The American Craft Council Show is back in Atlanta this weekend at the Cobb Galleria, featuring works by more than 200 artists.

If you're an arts and crafts lover, this show is a must-attend. You can browse through everything from jewelry and clothes to home accessories and one-of-a-kind sculptural works and meet the artists too.

This year the show includes Green Craft artists who made all of their work using recycled and eco-friendly materials, and Callanwolde Fine Arts Center will also be there with live craft demonstrations and workshops for kids if you're taking the whole family.

The show is this weekend only, so be sure not to miss it!

Beginning this weekend and continuing through March 22, you can check out more than 160 free events, including everything from guided tours to lectures to open houses, at dozens of Atlanta's historic sites.

The Phoenix Flies: A Citywide Celebration of Living Landmarks, presented by the Atlanta Preservation Center, is designed to show the extent to which preservation is a part of Atlanta's fabric and contributes to the city's character and quality of life.

This celebration started back in 2003, when the Atlanta Preservation Center commemorated the 25th anniversary of the year the Fabulous Fox Theatre was saved from being demolished.

The Atlanta Preservation Center chose the name in honor of the mythical bird that rises from the ashes, as Atlanta did after The Civil War. The bird has also been featured on the city seal since 1887.

Partners include the Fabulous Fox Theatre (of course!), The Wren's Nest, Historic Oakland Cemetery, Rhodes Hall, the Atlanta History Center, Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, the Herndon Home and more.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to share in Atlanta's history! And since I'm a sucker for trivia, please let me know if you find out any interesting fun facts about the city at any of the events...

It's the last weekend of the month - and your last chance to see a lot of shows that will be closing at local theatres. A comedy, a musical and a Shakespearian classic will all end their runs this weekend, so be sure to check them out!

Below is the the list of closing shows.  Just click on the show title for more info.

Griefers at Dad's Garage
101 Humiliating Stories and Zoo Story at PushPush Theater
Baby by Centerstage North Theatre at The Art Place
Frankenstein by Theater at Emory at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts
Pathways at Academy Theatre
Brownie Points at Theatrical Outfit
Romeo and Juliet by Atlanta Shakespeare Company at the New American Shakespeare Tavern

Enjoy!

This Saturday at Georgia State University's Rialto Center for the Arts, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company will present a new show titled "Color-ography, n. the Dances of Jacob Lawrence," a modern dance show inspired by the paintings of the famed Harlem Renaissance artist, whose "Migration Series" made him famous in 1941.

The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) just completed its 40th year of presenting original dances that comprise the world's largest collection of African-American choreographed works.

I highly recommend going to see the show this weekend, and if you're a member of Public Broadcasting Atlanta, you can get 15% off tickets with your Advantage Card! Click here for more details.

The family musical "Free to Be...You and Me" opens at Synchronicity Theatre at 7 Stages in Little Five Points this weekend, and Synchronicity is offering two free tickets to anyone who books a group of 10 or more to see the show!

Sort of like a hostess gift at a Tupperware party, this special offer is in additional to the 20 percent off you get for buying group tickets. Regular ticket prices are $18 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under.

The musical, based on the 1972 album and illustrated book created by Marlo Thomas (of TV's "That Girl" fame), features songs and stories by celebrities including famous author Judy Blume (Blubber, anyone?), and the great poet Shel Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends).

To get the free tickets, include "I'm an Ambassador" in the comments section of the ticket form when you purchase tickets online. Your two free tickets will be available for pick up at the box office on the day of the show.

Hope you'll be able to take all the kids to the show, and stay safe and warm this weekend!

ART PAPERS will host its annual art auction tomorrow (February 6) at Mason Murer Fine Art's Main Gallery. (Click here for more info.)

The auction will include works by Atlanta artists and international artists as well, so it's definitely a must-attend if you're a collector looking for new works. But even if you don't collect, the auction's a great opportunity to check out some cool contemporary art and help support ART PAPERS too.

