Several visual artists will soon see their work installed along the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Drive corridor, it was announced this week by Mayor Andre Dickens, the City of Atlanta and Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
Credit: T.W. Meyer
Credit: T.W. Meyer
By the end of the year, the corridor will feature nearly 30 new art installations, including: “Hope Moving Forward” by Basil Watson; “The Linear Park Civil Rights Sculptures” by David Landis; Mural bike racks by 20 local artists; “Bends Toward Justice Gateway Arch” by Joe O’Connell and Creative Machines; “Adamsville Gateway” by Ayokunle Odeleye; “Dreamcaster Water Feature” by Airboat Inc.; “Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Mural” by the late Louis Delsarte; the “Atlanta BeltLine Bridge Decorative Metal Wall Sculpture”; and the “Mozley Park Civil Rights Benches” honoring Dorothy Bolden, Dr. Rita Samuels, William Alexander Scott and Hosea Williams by David Alan Clark of Lander, Wyoming.
Black Art in America funding recipients
Black Art in America (BAIA) is changing the dynamics of the Black art world in Atlanta in several ways with its robust online presence, bi-monthly magazine, new East Point gallery and its foundation which is designed “to document, preserve and promote the contributions of the African American arts community,” according to the organization’s website. The foundation’s support is small in terms of dollars ($10,000 announced this week), but big in terms of BAIA’s growing presence in Atlanta.
“BAIA Foundation selected these recipients because of the compelling stories presented, the communities that are being engaged and the cultural and historical value offered with this material,” says BAIA founder Najee Dorsey. “We believe funding and support from BAIA Foundation on numerous fronts for our recipients will provide educational access for generations to come.”
$2,000 will be allocated for the archiving of the work of Rufus Hinton, uncle of Atlanta artist Marlon Hitchcock. Hinton, who died in 2007, was a prolific film photographer throughout the 1960s and created more than 5,000 photos throughout his career. He was also a photographer for the Atlanta-based Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the Civil Rights movement.
Other funding recipients are:
- $1200 towards the creation of a catalog for The Clothes Story;
- $750 to the I Am Arts Foundation, which supports children’s performing arts;
- $4,450 to the Harrisburg Youth Arts Incubator in North Carolina, giving youths (ages 12-17) access to arts programming, instruction and resources;
- $1,600 to fill backpacks with school supplies for students at Conley Hills Elementary School, located less than one mile from the Black Art in America Gallery.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
MEET OUR PARTNER
ArtsATL (www.artsatl.org), is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. Founded in 2009, ArtsATL’s goal is to help build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
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