Uniting works from all past commissions with new photographs bySheila Pree Bright, Jim Goldberg and An-My Lê
Launched in 1996, the High Museum of Art’s renowned “Picturing the South” series supports contemporary photographers in creating new bodies of work inspired by the American South for the High’s collection, which is among the nation’s leading photography programs and has strength in work made in and about the region. To commemorate the series’ 25th anniversary, the High will present “Picturing the South: 25 Years” (Nov. 5, 2021-Feb. 6, 2022), which will bring together for the first time nearly 200 works from all the past commissions by artists including Dawoud Bey, Sally Mann and Richard Misrach and will debut new work by the latest photographers selected for the series, Sheila Pree Bright, Jim Goldberg and An-My Lê.
“The ‘Picturing the South’ commission and exhibition series is entirely unique among American museums for its longevity, commitment to place and diversity of artistic perspectives,” said Rand Suffolk, the High’s Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr., director. “For a quarter century, the series has called attention to the fabric of our shared experiences while concurrently highlighting what makes the South distinctive. We are thrilled to show the commissioned works collectively for the first time and to demonstrate how transformational ‘Picturing the South’ has been for the High and for the artists who’ve participated.”
Kevin W. Tucker, the High’s chief curator, added, “‘Picturing the South’ both reflects a rich legacy from the many artists represented through these commissions and acknowledges the High’s continuing dedication to collecting and exhibiting contemporary American photography.”
“Picturing the South” has produced a total of 16 extraordinary bodies of work, some of which have become iconic projects for the artists, including:
Sally Mann’s major shift from portraiture to exploring the complex terrain of the Southern landscape.
Dawoud Bey’s contemplative portraits of Atlanta high school students.
Richard Misrach’s 10-year study of the Mississippi River’s industrialized corridor known as “Cancer Alley.”
Alec Soth’s first photographs in what would become his remarkable series “Broken Manual.”
In addition to examples from those series, the exhibition will feature works from each of the other completed commissions by Kael Alford, Debbie Fleming Caffery, Emmet Gowin, Alex Harris, Shane Lavalette, Abelardo Morell, Martin Parr, Mark Steinmetz and Alex Webb.
The new commissions by Bright, Goldberg and Lê each will shed light on prevailing themes and movements in the South, including racial and national identity. Bright’s mysterious black-and-white photographs of Stone Mountain, a public recreation area that surrounds the largest monument to the Confederacy, scrutinize the literal and figurative marks that the region’s history of white supremacy has left on the land. Goldberg explores expressions of contemporary dynamics of racial identity in the South, with a particular eye to how notions of whiteness are articulated in a society that regularly assumes it as the default American identity. Lê’s photographs center on the social unrest that has emerged across the country, including protests in Washington, D.C.
“The ‘Picturing the South’ photographs address broad themes, from the legacy of slavery and racial justice to the social implications of the evolving landscape and the distinct and diverse character of the region’s people,” said Gregory Harris, the High’s Donald and Marilyn Keough Family curator of photography. “The works together tell a compelling story of the contemporary South and will offer audiences a unique opportunity to see the region through the lenses of some of the best photographers working today.”
To coincide with the exhibition, the High will publish digital resources for “Picturing the South: 25 Years” comprising artwork annotations and multimedia content, including a virtual tour, on an interactive online platform.
The exhibition will be presented in the Cousins Special Exhibition Galleries on the second level of the High’s Wieland Pavilion.
The 9th annual Atlanta Greek Film Expo will showcase five critically acclaimed Greek feature films (all with English subtitles) and four short films on October 25–27 at the iconic Tara Theatre on Cheshire Bridge Road.
With the goal of elevating and promoting Hellenic (Greek) culture and arts in Atlanta, the annual expo showcases some of the most dynamic, innovative and highly acclaimed films from Greece and Cypress.
One of the films showing at this year’s event, Murderess, is Greece’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Annual Academy Awards (which will air in 2025).
Free parking will be available at the venue each day of the expo. And the three-day event concludes with an open-to-the-public, celebratory closing reception at the Hellenic Center, located at 2500 Clairmont Road, NE.
Atlanta Greek Film Expo Schedule
Friday, October 25, 7 pm — Little Things That Went Wrong
This comedic drama is a clever and touching exploration of fatherhood, failure and redemption.
Saturday, October 26, 4 pm — Mary, Marianna, Maria
A documentary which chronicles the early years of Maria Callas in Greece, offering a rare and insightful look into her formative years.
