From a whale exhibit by way of new Zealand to greater illumination on the side of Stone Mountain, Atlanta’s attractions will be offering guests some wild encounters and electric events in the new year. Here’s a sampling of some of the fun to come:
- Fernbank Museum of Natural History will present the special exhibition "Whales: Giants of the Deep," Feb. 15 through Aug. 24.
While taking a deep dive into the mysterious world of whales — including their biology, anatomy, history and behavior — the exhibit organized by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa also taps into evocative stories of the Maori, that country’s indigenous people.
Visitors can listen to stories of Maori whale riders, view a Southern right whale model from the film “Whale Rider” and enter a storehouse of whale bone treasures.
Among highlights, museum-goers will come almost eye level with two massive sperm whale skeletons, the largest 58 feet long, and hear the voices different species use to navigate, find food and communicate with each other.
Interactive features allow guests to “dive” the depths with a sperm whale in the hunt for giant squid, climb through a blue whale heart as big as a Volkswagen Beetle and design their own dolphin.
In conjunction with the exhibit, Fernbank's Imax will show "Journey to the South Pacific," narrated by Cate Blanchett. www.fernbankmuseum.org.
- Stone Mountain Park promises more lights, lasers and music for the Lasershow Spectacular in Mountainvision, entering its 31st year in May.
A lighting feature will debut at the base of the mountain that will beam light (sometimes in colors, sometimes including effects) up the 825-foot mountainside in choreography with the show.
A “laser canopy” effect shooting up the Great Lawn, some 25 feet overhead, also will be unveiled. “Laser mirror bounce shots” will create the effect of lasers jumping over guests heads from all directions.
Listen for a soundtrack updating and watch for increased use of Mountainvision, which delivers 3-D-like effects across the granite outcropping without the 3-D glasses. Through October. www.stonemountainpark.com.
- Atlanta Botanical Garden, where summer attendance grew last year for the run of "Imaginary Worlds: Plants Larger Than Life," plans to give the exhibit of artful wildlife figures an encore starting in May.
The show will grow from 19 to 28 monumental sculptures (steel forms covered with thousands of pruned annuals that grow in soil-and-sphagnum moss-filled netting), and the pieces will be sited in different and new areas of the garden. The nine new creatures, created by International Mosaiculture of Montreal, will include two orangutans, three gorillas and four frogs. Through October. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org.
- Zoo Atlanta continues construction on Scaly Slimy Spectacular, its amphibian and reptile center scheduled to open in spring 2015, and meanwhile plans a busy 2014 of introductions and a notable departure.
Except for a quartet of lion cubs that are expected to debut soon, the cuties from the zoo's 2013 baby boom are all now on view, including the giant panda cub twins, eastern black rhinoceros calf, western lowland gorilla infant and Bornean orangutan cub. Meanwhile, giant pandas Po and Xi Lan will depart for China sometime this spring, allowing cubs Mei Lun and Mei Huan more room to grow. www.zooatlanta.org.
Georgia Aquarium will introduce Sea Nights, a quarterly adults-only event intended to appeal to the date-night and girls-night-out crowds. The dates are Feb. 14, May 22, Aug. 21 and Nov. 14. The Sea Nights web page is expected to splash in mid-January via www.georgiaaquarium.org.
THEATER
Aurora brings Anderson aboard
Justin Anderson, who has directed “Les Miserables” and other acclaimed productions at Aurora Theatre, has been appointed associate artistic director of the Lawrenceville troupe.
Anderson, who serves as the casting director for Theatrical Outfit and has worked with metro theaters including Synchronicity, Pinch ’N’ Ouch and Serenbe Playhouse, begins his Aurora full-time role Monday.
That's convenient, given that the very busy Anderson, who's also a part-time faculty member in Kennesaw State University's Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, is directing Aurora's next production, Eric Simonson's "Lombardi." Featuring Bart Hansard (fresh from playing Mr. Fezziwig and the Ghost Christmas Present, among others, in the Alliance Theatre's "A Christmas Carol") as the legendary football coach, the biographical drama opens Jan. 16 for a run through Feb. 9. (Tickets: www.auroratheatre.com.)
Praising Anderson’s talent and “tremendous passion,” Aurora Producing Artistic Director Anthony Rodriguez said the new associate artistic director will be “responsible for maintaining artistic quality and helping to identify areas of artistic growth,” including the theater’s New Musical Initiative.
VISUAL ART
Dashboard gets full-time leader
Beth Malone has departed her role as the High Museum of Art’s coordinator of teen programs to become the first executive director of Dashboard Co-op.
With Courtney Hammond, Malone co-founded the nonprofit that seeks to renew neglected Atlanta areas through art exhibits. In late 2012, Dashboard Co-op received one of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation’s initial SEED grants of $10,000 per year for three years.
“Dash is growing quickly, and there are so many opportunities we can grab onto now that we have a full-time staff person,” Malone said.
Next up: the group exhibit "COSMS" at Midtown Plaza, Feb. 8-March 8. www.dashboardcoop.org.
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