By Whittney Millsap How does an actor in Atlanta make a living? While we may think of “actors” as people who move here from Hollywood to work in our film industry, there are many home-grown talents working smaller gigs that keep Atlantans entertained. My name is Whittney Millsap and I am an actor, an ensemble […]
Author Archives: Thought Leader
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Don't Support The Arts: How To Fix Atlanta’s Talent Bleed
By Nathan Sharratt, Artist, Seedworks FounderAtlanta has always been a city in flux; a hub for change and transition. From post-Civil War reconstruction to the civil rights movement to the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta–for better or worse–moves forward. This desire for constant progress is often at odds with the desire to maintain our heritage, culture, […]
Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
Claiming the Arts as One of Georgia’s Greatest Assets
Karen Paty, Executive Director of Georgia Council for the ArtsI travel the state frequently, and that my inroads into communities lead through the complex beauty and power of the arts in Georgia, I find to be a humbling privilege. Those travels have taught me that as diverse and varied as the state’s landscape is, so […]
Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
Health, Housing, and the American Artist
By Jessyca Holland As we examine the role of artists in our community, we also must examine the career development resources available (or not available) to typical, working artists. I hope this an ongoing conversation. I want to preface by writing that I am aware that the following is complex. Once you layer in intersectionality […]
Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
Investigating the Creative Process in Photography
Photo above by Fernando DecillisBy Kevin D. LilesI am continually fascinated with the creative process. How do artists get in the creative mood, priming themselves to do their best work? What tactics do they employ to get the desired work, time and time again? It’s questions like these that I find myself thinking about often.It’s […]
Posted inFinancial Inclusion, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
Special Screening of “Andrew Young Presents: The Color of Money” to be hosted by Hyatt Regency Atlanta
Latest installment of the “Andrew Young Presents” documentary series honors Dr. King’s dream of financial inclusion; highlights the work of Operation HOPE Dec. 11, 2018 – The Andrew Young Foundation announced today the recent release of the latest installment of the documentary series, “Andrew Young Presents.” Tonight, Hyatt Regency Atlanta will host a special screening […]
Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow…
By GREG MIKEWill we run out of walls? Will urban artwork go out of style? Will city ordinances change the future of murals? As an artist, creative entrepreneur, and co-founder of mural arts festival Outerspace Project, these are all questions that are constantly running through my head. Atlanta has become a global destination for street […]
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What’s the point of being a theatre critic?
By Kelundra SmithRecently, on a theatre trip to New York City, I was listening in on a panel hosted by the American Theatre Critics Association that featured diverse playwrights—some of whose work has been mounted on Atlanta stages. After an hour of stirring conversation, I went up to one of the playwrights (who happens to […]
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Equality in the Arts: Where is Our Blue Wave?
By Robin Bernat With the midterm elections, we’ve witnessed a sea change in American politics and culture as more women were elected to national and state legislatures. How is this tilt back toward equality reflected in opportunities for artists in Atlanta? The national organization Artadia announced its 2018 awardees from Atlanta: Krista Clark and William […]
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Free Arts Education Helps Metro Atlanta Kids Succeed in School and in Life
By Ariel Fristoe, Co-Artistic Director, Out of Hand Theater Every child should have the opportunity to succeed, but if you’re born in Metro Atlanta, your chances of escaping from poverty are not good; in fact, they’re close to the worst in the nation. This fall, at Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute, I learned that […]
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More than Representation: Black Women Artists as Change Agents
By Tiffany LaTrice, Executive Director- TILA Studios Recently, TILA Studios hosted a reading room with Spelman College Museum of Fine Art at the AUC Woodruff Library to facilitate a discussion on Deborah Willis’ book, Posing Beauty. The dialogue was focused on unpacking the power of images as the book explores the ways in which African […]
Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
Attracting and Maintaining Loyal Arts & Culture Audiences
Terri Theisen is the principal consultant of a management and strategy consulting firm supporting nonprofits, foundations, and academic institutions. She has facilitated the Audience Building Roundtable since 2015. Arts and culture experiences enrich our lives. Arts and culture experiences provoke critical dialogue, challenge our assumptions, and provide a pathway to understand our diverse and complex […]
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Why an Art Gallery is Never Just About What’s On Its Walls
By Yu-Kai Lin, Director of KAI LIN ART 10 years. 500 artists. 97 exhibitions. 27 states. 7,900 cups of coffee, and countless art-filled friendships, I’m so enthused to celebrate a major milestone this year with our Kai Lin Art family. For 10 years, Kai Lin Art has been a gallery that embodies our mission to cultivating […]
Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
BALLET ON THE MOVE
Is Ballet Hardwired for Touring? By Arturo Jacobus, President & CEO, Atlanta BalletBallet is quite possibly the most mobile large-scale art form in the world.Through the decades, ballet companies such as Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Dance Theater of Harlem have had a business model at some point in […]
Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
The New Normal – Niche Organizations Creating Macro Impact
Tiffany LaTrice, Executive Director, TILA StudiosAccording to Forbes, “one of the biggest media trends of 2018 is going to be the growth of niche content…rather than pursuing a traditional strategy.” Just like major brands target small, niche communities, the art community is pivoting to do the same. The truth is that creatives, art historians, critics, […]
Posted inFinancial Inclusion, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
OPERATION HOPE PARTNERS WITH RBC BANK TO PRESENT HOUSING AND FINANCIAL LITERACY EXPO
Operation HOPE, in collaboration with RBC Bank, will host its biannual Housing & Financial Literacy Expo at the Martin Luther King Snr. Community Resource Complex on the campus of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in downtown Atlanta on October 13. Offered at no cost to participants, the Expo will feature a series of seminars educating participants on the essentials […]
Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
Soul Food Cypher, a Force for Creative Placemaking in Atlanta’s Little Five Points
Photo above by Anthony “Truth” Gary – SFC’s “One Hundred” cypher gathered over 70 people in the Little Five Points Community Center this past June By Vincent Mitchell By now there is little question of the value of the notion of “creative placemaking:” that cultivation of a community’s arts and its culture can spark socially […]
Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
The Arts as Community Builders
By Lara Smith, Managing Director, Dad’s Garage If you have a parent who dies, would your co-workers show up to their funeral (even if they’ve never met your parent) simply to support you emotionally? If you have to leave town for a last-minute business trip, do you know who will feed your cat and water […]
Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
Does arts journalism matter in Atlanta?
By Andrew Alexander Does arts journalism matter in Atlanta? That question is much tougher to answer than it should be. Clearly, I think arts journalism matters (it’s my work, after all). But nothing makes you sound less important than trying to convince someone how important your job is. A better question to get at the […]
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Moving Past 'Six White Men and One White Woman' to Arts that Represent our Community
by Travis Sharp, PlaywrightFor me, writing a play isn’t that hard. The hard part is figuring out what to write about, which is probably why I’ve written, and co-written, plays about some pretty stupid things. Zombies. Hormonal teenage werewolves. Singing Ewoks. A woman who hates musicals whose life becomes a musical.The first play I ever […]