Saturday, October 26, 7 pm — Murderess
This year’s Oscar entry for Greece offers a dark portrayal of moral and existential dilemmas, staying true to the literary masterpiece by Alexandros Papadiamantis.
Sunday, October 27, 2 pm — Guest Star
A satirical and engaging film that explores themes of fame, personal identity and the often absurd nature of public personas.
Sunday, October 27, 5 pm — The Last Taxi Driver
A gripping drama that delves into obsession, unfulfilled dreams and the hidden turmoil beneath a seemingly ordinary life.
Sunday, October 27, 7:30 pm —IT’S A WRAP Closing Reception
Eat, drink and celebrate in Greek style at the beautiful Hellenic Center!
Tickets and information
Ticket prices range from $10-$25 for the films and $45 for the closing reception. Special VIP and Film Lover packages are also available.
Local artist and Peachtree Corners resident, Amy Rader, will be part of the first-ever Atlanta Art Fair, being held at Pullman Yards October 3–6. The fair will feature local galleries, artists and curators alongside a variety of national programs and a dynamic series of public art projects and events presented at locations around town.
Aimed at amplifying local voices and acting as a platform for the city’s incredible creativity, the Atlanta Art Fair — the first major art fair of its kind in the city — will showcase a wide range of artistic styles and genres, including contemporary work, paintings, photography, live performances and innovative projects.
Represented by the esteemed Fay Gold Gallery, Rader will have several pieces on show at the Fay Gold Booth E07, something the artist is thrilled about, as her connection to Gold spans three decades.
“In 1993, while still in high school, I attended a summer arts program at Lagrange College,” Rader recalled. “We took a field trip to visit the top gallery in Atlanta — the Fay Gold Gallery. I stood in awe of the marvelous pieces on display … [Later] after years working with ad agencies for Fortune 500 clients, I was ready to leave my career in graphic design to pursue art full time. Showing my work at a gallery in Buckhead introduced me to Fay Gold 29 years after that visit in 1993. It was a full circle moment.”
A local legend
An Atlanta art legend, Fay Gold is best known for her groundbreaking exhibitions of artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cindy Sherman, Keith Haring, Andres Serrano and Robert Mapplethorpe.
She curated the formative years of Elton John’s personal art collection and raised $750,000 for the Elton John Aids Foundation by creating and chairing two art auctions for the organization. Over the years, she’s also worked with corporate clients and has received dozens of awards for her many contributions to the Atlanta art scene.
Fay Gold represented Rader’s work in a successful art show in 2022 followed by an art auction in 2023 and now at the Atlanta Art Fair in 2024.
A lifelong love of art
In love with art from an early age, Rader was encouraged by a high school teacher to apply to art school, which she did, receiving a scholarship from the Art Institute of Atlanta and graduating from the (now-closed) art school with the Best Portfolio Award. For the past 25+ years Rader has worked within the design and art fields, building an impressive body of work, with a particular focus on creating traditional art and large-scale pieces for hospitality spaces.
Her work can be seen in galleries, private collections, luxury buildings, restaurants and more, including the Buckhead Art & Company Gallery, The Hue Midtown and Chops restaurant in Buckhead.
According to her website, Rader’s notable accomplishments include “being selected to represented Tesla and Microsoft at Art Basel, commissioned work for a new Lake Nona project with Tavistock, creating custom pieces for two $140 million luxury Related Group buildings and commissioned work for NorwegianCruise Line’s new Prima ships.”
Rader is especially excited about the Atlanta Art Fair — not just being part of it, but the fact that it’s happening at all.
“This is such a big deal for the arts community,” said Rader. “The Art Fair is a wonderful addition to Atlanta’s cultural offerings. I’m describing it as our very own ‘Art Basel’ level fair, with both national and international galleries. We are used to art festivals, but this is a different caliber of event by the producers behind the San Francisco Art Fair, Seattle Art Fair and Art on Paper New York.”
The details
The Atlanta Art Fair takes place at Pullman Yards and other venues throughout the city, October 3–6. Schedules, artist lists, tickets and additional information can be found online at theatlantaartfair.com.
Three-day gaming lifestyle festival brings best of gaming, tabletop roleplaying, indies, music, esports and cosplay to the Big Peach
DreamHack (ESL FACEIT Group’s international gaming lifestyle festival) has announced exciting new guests and programming taking place at this year’s DreamHack Atlanta, October 4–6 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
Brennan Lee Mulligan returns to DreamHack alongside the festival’s largest-ever Dungeons & Dragons area. World-class creators, including DrLupo, and the Atlanta debut of the Drag & Drop cosplay drag show hosted by local performer Biqtch Puddin’ are also on the schedule.
