“We are excited to present a forum to showcase the centuries of history heritage and accomplishments of African-Americans,” says Earl Little, founder of the Black History Month Parade.

The Black History Month Parade and festival will feature some of the nations top marching bands, entertainers, dignitaries, civic groups, non-profits, celebrities, corporate groups, entertainment and fun for the whole family.  The post-parade festival will feature live entertainers performing modern music, live arts performers & artist, public speakers, comedians, food, beverages, art and family oriented programs.

“We are asking all companies to participate in this magnificent event and show their support for the market that supports there brands which ultimately will allow us to build a larger parade that will inspire, while providing, positive entertainment for all those in the community” says Carlos Coleman Executive Director of the BHMP.

The Black History Month Parade is scheduled to take place in the MLK Sweet Auburn District of Downtown Atlanta the location of many corporate or regional headquarters, sporting facilities, and is the central most traveled historic tourist attraction of the city. The Sweet Auburn District was a major organizing center of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s and is home to Dr. Martin Luther King. The city of Atlanta is also home to thousands of students from Atlanta’s historically black colleges and universities whom will play a large role in the success of this event.

For more information including information on participating or sponsorship of the Black History Month Parade please visit www.blackhistorymonthparade.com or call 1- 866-551-5666.

The kick-off Roundtable at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center; artists to artists workshops; Edge/PUBLIC, an all-Atlanta artists free to the public performance series in Woodruff Park; and the International Guest Artists Series, occurring for two nights at the Rialto Center, includes dancers from the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Gallim Dance, zoe|juniper, Keigwin + Company, and BODYTRAFFIC, among others.

This ambitious, first of its kind performance occasion is one that lovers of dance will not want to miss! Visit www.rialtocenter.org/EDGE.html for complete details. Get Your Tickets Now at 404•413•9849 or www.rialtocenter.org

The two-day Storytelling Festival features a cast of 30 colorful, national, local and regional storytellers who will present a line-up of 13 events and activities that will appeal to storytelling fans of all ages. These events include concerts for children, families and grownups. To appeal to young people, the Festival offers a chance for school children to create their own stories and present them in a workshop designed for K-3 and grades 4 and up. For aspiring and practicing storytellers, there are three workshops geared toward educators, librarians, and those interested in the art of professional storytelling. There are even two storytelling performances especially planned for grownups. The festival coincides with the winter break for several area school districts, thereby offering school children, parents and teachers alike some family fun that also celebrates and reinforces learning.

Headlining the two-day, family-friendly festival is Bill Harley, a two-time Grammy award-winning musician and a regular commentator on National Public Radio’s (NPR) “All Things Considered.” Harley opens the festival on Friday at 3:30pm with a storytelling workshop titled “Storytelling as an Art” and continues on Saturday at 10am with a second workshop titled “From Page to Voice and Back Again.” The 30th Storytelling Festival culminates on Saturday with Harley’s performance for adults at 7:30pm at Decatur Presbyterian Church. Harley’s storytelling concert for grownups will feature his trademark blend of song and story, wit and wisdom.

The 30th Storytelling Festival has its downtown Decatur debut with events at Decatur Presbyterian Church (205 Sycamore St.) Atlanta Friends Meeting House (701 W. Howard Ave) and Eddie’s Attic (515 N. McDonough St, Suite B.) For full festival schedule and bios of featured storytellers; prices for tickets and festival passes; and venue and parking information, go to www.SouthernOrderofStorytellers.org. For more information, contact Festival Director Ann Ritter at asritter@earthlink.net or 404-569-1434.

Picasso to Warhol presents approximately 100 works of art created by 14 of the most iconic artists from the 20th century: Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Constantin Brancusi, Piet Mondrian, Fernand Léger, Marcel Duchamp, Giorgio De Chirico, Joan Miró, Romare Bearden, Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollock, Louise Bourgeois, Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol. The exhibition is one of the largest concentrations of modern art masterpieces to ever be exhibited in the southeastern United States.

