Viewing events for February 8, 2010

Feb. 14 Ivy Hall Music Series: Valentines Day Concert Sunday, 3 p.m., Ivy Hall, 179 Ponce de Leon Ave., N.E., Atlanta, Ga. In celebration of Valentine's Day, Ivy Hall presents guitarist Witold Tulodziecki, who will perform contemporary music inspired by Flamenco and other ethnic musical styles. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Lee Barry Todd at 404.253.3324.

Feb. 23 Ivy Hall Writers Series: Margaret Atwood Tuesday, 6:30-8 p.m., SCAD Atlanta, Events Space, fourth floor, Building C, 1600 Peachtree St., Atlanta, Ga. The Year of the Flood, released in Sept. 2009, is a dystopic testament to the visionary power of Margaret Atwood, Canada's most eminent novelist and poet. The book depicts a world altered by a natural disaster. Most human life has been obliterated, and the few survivors make their way among mutant species and a deteriorating environmental and social compact. Born in Ontario in1939, Atwood began writing poetry, short fiction, essays and novels in 1973. She is best known for her novels The Edible Woman and The Handmaid's Tale, which dissect contemporary or futuristic urban life and sexual politics. Atwood's books have been adapted for stage and screen and have received numerous awards. The lecture is free and open to the public. A book signing follows the lecture. Book sales are available by personal check and cash sales only. For more information, e-mail Georgia Lee or call 404.253.3206.

Feb. 28 Ivy Hall Lecture Series: Rebekah Adkins: "Personal Paradigms and the Praxis of Interior Design" Sunday, 3 p.m., Ivy Hall, 179 Ponce de Leon Ave., N.E., Atlanta, Ga. SCAD Professor of Interior Design Rebekah Adkins explores the impact of our own unique environmental autobiographies on the use and programmatic purpose of interior space and the subsequent role of the interior designer in the creation, development and execution of the built environment. The Ivy Hall Lecture Series is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Lee Barry Todd at 404.253.3324.

March 2 Ivy Hall Writers Series: Will Pearson, president and co-founder of mental_floss Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Ivy Hall, 179 Ponce de Leon Ave., N.E., Atlanta, Ga. Will Pearson developed and published the first issue of mental_floss with Mangesh Hattikudur while they were both still students at Duke University. The magazine recently was chosen by The Chicago Tribune as one of its "50 Favorite Magazines" and has garnered national recognition from media outlets such as Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly and The Washington Post. Read the press release.

March 25 Ivy Hall Writers Series: Joel Cohen Thursday, 6:30-8 p.m., SCAD Atlanta, Events Space, fourth floor, Building C, 1600 Peachtree St., Atlanta, Ga. Joel Cohen, Emmy-winning writer for "The Simpsons," addresses the dichotomy of his role as both a "creative" and a "suit" in his speech: "The Business Tao of Homer: Lessons in Creativity and Innovation From The Simpsons." Armed with an M.B.A., Cohen gained success in the corporate world before his illogical career move into comedy writing with "Saturday Night Live" and "Suddenly Susan." He eventually began writing for "The Simpsons," noted by Time magazine as "the greatest TV show of the 20th century." Cohen brings a unique and hilarious perspective to the roles that innovation and creativity play in both writing and business, as he draws links between maintaining a hit show and running a successful company. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail Georgia Lee or call 404.253.3206.

April 18 Ivy Hall Lecture Series: Gabriela Jasin "Vestals, Virgins and Virtue" Sunday, 3 p.m., Ivy Hall, 179 Ponce de Leon Ave., N.E., Atlanta, Ga. In the lecture, Vestals, Virgins and Virtue: Two Paintings by Jean Raoux and Their Prescription for the Women of 18th-century France, SCAD Professor of Art History Gabriela Jasin will discuss two pendant paintings by the artist Jean Raoux, The Virgins of Ancient Times and The Virgins of Modern Times. She will examine how they pit the ancient vestal virgins of Rome against the young virgins of contemporary 18th-century French society. In an age when Catholic presence and power were quickly eroding, womens religious orders, particularly because of their secularization, were the loci of criticism and ridicule. Still, the preoccupation with womens modesty, honor and morality was of the utmost concern. By contrasting ancient integrity with contemporary decadence, Raoux effectively illustrates the perceived decay of the role of women as useful and productive members of society and as keepers of virtue and morality. The Ivy Hall Lecture Series is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Lee Barry Todd at 404.253.3324.