Weekend Arts Agenda: ‘ABSTRACTION x 2’ and ‘to have and to hold’ August 13 2015

Opens and closings from Thursday to Sunday

All weekend long, Dismantle Theater presents MONUMENT, written and performed by Erik Thurmond at Dashboard’s 621 Spring St. space. While we have no idea what to expect from this local power artist duo, it’s a good chance to check out experimental performances and theatre. Directed by Johnny Drago, doors open at Dashboard’s Cube Performance Space at 9 p.m. and the performance begins at 9:30 p.m. Bring some cash as admission is donation-based. Catch the performance on Thurs., Aug. 13, Fri., Aug. 14, and Sat., Aug. 15.
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? Previously, Drago wrote and directed Neighbors and Strangers, two new one-act plays, NSA and Brick by Brick I Will Tear Down These Walls Between Us, that were shown at the Dashboard space last June. 
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? THURSDAY
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? The Swan Coach House Gallery and the Forward Arts Foundation are joining forces and hosting artists Heather Greenway and Stacie Rose in the exhibition, Abstraction x 2. The dual exhibition explores two different approaches to abstract painting — Greenway’s intuitive take and Rose’s organized approach. Greenway is currently a Dashboard Co-op artist and was previously a 2013-14 Walthall Artist fellow. Rose is currently a fellow at the Hambidge Center of Arts and Science as well as a member and emergent resident of the Atlanta Printmakers Studio.
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? Works by Katie Troisi, Fred Wise, Kathrin Mattox, and Eric Hancock will be displayed in nearby gallery spaces, all curated by Karen Tauches. Opening reception is Fri. Aug. 13, from 6-9 p.m. Don’t miss the artist talk on Thurs., Aug. 27.
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? >> Curated by the Contemporary’s Rachel Reese, the Short Shorts 2015: Video Festival takes place on Thurs., Aug. 12, at Whitespace Gallery. Under the prompt of “Someone Else’s Problem,” the festival looks to explore the “reactions and responses to recent American political and social events,” and how to transform our collective passivity into collective change and action. The festival includes 16 short films (out of 200 submissions) from Paul Stephen Benjamin, Angela Bortone, Danielle Deadwyler, Emily Greenburg, Heejin Jang, Ayce Kartal, Dawn Kim, Christopher Lineberry and many more. The shorts begin at 8 p.m. with a 9 p.m. intermission. RSVP to the gallery to reserve your spot and enjoy a weeknight at the gallery’s outdoor courtyard. Yes, there will be popcorn.
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? FRIDAY
======>> The Xchange gallery at the Arts Exchange is hosting an opening reception on Fri., Aug. 14, for their group show, Heat Wave, from 7-9 p.m. The aptly-named group exhibition (Hello, August in Atlanta!) features works from Jim Alexander, Marc Brotherton, Connie Cross, Elyse Defoor, Craig Drennen, Mark Liebert, Laurie Shock, Tommy Taylor, and more. The exhibition runs until Sep. 26, and if you can’t catch the opening reception, stop by during gallery hours, Thurs.-Sat., from 1-6 p.m.
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? >> Artist Sydney Daniel curates Method, a group exhibition at Blue Mark Studios. The exhibition focuses on each of the artists’ creative processes and methods behind their work. To bring their concepts to life, each artist finds a method unique to them in order to achieve their vision. The multidisciplinary show includes work from Rae Broyles, Maggie Callahan. Brian Egan, Srinjoy Gangopadhyay, Anya Gromova, Alexandra Miller, Adelaide Tai, Penny Treese and Niki Zarrabi. Opening reception is Fri., Aug 14, from 7-9 p.m.
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?SATURDAY
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? Always quirky and fun, Paper Ghost Studio’s latest group show, to have and to hold, is all about our favorite carry-all, the canvas tote bag. The show features works from Black Cat Tips, Katrin Wiehle, Mike Lowery, Sarah Watts, Caleb Morris, Sarah Neuberger, Heather Lund, Barry Lee, and more. The opening reception is on Sat., Aug. 15, from 6-10 p.m.
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? LAST CHANCE/ONGOING
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?Pictorial Adventures
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at Tew Galleries closes next week on Fri., Aug. 21. The exhibition features works from David Eddy, Susan Homer, Anthony Ardavin, Charles Keiger, Charles Ladson, and Mario Soria, as well as sculptures by Clem Bedwell and Richard Downs.
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? >> Head to the Chastain Arts Center this Sat., Aug. 15, for The Drawing Experiment’s Artist Talk from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and stay for the exhibition if you haven’t checked it out yet. For this exhibition, artists were invited to created a site specific drawing, directly onto the walls of the gallery. The artists include Jessica Caldas, Elyse Defoor, William Downs, Jessica Scott Felder, among others. The group show closes on Sep. 12, so this is as good as any to go check out this temporary exploration of lines and drawing composition.