“DreamHack features the best of gaming culture from all over the world right here in Atlanta,” said Guy Blomberg, director of festivals, North America, DreamHack. “We’re bringing the best global talent and highlighting local developers, streamers, performers and storytellers to create a celebration of everything to do with gaming.”
Over 20 of the biggest names from Dimension 20, Critical Roll, Lynvannder and more expand DreamHack’s roleplaying offerings
Following his DreamHack debut this summer, Dropout’s resident Dungeon Master Brennan Lee Mulligan returns to DreamHack with an all-star cast of adventurers. Joined by Zac Oyama, Erika Ishii, Anjali BhimaniandAliza Pearl, the party will explore an all-new one-shot adventure designed specifically for DreamHack Atlanta.
Fans can also step into the Tabletop Tavern, a dedicated stage for live roleplaying game content presented in partnership with Lynnvander. Veteran storytellers, writers and actors will join forces for a slew of custom adventures. Special guests include worldbuilder and dungeon master Jasmine Bhullar, writer and actress Rekha Shankar, game designer and writer Keith Baker, voice actress Mela Lee and many more.
The LEGO Group makes DreamHack Atlanta debut with all-new Builders Zone
DreamHack guests can expand on the games they know and love through the unlimited creative opportunities of LEGO®️ bricks at DreamHack Atlanta’s all-new Builders Zone, sponsored by the LEGO Group. Attendees can participate in gaming-themed make-and-take builds, contribute to the LEGO brick-built mystery mural on-site or even participate in DreamHack Quests for a chance to take home new LEGO sets. DreamHack will also invite creators to the Main Stage for a competition to celebrate gamers’ creative LEGO builds at the festival — with special guests to be announced.
DreamHack Atlanta hosts largest-ever Indie Playground and Artist Alley
DreamHack’s Indie Playground and Artist Alley will have their largest footprints yet, with 60 game developers as well as 60 more independent artists — almost half of which are Atlanta locals. In addition to exploring booths, guests can participate in the Artist Alley Stamp Rally, trade unique pins at the pin swap board, trick-or-treat with vendors and get hands-on with up-and-coming video games. Both the Artist Alley and Indie Playground are open to all guests daily from 12 to 6 p.m.
Drag & Drop cosplay drag show returns with Atlanta debut
Drag & Drop, the festival’s flagship cosplay drag show, will return after its debut at DreamHack Dallas. Hosted by Emmy-nominated artist Biqtch Puddin’, the show will feature a host of new nerdy performances and performers who slay video game bosses, and looks. Participating artists include Brigitte Bidet, LaZanya Ontré, Dotte Com and more.
Drag & Drop complements a full weekend of cosplay programming for attendees. The festival’s cosplay competition on Saturday, will be judged by an all-star cast of professional cosplayers, including Atlanta-native Pumpkin.Pixie.Princess and host Jahara Jayde.
DreamHack Atlanta sets record with over 500 creator guests, including Jake Lucky, bbjess and more
This year’s DreamHack Atlanta will host the largest creator cohort ever for a DreamHack Atlanta festival, with over 500 local and national influencers onsite. After receiving a record-setting number of applications, DreamHack Atlanta’s host of content creators will participate in Main Stage competitions, host meet & greets with fans and stream live from DreamHack’s Creator Hub. Top guests include Main Stage emcee bbjess, creator interview experts Jake Lucky and HUN2R, veteran streamers DrLupo (hosted in partnership with Anthros) and Amouranth and more.
Georgia FIRST Robotics brings local high schoolers to DreamHack for STEM showcase
Georgia high school students from across the state will take part in Georgia FIRST Robotics’ interactive showcase live at DreamHack Atlanta. The program requires students and their peers to collaborate on creating their own industrial-size robots to go head-to-head in challenging field games. Students are behind it all — from raising funds to designing their teams’ brand to building and piloting their robots — and the festival’s showcase will highlight the work that goes into making these high-tech machinations.
DreamHack Atlanta takes place at the Georgia World Congress Center on October 4–6
For more information on competitions at DreamHack Atlanta — including world-class esports tournaments, grassroots competition in the Freeplay area, cosplay contests and more —click here.
Tickets are still available and start at $45 for a single day or $109 for three-day access.