9 Atlanta arts stories chart arrivals, departures, other changes in 2025
Atlanta’s arts scene moved through multiple transitions in 2025. Here is a sampling of stories that made headlines.
Driskel Prize winner announced
In May, the High Museum of Art announced Alison Saar as the winner of the 2025 David C. Driskell Prize in African American Art and Art History. Saar is an acclaimed multidisciplinary Los Angeles-based artist whose artwork tells stories of the African American experience through sculpture, installation and mixed-media works.
Atlanta politician and civic leader Doug Shipman is moving from his role as Atlanta’s City Council president to take the position of president and CEO of South Arts, where he starts in January. It is one of six not-for-profit regional arts organizations funded by the National Endowment for the Arts to provide support to creatives through advocacy, funding, partnerships and collaborations.
Floyd Hall steps down from Atlanta Contemporary
Floyd Hall assumed the role of executive director of the major Atlanta visual arts institution in January 2024 and resigned, with no reason disclosed, in August 2025. That’s only 18 months, a short tenure especially in comparison to his predecessor, Veronica Hogan, who led Atlanta Contemporary for a decade. Former board chair Everett Long has been serving as Atlanta Contemporary’s interim executive director; a search for a permanent replacement is underway.
Lois Reitzes retires and is honored by the ASO
In March, WABE announced the retirement of beloved Atlanta broadcaster and arts advocate Lois Reitzes after a 45-year career at the station. For the last 10 years, Reitzes has been devoted to ” City Lights,” her regular program covering the arts and culture in Atlanta. But preceding ” City Lights” (and running alongside it) was Reitzes’ hosting of WABE’s broadcasts of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. At its May 29 performance, the ASO awarded Reitzes its rarest honor: a golden ticket good for premium seats at any of its performances.
City Lights Collective debuts, then is canceled
In April, WABE announced plans for the replacement for retiring host Lois Reitzes’ “City Lights.” The show, called ” The City Lights Collective,” launched on July 7. Unlike the earlier format, the new hourlong show included a list of contributors including ArtsATL Executive Editor Shane Harrison. In September, the show was abruptly canceled, with the station citing federal budget cuts. The last episode aired Sept. 25.
Price, who died on April 16 at 83, carved out a singular space in American theater. From 1985 to 2007, he served as playwright in residence at Atlanta’s 7 Stages Theatre, where he formed a prolific partnership with Director Del Hamilton. Together, they produced works that fused poetry, improvisation and historical storytelling into something completely new.
Andrew Houchins, associate artistic director of the Atlanta Shakespeare Company and a beloved actor, director and mentor to the Atlanta theater community, died Nov. 9 after a sudden, brief battle with metastatic gastroesophageal cancer. He was 45. Friends and colleagues remember his humor and kindness, his passion for education and Shakespeare and his love for his family.
DeKalb Symphony experiences changes
At a time when the organization was preparing for its new season, the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra navigated a challenging period of change following the dismissal of some of its members. Beginning June 6, Music Director and Conductor Dr. Paul Bhasin, hired in 2022, contacted a significant number of the approximately 60 musicians by email to inform them that they would not be invited back or would have to reaudition for the 2025-26 season. On a more positive note, the orchestra got a welcome venue upgrade this season and demonstrated newfound cohesion at its season-opening Nov. 4 concert at First Baptist Church of Decatur.
In the predawn hours of Nov. 12, raging flames overtook multiple artist spaces at South River Art Studios, a sprawling arts facility in DeKalb County. “There’s a lot of unknowns about what comes next,” sculptor Julia Hill said.
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