The achievements of these pioneers of modern art is  presented in depth, exploring each artist’s stylistic development and highlighting their role in the most important artistic developments of the twentieth century, including the invention of Cubism, the emergence of abstraction and the development of Surrealism.

The High Museum of Art is located at 1280 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, GA 30309. For more information, visit High.org.

Working in acrylics on canvas, Christina Bray’s paintings depict a fascination with Atlanta’s many abandoned old commercial buildings and the graffiti they have recently attracted. Her subjects include many now defunct Atlanta landmarks such as the Pullman Railyard and Glidden Paint Factory, as well as others. “The sites I have chosen to portray juxtapose the edgy newness of the graffiti alongside the gritty industrial decay,” says the artist.

The gallery is located on the second floor of the main building in the Callanwolde mansion at 980 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta. Viewing hours are from 10 am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday, and 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday. For more information call 404-872-5338 or visit www.callanwolde.org

GULF SHORES, Ala.—SportsEvents Media Group, the leading industry publication focused exclusively on helping sports event planners produce excellent competitions in the United States and Canada, has announced its 2012 class of Readers’ Choice Award winners.

A complete list of award winners is available online at http://www.sportseventsmagazine.com/2012-readers-choice-awards/. Winners will be listed in the January 2012 issue of SportsEvents.

Sports event professionals were asked to name the sports commission, convention and visitors bureaus, or sports events venues that they believe display exemplary creativity and professionalism toward the groups they host. Nominations were received from readers throughout the year, and the top picks were selected based on the results from an online system that registered more than 3,000 votes!

“Due to the power of social media and online voting capabilities, we received an overwhelming response from readers this year, which allowed SportsEvents to honor more than 100 destinations and venues—and the marketing organizations that represent them—with a 2012 Readers’ Choice Award,” said Kristen McIntosh, SportsEvents editor. “These award winners have proven they are willing to go above and beyond the normal service levels expected by providing both the physical attributes and commitment to hospitality and service that today’s discriminating sports event planners demand. It is an honor to announce their selection by sports event planners as some of the best in the United States.

About SportsEvents Media Group
SportsEvents Media Group, publisher of SportsEvents magazine, is the industry leader in providing products and services designed to connect sports events organizers with sports commissions, CVBs, hotels, insurance companies and other sports events industry suppliers.

The sports events industry’s only true multi-media company unites sports event buyers and suppliers with the leading monthly magazine (SportsEvents), on-line (www.sportseventsmagazine.com), through social media with Facebook and Twitter, and with face-to-face conferences and trade shows—S.P.O.R.T.S. – The Relationship Conference.

About Covey Communications Corp.
Founded and owned by J. Talty O’Connor, Covey Communications Corp. is a multimedia company that publishes nationally distributed magazines for targeted markets. In addition to SportsEvents Magazine and its ancillary titles, Covey Communications Corp. also publishes ConventionSouth, the leading publication and website in the United States for meeting and convention planners who book events in the South; Condo Owner, serving Alabama/Mississippi/Perdido Key Gulf Coast and Florida Emerald Coast; and Crossties, an internationally known railroad industry publication. For more information, visit www.coveypubs.com.

From artisan ham shrines in Louisville to life-changing po’boys in New Orleans, the South bursts with hometown flavor. Southerners are very proud of those hometown tastes, which is why Southern Living editors and Test Kitchen Professionals gathered for a summit in its Birmingham-based headquarters to bring you the Top 10 “Tastiest Towns in the South,” a roundup of the most delicious destinations across the region.

Readers will determine the winner. Rally around your favorite hometown or food destination and cast your vote for the “Tastiest Town in the South” on southernliving.com/tasty beginning December 23^rd.

“At Southern Living, we know there’s no taste like home,” said Editor Lindsay Bierman.  “Particular foods and flavors define a city and region, starting right in your own mama’s kitchen, and sometimes the most humble dish like a plate of grits will make its way onto a gourmet menu and become an outright tourist attraction…The forward-thinking cooks, chefs, artisans, and tastemakers in each of these established and emerging food scenes honor, preserve, and enrich our region’s distinct culinary traditions at every meal.”

