The Spelman College Glee Club kicked off its 100th-year anniversary tour with a March 7 performance of “Resurgens Requiem: History, Heritage, Harmony” at the Krog Street Tunnel as part of the Creative Placemaking Communities and South Arts summit.
A group of student performers lined the graffiti-adorned tunnel and filled the space with sounds of spirituals and traditional Black choral music while community members and summit attendees watched.
The “special activation” put on by regional nonprofit South Arts and national organization Creative Placemaking Communities took place at a key part of Atlanta’s art community: Krog Tunnel, part of the BeltLine trail, is the link between the Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown and Inman Park neighborhoods.
Vice President of Planning, Engagement, Arts and Culture at the BeltLine Lynnette Reid said art has always been a key part of the BeltLine.
“When the BeltLine was originally created, the idea was we needed to create a way to incentivize people to get on the BeltLine, and art was that tool,” Reid said. “It’s become such a staple.”
Krog Tunnel is known for its ever-changing graffiti that lines every inch of the concrete walls.
“The tunnel has for many years been a sort of billboard for the city, as a place to voice public opinions as many know, and to practice art openly and freely,” creative consultant Davis Butner said. “Many would know the Krog tunnel for its visual qualities but few really take stock of the oral qualities of the space.”
Butner was inspired to host a performance after wandering through the tunnel on a busy day and noticing how resonant the acoustics were. He decided to create the immersive performance experience to allow the public to “experience the qualities of the tunnel and learn more about the history of the site.”
The creative consultant for the event also thought the unconventional stage could engage the community.
“It’s also sort of a chance to kind of break the fourth wall of performance, trying to bring performer and audience together in a meaningful way,” Butner said.
The performance was the first in Spelman Glee Club’s “Road to 100” tour, featuring 44 singers conducted by choral director Dr. Kevin Johnson.
State agency Georgia Council for the Arts representative said the performance was about celebrating Atlanta’s legacy of choral music and “acknowledging the rich musical tradition found in historically Black colleges and universities.”
Glee Club Vice President Simone Moales said the performance and song lyrics speak to the greater Atlanta community.
“Our artistry, our creativity is going to forever be steeped into these walls; the echoes will be able to surround the sound of those who walk in and out,” Moales said. “Just reflecting on the history, and even bringing it to now, knowing that we are a part of something much bigger than ourselves, and our home, is the best part for us to just continue on as Spelman students.”
Creative Placemaking Communities CEO said the performance at the tunnel was a natural fit for the summit since it’s a “place of artistic expression” in a neighborhood that embraces arts and culture.
The national nonprofit focuses on assisting people who “believe in the power of local art and culture to shape communities.”
According to the American Planning Association, creative placemaking is a process where community members, artists, community developers and organizers use arts and cultural strategies to implement community-led change.
Over 500 people attended the summit from March 5-8 in Atlanta and visited different arts groups and events in the city to learn about “innovations in the field” and see creative projects in different forms.
“There are some fabulous projects that are happening within the city of Atlanta that we really wanted to showcase – creative placemaking sort of weaves into all of that,” Dickson said. “It bleeds into policies, projects and activations like these.”
The Spelman College “Road to 100” tour will continue through March. Tour dates are available online.
See Kelly Jordan’s photos from the performance here.
