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New art in an old town
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The town of Madison, about an hour’s drive east of Atlanta, was described in the 1845 Guide to Georgia as “the most cultured and aristocratic town on the stagecoach route from Charleston to New Orleans.”
Today, it’s better known for its pre-Civil War homes and small-town ambiance. But art and culture appear to be on the upswing again. The three-year-old Madison Museum of Fine Art has a small but impressive collection of 19th and 20th century art, including a Calder tapestry that was safely removed from New York’s World Trade Center following the bombing in 1993. The Madison-Morgan Cultural Center has a national juried art show, interesting exhibits and a front lawn sculpture park.
Now, a Madison physician and his architect wife plan to transform a vacant former buggy factory (pictured above) into the town’s first contemporary art complex. The couple, Dr. Jorge Armenteros and Liselotte Johnsson, recently purchased the 12,000 square-foot building in downtown Madison. They plan a 5,000-square foot gallery that will represent regional and national artists “who aim to be innovative, fresh and sometimes daring within their field.” The complex also will have artist studios, art classes and a cafe with outdoor seating on an expanded upstairs porch. It will be interesting to see the result.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Visual arts
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By cinque
December 13, 2007 2:01 PM | Link to this
This seems potentially pretty cool. Makes me think of artified hinterland outposts such as Marfa, TX and Beacon, NY. Anyone know the timeline on this?
By itsme
December 14, 2007 6:36 AM | Link to this
This will be an excellent addition to an already lovely town.
By Liselott Johnsson
December 16, 2007 10:29 PM | Link to this
Dear Cinque, We plan to open the art complex early 2009. We plan to keep our website updated with any developments and we also plan to start some of the programming ahead of the opening. We are developing the web site right now and should be up and running at the end of January. You may count on this gallery to be at the forefront of contemorary art in the Southeast! We hope that you will come. Liselott