Mountain Man
And no, we don’t mean Grizzly Adams, but acclaimed photographer Jeff Botz, whose panoramas of the Himalayan Mountains will be on view for the month of November starting on the 2nd, at Ambleside Gallery (528 South Elm Street). “I do not consider myself a documentary photographer, nor are these photos travelogue,” says Botz, who considers his work “visual poetry” that captures the wonder of being in so stunning a natural environment. Hence the show’s name, Vessels of Wonder, a concept Botz further emphasizes by pairing the photos with meditations on mountains and spirituality, from John Denver’s folk-rock classic “Rocky Mountain High” to verse by Persian poet Rumi. The fusion of images and words — not to mention the thousands who have flocked to Botz’s past exhibits in Charlotte and Hickory — are all clear indications of an artist at his peak. Info: amblesidearts.com.
Feet Accompli
At 28, it has, quite literally grown by leaps and bounds. The NC Dance Festival brings together professional modern dance choreographers from across the state to share their creative visions. Showcasing a wide variety of dance movement, performances range from contemplative to playful. For, er, kicks, check out the innovation in action at 8 p.m. on November 9 at Greensboro Project Space (219 West Lewis Street) and November 10 at Van Dyke Performance Space (200 North Davie Street). For information and tickets: (336) 373-2727 or danceproject.org/festival.
Waist Not Wanted
Food season is officially upon us, but avoid gorging yourself and bingeing on junk food — and packing on the pounds — with a little education from Greensboro Children Museum’s Adult Cooking Classes. Kicking off the series on November 3, Chef Anders Benton of GIA demonstrates how to prepare his seasonal favorites (which students get to sample in a multicourse meal). On November 5, you can learn all about mindful eating (think: butternut squash, cherries and quinoa), make your own granola on November 10 and vegan desserts on the 15th. If all of this sounds a little too healthy, just enroll your kids in the Tween, Teen and Kid Cooking Classes on the 9th, 16th and 17th, respectively. The topics? Pies, pie-decorating and fruit pies. Sweet! To register: gcmuseum.com.
Go for Baroque
Though originally written for an Easter mass, Handel’s Messiah has, over time, become a staple of the Christmas season. After all, the entire first part of the choral work is about the birth of Christ, making it a fitting component of December church services. Additionally, there was an abundance of sacred music for Easter, but not so much for Christmas. Curiously, Handel wrote the work at a time when he was underappreciated; London audiences had yawned at his previous season’s works, so the composer worked feverishly in the late summer of 1741, writing from morning till night, before The Messiah’s debut the following spring in Dublin. The layered, exuberant choral piece wowed audiences and forever sealed Handel’s reputation as one of the greats. Hear for yourself as Jay Lambeth conducts Greensboro Oratorio Singers, featuring soloists Caroline Crupi, soprano; Emily Schuering, Mezzo; Jacob Wright, Tenor and Daniel Crupi, Bass in the company’s 65th performance of The Messiah. As a part of the Music Center’s OPUS series, the concert, starting at 7 p.m. on November 27 at the Carolina Theatre, is free and open to the public — something truly worth rejoicing. Info:
gsomusiccenter.org.
Oh, Beautiful!
Greensboro Beautiful, to be precise. The nonprofit dedicated to keeping the Gate City gleaming is capping off its 50th anniversary with an exhibition of works by local artist and “North Carolina’s painter” Bill Mangum. To raise money for Greensboro Beautiful, Mangum was commissioned to paint the city’s four public gardens (Gateway, Tanger, the Arboretum and Bog Garden), but as he engaged in the project, the number of paintings grew to 50. Charming vignettes — a solitary bench amid a profusion of pink azaleas, an iris in full bloom, the remains of a tree trunk in fall — began to fill the artist’s studio. See all 50 of them in the exhibition, which runs from November 7–17 at the Art Shop (3900 West Market Street), and appreciate not only the green in Greensboro, but its entire palette of vivid color, as well. Info: greensborobeautiful.org.
View to a Kiln
Need some extra plates, mugs and vases for your Thanksgiving table or to give as gifts? Then head to Curry Wilkinson Pottery (5029 South NC Highway 49, Burlington) on November 17, 18, 24 and 25 for the opening of the wood-fired kiln, which was completed this past summer. Enjoy light refreshments in a rustic farm setting as you peruse the salt-glazed, slip-trailed earthenware that has become a signature] style for Wilkinson, a former apprentice of Randleman’s Thomas Sand — and another vessel of a time-honored North Carolina art. Info: currywilkinsonpottery.com.
Out on a Limb
“I think that I shall never see/A poem as lovely as a tree,” wrote journalist and poet Joyce Kilmer. We’d wager Doug Goldman, a botanist for the U.S.D.A., would heartily agree. As chronicled in these pages earlier this year, Goldman has devoted his energies to cataloguing and preserving the wide variety of trees and shrubs in Greenhill Cemetery, many of them planted by the Gate City’s “Johnny Appleseed,” Bill Craft. Learn more about the array of roots and branches swathed in glorious fall colors on November 10 and 11, on a Green Hill Botanical Tour with Goldman as your guide. Tours begin at 1 p.m. at the Wharton Street gate. To reserve, send an email to: friendsofgreenhillcemetery.org.
