Long before Dunwoody was incorporated as a city in 2008, it had a vibrant arts community that included the Dunwoody Fine Arts Association, Spruill Center for the Arts, and Stage Door Theatre, all founded in the 1970s.

The city now showcases its flourishing art scene during Arts & Culture Month, “an annual celebration of creative installations, events, and organizations that enrich the community,” states the announcement of this year’s celebration throughout October.

October was chosen so the celebration coincides with National Arts and Humanities Month. The event was created to “highlight the city’s cultural partners and raise Dunwoody’s profile in the region,” according to city officials.

In creating the event, venerable organizations such as the Spruill Center, Stage Door Theatre, and the Dunwoody Fine Arts Association have joined with other nonprofit partners, including Create Dunwoody, Dunwoody Preservation Trust, and the Dunwoody Woman’s Club, in an effort led by the city of Dunwoody and Discover Dunwoody.

“We have so much to offer that you can find something different to do every day to celebrate Dunwoody Arts & Culture Month,” Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said in announcing the event, which is the city’s seventh. “From public art to theater to music and more, our calendar of events is filled with fun and fulfilling opportunities for those who live, work, and play in Dunwoody.”

A highlight of the monthlong celebration will be the AMPLIFY Mural unveiling at the Spruill Gallery during an event called Spirits for Spruill, Oct. 26, 4 to 7 p.m. Spruill Center for the Arts and Spruill Gallery in 2020 introduced AMPLIFY, an annual project “created to engage the community through vibrant public art installations and support working artists and the arts economy,” states the Spruill Gallery’s website.

“Each year, an artist’s mural design is selected from a vast pool of entries from a nationwide call,” the gallery website explains, adding, “AMPLIFY murals have become beloved Dunwoody landmarks due to their high caliber of artistry and visibility on the Spruill Smoke House wall at the intersection of Ashford Dunwoody Road and Meadow Lane.”

The strategic location “in the bustling hub of the Perimeter business district assures that the mural will be a prominent fixture in the city’s landscape,” the website states.
Visitors can view other murals at Brook Run Park as Dunwoody Parks and Recreation all month showcases Black History Month and Women’s History Month murals in the Skate Park area. “The original designs feature inspiring and thoughtful work from local artists, including Dunwoody High School students,” according to the city of Dunwoody, which adds, “October is a great time to explore other public art installations throughout Dunwoody.” A map and listing can be found at www.dunwoodyga.gov/findart.

Art and events are also featured at Perimeter Mall, Ashford Lane, Park Place, the Village Dunwoody, and High Street.

The city’s more than half a century-old community theater—Stage Door Theatre—will have a presence in the commemorative month as it partners with Create Dunwoody and the Dunwoody Nature Center to present “The Story of Diwali – A Forest Walk” with four shows on Oct. 17 and 18. The city describes the production as “an immersive story that embraces good over evil and light over darkness while walking through a hidden oasis in Dunwoody.” Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights typically celebrated over a five- to six-day period at some time between mid-September and mid-November.

Also in celebration of Diwali, Create Dunwoody and the Spruill Center for the Arts will host a Rangoli & Diya Workshop on Oct. 18. Participants will learn to make rangoli, an Indian art form often created during Diwali and used to welcome prosperity. At this event, they will create and decorate a clay diya, a lamp symbolically lit during prayers and ceremonies.

Stage Door Theatre also will present Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, running Thursdays through Sundays from Oct. 12 to 27 at its home stage at 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road. “This classic Agatha Christie whodunit mixes thrilling intrigue, a dash of English silliness, and plenty of surprising twists into a not-to-miss show,” the theater’s description states.

Several of the Dunwoody Arts & Culture Month events, including Spirits for Spruill, the Story of Diwali, the Rangoli & Diya Workshop, and the play The Mousetrap, require the purchase of tickets. For prices, and other information, visit www.dunwoodyga.gov/community/dunwoody-arts-culture-month.