Midtown Alliance Announces First Cohort of Artists-in-Residence
Six artists have been selected for studio residencies in commercial properties via the district's Heart of the Arts program.
Published: 07/01/21
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Top row, left to right: Dr. Bojana Ginn, Jamaal Barber, Lillian Blades; bottom row, left to right: George Baker III, Jasmine Nicole Williams, Patricia Hernandez
ATLANTA – June 29, 2021 – Midtown Alliance and founding partners are pleased to announce the inaugural class for the Midtown Heart of the Arts Residency Program.
The goal of the program is to amplify the creative experience in Midtown and support the local arts economy. This phase will provide established visual artists with studio workspaces inside various commercial properties for one year, a $2,500 stipend and the opportunity to increase their audience .
Midtown Alliance held an open call for artist applications in March 2021 and received nearly 100 submissions. Six artists were chosen to receive studio space:
- George F. Baker III, muralist and painter
- Jamaal Barber, painter and printmaker
- Lillian Blades, mixed media artist
- Dr. Bojana Ginn, interdisciplinary science and technology-based artist
- Patricia Hernandez, muralist and painter
- Jasmine Nicole Williams, printmaker and muralist
“We are thrilled to welcome these artists into our community,” said Lauren Bohn, project manager of urban design and placemaking at Midtown Alliance. “In addition to their exceptional talent, these artists were chosen because we could really imagine them connecting with Midtown — engaging the community in their work and being an energizing presence in the district.”
The Heart of the Arts residencies are made possible through partnerships with Midtown property owners. Founding partners of the artist-in-residence program include:
- Atlanta History Center Midtown Campus on Crescent Avenue, Atlanta History Center
- Coda Tech Square’s Crum and Forster Building, Portman Holdings
- Peachtree Pointe, Dewberry Foundation
“We’re honored to help create a platform for these talented artists while providing thought provoking and aesthetically pleasing art for our community,” said Jaimie Dewberry, the director of the Dewberry Foundation. “At Dewberry Foundation, we believe that art is a vital part of any thriving community and we strive to highlight an array of artists in all of the projects we facilitate. Working with Midtown Alliance has been seamless; we truly value our partnership.”
Midtown is widely recognized for its commitment to the arts. The district is home to more than 50 public art installations and the largest concentration of arts and cultural venues in the Southeast. Heart of the Arts reinforced this commitment when it launched in December 2020 with seven temporary storefront installations that enriched the street-level experience.
In addition to bringing even more art to Midtown, the program’s residency phase seeks to deliver consistent and accessible opportunities for interaction. Arts-based programming will invite the public to participate in the creative process by taking art classes and becoming active collectors and patrons.
"Midtown has shown a propensity for putting the arts first and is a role model for the rest of the city in how to find cohesion between design and community,” said Baker, one of the new artists- in-residence. “I’m so thrilled to be a part of the Midtown Alliance artist residency program and I'm looking forward to collaborating with the community at-large to produce public art that’s as intentional as Midtown itself."
For more about the Heart of the Arts program visit MidtownATL.com/arts. Follow Midtown Alliance on Instagram (@Midtown_ATL), Facebook (@MidtownATL) and Twitter (@MidtownATL) with hashtag #MidtownATLarts for updates about the program.
