Atlanta Center for Photography stretches out in its multifaceted new space

ACP co-founder and advisory council member Corinne Adams says there was a growing demand for a central location. “People want to get a handle on the hub of where the energy is, where the programming is done, where everything spurs out into the community. I think a building is really important to make that statement and actually be a center of energy,” she says.

Credit: GHIA

Credit: GHIA

This follows the nonprofit’s rebranding initiative in the fall of 2023 which included a name change from Atlanta Celebrates Photography to the Atlanta Center for Photography.

ACP’s fundraising campaign, launched in April, was met with enthusiasm both by old and new donors, according to the organization. It is nearly halfway to its $500,000 goal.

The first thing visitors see when they enter the new space is the Project Lab gallery, where rotating exhibitions are displayed. Adjacent to the gallery is the Reading Room, where visitors can flip through a library of noncirculating photography books.

Another initiative, the Bookshelf Residency program, invites writers, artists and culture workers to curate alternative media in response to the exhibition on display. The fall 2024 contributor is Yes, Please Books, a Black, women-owned bookstore.

The second floor will soon transform into a work space, with large tables to host meetings, workshops and seminars. There will also be resources for photographers such as a DIY photo lab and printers. O’Connor envisions the space as a community asset designed to increase access to resources such as free printing, a unique challenge faced by many photographers.

Motivated by another challenge artists face — securing studio space — the ACP offers two subsidized studio spaces geared toward teaching artists, in exchange for conducting educational programs. The building’s rooftop terrace — an open space with seating, a community garden in the making and lots of sun exposure for creating cyanotypes — will become a space for hosting social gatherings and evening screenings.

Credit: Photo by Diwang Valdez

Credit: Photo by Diwang Valdez

“We’re in an exciting new space where everything is new, and we have a lot of potential to experiment,” O’Connor says.

The artist-run organization Atlanta Celebrates Photography (ACP) was founded in 1998 with the mission of uniting photography enthusiasts and uplifting artists in Atlanta and the South. For many years, it was known for its annual photography festival that took place in galleries and museums across Atlanta every October.

Amy Miller, who directed the ACP for 14 years, until 2021, says the festival began with the aim of connecting people across styles.

“Photography is unique in that way, because photographers really engage with other people as part of their practice, whereas painters and sculptors are typically very solitary in their studio. So it’s very social; it’s in the DNA,” Miller says.

Then came the COVID pandemic, which led to a rapid shift in audience expectations. The organization looked for a different approach, she adds. “When the arts are recognized as an important part of a community’s culture, it makes it a lot easier for culture to thrive.”

Though the festival will continue, it will take on a new form. The events will be more focused, taking place over a few days rather than a month, and will be timed in tandem with citywide events such as Atlanta Art Week and the Atlanta Art Fair.

One new addition this year is the digital Community Listing Calendar. It will feature a collation of events happening through October and will invite individual artists and smaller organizations to market their events and exhibitions to a larger community. The calendar replaces the former printed guide at a reduced cost. A group photo competition, a gala and a series of artist talks also are in the works.

ACP Digital Media Coordinator José Ibarra Rizo, who was part of the inaugural MINT + ACP Emerging Artist Fellowship in 2021, says that in addition to an exhibition space, mentorship opportunities are a highlight for young emerging artists.

“We’re really trying to listen to what the needs are and understand that there are multiple approaches to lens-based work,” says Rizo, who points to influences from different universities such as fashion-based photography at SCAD and fine art approaches from graduates of MFA programs at Georgia State University.

The current exhibition in the Project Lab, the fourth one in the space, features “Chip Moody: Open Swim,” a collection of 12 images of historically segregated city of Atlanta public pools.

The exhibition explores ideas of how access to shared spaces can strengthen community and consists of three sections, separated across walls. Each engages the viewer with a different format leading up to a final installation, an interactive map.

Because of the size of the space, artists are encouraged to incorporate an installation-based approach to their work. “With all of the exhibitions, we really push artists to think creatively and to create a total environment that feels all-encompassing and really intentional,” O’Connor says.

In the fall, ACP will introduce a three-month exhibition of work by Virginia-based photographer Matt Eich, winner of ACP’s 2024 Mid-Career Open Call. The award includes a $750 artist fee and production support. The exhibit (September 28 through December 21) will present work from Eich’s upcoming monograph, “The Invisible Yoke, Volume IV: We, the Free,” with themes centered around memory and the American condition.

The multifunctional spaces showcase ACP’s growing vision to function as a photographic hub and to create a visible presence beyond Atlanta.

Says O’Connor: “I really would like to see Atlanta grow and evolve to become a true arts capital, and that means a place where an artist can truly sustain a career, a place where you don’t have to move to New York or L.A. to climb the ladder, where you can be paid and make a career and find your footing from here in Atlanta. It’s critical for artists to have visibility outside our city and to try to build that infrastructure for them. That’s my ultimate goal.”

IF YOU GO

“Chip Moody: Open Swim”

Through August 24 at Atlanta Center for Photography. Noon-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays. Free. 546 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta. atlantacenterforphotography.org

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Mitali Singh is a writer living in Atlanta.

Credit: ArtsATL

Credit: ArtsATL

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