Eight exciting things to do around Emory this February

By Michelle Ricker Feb. 2, 2023

February might be the shortest month of the year, but there’s no shortage of great, affordable things to do around campus. From eye-opening lectures to jazz music to new exhibits and beyond, here are just a few ways to fill your calendar — and your cup.

1. Commemorate Black History Month.

On Thursday, Feb. 2, attend a service of word and table at 11:05 a.m. in Cannon Chapel or online as part of Candler’s Heritage Month, focusing on “Blackness Unfiltered.” Danielle L. Brown, senior pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Plainfield, New Jersey, will serve as the distinguished guest preacher.

At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22, join Ambassador Andrew Young and Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Ernie Suggs to celebrate the recently published book “The Many Lives of Andrew Young,” written by Suggs. Young, a civil rights icon who turns 91 in March, was a two-term mayor of Atlanta, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and served in the U.S. House of Representatives. In “The Many Lives of Andrew Young: A Conversation with Andrew Young and Ernie Suggs,” Young will share stories from his time at the forefront of the civil rights movement. The session is free and takes place at the Emory Student Center; registration is required. A Q&A session and book signing will follow the conversation.

On Friday, Feb. 24, Candler’s celebrations conclude with the 13^th annual Heritage Ball: “Blackness Unfiltered: Standing in the Doorway for Our People to Thrive.” The event celebrates Black students, staff, faculty and alumni in academic excellence, ministerial leadership and social justice advocacy, and will honor professor of theology and ethics Noel L. Erskine as he prepares to retire from Candler after 46 years. The ball takes place at 8 p.m. in the Emory Conference Center Hotel; registration is required.

2. Learn from the experts.

The first of four February colloquiums through the James Weldon Johnson Institute takes place on Monday, Feb. 6. Nowile Rooks of Brown University will give a talk entitled “They Tried to Kill Us With Their Democracy, so We Fought Them With Ours: A Story of Segrenomics, Racism, and Health in the Battle for Education in Detroit.” This talk explores what social policy would look like if it were crafted with the aim of ensuring the social, mental, emotional and physical health of those most deeply impacted by it. Each JWJI Colloquium is free and takes place in the Jones Room of the Woodruff Library. Attendees should register in advance at the event link.

On Wednesday, Feb. 8, Laura Vrana, Fox Center’s N.E.H. Postdoctoral Fellow in Poetics, explores “Phillis Wheatley in the #BlackLivesMatter Era.” This seminar focuses on the writings of 18^th century African American poet Phillis Wheatley and is open to the Atlanta community on a first come, first served basis. This event takes place at 5 p.m. at the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry. Additional presentations will be given on Feb. 15 and 22, at the same time and place.

The 2023 Ada Fort Lecture takes place in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing on Monday, Feb. 13, at 4 p.m. This year’s topic is planetary health and features Ann Kurth, president of the New York Academy of Medicine. A reception will follow the lecture; registration is required.

3. Catch a new exhibit.

It’s a new month, and there are new exhibits coming to campus.

First, head to the “Life and the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Art from the Senusret Collection'' exhibit, on view Feb. 4 – Aug. 6 at the Michael C. Carlos Museum. The exhibit focuses on the history of the Senusret Collection; objects of daily life; the beauty and protection of amulets and jewelry; religious votive statuettes that acted as a donors’ magical participants in cultic practices; stela and reliefs; and burial items that provided for the eternal needs of the deceased.

Return to the Carlos Museum on Feb. 18 to check out “A Very Incomplete Self-Portrait: Tom Dorsey’s Chicago Portfolio.” The exhibit, which runs through July 16, presents never-before-exhibited works by renowned photographer Thomas Dorsey. This portfolio of black and white photographs, taken while Dorsey was enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago, reveals the barren infrastructure of an underserved community and the resilience and stark beauty that can be discovered amidst bleak circumstances.

