Ribbon Cut on Signia Hotel
Atlanta’s newest hotel — Signia by Hilton Atlanta — officially opened Jan. 11 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Gov. Brian Kemp and Frank Poe, executive director of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority.
The 976-room hotel is the largest downtown ground-up hotel development in 40 years. It sits in the center of GWCC’s campus, it is easily accessible to the convention center, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, State Farm Arena and Centennial Olympic Park. It also features several restaurants, a spa, a roof-top pool, 100,000 square feet of meeting space as well as the largest hotel ballroom in Georgia.
— Maria Saporta
Tara Theater and WABE partner for ‘The Color Purple’ screening
WABE and the Tara Atlanta movie theater will partner for a special screening of “The Color Purple” on Jan. 13, 2024 at 4 p.m. The Atlanta radio station members will join for a post-screening meet and greet, and “City Lights” show host and executive producer Lois Reitzes will introduce the film.
The 2023 movie “The Color Purple” based on the stage musical of the same name, which is based on the 1982 novel written by Alice Walker, tells the decades-spanning story of Celie, a Black woman living in the South in the early 1900s. The musical was shot in locations across Georgia.
The “WABE City Lights Movie Night” is an ongoing screening series hosted by Atlanta radio station WABE in partnership with Tara and the Plaza Theater. A portion of the proceeds from the screening will go to support WABE.
“Based on WABE’s specific goals for the partnership and the variety of films they wish to present, we aligned on scheduling events at both Tara Theatre and The Plaza Theatre since the audiences for both venues are varied,” Tara and Plaza Theatre owner Chris Escobar said.
Escobar said the “win-win” partnership will continue in the weeks and months again with additional programming at the Tara Theatre and the Plaza Theatre
Doors for the event open at 3:30 p.m. and the program will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets will cost $15. Click here to purchase tickets.
— Delaney Tarr
CAU names BJ Arnett new chair of arts and fashion, school of arts and sciences
Last week, Clark Atlanta University (CAU) announced that they have appointed BJ Arnette as the new Chair of the Art and Fashion Department and School of Arts and Sciences.
Arnett is a long-time professor at the historically Black university who has contributed to the growth of the Art and Fashion Department.
She has fostered partnerships with major fashion and retail brands, including PUMA, Macy’s, Levi and American Eagle. Last year, she arranged an opportunity for two students to study in Paris with the International study abroad program.
In 2014, she founded Trends and Tours, a New York fashion excursion for CAU art and fashion students and created the school’s HBCU Art and Fashion Week in 2016.
“While working at the university, she has raised over $400,000 for the department through her countless industry relationships and was awarded a prestigious educational grant, which secured another $500,000 for CAU,” said Dr. Jaideep Chaudhary, Dean and Professor of the School of Arts and Sciences at CAU.
— Allison Joyner
Dad’s Garage presents ‘Adventure Playhouse’
Dad’s Garage presents “Adventure Playhouse” a part-scripted and part-improv comedy show for kids, on stage from Saturday, Jan. 13 through Friday, March 2, on Saturdays at 3 p.m.
“Adventure Playhouse” is 90 minutes of laughs, including “Quinn’s Playhouse,” which requires a secret password to enter for a dance party, improv games and a mad-lib song, crafted by the kids and talented musical improviser, Justin Geer.
Utilizing the Creative Drama technique to engage young children in the creation of the narrative, this improv-guided show uses kids’ suggestions to craft a new, exciting, silly story every week.
Doors open at 2:30 p.m. Pre-show activities are based around the five senses and encourage kids to explore, imagine, and fuel the show with their ideas, discoveries, and questions.
— Derek Prall
Report: Georgia named state with the most racial progress
With the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday approaching, personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on “2024’s States with Most Racial Progress.”
WalletHub measured the gaps between Black Americans and white people across 22 key indicators of equality in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including median annual household income, standardized test scores and voter turnout.
Click here to read the full report.