Decatur was cited as an emerging mecca for foodies who relish Dekalb Farmers Market and destinations like Cakes & Ale, Feast, and the Iberian Pig, according to the magazine.

Southern Living will profile each of the towns and reveal the “Tastiest Town in the South” in the April 2012 issue, on newsstands March 23rd, and online at SouthernLiving.com.

 In addition to Decatur, the Southern Living Top 10 “Tastiest Towns in the South” include:

Baltimore, MD: Restaurants with a fierce sense of place

Birmingham, AL: Includes local chef Frank Stitt, who changed the Southern culinary landscape

Charleston, SC: Iconic Lowcountry dishes and a thriving cocktail culture

Charlottesville, VA: Farm-to-table freshness in everything from tapas to spirits

Houston, TX: A diverse ethnic food scene with a new generation of tastemakers

Lafayette, LA: A new breed of hometown chefs diving into the region’s culinary roots

Louisville, KY: Surprising food, bourbon bars, and buzzy new neighborhoods

New Orleans, LA: Famed oyster bars, Gulf seafood and classic cocktails

Raleigh, NC: Fantastic farmers’ markets and chefs devoted to their culinary heritage

Southern Living editors chose the Top 10 “Tastiest Towns in the South” based on the following criteria:

• Food as a cultural identity: The unique food or ethnicity that defines a particular Southern region
• Growth of a culinary-minded community: The influence that the culinary industry has on the local community and tourism
• Diverse cuisine at a variety of price points: Accessibility to hearty, flavorful meals at any budget
• Local, sustainable food practices: The focus on sourcing products from local purveyors to geographically define where each meal comes from
• Hot chefs on the rise: The influence of the area’s culinary talent in the media and pop culture
• Abundance of buzz-worthy food events: The number of festivals in the area that celebrate all things food and drink

Visit southernliving.com/tasty from December 23 to January 31 to cast your vote. One vote per day is counted toward the final tally.

Wildlife Rescue involves visitors in compelling stories of animal rescue and restoration, the passionate people who are dedicating their lives to taking action, and the science behind their efforts. Through interactive elements, visitors step into rescue efforts and learn the innovative science involved in these rescue initiatives. The exhibition also allows visitors to experiment with techniques and tools used by rescuers through hands-on components and multimedia experiences, and even “visit” an elephant orphanage and orangutan sanctuary.

Throughout the journey through Wildlife Rescue, visitors engage in interactive components as they explore the innovative methods used to capture, raise and release endangered species, including elephants, orangutans, pandas, whooping cranes, sturgeon, Iberian lynxes, prairie dogs, American burying beetles, and other species.

“We often hear how wildlife is struggling for survival, but we don’t always hear the success stories,” said Fernbank Museum’s Lynn Anders, Education Programs Manager–Animal Programs. “As visitors explore the hands-on activities and multi-media encounters of Wildlife Rescue, they become involved in the powerful stories of conservation and rescue efforts, see the work of those who are saving species one animal at a time, and realize how they can become part of restoring the balance of nature.”

Wildlife Rescue is on view from February 4 through May 6, 2012 at Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30307. For more information, visit Fernbank Museum.

Photo: Visitors explore the Emergency Response Center where they learn how to help injured and at risk animals in the exhibition Wildlife Rescue. © Science North.

ATLANTA, GA (December 7, 2011)—The Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University will showcase the sacred art of Tibet in the special exhibition Mandala: Sacred Circle in Tibetan Buddhism from January 21 through April 15, 2012. For the first time in the Southeast more than 100 masterworks will bring to light the intricate, transcendental, and evocative manifestations and functions of the “perfect circle” or mandala used as an aid in meditation and as a tool to obtain enlightenment. The exhibition and accompanying educational programs will celebrate the rich religious and artistic tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the spiritual significance of the mandala.

Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning “circle.” Depicting a realm that is both complex and sacred, the mandala is a visualization tool meant to advance practitioners toward a state of enlightenment. The exhibition explores the various manifestations of these objects, simultaneously explaining their symbolism, describing how they fulfill their intended function, and demonstrating their correlation to our physical reality.

Visitors will find mandalas conceived as concentric circles, circles within squares, squares within circles, lotus blossoms, six-pronged stars, or inverted, crossed triangles. A deity, sometimes with a partner, is usually situated in the middle of the central disk, surrounded by four, six, eight, ten, twelve, or more assembly deities set in an additional circle. As such, the mandala’s very construct graphically mirrors the Buddhist notion of the cosmos and of the human being. In addition to paintings, reliquaries, and amulets, the exhibition includes tapestries, sculptures, and utensils used in sacred ceremonies and a time-lapse film of a mandala formed in sand.

Examples of these complex mandalas include the monumental, intricately carved, three-dimensional mandala of Guhyasamaja from Gyuto Monastery in the Tibetan exile community of Dharamsala, India; the Buddha Akshobhya, the “unshakeable” Buddha, painted in blue and gold focused on stability; a 16th century 8-foot Buddhist cosmological scroll portraying the structural correspondence between the Kalachakra mandala and the human body; and the radial Ngor Kalachakra Mandala, the “wheel of time,” with its distinct circular symmetry, understood by the practitioner as the wheel-like interior of the mandala palace where rays, like spokes, stream from the luminous body of the central deity to the walls of the palace structure.

While many of the works in the exhibition are from the collection of the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, the exhibition also includes masterpieces from other museums and private collections from around the world, including the Kimbell Art Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich, and Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, India. Mandala: Sacred Circle in Tibetan Buddhism was organized by the Rubin Museum of Art, New York. Support for the exhibition in Atlanta has been provided by the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation, the Emory-Tibet Partnership, and Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc.

Education and outreach
Public educational programs in conjunction with the exhibition will offer many opportunities for visitors to learn about the complex imagery of these mandalas and their role in the practice of Tibetan Buddhism. Programs will draw on the intellectual depth of Emory University’s faculty as well as distinguished scholars from other universities, visiting artists, and members of the Tibetan community in Atlanta. Tours for K-12 students and programs for teachers will serve the World Religions curriculum.

Examples of programs include:

• Christian Luczanits, curator at the Rubin Museum of Art, will present Dimensions of Sacred Space: Mandalas in Early Tibetan Buddhist Art and Architecture.
• NY Times columnist Rob Walker, author of Buying In: The Secret Dialogue of What We buy and Who We Are, and Bobbi Patterson, Emory professor, will discuss one of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism—that suffering is caused by desire—and the complexity of navigating a culture in which “desire” is manufactured by product designers and advertising agencies, and driven by our own consumerism. This program is sponsored by the Emory Office of Sustainability Initiative.
• Sara McClintock, Emory professor, will speak about the five wisdom Buddhas who embody the enlightened wisdom to transform individuals through the transmutation of afflicted minds and bodies into enlightened ones.
• A four-week course led by Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi will introduce individuals to Tibetan Buddhist compassion meditation.
• Monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery will create a sand mandala of Guhyasamaja, which will remain intact in the galleries until the end of the exhibition when it will be ceremonially dismantled.
• Artist Kimberly Carmody from Urban River Arts in New York will lead participants in the creation of a giant Urban Mandala ™ from recycled and repurposed materials. This program is sponsored by the Emory Office of Sustainability Initiative.
• Children will have the opportunity to observe the monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery as they create the sand mandala and then make sand paintings of their own using traditional Tibetan copper tools and brightly colored sand.

In addition to the exhibition at the Carlos Museum, Emory’s Visual Arts Gallery will mount Contemporary Mandala: New Audiences, New Forms, an exhibition of the work of contemporary artists who use the mandala form as artistic expression and as a tool for transformation. A “living mandala” will be constructed across from the Museum, in the garden of Cannon Chapel. Designed by Emory landscape architect, James R. Johnson, and Buddhist monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc., the mandala, made from perennials, will become part of the permanent landscape.

