Exhibit opening of Rhythm and Resilience: The Artistry of Sam Middleton
When: May 17, 6:30-9 p.m.
Where: Hammonds House Museum
Cost: $5-$10, free for museum members
Details: Middleton, a pioneering mixed-media artist who grew up amidst the Harlem Renaissance and took inspiration from living in the Netherlands, will get fresh consideration in a new exhibit at the Hammonds House Museum in West End. The exhibit, which runs through August, will kick off with an opening reception on Friday evening. Enjoy small bites and music while you peruse Middleton’s enlightened work.

Red Bull Dance Your Style National Finals 
When: May 17-18
Where: Underground Atlanta
Cost: $20
Details: Atlanta will host the national finals for Red Bull’s street dance competition, featuring a face-off between sixteen finalists, some of the most talented street dancers in the country. The winner—decided by crowd vote—will head to the World Finals in India later this year. There will also be dance workshops in multiple styles, open to anyone, and a performance from hip-hop icon Soulja Boy. This high-octane event is open to all ages, so bring even the littlest dancers.

Marietta Greek Festival
When: May 17-19
Where: Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, Marietta
Cost: $5, kids under 12 free
Details: Opa! Enjoy all things Greek—notably food, but also music, dance, faith, art, and again, food—at this popular annual festival hosted by Marietta’s Greek Orthodox Church. All three days feature a lineup of dance performances showcasing traditional and contemporary Greek dance styles, as well as “learn to dance” classes open to anyone who wants to learn. There’s also an artist market and tours of the beautiful, Byzantine-style church. And, of course, food to delight the senses: dolmades, spanakopita, baklava, souvlaki . . . you may have to come back multiple days to enjoy the entire menu.

Virginia-Highland Porchfest
When: May 18, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Where: Virginia-Highland
Cost: Free
Details: The leafy neighborhood of Virginia-Highland becomes the city’s most vibrant outdoor festival for this one-day-only event. Dozens of bands will play live music from porches around Virginia-Highland, most of them scattered along Barnett Street, Adair Avenue, and surrounding streets. There’s also a Kids Corner play area, a costume-filled 1k Rock n’ Run, and artist vendors, plus food and drinks from local food trucks.

Indie Craft Experience Summer Market 
When: May 19, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Monday Night Brewing Garage
Cost: $5, kids under 12 free
Details: Peruse a wide array of local artists and crafts makers at this market pop-up, located inside Monday Night Brewing Garage off the Westside BeltLine. Pick up everything from handmade cards and candles to jewelry, paintings, and local coffee—great gifts for graduates, teacher thank-yous, and anyone else in need of a thoughtful local gift. Come early for a free favor: the first 100 people in line get a custom Indie Craft Experience tote bag.

Sports corner: Atlanta home games

• The Braves host the San Diego Padres at Truist Park for a four-game matchup May 17-20. Info here.
• The Atlanta Dream host the Dallas Wings for their first home game of the 2024 season at Gateway Center Arena in College Park. Info here.

Advertisement

ATLANTA – Atlanta police say a woman was arrested for shooting another woman on Wednesday night.

Officers responded to a person shot call in the 3000 block of Jonesboro Road near Hutchens Road SE around 11:10 p.m. May 15. Upon arrival, they learned that a woman had been transported to a hospital with gunshot wounds.

The officers went to the hospital to interview the victim. The victim told police that she was shot by another woman and gave police a description of the woman and the vehicle she was driving.

Units canvassed the area and located the vehicle near Cleveland Avenue. Police say the woman tried to escape but crashed her vehicle on Jonesboro Road.

The woman was arrested and a gun was found in her car.

The suspect has been identified as Briana Abner. She has been charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

The incident is still under investigation. FOX 5 has reached out for a mug shot. 

LONG BEACH — The new-look Sparks could not overcome an 11-0 run by the Atlanta Dream to start the fourth quarter and dropped their season opener, 92-81, in front of celebrities like Kim Kardashian and team owner Magic Johnson on Wednesday night at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid.

The score was tied at 66 through three quarters, but Atlanta seized control with its pivotal 11-0 run for a 77-66 lead with 6:29 left.

The Sparks cut Atlanta’s lead to 87-81 on rookie forward Cameron Brink’s 3-pointer with 1:34 remaining, but they missed their last four shots and had a critical turnover while Atlanta went 5 for 6 from the foul line to ice the win.

“I take it as my responsibility that a lot of the starters got tired at the end of the third quarter all at one time,” Sparks coach Curt Miller said. “I have to substitute more players at one time at the start of the fourth quarter. That 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter, ultimately, was a hard situation to dig out of but we never quit. We really battled and showed our scrappiness that we’re going to be defined by this year. It’s a great learning lesson for our young post players in Cam and Rickea to go against one of the best ever in Tina Charles.”

