aiatlgallery@gmail.com. There will be an artist’s lecture in the gallery on March 1st 12-2:00pm. The Art Institute/ Janet Day Gallery is located at 6600 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd 100 Embassy Row, Atlanta, GA 30328.

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BATTLE ZONE

by Julie Bookman

FOR THIS VISIT,  ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER LEADER ROBERT BATTLE LOOKS TO THE PAST — 1960, THE 1980S, 2004 — TO ENTERTAIN, PROVOKE AND INFORM THE FUTURE.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs Feb. 14-18 at the Fox Theatre. Tickets HERE or at 855.285.8499. 

“ALMOST SPIRITUAL.” That’s how Robert Battle describes Atlanta’s passion for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

“The black experience,” says Ailey artistic director Robert Battle, “is not a one-note samba.” Photo: Andrew Eccles

“The love and electricity we feel every time we’re there is the kind of excitement and commitment that’s usually reserved for pop culture — like for rock stars,” says Battle, artistic director of the nation’s pre-eminent modern dance company.

This visit the 32-member company — in which no one is a star but everyone dances like one — brings 13 pieces for six performances. You’d need to attend four of the six to see them all. What you can count on is plenty of powerful, athletic dance and Revelations as the finale. The spirit-rousing, visually stunning piece created by founder Alvin Ailey dates to 1960.

“Revelations is a light in a dark place,” Battle says from New York. “As we look at this world and our country, Revelations gives us a sense that tomorrow the sun will shine.”

Battle, on the job since 2011, is the third artistic director in Ailey’s 60-year history. He was chosen by his predecessor, Judith Jamison, just as she was chosen by Ailey himself. Battle’s Mass, created in 2004 for the Juilliard School, is new this year to Ailey dancers.

He was inspired to create it after seeing a choral performance of Verdi’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall. “I found myself inspired by the sort of pageantry of a chorus of a hundred people, even how they entered in a somber way and the precise way they organized themselves on the risers, the juxtaposition of it all.

“When they sang,” he says, “the juxtaposition was their voice, like a passport to the world that could travel freely.” The choir leader “was almost like the preacher figure or chosen one born out of the mass. I found myself thinking about it all — the individual, the group or huddled mass, the chosen one freeing himself from the group.”

You never know where you’ll find inspiration, he says.

A scene from the Robert Battle-choreographed “Mass.” Top of page: “Twyla Tharp’s Golden Section.” Photos: Paul Kolnik

Battle’s choreography often features sharp, ritualistic movements and intricate patterns. He’s comfortable endorsing one phrase used to describe his style: rapid-fire movement. “My last name is Battle, and I think that says it all.”

As always, Ailey audiences can expect some social consciousness in the program. A highlight is likely to be Shelter, created in 1988 by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, founder and artistic director of Urban Bush Women, the Brooklyn- dance troupe whose works often illuminate the disenfranchised.

Ailey dancers first performed the 22-minute Shelter, described as a hard-hitting interpretation on homelessness, 25 years ago. This is its first revival in 15 years.

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s “Shelter.” Photo: Paul Kolnik

One day in New York, Zollar says, she found herself stepping over a homeless person. “When it became normal and didn’t have any impact —when I stopped seeing it — that is when I thought we were losing portions of our humanity.”

Since the piece premiered, New York’s homeless population has tripled to 63,000, according to a recent NBC News estimate. Georgia has about 14,000 homeless people.

Battle sees Shelter’s relevance expanding. “I think we’re having to think about shelter and protection in larger ways. There’s a real fear out there of needing shelter from the very laws that are supposed to protect you.”

At least two other pieces in the lineup date to the 1980s, as well:

TWYLA THARP’S THE GOLDEN SECTION (1983). This 16-minute piece, set to a New Wave score by David Byrne, was the finale to Tharp’s The Catherine Wheel, an acclaimed 1981 project. Two years later, it became a stand-alone piece “celebrated for its expression of blissful joy.” In 2006, The New Yorker described Ailey’s re-staging as “daring, driving choreography with breathtaking leaps.”

STACK-UP  by Talley Beatty (1982). Beatty’s piece examines “an urban landscape and all the things that can happen within that context,” says Battle. More plot-driven than most Ailey pieces, it’s a colorful, energetic number of physical pyrotechnics done to a disco vibe from the Fearless Four, Grover Washington Jr. and Earth, Wind & Fire.

An Ailey performance promises a wide range of themes, moods and emotions. “The black experience,” Battle says, “is not a one-note samba.”

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