Responding to the physical, emotional and economic challenges that communities of color have faced during the last two years, an innovative project that combines the arts and social activism with transportation is set to roll through MARTA beginning in late August or early September and continuing through November.
The NEXT Movement — a platform dedicated to showcasing the city’s aspiring artists of color in the visual, musical, and literary arts as a tool of social activism — has partnered with MARTA to offer a way to heal individual experiences through art. Inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, NEXT Atlanta was founded in 2008 by Faith Carmichael and a group of fellow artists and activists to showcase some of the city’s most vibrant and promising arts and to foster social change.
The multiplatform arts and social action campaign will showcase five of the city’s leading art activists to tell the stories of how their communities have been affected by the pandemic and racial injustice in the world through poetry, song and art.
“Atlanta has amazing artists and they all don’t get the sort of visibility and expression that they deserve,” said Carmichael, executive director of NEXT Atlanta. “This is something our community needs, but it’s also something that allows us to give voice to these incredible artists of color on such a very public and high visibility platform that touches way more people than could happen into just a single event.”
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
The campaign includes a poster series that will be displayed on digital billboards throughout the city’s MARTA stations across the city and on partner social media platforms, with portraits of the artists alongside their work. Later in the fall, there will be an art salon that will showcase the work of the artists at the High Museum. As Carmichael puts it, it’s “almost like a citywide digital exhibit.”
“MARTA connects people. If the artists NEXT supports are the heart of the community, MARTA and its Artbound program is the bloodstream,” Carmichael said. “Through this collaboration, both of our organizations are able to amplify Atlanta artists while engaging Atlantans around the issues that affect us most.”
Inspired by NPR’s “Tiny Desk” performances, the artists filmed “Tiny Train” performances on empty train cars on Tuesday, July 12, with project collaborator Las Palmas Studio. Those will be rolling out on social media and websites in the fall, too.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Artists and musicians include poet Jon Goode; cellist Okorie “OkCello,” Johnson; composer, pianist, and vocalist CC Sunchild; author and poet Carlos Andres Gomez; and visual artist Melissa Mitchell.
“Artists have a unique ability to bring healing and inspiration to communities, and I want The NEXT Movement to be a way where artists in our communities are able to take a leadership role in bringing that healing and that inspiration to our community when we need it most,” said Carmichael.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Photo exhibit/poster series: Portraits shot by photographer Steve West and inspirational messages from each participating artist. These are slated to run this fall on MARTA digital platforms throughout the city. These messages will give voice to this current moment and explore answers to the question of ‘Where do we go, next?” as a city and a community.
Virtual concert series performances: Commissioned artwork from each of the five artists (ala the “Tiny Desk” NPR concerts) on a MARTA train. Each performance will reflect on the theme of the campaign and be filmed and produced for streaming on the digital platforms of NEXT, MARTA and others.
High Museum salon event and performances: The project culminates with an art salon featuring the commissioned work of each of the five artists, to be held at the High Museum in late 2022.
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