"My Mother's Clothes"

"My Mother’s Clothes", an exhibition at Jackson Fine Art, a photography gallery in Atlanta, features photography by Jeanette Montgomery Barron of the wardrobe of her mother, Atlanta socialite Eleanor Morgan Montgomery Atuk.

Barron began the project when Atuk was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Barron realized that when Atuk viewed photographs of her wardrobe, it jogged her memory and briefly brought her back from the degenerative disease. The combination of photographs and emotional value creates a “collection with a compelling narrative that explores the complex interstices between memory and the tactile, evoking a complete life through the objects that surrounded it.”

Barron began experimenting and selected specific backgrounds to make “a multi-layered snapshot of the past.” After Atuk passed away, Barron’s project became an even more moving collection. A publication of the pictures combines them with Barron’s written recollections of her mother.

Barron comments on her work: “I suppose this project started as my way of coping with the loss of one part of my mother, her memory, then, with the loss of my mother. It has helped me understand and appreciate her more, thankfully. Ultimately, this project is a love letter to my mother.”

"My Mother’s Clothes" is on view at Jackson Fine Art through next Wednesday, August 27. Click here to read an article on ArtsCriticATL.

Art on the BeltLine

The Atlanta BeltLine presents Art on the BeltLine: Atlanta’s New Public Place, the first art exhibition to be placed along the Atlanta BeltLine corridor. Art on the BeltLine will put more than 40 visual and performance art installations at various points along the historic 22-mile railroad corridor.

The exhibition is presented by U.S. Micro Corporation to highlight the Atlanta BeltLine project. The kickoff event will take place this Saturday, June 5 at 4 p.m. in Gordon White Park. The exhibition will continue through October and will be open to pedestrians and bicyclists. Brian Leary, CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) comments on the exhibition:

Art on the BeltLine’s dynamic installations and performances highlight the diverse and vibrant neighborhoods that surround the Atlanta BeltLine. The scale and quality of this project is a testament to the hard work and creativity of dozens of partners, volunteers and the amazing artists that have put their souls into this.

The Atlanta BeltLine is a $2.8 billion redevelopment project that will provide public parks, trails and transit along the historic 22-mile railroad corridor, which circles downtown Atlanta and connects many neighborhoods together. ABI was formed by the Atlanta Development Authority and is currently one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in the nation.

Summertime in the Gardens

Start your summer off right with a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden! The summertime is a great opportunity to visit the garden, with its lovely views of the city and the “Concerts in the Garden” series, which starts June 25. You can purchase tickets in the Garden Gift Shop or online at http://bit.ly/bX8F0b starting May 31, unless you are a Garden member, for whom tickets are already available.

While visiting the gardens, check out the “Blown Organics: The Glass of Cohn-Stone Studios” glass exhibition (May through October) featured throughout the new Edible Garden. These hand-blown glass sculptures are oversized replicas of their fellow fruits. From apples to peaches, these gems are sure to sparkle in the sun and shine in the rain. In their Bay-Area studio, artists Michael Cohn and Molly Stone get inspiration from their onsite Mediterranean/California style garden.

Please visit http://bit.ly/cTzha7 for more information on the exhibition and garden and for directions to the gardens. For information on Cohn-Stone Studios, visit http://bit.ly/bH6d6B.

Big Print Event!

Hello! My name is Margaret George and I am a new intern with the department of publications at the Georgia Museum of Art. I am a fourth-year Printmaking major in the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia, and I look forward to telling you about exciting events and news in the art world.

An inspiring event will take place this Saturday, May 15, 2010 at the Atlanta Printmakers Studio from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The idea is to make an impact with printmaking in a big way using an old steamroller to make large-scale woodcuts. With help from community art centers and local college students, the 4-by-8-foot woodblocks will be transferred to fabric banners and later hung around the city at food venues. As the theme of the event is "Deep-fried & Delicious: Big Plate Specials from the Deep South", the imagery represents the iconic food relating to southern culture such as fried chicken, Krispy Kreme Donuts and southern-style vegetables.

This family-fun event encourages people to watch, learn and even participate. Everyone is welcome, and if so inspired, you can also become a member of APS to continue your support and love of printmaking!

For more information and directions to the Metropolitan, location of APS, please visit http://bit.ly/bhW0Wm.

Public Art?

Head prep Todd Rivers snapped this photo while in Atlanta. Sure, the stick man doing a little dance with the wheelchaired figure could be a coincidence, put there by nature, but we like to think of it as guerrilla public art, carefully placed by a passerby for maximum aesthetic impact.

College Night at the High Museum of Art

Join your fellow college students in Atlanta this Saturday (September 12) from 7 to 11:59 p.m. for the first-ever college night held in the fall at the High Museum of Art. General admission is $18, students with valid I.D. pay $7, groups of 10 or more pay $5 per person and members get in free. Activities include: figure drawing in the contemporary galleries, craft workshops and a special, collaborative project called “Fundred” headed by Mel Chin. DJ Tabone, Tealights and Jimi Cravity will perform live, and there will be two screenings of the film “The City of Louvre.” If you haven’t seen the current installment of the Louvre-Atlanta exhibition, make sure you mark your calendar because this will be the last chance to see it before it leaves! For more details and parking information, visit http://bit.ly/mKjeL.