For those who aren't familiar with ART PAPERS, it's a non-profit organization with a mission to provide an independent and accessible forum for the exchange of perspectives on the role of contemporary art as a socially relevant and engaged discourse. To further this mission, the organization publishes ART PAPERS magazine, now in its 33rd year. It's distributed throughout the U.S. and is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-a-Million and other bookstores and museum shops.

Tickets to the auction on Saturday are only $25 per person, which is extremely reasonably priced for an art auction. And if you've never been to one, it would be a great way to impress a date if you want to get a heads start on Valentine's Day...

Today the Alliance Theatre opens the winning play of the 2009 Kendeda (pronounced Kin-dee-da) Graduate Playwriting Competition, "Tennis in Nablus" by Ismail Khalidi, which runs through February 21 on the Hertz Stage.

Now in its sixth year, the Kendeda Competition is designed to help transition student playwrights to the world of professional theatre, and each year's grand prize winner gets a fully-staged, professional production of his/her work on the Hertz.

About 30 graduate playwriting programs across the country are invited to have their final-year students submit a play to the competition, and then the plays are judged by an in-house panel of readers at the Alliance. The finalist scripts are then sent to a national panel of three theater artists for judging, and the winner is chosen in conjunction with input from the Alliance.

In addition to the full production of the winning play, the Alliance also presents FREE readings of all of the finalists' plays both in New York and Atlanta.

The Atlanta readings will be at the Alliance next Monday and Tuesday, February 1 and February 2 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. each day. Click here for more info about the readings.

You might be familiar with two of the finalist plays from the competition that went on to have full productions at Actor's Express - 2006's "Love Jerry" and this season's "Fair Use."

I'll be checking out one of the readings on Monday, and I highly recommend that you check them out too. They give you a chance to be the first to see work by the nation's top up-and-coming playwrights, and if you've never been to a play reading, it's a really cool way to experience live theatre.

I'll let you know what I think about the play I see on Monday, and please post your own comments and let me know what you think if you go to a reading too.

If you've ever desired a different type of movie-going experience (or an alternative to shelling out $12+ to see the latest 3-D action flick), then there are three film festivals in town this weekend that just might interest you.

Not only do each of these festivals offer a chance for you to see films that you wouldn't normally on the big screen, they also each provide a look at another culture and/or time.

Ending this weekend is the 10th Annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. As the title indicates, the festival is now in its tenth year and is the largest film festival in the city. It showcases an international selection of films, all with a Jewish twist, at three Atlanta area locations: Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Stadium 16, Lefont Sandy Springs Theater and Regal Cinemas Medlock Crossing Stadium 18. So, there are a couple of options of places to see these films depending on which part of town you frequent.

And in case you hadn't heard, Atlanta's historic Plaza Theatre is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The movie house opened in 1939, and in honor of this milestone, they are presenting The 1939 Film Festival through the end of the month. Films include Jimmy Stewart's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," the Atlanta favorite "Gone With the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz," among others. This festival might be one of your only chances to see some of these great classics on the big screen, so don't miss it.

And also on weekends through the end of the month, the High Museum will present its fifth annual Danish Film Festival. All of the festival's films are critically acclaimed in Denmark, and they include a popular comedy, a dark psychological thriller, a World War II period drama and an Academy Award nominee. And tickets are only $7, so it's a good bit cheaper than going to a regular movie.

I hope you'll get a chance to check out one of the shows this weekend, and please let me know if there's one that's a must see!

I've always felt fortunate that I share my hometown with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and I'll always remember visiting his childhood home with my school when I was a kid. I feel very fortunate that I was able to grow up in this city that's not only the birthplace of the leader of the Civil Rights Movement but is also the place where so many sacrificed, struggled and triumphed for its ideals.

So today, on the anniversary of his birth, I wanted to spotlight a few of this weekend's celebrations of the life and achievements of Dr. King.

