Heart Of The Arts Initiative Provides A Space For Artists To Create And Showcase Their Works In Midtown
Chiomma Hall painting her Heart of the Arts storefront exhibition at 90 Peachtree Place.
Midtown Alliance
Midtown Alliance connects artists to the community through its Heart of the Arts initiative. The first phase of the program launched last year when a small group of local artists created street-level exhibitions in vacant storefronts of midtown.
Now, the second phase is underway, with artist residencies.
“We’re creating space for artists to work in our neighborhood and really kind of trying to lower the barriers for artists to bring their creative work to our district, and importantly be a part of the midtown community,” Heart of the Arts program manager Lauren Bohn told “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes.
For her installation at 90 Peachtree Place, artist Melissa Huang painted a mural of herself and her sister laughing together. They haven’t seen each other since before the COVID-19 pandemic, but have found an ability to maintain their bond over Zoom and FaceTime.
“This mural was a way of celebrating the fact that we are still having this wonderful relationship that is now existing in a digital landscape,” Huang said.
Artist Kristan Woolford created a digital montage on display at 999 Peachtree Street. The piece, called “¢olor W@ve$,” as well as his entire body of work encourage a deeper understanding of Black experiences in America.
“‘¢olor W@ve$’ is all about representation, showing black bodies in a large-scale way, and not just showing them but showing them in a way that’s uplifting and even empowering,” Woolford said.
Artists interested in applying for the Heart of the Arts Studio Residency Program should apply by May 7. Resident artists will receive a 12-month studio term, $2,500 stipend, and opportunities to present their art publicly.
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