Atlanta Contemporary Art Center: a place of ideas
Published: May 12, 2009
Think art's no more than paintings on a wall or sculptures in a garden? You'll think again when you visit the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center — which presents art in a fresh, innovative and, yes, contemporary way.
First begun in 1973 as an outlet for several of Atlanta’s photographic artists seeking to display experimental work, the Contemporary (as it's affectionately called) still strives to provide artists of all media with a space where they can play with ideas and make a striking statement.
Today, the center’s focus draws visitors from the city, the suburbs and around the world. It hosts three primary programs: the gallery exhibits, the education and outreach program and, finally, the artist studio program.
Gallery exhibits change about every eight weeks — so there's always something new to charge your intellect. A May 2009 exhibit, for example, portrayed a rusty 1965 Ford Mustang suspended from the ceiling. Its removed V-8 engine resembled an animal seemingly walking away from the car in the “Morale Hazard” exhibit by Mark Wentzel.
Another gallery showcased nearly bare walls and a small television mounted on the wall over a map sketch. The monitor plays snippets of artist Nancy Popp’s street performances in which she climbs lights poles all over the world while the camera captures the reaction or non-reaction to her of passers-by.
The Contemporary’s Resource Room offers a space for education and outreach. School groups come to create their own artwork, while working artists come to study for a project by taking advantage of the mailings, books, periodicals and journals available about the international contemporary art scene.
Finally, the center offers individual low-cost studio space to artists in the Atlanta area. The program provides a sanctuary for artists looking to collaborate while maintaining a quiet place to work on their own.
The renovated warehouse on Means Street that houses the Contemporary creates as much of an artistic statement as the exhibits themselves. Industrial design and minimalistic lines make the space perfect for hosting parties, weddings, meetings and other events — both indoors and out.
For more information on membership, exhibits or rentals, click here.
- by Christine Foster, Atlanta Reporter for HelloMetro
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