Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs announces public art festival

The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs will host the ELEVATE public art festival in various locations in Downtown Atlanta from Oct. 14 through Oct. 21. Dubbed ELEVATE: Enlighten, the event seeks to provide a platform for artists and art professionals to share and exchange knowledge and experiences that have shaped their work. Participating artists will touch on issues surrounding the plight of veterans, issues of gentrification and the power of healing through art, while art professionals will lead panels and workshops about public art trends, the business of being an artist, and community empowered projects. All events are free and open to the public.

Highlights:

LEFT OUT art installation opening 4:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 14 at Gallery 72, 72 Marietta Street.

LEFT OUT uses found art, video filmed by soldiers from the battlefield, testimonials, interviews, poetry, and photos to help audiences internalize the experience of combat veterans in America. Carlos Thompson and Morgan Carlisle have created art based on their experiences of attaining “normalcy” after returning home from war.

Inner City Urban: Vine City. This exhibition of 30 photographs by Rose Smith will be seen on kiosks throughout Downtown Atlanta beginning on Oct. 14, including two kiosks in Broad Street Plaza.

This body of work is a photographic declaration significant to the lives of Black Americans and gentrification. It focuses on the common misperception of Black Americans narrated by the media and sheds light on a historic Atlanta neighborhood established in the 19th century.

Write a Haiku and Win Tickets to BOY. Enter our contest to win a pair of tickets to see the new play, BOY, on 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at Theatrical Outfit. The first 75 people to submit a haiku about Atlanta will win. Information: haley102.typeform.com/to/SGX6I2