As fall deepens into winter and the close of the semester peeks over the horizon, November brings a colorful array of artistic experiences across Emory’s campuses. From evocative performances and thought-provoking exhibitions to films and concerts that celebrate creativity and community, this month invites audiences to gather, reflect and savor bursts of inspiration.
See art from a new angle
The current Emory Arts Fellow in Visual Arts opens a window into her creative process during Photography Speaks: Stephanie Dowda DeMer, on Monday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. Organized by Emory University professor of photography Jason Francisco, the Photography Speaks series presents discussions with contemporary photographers. This free event takes place at the Emory Visual Arts Gallery and is open to the public.
At 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, experience an examination of cultural and artistic intersections with “Art Music in Ukraine during Wartime as a Tool of Resistance.” This guest lecture, featuring Iryna Tukova, associate professor of music theory at the National Music Academy of Ukraine, examines theories of resistance to provide a framework for analyzing compositions dedicated to the theme of war and explores resistance in Ukrainian art music. This event, held at the Performing Arts Studio, is free and open to the public.
Looking for more music education? Check out the Master Class Series with cellist Ed Arron. Hosted by the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, the class begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, in the Performing Arts Studio. Arron will provide insight into his musical expertise developed from his experience as a faculty member at universities such as NYU and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The event is free and open to the public.
Of course, you can glean new insights from people other than experts. Learn from Emory student docents by taking a Student Guide Tour at the Michael C. Carlos Museum. With tours each Saturday in November (Nov. 1, Nov. 8, Nov. 15, Nov. 22 and Nov. 29), visitors are invited to explore the exhibition “Insistent Presence: Contemporary African Art from the Chazen Collection” through a new lens. Tours are free with museum admission and require no registration. Attendees should meet their student guide in the Rotunda on Level One at 2 p.m.
On Thursday, Nov. 20, at 6:30 p.m., the Carlos Museum hosts “Entangled Histories: Photography and Textile in Africa” in Ackerman Hall. This free, public lecture explores photography’s connections to textile traditions across Africa and is hosted by Giulia Paoletti, associate professor at the University of Virginia and visiting associate professor at Harvard University. The galleries will be open for viewing before the program, starting at 5 p.m.
Sink your teeth into artistic drama
The Emory Cinematheque Series continues to celebrate films from the year 1975, This month’s screenings include “Night Moves” (Nov. 5), “Xala” (Nov. 12) and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (Nov. 19). Screenings take place on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall, Room 208, and are free and open to the public.
Theater Emory presents the darkly funny “Peerless,” Nov. 13-23 at the Mary Gray Munroe Theater. This satire follows twin Asian American sisters who will do anything to gain admission to “The College.” When the coveted early decision spot goes to another student, competition escalates into a deadly rivalry. Inspired by Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” this play examines ambition, identity and the pressures of academic success with razor-sharp humor and biting relevance. Tickets can be purchased on the Schwartz Center’s website. Admission is free for Emory students.
Celebrate creativity at Oxford
Oxford College’s beautiful campus welcomes the Vega Quartet and Edward Arron on Friday, Nov. 7. The performance takes place at 7:30 p.m. in Williams Hall Auditorium at Oxford Chapel. Acclaimed cellist, master teacher and artistic director Arron joins the Vega Quartet for Beethoven’s “Sonata in C Major” and Arensky’s passionate and virtuosic “Quartet.” This performance is free and open to the public.
On Monday, Nov. 10, at 5:30 p.m., Marium Khalid presents an immersive theatrical experience. Hosted by Fesette Monday at the outdoor classroom near Oxford College’s nature trail, this is a roaming installation performance. The audience will be split into two paths, one that is faster, encouraging the audience to maintain the urgency, and a second path that is slower. This event is free but advance registration is required.
Head to Tarbutton Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Nov. 11, for a staged reading and discussion with playwright Samah Meghjee. An Oxford alumna and Muslim playwright and screenwriter, Meghjee illuminates the inner rebel within us through her work. Her play “Maybe You Could Love Me” and original screenplay “Quran Camp” have been recognized by major festivals and industry lists. This free, public event provides audiences a chance to hear her work and discuss her creative process. Hosted by Jessica Rivers, Oxford’s technical director of theater, the event will begin at 7 p.m.
The Oxford Chamber Ensemble showcases its dynamic range and commitment to chamber music excellence at a concert on Friday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. in Williams Hall. This performance is free and open to the public.
Oxford’s artistic month concludes with “Red Tethers,” a dance performance on Monday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. in Williams Hall. Atlanta-based performance artist Jimmy Joyner creates a ritual of aliveness that honors queer Atlantans lost to HIV/AIDS, linking past memory to hope for the future through temporary fabric installations. This free performance is open to the public and explores resilience, memory and community through movement and visual storytelling.
Expert musicians command the stage
A plethora of musicians come to campus this month.
On Friday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m., the Candler Concert Series presents Cameron Carpenter on organ. Hailed by The New York Times as “extravagantly talented,” and the first organist to ever be nominated for a Grammy, Carpenter brings a performance to the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts that you won’t want to miss. Tickets for this event can be purchased on the Schwartz Center’s website.
Emory Chamber Ensembles perform Sunday, Nov. 16, at 4 p.m. in the Schwartz Center’s Emerson Concert Hall. Mentored by Emory’s artist faculty, these student musicians perform chamber works for strings, brass, winds, percussion and guitar. The event is free and open to the public.
The month rounds out its musical offerings with a hypnotic performance from the Emory Javanese Gamelan Ensemble on Sunday, Nov. 23, at 2:30 p.m., blending harmonic and percussive instruments to create a bath of sound. The concert takes place in the Performing Arts Studio and is free and open to the public.
Turn the page with these literary conversations
The 2025–26 Creative Writing Program Reading Series continues Monday, Nov. 10, at 6:30 p.m. Author Justin Haynes will read from his book, “Ibis,” before holding a book signing. The free, public event takes place in the Psychology and Interdisciplinary Sciences Building, Room 290.
On Saturday, Nov. 22, at 3 p.m., the Michael C. Carlos Museum hosts the Laszlo-Excalibur Lecture: A Conversation with Emily Hauser, author of “Penelope’s Bones: A New History of Homer’s World through the Women Written Out of It.” Join a conversation between Hauser, an award-winning classicist and historian, and Ruth Allen, the Carlos Museum’s curator of Greek and Roman Art, as they discuss how Hauser weaves together literary and archaeological evidence, illuminating the rich, intriguing lives of the real women behind Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey.” This event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.