Finally, be sure to explore the vast world of rare books through the “Inner Beauty” exhibit in the Rose Library before it leaves at the end of February. While the term “rare books” often elicits images of beautiful leather-bound covers, gilt edges and iconic dust jackets, an exploration beyond their covers can reveal much about the book’s history of ownership, reception among readers and even be inspirations for new works. The exhibit is located in the Rose Library, on the tenth floor of Woodruff Library.

4. Attend Charter Week.

This year’s Emory Charter Week — formerly known as Founder’s Week — is full of great activities from Feb. 6 – 11. With lectures, music, sports and special events, there’s something for everyone, all week long.

One highlight is a Charter Week Gathering with President Fenves at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7. The event is open to all Emory students, faculty and staff and will feature free food and fellowship at the Emory Student Center. Registration is not required. Learn more about Charter Week and view the full schedule online.

5. Immerse yourself in music.

Jazz Fest 2023 coincides with this year’s Charter Week and is sure to be a great time. Every event is held in the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Emerson Concert Hall.

Jazz Fest begins on Thursday, Feb. 9, with a lecture and demonstration with Warren Wolf, a multi-instrumentalist from Baltimore who has played and recorded with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Jeremy Pelt and “Creation,” Nicholas Payton, Tim Warfield, Ron Carter, Wycliffe Gordon, esperanza spalding and many others. The lecture and demonstration, which take place at 2:30 p.m., are free to the public with no registration required.

Then, on Friday, Feb. 10, enjoy a performance from Warren Wolf and the Emory Jazz Fest All-Stars at 8 p.m. The Emory Jazz Fest All-Stars feature Gary Motley (piano), Edwin Livingston (bass), Clarence Penn (drums) and Greg Tardy (saxophone). Reserved seating tickets are $30 each.

Be sure to see the final Jazz Fest event as the Emory Big Band with Gary Motley Trio and members of the Emory University Symphony Orchestra perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11. The event is free and open to the public, but a ticket is required to attend.

On Saturday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m., Maria Clark, soprano, and Trey Clegg, piano/organ, will perform songs of love and justice dedicated to the memory of Martin Luther King Jr.

6. Listen to the U.S. Poet Laureate.

Current U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón will give a public reading on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 3 p.m. in Glenn Auditorium, followed by a book signing. Known for her accessible and engaging writing, which often focuses on the beauty of nature, Limón was named the 24th U.S. poet laureate in July 2022.

While the event is free, attendees should register in advance on the Emory Libraries’ Eventbrite page.

7. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Schwartz Center.

February marks the 20th anniversary of Emory’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, and there are several great programs to celebrate this milestone. The following events will be in Emerson Concert Hall of the Schwartz Center. All are free and open to the public, with no tickets required.

The annual Bach Bowl — a one-hour concert before the Super Bowl — will be Sunday, Feb. 12, at 4 p.m. Presented by the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, this year’s program will feature Bach’s supreme set of Variations.

On Saturday, Feb. 25, the Emory University Symphony Orchestra will perform at 8 p.m. This concert features the world premiere of work for harp and orchestra by Laura Schwendinger with Emily Remy Johnson, Atlanta Symphony principal harp, in addition to works by Elgar with the Vega Quartet.

On Sunday, Feb. 26, the Emory Wind Ensemble will perform at 4 p.m. This group is nationally recognized and concert programming comprises a wide variety of styles, forms and genres.

8. Cheer on the Eagles.

February brings competition season for both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, including the UAA championships followed by the Emory Invitational on Friday, Feb. 17, and Saturday, Feb. 18.

On the Atlanta campus, the men’s and women’s basketball teams continue their seasons and each have two home games in February. On the Oxford campus, the men’s basketball team has five home games, including Sophomore Day during the 1 p.m. game against Central Carolina Community College on Saturday, Feb. 18.

Early spring means the start of new sports seasons, and the softball team has multiple home games this month, including a few double headers. Baseball season also starts in February, with two home games toward the end of the month. Men’s and women’s tennis resumes on the Atlanta campus and the Oxford campus will also be hosting men’s and women’s tennis matches on their home courts.

All Emory Athletics events are free. No matter what sport you love, spring is a great time to be an Eagle.

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