The Sparks made significant changes to their roster after missing the WNBA playoffs for the third consecutive season, saying goodbye to several veterans and bringing in some fresh faces in addition to their pair of first-round draft picks. Newly acquired guard Kia Nurse scored a team-high 23 points, going 5 for 11 from 3-point range in her Sparks debut after being acquired in a trade with the Seattle Storm.

“I do think for me personally it’s been a long road and a long journey coming back from the ACL (injury) and last year mentality I just didn’t feel like myself,” Nurse said. “This is a nice place to start. I think I said to my partner before the game I was like I just want to make all my family and everyone that was around me proud and he was like you need to make yourself proud. The loss is not as exciting, but it’s a proud moment to be able to play and feel more like myself out there.”

Sparks forward Dearica Hamby had a double-double (20 points, 14 rebounds), while guard Layshia Clarendon had her first career triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Both players said they are looking to make a major impact this season.

“I just came into camp very clear-minded and had very clear intentions on what I wanted this season to look like for me personally and what I wanted to help this team do,” Hamby said.

Clarendon said she sensed she was playing a strong all-around game but was unaware of her triple-double.

“I think it’s cool. Every game stats don’t always reflect how good you play or how hard you played, so I think it’s cool to actually see that come out,” Clarendon said. “I didn’t realize I had that many rebounds, never know assists because I don’t count them. I knew I was playing well, sometimes you make the right pass and people don’t make the shot. They told me afterward and I was a little surprised but I was like ‘oh yeah, I was ballin’ so it’s pretty cool to get that, not a lot of people do it.”

Brink, the No. 2 overall pick in last month’s WNBA draft, finished with 11 points (two 3-pointers), four assists, two rebounds, two blocked shots and five personal fouls in 20 minutes.

“Cam has to find a way to stay out of foul trouble because she’s so important to what we’re doing,” Miller explained. “She helps spread the floor offensively. She’s a really good distributor of the ball as a 6-5 person, so she can create opportunities for her teammates. Defensively, she’s great rim protection but when you play three minutes in the first stretch and have to sit down, that’s a big blow.”

Sparks rookie forward Rickea Jackson – the No. 4 overall pick last month – added seven points and three rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.

“(Jackson) can find her own offense, that’s what’s special about her. When plays break down and people take you out of your system, she can go make plays,” Miller said. “That’s not common with everybody in the league.”

The Sparks began the game with a 24-second shot clock violation on their first offensive possession.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie playing in your first ever WNBA game like Cam and Rickea will be or you’re a seasoned veteran, everybody is going to have nerves tonight,” Miller said before the game.

However, the Sparks recovered and began the game on a 9-2 run, with five early points from Clarendon, which forced Atlanta coach Tanisha Wright to call timeout less than three minutes into the game.

The Sparks’ starting lineup was Clarendon, Lexie Brown, Nurse, Hamby and Brink, who had three points and one assist early but only played 3:21 in the first quarter before exiting the game with her second personal foul.

“That starting unit was terrific … that group has had a chemistry, really quickly and we’re going to bring that bench along,” Miller continued. “The bench is better than they played tonight and they know it, we know it. We have confidence in them but really proud of that starting unit, they’ve all been asked to take on a more prominent role with this team and they’re embracing it and I can’t wait to keep working with that starting unit.”

Atlanta (1-0) was led by All-Star guard Rhyne Howard (25 points) and shook off its slow start behind Allisha Gray’s outside shooting (two 3-pointers in the first quarter) and tied the score at 26 heading into the second quarter.

Atlanta veteran center Tina Charles took over and scored 11 points in the first six minutes of the second quarter, as the Dream opened a 41-32 advantage. Charles finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Gray finished with 12 points.

The Sparks responded with a 14-5 run and tied the score at 46 on a pair of Nurse free throws with 36 seconds left before halftime. Jackson stole the ball at midcourt and made a buzzer-beating layup, which tied the score at 48-all at halftime.

The Sparks shot 17 for 32 from the field in the first half (53.1%), including 7 for 14 from behind the arc. Hamby had 13 points and six rebounds at halftime. The Sparks cooled off in the second half and finished the night at 39% from the field but they had 24 assists on their 28 field goals.

“A couple things bounce our way, a couple runs go our way a little bit differently early in that fourth probably, we win that game and with that energy and that effort and the chemistry we played with today, we’re going to win a lot games in this league,” Nurse said.

Atlanta point guard Haley Jones finished with 14 points and four assists in a start for Jordin Canada, who played the past two seasons with the Sparks but missed the game with a right hand injury.

The Sparks (0-1) next play at the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday at noon in a nationally televised game on ABC.