Of course first on the list is the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. When you visit, you can take free tours of a number of different places including his childhood home, The King Center and Ebenezer Baptist Church. Tours will be going on all weekend, and on Monday, and begin each day at 10 a.m. They are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, so get there early to make sure you get a spot.

Tonight, you can head over to Beulah Missionary Baptist Church for The 14th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration presented by Georgia Perimeter College from 7 to 9 p.m. The event is totally free and will include a keynote speech by Rita Dove, former United States poet laureate.

On Monday, Cobb County will host its 24th Annual Marter Luther King, Jr. Celebration at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre. The event will celebrate Dr. King's birthday and contributions to the Civil Rights Movement with live entertainment and the awarding of the "Living the Dream" award to a Cobb citizen who exemplifies his ideals.

Also on Monday, be sure to take your kids to Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta for their MLK Day Celebration for Children: In the Name of Love, presented with Spelman College. It's a great way to be able to teach your kids more about Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement in a really fun setting, and it's not a bad way to spend your day off with them either. The "Imaginators" will bring Dr. King's "I Have a Dream Speech" to life, and volunteers from Spelman will help children make their own peace medallions to wear and take home.

I hope everyone has a chance to celebrate Dr. King this weekend, either at these events or just by taking some time to think about his accomplishments and the ways they have impacted our lives. And be sure to share your thoughts and experiences with friends, family - and Lens!

Happy New Year everyone!  As I woke up this morning and again saw the news report sub-freezing temperatures, I thought that I'd concentrate on indoor activities for this post.

And considering that most people (myself included) probably spent more money than they'd have liked to over the holidays, I thought I'd let you know about a couple of exhibits at libraries in town that don't have any cost for admission.

In order to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the book "On the Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin and the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, Emory University is currently presenting the exhibit "Origin" at its Robert W. Woodruff Library.  The exhibit includes works by artists who were inspired by the themes of creation and evolution and includes a rare first edition of the book signed by Darwin.  I definitely suggest checking it out if you get a chance.

And at the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library's Central Branch, you can view a retrospective of the work of Marcel Breuer, one of the most influential architects and designers of the 20th century, and the man who designed the Central Branch building itself.  Included in the exhibit are displays of 12 of Breuer's most famous buildings, as well as most of the major items of his furniture design.  I think this exhibit is especially cool because you get to see other works by this master designer, while you're actually standing in one of his designs!

I hope everyone has a chance to get out this weekend, and if you do, please stay safe and try to stay warm!

For my final installment of holiday happenings, I'm also going to include events next weekend in case you're looking for something to do while the family's in town.  And again I've categorized my list in the hopes of making your decision easier!  Just click on the name of the event for more info.

I'll be taking a break before returning in the New Year, so, until then, Happy Holidays!

Classical Music:
A Very Merry Holiday Pops! with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Christmas with the Georgia Boy Choir at Peachtree United Methodist Church
Make the Yuletide Gay with the Atlanta Freedom Bands at St. Paul United Methodist Church
Messiah Sing-Along with The Michael O'Neal Singers at Roswell United Methodist Church

Theatre & Dance:
Urban Holiday Soup with the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta at Underground Atlanta
Amahl and the Night Visitors with Theatrical Outfit at Balzer Theater at Herren's
A Christmas Carol at the Alliance Theatre
Black Nativity with True Colors Theatre Company at the Southwest Fulton Arts Center
Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker at the Fabulous Fox Theatre
Sanders Family Christmas and A Tuna Christmas at Theatre in the Square
The Shoemaker & the Elves at the Center for Puppetry Arts
The Santaland Diaries and Madeline's Christmas at Horizon Theatre

Out & About:
Stone Mountain Christmas at Stone Mountain Park
Holidays in the Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
Holiday in Lights at Centennial Olympic Park

Visual Arts:
MudFire Holiday Studio Sale at MudFire Pottery Center
Holiday Art Sale at VSA of Georgia's Arts for All Gallery
Holiday Artists Market at the Spruill Gallery and Gift Shop
Hands on for the Holidays at the High Museum of Art

To continue helping you get in the spirit (if all of the music on the radio hasn't already done it!), here's my second installment of weekend holiday happenings around town... Just click on the name of the event for more info.  And let me know what you think if you go to any of these events!

