Artists Chosen for Yearly Beltline Exhibition

Credit: Atlanta Beltline/Facebook

Staff Report

The largest temporary, outdoor public art exhibition in the south, Art on the Atlanta BeltLine, returns this fall for its sixth year. This year’s exhibition will feature more than 100 works of visual and performing art. FromSeptember 12 through November 15, Art on the Atlanta BeltLine will artistically transform the paved and interim hiking trails along the corridor into a large temporary gallery exhibition. In addition to revitalizing public spaces, improving transportation, cultural amenities and connecting neighborhoods, public art is a central element of the Atlanta BeltLine. Kick-off for the exhibition will be on Saturday, September 12 with the annual Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade, which is sponsored by Atlanta Medical Center and hosted by the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons.

The public is invited to experience works from around the country as well as from around the world, as artists express culture and creativity through works of sculpture, dance, murals, theater, outdoor concerts, parades, performance art and more. This year, Art on the Atlanta BeltLine will draw from the Atlanta university community as it includes artists from Georgia Tech, Emory University, and SCAD. Returning favorites include William Massey who brought us three-dimensional found object-art under Freedom Parkway. Fly on a Wall is also returning with contemporary dance by the collective, which includes several professionally-trained members of Atlanta Ballet. Popular local groups #weloveatl and Tiny Doors ATL will join us to create work for this year’s exhibition. Art on the Atlanta BeltLine has also drawn national and international artists, such as accomplished muralists Addison Karl and Emmanuel Jarus. Other exhibits include a Bollywood performance and the international travelling Posts for Peace and Justice Project. This year, art calls out to a variety of social issues from poverty to civil tolerance. A full list of this year’s artists is below.

“We are excited to continue showcasing the significance of public art to the Atlanta BeltLine program for a sixth year,” said Paul Morris, President and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI). “Thanks to our invaluable partners, sponsors, artists, and community support, the Atlanta BeltLine is once again elevating the art scene and creating cultural influence on the city.”

“The City of Atlanta is proud to support the sixth year of Art on the Atlanta BeltLine,” said Camille Russell Love, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA). “This exhibition continues to give the Atlanta community an opportunity to experience art while encouraging the public to interact and connect along the Atlanta BeltLine.”

ABI and OCA worked together to release a request for artists’ proposals earlier this year. Applicants were asked to propose temporary works of art that represent the spirit of the exhibition. More than 300 proposals were submitted with nearly 100 visual and performance pieces selected. Art on the Atlanta BeltLine exists alongside the continuing exhibition which incorporates visual work throughout the Atlanta BeltLine’s corridor year-round.

The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, sponsors, and private donors contribute to the funding for Art on the Atlanta BeltLine. We welcome Atlanta Medical Center as the sponsor of the Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade.

The Art on the Atlanta BeltLine working group includes volunteers from Atlanta BeltLine neighborhoods, local artists, and organizations such as WonderRoot, Eyedrum, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, the BeltLine Network, and the City’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

From September through November, visual installations and performances will be concentrated in the following areas along the Atlanta BeltLine:

· On the northern Eastside interim hiking trail between Montgomery Ferry Road and Monroe Drive

· On the Eastside Trail between Monroe Drive and Irwin Street

· On the southern Eastside interim hiking trail between Kirkwood Avenue and Memorial Drive in Reynoldstown

While locations and schedules will be released later this summer, performing arts dates are as follows:

· September 12, 13, 19, and 20

· October 10 and 11

To stay abreast of this year’s artist exhibits, please visit art.beltline.org. Photos from previous exhibitions can be found here. Information on access points and our permanent art collection is available on the online interactive map.