Lisa’s List: Immersive Experience Like no other

With fall knocking on the door, outdoor festival season is beginning to slow down. As we head into winter, here’s what is on my arts/culture calendar as events I do not want to miss (and think you shouldn’t either…) 

Just on the outskirts of Gwinnett, minutes away from Peachtree Corners and Norcross, Doraville’s Exhibition Hub has announced the brand new 50,000-square-foot Immersive Arts Center in Doraville (at 5660 Buford Highway, at the junction of I- 85 and I-285 intersection) is the new home of an amazing new arts attractions. 

Opening in September 2022, the center’s first attraction, will be Claude Monet: The Immersive Experience. What is even more exciting? Plans call for multiple shows  simultaneously, with the return of the popular exhibit: Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience expected in the mix early.

Monet: The Immersive Experience has played to audiences in Barcelona, Brussels and Turin and had a recent test run in Los Angeles. The experience will display 300 of the French Impressionist’s paintings and sketches via video-mapping technology and 360-degree digital projections as well as a virtual reality experience zeroing in on eight iconic works. Visit monetexpo.com for all the details! 

Another “mark your calendar and buy your tickets early” show is the Aurora Theatre’s. upcoming early 2023 show “Kim’s Convenience.” Based on the play penned by Ins Choi, which spawned a successful multi-season TV show, the play will run from January 19 until February 19 on the Aurora Main Stage.

In addition to amplifying the Asian voice and culture that is such a vital part of our community, the Aurora has created multiple events to highlight the culture, community, and the play itself. A weekend long Korean Culture celebration (Feb 4-5), an Asian celebration (Jan 21), and in collaboration with the Explore Gwinnett team, a joint Seoul of the South Korean Food Tour packaged with show tickets for the ultimate culinary experience on Saturday, February 4. 

After a two-year absence due to COVID, one of the largest Asian cultural festivals in the Southeast is back and better than ever. The 35th annual Japan Fest (japanfest.org) will be back at the Gas South District September 17-18 and this year’s event includes a bevy of new food vendors, activities and more. 

If taiko drum concerts, traditional Japanese dance performances, martial arts demonstrations, cultural workshops, or contemporary and traditional Japanese music performance are not your things…chances are good that a beer garden, Japanese sake tastings, anime workshops or a Japanese food court might be yours. When they promote something for everyone, they are not kidding. Online tickets are on sale now and recommended. They expect attendance to top 20,000 over the two day extravaganza. 

Those events are just the beginning of a vibrant, eclectic, and immersive arts season. October will bring ARTober, Explore Gwinnett’s annual celebration of the arts spanning all of October! Visit exploregwinnett.org for all the details (going live in early September) as well as ALL the arts and culture events for your calendar through the rest of 2022 and into 2023.