Durham
Brighter Leaves: Celebrating the Arts in Durham
Parker & OtisBooks about local history typically include black-and-white photos of prominent benefactors and monumental buildings. Rarely do they include the stories of modern dancers, abstract painters and metalworkers. Brighter Leaves: Celebrating the Arts in Durham, North Carolina tells the story of the Bull City through the artists and arts supporters who breathed life into it. That story goes back further and reaches deeper into Durham’s many communities than even longtime followers of the local arts scene may realize. The volume features chapters on architecture, crafts, dance, music, theater and visual arts by eight contributors, including Jim Wise, Margaret Pepper Fluke, Linda Belans and Indy contributor Kate Dobbs Ariail. It also contains encyclopedia-style profiles of prominent figures in the city’s arts scene and a fascinating collection of archival images. Jane Goodrich, who shepherded the project, said Brighter Leaves documents “a deep and cohesive” creative community, from the founding of a music conservatory at the turn of the century to the boom in visual arts in the past two decades. “Durham has always had a black-and-white history, and you see how the arts has really been one of the threads that goes right through this community no matter what color or what religion.” All eight contributors will be on hand this afternoon for an event sponsored by Preservation Durham, which published the book. Not a reading but an arts gathering, this free event will feature a cappella music, a performance by the Durham Savoyards opera company and a display of paintings by Emily Weinstein. There will also be light refreshments and, of course, copies for sale. All proceeds go to Preservation Durham. The event runs from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Fiona Morgan

Raleigh
Down Home: Jewish Life in North Carolina
N.C. Museum of HistoryAs part of an ambitious multimedia project chronicling the history of Jews in North Carolina, the Jewish Heritage Foundation of North Carolina is premiering Down Home: Jewish Life in North Carolina by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Channing. Employing archival footage, reenactments and interviews, the film tells the story of three centuries of Jews living in North Carolina. The exhibits premieres in Raleigh, after which it will travel to the state’s other history museums. Channing, an Emmy Award nominee, has produced films about the lunch counter sit-in of four North Carolina A&T students (the award-winning PBS documentary February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four) and the history of Durham (last year’s sensational Durham: A Self-Portrait), and is well-equipped to tell this often overlooked story. Tickets are $36 in advance, $50 at the door, for a 7 p.m. show. Gala tickets, which include cocktails and hors d’oeuvres with the filmmaker, are $125, with a private reception beginning at 5:30. Visit www.jhfnc.org for tickets and more information. Matt Saldaña

Raleigh
Martin Sexton
Lincoln TheatreMartin Sexton has been navigating his homespun roots, blues and rhythms through America’s small towns and big cities for well over a decade, reviving his roots along the way. Sexton’s shows have a spiritual quality, awakening the sleepy ear by fostering wanderlust in the listener. From the Sunday morning groove of his pseudo-gospel ringer “Happy” to the sweet whistle shuffle of “Goin’ to the Country,” the clash of his gentle songs and gruff voice remind one of a passionate preacher, telling you how it is but encouraging you all the while. With Ryan Montbleau at 8 p.m. for $20-$24. Kathy Justice