Classical Music
Atlanta Boy Choir and Alumni Christmas Concert at Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Christmas with the ASO and ASO Kid's Christmas with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
December Detours with the Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus at St. Philip's Cathedral
34th Annual Music of the Holidays with the Atlanta Young Callanwolde Singers at The Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Big Band Christmas with Joe Gransden at Clayton State University's Spivey Hall
Just Voices Christmas Concert at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

Theatre & Dance
Callanwolde Ballet Ensemble's The Nutcracker at St. Pius Catholic School
A Christmas Cactus with the Southside Theatre Guild
Once Upon a Holiday at 7 Stages
The Nutcracker with the Atlanta Festival Ballet at the Henry County Performing Arts Center

Out & About
Candlelight Tour of Roswell's Southern Trilogy
Santa Parade & A Day With Santa in Downtown Kennesaw
Grant Park Candlelight Tour of Homes
Christmas Tour of Homes & Holiday Market in Avondale Estates

Visual Arts
Design Takes at Holiday! at the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
Christmas House Arts and Crafts Show at the Mable House Arts Center

Now that we’ve thoroughly stuffed our stomachs, it’s time to get serious about getting into the spirit of the season, and the city’s offering no shortage of events to help.  So, I’ve decided to list some concerts, shows and the like that are happening in town this weekend that might get you off the hook from holiday shopping…  Just click on the name of the event for more info. 
 
Classical Music 
Handel’s Messiah and Gospel Christmas with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra 
‘Tis the Season: An Evening with Earl Klugh at the Ferst Center for the Arts 
Christmas Gala & Holiday Pops Concert  with the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra at St. Benedict Church 
December Detours with the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus at Kennesaw State University’s Bailey Performance Center
Holiday Concert Honoring Mrs. Coretta Scott King with the Atlanta Boy Choir at Ebenezer Baptist Church 
Holiday Pops! with the Cobb Symphony Orchestra at the Murray Arts Center 
Kingsized Holiday Jubilee at Variety Playhouse 
Gala Holiday Family Concert with the Georgia State University School of Music at the Rialto Center for the Arts 
Holiday Pops! with the Callanwolde Concert Band at Oak Grove United Methodist Church 
Sing! Choirs of Angels with The Michael O’Neal Singers at the Roswell United Methodist Church 
 
Theatre & Dance 
The Full Radius Dance Holiday Spectacular at 7 Stages 
The Nutcracker by The Georgia Ballet at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre 
Radio City Christmas Spectacular – Starring the Rockettes at the Fabulous Fox 
An Atlanta Christmas at the Academy Theatre 
 
Out & About 
Christmas Jubilee Parade of Lights in Downtown Woodstock 
Holiday Lights at East Cobb Park 
The Marietta Pilgrimage in the Marietta Square 
Annual Family Holiday Celebration at Fernbank Museum of Natural History 
 
Visual Arts 
The Stacks Holiday Lofts and Artists Tour at The Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts 
Holiday Artists’ Market 2009 at Bobbe Gillis Gallery 
Holiday Craft Show at the High Museum of Art 
Dr. Seuss Holiday Show at Ann Jackson Gallery

Enjoy!

With your family in town for the Thanksgiving holiday, show them how much you appreciate them and take them out for some fun this weekend.  Below is a list of just some of the family-friendly events you can check out.  Many of them have a Christmas theme (I know…I’m thinking the same thing.  Already?), but I guess it’s never too early to get in the spirit! 
 
I’ve categorized them into Out & About events, Theatre and Museums.  Just click on the name of the event for more info. 
 
