Main content
Fall into autumn with these arts events
Pianist Zee Zee

October is full of chances to appreciate great art across Emory. Prepare to immerse yourself in creativity, including hearing pianist Zee Zee perform on Friday, Oct. 18, as part of the Candler Concert Series.

— Photo by Marco Borggreve and provided for use by IMG Artists

With fall in full swing, October presents many opportunities to experience the arts at Emory. From gripping theater performances and captivating concerts to engaging conversations exploring arts and culture, there is something for everyone to enjoy!


Join engaging dialogues

October opens with Atlanta Art Week and the Michael C. Carlos Museum is hosting an event in conjunction with the city-wide celebration of contemporary art. On Friday, Oct. 4, Curator of Art of the Indigenous Americas Miranda Kyle leads a tour of the collection’s key pieces, as well as a showcase of Nicholas Galanin’s “I Think it Goes Like This (Gold),” which is on loan from the Art Bridges Foundation. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public, though registration through Atlanta Art Week is required.

At 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, the Department of Film and Media hosts filmmaking duo Gibson + Recoder with a free, public artist talk at Rich Memorial Building, Room 108. The artists will discuss their latest work, “Modular Grid,” a video mosaic that will be on display at Off the Wall @ 725 Ponce from Oct. 4-5.

The Decatur Book Festival takes place Friday, Oct. 4, and Saturday, Oct. 5, with the lineup including several presenters and moderators with Emory connections. They include Jericho Brown, Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing and director of Emory’s creative writing program; neuroscientist and psychology professor Gregory Berns; Bettina Judd, acting associate professor of African American studies; Lisa Macklin, associate vice provost and university librarian; and Alix Olson, assistant professor of women's, gender and sexuality studies at Oxford College. The 19th Poet Laureate of the United States and Pulitzer Prize winner Natasha Trethewey, who taught creative writing at Emory and served as the program’s director from 2001-2017, will speak on the origins of her writing. Learn more about the festival and Emory-related sessions

On Friday, Oct. 11, Emory Libraries presents a poetry reading of John Bradford’s “The Binder’s Curse,” read by conservator, bookbinder and poet Jeff Peachey. The event starts at 3 p.m. in the Jones Room of the Robert W. Woodruff Library, and light refreshments will be served. The event is free, but registration is required.

To close out October, the Carlos Museum hosts ceramic artist Kukuli Velarde, who will talk about her art practice, which she describes as a “personal primordial task to understand her cultural patrimony as well as a multi-racial and historical hybrid.” The event happens Sunday, Oct. 27, at 2 p.m. in the Michael C. Carlos Museum’s Ackerman Hall. It is free to attend but advance registration is required.


Witness compelling performances and film screenings

Theater Emory opens its Fall 2024 season with María Irene Fornés’ MUD,directed by instructor in Theater Studies, Mary Lynn Owen. The show runs Oct. 3-12 in the Mary Gray Munroe Theater. Tickets must be purchased in advance, though attendance is free for Emory students. On Saturday, Oct. 5, Owen and playwriting faculty member Kimberly Belflower will lead a post-show panel and discussion following the show’s 7:30 p.m. performance.

On Friday, Oct. 4, the Emory Arts and Social Justice program hosts “Movement, Music and Technology Litmus Test” at 6 p.m. in collaboration with Spelman College. The movement performance is at Spelman College’s Museum of Fine Arts and registration is encouraged. Following the show, students are also encouraged to join a discussion about the program’s themes. Sign-ups are required to participate in this conversation.

The Rose Library hosts its annual drag show Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m., featuring performers from the Atlanta metro area. The event — which celebrates the rich holdings that document the history, culture, politics and activism of LGBTQ+ communities in Atlanta, Georgia and the South — is at the Rose Library's Teaching and Learning Studio and is free and open to the public.

For engaging film viewings, the Film and Media department’s Fall 2024 Cinematheque series “Southern Gothic” continues throughout October, and includes screenings of “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” on Wednesday, Oct. 9; “Wise Blood” on Wednesday, Oct. 16; and “Eve’s Bayou” on Wednesday, Oct. 30. All screenings are at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall, Room 208, and are free and open to the public.

For more dance and movement performances, the Candler Concert Series presents three showings of internationally-lauded dance company Doug Varone and Dancers; one Friday, Oct. 25, and two on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 pm. All three performances are held in Emerson Concert Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, and tickets must be purchased in advance.


Experience engaging music

If you’re looking to spend some time in the sun, there’s no better way to do so than attending one of this month’s outdoor music performances. On Wednesday, Oct. 9, the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta (ECMSA) performs its annual Concert on the Quad, featuring the All-Star Brass Quintet. The free performance starts at 12 p.m. on the Emory Quadrangle, and attendees are welcome to bring a blanket or picnic.

Additionally, on Thursday, Oct. 10,and Thursday, Oct. 17, the Emory Jazz Combos plays their popular outdoor concert, Jazz on the Green, located on Patterson Green. Both events begin at 6:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

October also brings acclaimed visiting musicians to campus.

At Oxford College, ECMSA hosts a trio led by violinist Emil Altschuler on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. for a performance at Williams Hall.

On Friday, Oct. 18, pianist Zee Zee performs works by Liszt, Wagner, Schoenberg and Ravel as part of the Candler Concert Series. The performance begins at 8 p.m. in the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts’ Emerson Concert Hall. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

On Monday, Oct. 21, pianist Victor Rosenbaum plays a solo recital at the Performing Arts Studio. This free event begins at 6 p.m.

Experimental musical trio Beam Splitter will perform with the AIO Choir on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the Performing Arts Studio. The free performance starts at 8 p.m. and no tickets are required.

This month, the Department of Music also presents several performances by Emory ensembles. At 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20, Emory Wind Studies plays a series of classic and contemporary works created for musical ensembles in Emerson Concert Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.

On Saturday, Oct. 26, the Emory University Symphony Orchestra performs with Aria Competition winner Julia Nagel; the concert features dance scores, which include Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite as well as Reinecke’s Flute Concerto. The show begins at 8 p.m. in Emerson Concert Hall. The performance is free but advance registration is required. 

Finally, Sunday, Oct. 27, Emory Choirs performs its fall concert at the Schwartz Center’s Emerson Concert Hall at 7 p.m. There are no tickets required for this free event.


Recent News