— Allison Joyner
Wayne Martin named Vice President of Government Affairs for Morehouse School of Medicine
Earlier this week, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) announced that they have hired Wayne Martin as Vice President of Government Affairs.
Marin will lead the historically Black medical school on local, state and federal government issues. He previously served as Regional Head of Government Affairs for Starbucks and senior external affairs manager for Comcast NBCUniversal.
“His extensive government affairs experience makes him a vital asset as MSM collaborates with external stakeholders to serve the individuals and communities that need us most here in Atlanta, throughout Georgia and around the world,” said Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, President and CEO for MSM.
— Allison Joyner
The Goat Farm arts center to reopen in 2024
Multi-disciplinary arts and culture center The Goat Farm announced its 12-acre West Midtown campus will start reopening in phases in the spring, with art studios, venues, creative offices, public art and living spaces. Arts programming will restart in 2025.
A release from the Goat Farm said the campus expansion and renovation will help advance their goal of “exploring how places can better support and fund art and culture.”
The Goat Farm uses rent from real estate to generate arts funding and support on an ongoing basis.
The growth plans include around half a million square feet of art studios, live spaces, creative offices and multidisciplinary venues and exhibitions across 12 existing historic structures and three new builds.
The first phase of the art studios has been 98 percent pre-leased, according to the Goat Farm, with a wait list of over 1,200 people and businesses.
In addition to art studios and exhibitions, the Goat Farm is pre-leasing 200+ living spaces. The design for the overall project is being managed by New York based interdisciplinary studio, Bureau V Architecture, whose clients include the Brooklyn Public Library and San Francisco Opera.
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia will also have a 26,000 square foot permanent home in the expanded campus. MOCA is in the final stages of its capital campaign and architectural design and will begin construction on the museum in 2025.
The major renovations and expansion of the campus are part of a collaboration between the Goat Farm and Atlanta-based real estate development firm Tribridge Residential.
— Delaney Tarr
SCAD SERVE debuts “Paint Our Parks” mural at Stone Hogan Park
The Savannah College of Art and Design’s SCAD SERVE unveiled its newest addition to the “Paint Our Parks” basketball court mural at Stone Hogan Park in Southwest Atlanta.
Conceptualized by SCAD SERVE Alumni Ambassador Nina Robinson, the project was led by a group of volunteers to complete the mural.
“We came together as a force committed to transforming the basketball court at Stone Hogan Park into a safe space for the community,” Robinson said. “I am beyond grateful to have my art included as part of the Paint Our Parks story of change.”
Robinson said she was inspired by the community’s unique identity and interconnectedness and represented the strength of community–building relationships based on compassion, understanding and hope.
She said the colors and symbols in the mural represent African textile patterns, including Kuba cloth, Bogolanfain and Adinkra cloth.
— Allison Joyner
Atlanta leaders partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters to donate their time during National Mentoring Month
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta will hold the fourth annual Iconic Mentor Auction from Jan. 16 to Jan. 31. Supporters will have the opportunity to bid on a unique experience with an Atlanta icon.
The two-week-long auction will feature CEOs, entrepreneurs, business and civic leaders, athletes, influencers and C-suite executives, all donating their time to the BBBS organization to raise crucial funds for the agency’s one-to-one mentoring programs. Winning bidders will participate in a 1-hour mentoring session — either virtually or in person.
The 2024 Iconic Mentors include:
- Chris Clark, President & CEO, Georgia Chamber of Commerce
- Paul Brown, Co-Founder & CEO, Inspire Brands
- Pedro Cherry, President & CEO, Atlanta Gas Light
- David Neeleman, Founder, JetBlue Airways
- Richard Cox, S.V.P., Reservation Sales & Customer Care, Delta
- Cheryl Preheim, News Anchor, 11Alive
- Vanessa Harrison, CEO, AT&T Southeast Region
- Derek Schiller, President & CEO, Atlanta Braves
- Shane Jackson, CEO, Jackson Health
- Stephanie Stuckey, Owner, Stuckey’s Corp
- David Wilkinson, CEO, NCR Voyix
Proceeds from the Iconic Mentor Auction benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta’s one-to-one mentoring program that works with volunteers, parents, and families to help create relationships that defend, inspire and empower the potential that lives within every kid.
