Spring is in full swing this month, bringing a variety of events and activities to Emory’s campus. Check out these 10 things to do in April, most of which are free.
1. Choose from a variety of musical genres at free concerts this month.
Celebrate National Jazz Appreciation Month with Jazz on the Green on Thursdays, April 4 and April 18, at 6 p.m. on Patterson Green.
Looking for more music? Emory Chamber Ensembles perform works for strings, brass, winds, percussion and guitar on Sunday, April 14, at 7 p.m. at Emerson Concert Hall in the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Pianist Inna Faliks will play Friday, April 12, at noon in Ackerman Hall of the Carlos Museum. The Vega String Quartet, Emory’s quartet-in-residence, will perform Saturday, April 20, at 8 p.m. in Emerson Concert Hall. Want to hear some Big Band? Come to Emerson Concert Hall at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23. The Emory University Symphony Orchestra will perform on Friday, April 26, at 8 p.m. and the Emory Concert Choir sings Sunday, April 28, at 7 p.m.; both are in Emerson Concert Hall.
2. Diversify the films you see.
Tournées Film Festival is on campus the first week of April, screening two films most nights. Emory’s Department of French and Italian assures that every film has English subtitles. All screenings, which are free, are in Room 207 of White Hall. Films scheduled for the rest of the fest are:
• Thursday, April 4: “Visages, villages” / “Faces, Places” (6 p.m.) and “Une vie violente” / “A Violent Life” (8 p.m.)
• Friday, April 5: “Moi, un noir”/ “I, A Negro” (6 p.m.) and “Félicité” (8 p.m.)
• Saturday, April 6: “L’Atelier”/ “The Workshop” (7 p.m.)
3. Travel abroad via photographs.
Emory Study Abroad Photo Contest Exhibition debuts on Friday, April 5, in Cox Hall Computing Center with a reception from 1-2 p.m. Enjoy the beautiful photos, learn more about Emory’s study abroad programs and find out the winners of the photo contest. Light refreshments will be served. If you can’t make this free public event, come view the photos later.
4. Experience music of Java and a traditional art of shadow puppetry.
A Javanese Shadow Puppetry & Gamelan Music Concert is Saturday, April 6, at 5 p.m. in the Performing Arts Studio on North Decatur Road. This traditional Javanese art will be performed by an Indonesian puppet master and accompanied by the Emory Gamelan Ensemble. The family-friendly event requests a donation of $10, $5 for students and is free for children.
5. Cheer on the Eagles in baseball, softball and tennis.
Starting Sunday, April 7, the Emory Eagles baseball team has a series of home games at Chappell Park, including a set of conference games with Case Western Reserve. The April 7 game is with Huntingdon College at 2 p.m. Then on Tuesday, April 9, at 3 p.m. the Eagles play Oglethorpe University. The conference with Case Western Reserve begins Friday, April 12, at 3 p.m. See the schedule for the other games. All games are played at Chappell Park and are free.
Also, playing at home this month is the winning softball team, which has four games against New York University, Friday, April 12, at 2 p.m. and two more on Saturday, April 13, on Senior Day. All of these games are at the Emory Softball Field and are free. Men’s tennis has one home game this month against Washington & Lee on Tuesday, April 16, at 1 p.m. and the women’s tennis team plays Georgia Gwinnett at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17; the games are at the outdoor courts at the Woodruff P.E. Center and are free.
6. Exercise your software muscle.
Learn the basics of Adobe PhotoShop and Adobe InDesign. You can sign up for one or both sessions. Adobe PhotoShop will be taught Tuesday, April 9, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Adobe InDesign will be taught on Wednesday, April 17, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Both sessions will be held in the MediaLab located on the fourth floor of Woodruff Library, opposite the Music & Media Service Desk. Sign up through Student Digital Life but the sessions are open to faculty and staff as well; they’re free; and space is limited.
7. Celebrate birds across the arts.
The Michael C. Carlos Museum, the Atlanta Audubon Society, the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, Theater Emory, the Emory Planetarium and the Emory Libraries have flocked together to offer Birdfest. You can take a day, Sunday, April 14, to experience birds in a variety of settings: a walk in Lullwater Preserve, books at Woodruff Library, stories about birds in the night sky at the planetarium, a reading, art activities and music about birds instead of by them. All activities are free.
8. See an original performance exploring a famous book of poetry.
Nochera: An Evening of Lorca’s Ballads brings to life Spanish playwright Federico Garcia Lorca's most famous book of poetry, “Romanceros Gitanos.” The devised piece, to be performed at the Campus Life Pavilion on Tuesday, April 16, at 7 p.m., will be a multilingual tribute to the people and plains of Andalucia, Spain. This combination of movement and text explores the themes of nature, culture and death in Garcia Lorca’s poems. Attendance is free, and parking is available near the pavilion.
9. See rare books and book-related items owned by Emory.
Bound with History: Encounters with the Rose Library’s Collections features book historians Nick Wilding of Georgia State University and Jenny Bledsoe of Emory and Agnes Scott College talking about books from the 15th and 16th centuries, including the Rose Library’s 15th-century chronicle roll and medical manuscript leaves. Related items from the Rose Library’s collection will be available for viewing after the talks. The event will be Wednesday, April 17, at 5 p.m. in the Rose Library. Seating is limited so registration is requested.
10. Enjoy AntiquiTEA and scones at the Carlos Museum.
AntiquiTEA, the monthly series of talks on objects in the Michael C. Carlos Museum, serves tea and scones along with fascinating insights into art, history and more. This month on Tuesday, April 23, the tea will be chai served with Indian snacks as Professor of Religion Joyce Flueckiger discusses the god Vishnu and the forms of the 10 avatars in which he descends to Earth to restore cosmic order. This free event is at 4 p.m. in Ackerman Hall of the museum.