Out & About: 
Go All Night and Hands on for the Holidays at the High Museum of Art 
Stone Mountain Christmas at Stone Mountain Park 
Holidays in the Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden 
Holiday in Lights in Centennial Olympic Park (with outdoor ice skating!) 
Stone Mountain Village Christmas Celebration in the Historic Stone Mountain Village 
Jolley Holiday Trolley Tours through Downtown Atlanta (begin at the National Museum of Patriotism) 
 
Theatre 
Dinosaurs at the Center for Puppetry Arts 
Radio City Christmas Spectacular – Starring the Rockettes at the Fabulous Fox 
A Christmas Carol at the Alliance Theatre (pictured)
Babes in Toyland and A Christmas Carol at Kudzu Playhouse 

Museums 
Curious George: Let’s Get Curious! at Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta 
Storytelling at The Wren’s Nest

Happy Holidays! 

So even though indie crafts and Tibetan monks do not seem like they could have anything at all in common - they do!  At least you can see both this weekend in Atlanta at a couple of very unique art events...

The Indie Craft Experience will host its Holiday Shopping Spectacular this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Ambient Plus Studio.  This event is not your typical craft fair - the items on sale have a much hipper, more punk-rock edge than traditional crafts, and you can take part in craft workshops, sample vegan treats and enjoy live music while you're there.  Visit AtlantaPlanIt.com for more info or click here to read more about the event on PBA's Web site and to watch a video that aired on PBA 30's "This is Atlanta with Alicia Steele."

Also on Saturday from 12 to 2 p.m., at the Unity North Atlanta Church in Marietta, you can watch as Tibetan monks construct a mandala using millions of grains of colored sand.  A mandala is a concentric diagram that, in the Tibetan branch of Vajrayana Buddism, involves sandpainting as part of the practice of meditation.  On this last day of the event, you can watch as the monks create this magnificent piece of art that is meant to represent the cosmos.

If you attend this weekend, let me know what you thought and share your photos on Lens!

With times as tough as they are, we can all use some laughs whenever we can get them.  With that goal in mind, I thought I'd let you know about some of the shows on stage this weekend that'll definitely tickle your funny bone.   I've split them up into two categories, Plays & Musicals and Improv.  And let me know what you think if you go to any of the shows!

Just click on the name of the show below for more info.

Plays & Musicals:
Arsenic and Old Lace by the Georgia Ensemble Theatre at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center
Hillary Clinton Got Me Pregnant by Synchronicity Theatre at 7 Stages
Once Upon a Mattress at the Rosewater Theatre
Peachtree Battle at Ansley Park Playhouse
Fair Use at Actor's Express
A Tuna Christmas at Theatre in the Square

Improv:
Monster Movie at Dad's Garage
The Second City: Peach Stop, Droll and Roll at the Alliance Theatre
Cineprov! at Relapse Theatre
Whole World Theatre Company Improv at Whole World Theatre

All over town this weekend you can check out live music - specifically classical music - at a bunch of local concerts.  Virtuistic violinists, clarinetists, organists and singers are among those performing, and two of the concerts are free!  If you're a classical music lover, be sure to take advantage of concerts at the city's local colleges.  They have a lot of them, and most are free or have very inexpensive admission prices.

Below is a list of some of the local classical concerts this weekend.  Just click on the concert name for more info.

Friday, November 6:
Clarinetist Roeland Hendrix with Vega String Quartet at Emory University's Schwartz Center for the Arts

Saturday, November 7:
Violinist Bijan Mortazavi at Center Stage Atlanta
Cobb Symphony Chamber Singers with the Cobb Symphony Orchestra at Murray Arts Center
Come Rejoice! Celebrating 25 Years of Choral Artistry with the Atlanta Sacred Chorale at the Church of the Redeemer

Sunday, November 8:
All Durufle! (organ concert) at Emory University's Glenn Memorial Auditorium
Georgia State University Symphony Orchestra at the Rialto Center for the Arts

Enjoy!