This year’s ELEVATE Atlanta festival, sponsored by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, is about to be underway! Every weekend from September 16 to October 9, venues across Atlanta will be hosting free events – including two Pride events.
“We invite you to join us for ELEVATE 2022 as we explore some of Atlanta’s most interesting and beautiful spaces this fall,” states Camille Russell Love, Executive Director of the City of Atlanta’s – Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “Our theme is OPEN SPACES and many of the events will take place outdoors in parks, pavilions, and a variety of public places. During this year’s festival we will present music and dance performances, poetry readings, creative conversations, art installations, and interactive experiences to engage with the community, celebrate the wealth of creative talent in Atlanta, and enliven OPEN SPACES!”
This year’s theme explores the meaning of open spaces in relation to art and public space.
The festival will include a Mayor’s Pride Exhibit at the Mayor’s Gallery in City Hall, from September 16 to October 21.
The exhibition will feature powerful artwork by local LGBTQ artists and art exploring LGBTQ themes, in observance of Atlanta’s pride season. Artworks were selected by professionals from Atlanta’s creative community whose mission was to expand what it means to be an artist who identifies as LGBTQ.
Featured artists include Royce Soble, Ariela Freedman, Brandon Moultrie, Cyrus A. Nelson, Deborah Baker Steinmann, Demetri Burke, FaceGod, Inkd, Jeffrey Wilcox-Paclipan, Jesse Watts, Kelly Breedlove, LaRue Calliet, Jr., Matthew Terrell, Michael Morgan, Rolando Guzmán, SOFAHOOD, Stan Clark, StuckinnaBox, Torvoris Levar, and Keshay Jeffries. The exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 8:15am to 5pm.
Atlanta Freedom Bands will also be having a concert kicking off Pride week on October 2 from 3pm to 5pm at Westside Park’s Great Lawn. The MetroGnomes Stage Band will kick off the concert with swing and big band favorites, followed by a performance from the AFB Color Guard who will spin, toss, and twirl to heart-thumping music. Combined Concert and Marching Bands complete the show with a diverse program including film music, pop tunes, marches and more.
Other ELEVATE events include:
- The Sunset Carnavale is an interactive art experience using projection mapping technology. The event will include a performance by Moesha 13, an underground French icon who sings and DJs and produces a unique blend of rap, techno, Afro and Baile Funk; music by Junkanoo Band; tunes from Atlanta’s hottest DJs including Salah Ananse and DJ Kemit; live music by Djembe Jedi; carnival dancers; and performance artists such as aerialists, stilt walkers and cosplayers. This indoor and outdoor event will take place at Ali at Lakewood, 1800 Jonesboro Rd SE, September 25 from 6pm to 11 pm.
- Atlanta Art Week is a new initiative dedicated to showcasing arts and culture and bringing awareness to the contemporary art scene in Atlanta, with the goal of nurturing a stronger base for artists, art enthusiasts and collectors. This year’s event will consist of activations in over 20 galleries, museums, artist, and non-profit spaces where there will be exhibitions, tours, and panel discussions. ELEVATE: OPENS SPACES is partnering with Atlanta Art Week on their inaugural event which will take place from September 29 to October 2 at various times.
- “Come Together,” curated by Cat Eye Creative, will bring the city together for a collaborative community mural painting; a group art exhibition featuring work by Lucy Luckovich, Erin Nicole Henry, Manic Lawd and Andrew Munoz; artist talks; art education classes; and a block party! Events are all-inclusive and immersive and will take place in their indoor and outdoor galleries, 186 Mitchell St SW, from September 30 to October 2 at various times.
- “Color + the Body,” features poet, professor, and short story writer Opal Moore moderating five accomplished poets who will read original poetry and engage with an Atlanta audience in a creative conversation. The poetry and discussion will explore an aspect of science (physics) and the physicality of color through the body as conceptualized by artist Deanna Sirlin’s exhibition, Wavelength. The event will be recorded to share online with a global audience. Chastain Arts Center, 135 Chastain Park Ave NW, on October 1 from 2pm to 4 pm.
- Nathalie Stutzmann Conducts Beethoven’s Ninth with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The performance will be simulcast in Sifly Piazza. Outdoor seating will be available, and guests are invited to bring their own chairs, food, and beverages. Security will be provided. To reach symphony fans who can’t attend in person, the simulcast will be livestreamed and made available online post-concert through YouTube, social media, and the ASO’s website. Concert at Woodruff Art Center, 1280 Peachtree St NE, on October 8 at 8 pm.
For news and updates about ELEVATE 2022: OPEN SPACES, visit elevateatlart.com.