Art, history and writing camps for kids, plus a Civil War encampment marking the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Peachtree Creek join a summer lineup of festivals, art exhibits, lectures by bestselling authors and dramatics at the Atlanta History Center and Margaret Mitchell House.
Many events commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial (CW150) and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Admission is included with museum membership or as noted below. Go HERE to register or buy event tickets or call 404.814.4000.
Below are selected events through Labor Day:
CAMPS
Atlanta History Summer Camp 2014. Weekly day camps, each with a unique theme for ages 6-8 and 9-11 from now through August ($225 members, $275 nonmembers; call 404.814.4000 to register).
Margaret Mitchell House Summer Writing Camp 2014. Small groups ages 9-11 and 12-14 learn the basics of writing prose, plays, journaling, fantasy, sci-fi and poetry in weekly sessions now through August ($325 members, $375 nonmembers).
MUSEUM THEATER
Meet the Past: Gallery Performances Inspired by The Kinsey Collection. Interactive presentations written by AHC playwright Addae Moon feature influential African-American artists and writers in the Kinsey Collection, such as Ignatius Sancho, Phillis Wheatley and Hale Woodruff. Through July 13 (members free; otherwise part of general admission).
LECTURES
Call 404.814.4150 or go HERE to reserve tickets for these presentations. Admission: $5 members; $10 nonmembers, free for AHC Insiders.
Daniel Vermilya, The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. At 8 p.m. June 26, Vermilya, a Civil War historian and park ranger at Antietam National Battlefield and Gettysburg National Military Park, tells the story of this battle, one of the bloodiest of the Civil War and one that laid the groundwork for the fall of Atlanta ($5 members, $10 nonmembers, free to AHC Insiders).
Amanda Lindhout, A House in the Sky. 8 p.m. July 14, AHC. Lindhout survived a violent childhood and 460 days as a captive of Somali gunmen by using her imagination and memory. Her lecture title and New York Times bestselling book refer to the “house in the sky” she would picture, high above where she was being held in chains and in the dark ($5 members; $10 nonmembers, free for AHC Insiders).
Jo Baker, Longbourn. 7 p.m. July 17, Margaret Mitchell House. If you’re a “Downton Abbey” fan, you know that big drama happens below stairs as much as upstairs. English novelist Jo Baker makes the Regency period of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice come alive through the eyes of Sarah, an orphaned housemaid ($5 members; $10 nonmembers, free for AHC Insiders).
Clay Risen, The Bill of the Century: The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act. 8 p.m. July 23, AHC. Writer, author and New York Times op-ed editor Clay Risen speaks on the people, politics and politicking behind passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 ($5 members, $10 nonmembers, free for AHC Insiders).
Nimrod Frazer, Send the Alabamians: WWI Fighters in the Rainbow Divisi. 8 p.m. Aug. 21, AHC. Frazer recounts the history of the 167th Infantry, an Alabama National Guard regiment that fought in some of the major turning-point battles of World War I under then-Col. Douglas MacArthur. Frazer is a decorated Korean War vet and expert in Alabama military history.
FESTIVALS
Juneteenth: The First Day of Freedom. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.. June 21, noon-5 p.m. June 22. The event commemorates emancipation from slavery in the United States with genealogy exhibits, gallery character performances, youth and family activities and self-guided tours of exhibitions. Supported by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners through the Fulton County Arts Council and Wells Fargo (free as part of Wells Fargo Free Admission Weekend).
The Battle of Peachtree Creek. July 19-20, AHC and online. Several indoor and outdoor events commemorate this pivotal Civil War battle (free for members; included in general admission purchase). July 19 events include exhibit tours, interactions with museum interpreters and battle re-enactors and a lecture on battle history during the day. Evening activities as part of Civil War After Dark (6:30-9:30 p.m.) include Civil War improv, a concert and dinner for purchase on the grounds. The AHC will live-blog the Battle of Peachtree Creek re-enactment from 4 to 7 p.m. July 20. (Blog link HERE.)
ART EXHIBITS
Wilbur G. Kurtz: History in Gone With the Wind: Opens July 2 in the Kenan Research Center. Exhibit explores Kurtz’ research into historical accuracy for the film version of Gone With the Wind (free).
Confederate Odyssey: The George W. Wray Jr. Civil War Collection: Opens July 18 in the Atlanta History Center and features rare artifacts from the museum collection, including battle-scarred uniforms, weapons and regimental flags (free for members).
AUTHORS
Call 404.814.4150 or go HERE to reserve tickets for these presentations, all at the Margaret Mitchell House:
Janet Evanovich, Top Secret Twenty-One. 7 p.m. June 18. One of the best-known names in detective fiction, Evanovich writes fast-paced thrillers packed with oddballs, desperate characters, smart women and hot cops. ($35 member, $40 nonmembers, including a copy of the book).
Graeme Simsion, The Rosie Project. Picture brilliant-but-awkward scientist Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory) as Don Tillman, a brilliant-but-awkward scientist who believes a well-designed survey will deliver the right wife. The project goes deliciously awry in this first novel by Simsion, an Australian ($5 members, $10 nonmembers, free for AHC Insiders).
Mary Alice Monroe and Patti Callahan Henry, The Summer Wind and The Stories We Tell. Two popular Southern authors discuss their newest works. The Summer Wind is Monroe’s followup to her bestseller The Summer Girls, set on Sullivan’s Island, S.C. Henry’s The Stories We Tell is a tense family drama about the cost of telling the truth ($5 members, $10 nonmembers, free for AHC Insiders)