Click here for more information or to bid in the auction.
— Derek Prall
Georgia Tech’s Catherine Ross to advise USDOT’s Pete Buttigieg
As a national leader in transportation and planning, Catherine Ross is being tapped by the Biden administration.
Ross has been appointed to a select committee of 27 individuals from around the country who will advise U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and USDOT on innovation, efficiency, sustainability and equity issues. The Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee will have its first meeting on Jan. 18. Its members will serve two-year terms for the unpaid position.
Ross is no stranger to transportation planning and policy. She was the first executive director of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) — serving from 1999 to 2003. She then served as Georgia Tech’s Harry West Professor of City and Regional Planning as well as director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development. Over the years, Ross has also become a world expert on “Megaregions” and sustainability.
In an email, Ross said she’s “excited” to advise Buttigieg along with other members of the committee. She has been dialing down her time at Georgia Tech.
“I am 20 percent at Tech for this year,” Ross wrote. “I am loving the transition.”
— Maria Saporta
Atlanta History Center to host Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorative event
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Atlanta History Center will host a commemoration on Jan. 15, celebrating the federal holiday and honoring the legacy of the Atlanta-born civil rights leader and co-pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church.
The day-long event will feature civil rights-themed trivia, crafts, interactive choir performances, panel discussions, free access to exhibitions and more. The event will take place at Atlanta History Center’s Buckhead campus, located at 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW. This year’s presenting sponsor is Chick-fil-A, with additional support provided by The Lookout Foundation.
“For Dr. King, his church served as a cornerstone for his work in the Civil Rights Movement,” said Shatavia Elder, vice president of education at Atlanta History Center. “We want to emphasize the role of a strong community and the central hubs that make change possible, including faith-based institutions.”
Click here for more information or to register for the event.
— Derek Prall
Georgia Humanities announces new board members and board leadership
Georgia Humanities welcomes two new members to its Board of Directors in 2024: Mary Kay Murphy and Lara Bush Norris. They join a team working to create opportunities for people throughout Georgia to learn, grow, and engage with the humanities.
“We are thrilled to welcome Lara and Mary Kay to our board,” said Cameron Bean, the newly elected board chair of Georgia Humanities. “Their skills and experience will help advance our mission to enrich lives and broaden perspectives.”
In addition to the new members, Georgia Humanities recently introduced its new executive committee. Cameron Bean, as board chair, is joined by Lisa J. Smith as vice-chair, Joseph B. Alonso as secretary, and Delores Lazare White as treasurer.
“As we embark on a new chapter with our board, we remain dedicated to connecting people and communities through the humanities,” said Laura McCarty, president of Georgia Humanities. “With the support of our board, staff, and the communities we serve, we are excited about the opportunities and growth that lie ahead.”
— Derek Prall
Lenox Square and YMCA of Metro Atlanta partner to host winter clothing drive
Lenox Square and YMCA of Metro Atlanta are hosting a winter clothing drive to benefit underserved communities in Atlanta throughout the month of January.
Shoppers can donate new and gently used children’s and adult winter outerwear, including coats, jackets, raincoats, hats, gloves, earmuffs and scarves, in the Mall Management Office located on the Market Level near the Dining Pavilion, now through Jan. 31.
“Lenox Square is pleased to partner with YMCA of Metro Atlanta for the return of our annual winter clothing drive,” said Lenox Square’s General Manager Robin Suggs. “We look forward to kicking off 2024 by giving back to our community and fostering a new relationship with an organization that has made a positive impact in Atlanta for over 165 years.”
— Derek Prall
