When Sabrina Orah Mark began to delve into the world of fairy tales, it was Geppetto—who carves his own son from a block of wood—whom she connected with most. “Pinocchio lies to him, steals from him, runs away from him, comes back, saves him, and breaks his heart,” Mark says. It’s a tale as old as time: The things that we create—that lie to us, steal from us, and break our hearts—might be the things that save us in the end.

The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Women challenges regional stereotypes and paints a complex, vivid picture of life in the mountains. Here, a passage Anna Tutt (1911–2008), who was born in Columbia County, Georgia.

Unreformed, hosted by Atlanta journalist Josie Duffy Rice, unearths how things went horrifically wrong at the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children during the first half of the 20th century

If you know the painter Joseph Stella, it’s probably from his famous urban landscapes. But Stella was just as captivated by the botanical world as he was by cityscapes, and today, Atlantans can see that side of the artist in vivid color. Joseph Stella: Visionary Nature, an explosive new exhibit at the High Museum of Art, features dozens of his flower and plant-filled paintings and drawings.

For his directorial debut, it would have been easy for Michael B. Jordan to give audiences another run-of-the-mill entry in the hit 47-year-old Rocky film franchise. But between rounds in the ring—with help from screenwriters Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin and story from Ryan Coogler—Jordan crafts a film about toxic masculinity, the challenges Black men face in communicating their emotions about past trauma, the lasting impact of childhood friendships, and the importance of forgiveness.

Tickets often have to be secured months before. I’ve likened performances to family reunions. I don’t know everyone’s names, but there is surely a connection: the love of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. From a dancer’s outstretched body, a tip of a hat, and the twirl of an umbrella, to how fabrics flow with every bend and bow, each act is its own happening and affirmation—as if to say, Everything’s going to be all right.

On February 11, Art Papers will host its 24th annual art auction, a fundraiser for the magazine where attendees can bid on works by artists from the Southeast and across the world. The event will feature over 200 pieces for auction, priced for a wide range of budgets, as well as an “Emerging Collectors Section” with works under $200 available for outright purchase.

“There’s always been a fight for visibility for the creative community here. A lot of the artists feel like underground legends, even if they are known worldwide.”

Here’s a look at the state of the arts in metro Atlanta and a few events to look forward to this month.