For more information visit carlos.emory.edu/mandala.

Emory and Tibetan Culture
Emory University’s relationship with Tibetan scholars and institutions has been fostered over the past two decades with scholar and student exchanges as well as research and teaching in Buddhism. It was solidified in 1998 through the creation of the Emory-Tibet Partnership in the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The focus of the Emory-Tibet Partnership is to bridge western and Tibetan knowledge in the specific areas that His Holiness has designated as most important, such as science education for monastics, secular ethics, research on the cultivation and benefits of compassion, and Tibetan medicine.

About the Michael C. Carlos Museum
The Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University collects, preserves, exhibits, and interprets art and artifacts from antiquity to the present in order to provide unique opportunities for education and enrichment in the community, and to promote interdisciplinary teaching and research at Emory University. The Carlos Museum is one of the Southeast’s premier museums with collections of art from Greece, Rome, Egypt, Near East, Nubia, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, as well as a collection of works on paper from the Renaissance to the present.  Visit the museum online at carlos.emory.edu.

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The chateau has suffered a bit during the war. A small chimney on the roof shows damage from a bomb. No reason to fear now, though. The grounds display WWII era jeeps and planes, so you know the allies are near.

Sand-bag lined walls lead to a warm, inviting restaurant and suddenly all conflict seems very far away.

The 57th Fighter Group Restaurant creates the mood of a romanticized war. In this version, the food is excellent and we know that all battles have been won. Even the restrooms work with the theme, as broadcasts of D-Day announcements are transmitted from speakers on the wall.

There is much to say about the heroes who made the 57th so extraordinary. They were involved in nine campaigns, and flew 3000 missions. Books, and even a movie, were made about their bravery. However, my focus is on the wonderful restaurant and “visit” to “France”.

My group entered The 57th Fighter Group’s restaurant on a cool autumn night. We were welcomed by a snug fire and inviting aromas. The iconic “White Cliffs of Dover” provided soft background music. This restaurant is rich in atmosphere and ambiance.

We were seated next to a window with an up close and personal view of DeKalb Peachtree Airport. During our meal, planes with flashing lights took off and landed in the darkness. This was no Disneyland special effect, but the real deal.

Service was attentive and beautifully timed. I had a perfectly roasted duck, while my table-mates feasted on aged steaks and burgundy mushrooms. We shared a bottle of wine, but each indulged in our own dessert.

The 57th fighter restaurant offers an impressive array of appetizers. Beer cheese soup is a signature dish; however, you just do not have many opportunities to sample ceviche or an authentic Italian antipasto, also on the menu. So, you may want to give these a try, as well. The chef here must have traveled to France once or twice. They are open for lunch, as well, with sandwiches and an all-American hamburger.

This restaurant is open every day. Sunday champagne brunch is pure decadence with omelets, eggs Benedict, shrimp, and smoked salmon. You will want to save room for a real cappuccino to pair with bananas Foster, or a mousse, or anything from an array of sweets guaranteed to overwhelm.

Children are welcome. Every night features great fun such as trivia contests, specials for veterans, or half-price drinks. There is dancing on Saturday nights, and singles groups during the week.

The 57th Fighter Group Restaurant was inspired by the exploits of authentic super heroes. Come for the history (I promise you will learn something), and relax while you enjoy gourmet cuisine. You may not want to return to the “future”.

To visit the restaurant, visit The57thRestaurant.com or give them a call at 770-234-0057.

About the Author:

Adele Elliott is a New Orleans writer, now living in Mississippi. She writes an opinion column for a daily newspaper, and is a featured humorist for Catfish Alley, a quarterly magazine focusing on the southern way of life. Adele also writes short stories and plays, and has been featured in literary journals.

Adele is available to write blog posts, feature articles, or essays about travel. She is accompanied on her journeys by her husband, Chris Hannon, who acts as Sherpa, navigator and food taster. Adele can be contacted via email at adeleelliott@bellsouth.net.