The City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Public Art Program is seeking art for its temporary art program in central Atlanta. The art will be displayed in Hardy Ivy Park, a location in downtown Atlanta, for up to two years. Initiated in 2009, the temporary art program seeks to provide exposure to art and artists while providing cultural amenities in downtown Atlanta. Download the PDF for a complete detail on how to apply.
Last month, the Office of Cultural Affairs held its first public art scavenger hunt. Art enthusiasts from all over the city came out to support Atlanta and its renowned public art collection. Equipped with app in hand, players buzzed through downtown Atlanta for a chance to win coveted prizes that included original artwork by local street artist Evereman and visual artist Jessica Caldes, along with one of kind vintage Atlanta Jazz Festival takeaways. With over 30 players, the public art scavenger hunt was a great way for Atlantains to not only become familiar with this exciting new app feature but also gained little known knowledge about our city’s treasured art collection.
Shana Lee from Shana Was Here, was our first place winner and had this to say about the event:
Thank you again to all of our participants!
You can download the new Public Art App below:
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Artist Spotlight is a monthly highlight of the work, process and artists featured in the Office of Cultural Affair’s Public Art Registry. The Public Art Atlanta National Registry serves as the preferred list for soliciting artists for major and minor public art commissions and direct purchases of artworks for the City of Atlanta, while also serving as a qualified professional Public Artist list for additional commissioning agencies. Currently the Registry boasts full portfolios and resumes of over 300 professional public artists and is dedicated to expanding the scope of public artwork in Atlanta.
This month’s artist spotlight is Michi Meko
Bio
A skilled multidisciplinary artist and colorful personality that has established himself as a preeminent creative, with an uncanny ability to inspire an urbanized aesthetic that is innovative, challenging and thoughtful. The works allude to conditions both physical and psychological. His work is a proclamation of strength, perseverance and remembrance.
Michi is a creative mentor in the Fulton County Arts and Culture program Art@Work. Michi Meko has been an artist in residency at The Contemporary Arts Center Atlanta. Michi has been exhibited throughout the United States from Chicago to Art Basel. Meko has received a Dashboard Co-op Residency. Michi Meko has been nominated for an USA Artist Fellow and has been awarded an Idea Capital grant, A Flux Project grant, A Beltline Grant. Michi’s works have been commissioned and included in many private and corporate permanent collections Scion Toyota Motor Company, Red Bull, Project Alabama, King & Spalding, and the CW Network. Michi Meko’s works are represented by Alan Avery Art Co.
Interview With Michi Meko
Let’s start off with who you are and what type of work do you do?
Michi Meko I am a Multi-disciplinary artist. My working mediums exist in the painted, sculptural, and sound installations. I make narrative base works that involve personal histories while exploring southern culture and contemporary urban cultures and sub-cultures. I guess I’m a raconteur griot type. I am so interested in alternative ways of communicating mark making; this is what I call an Alabama Rough Touch Or A.R.T.
Your work is very much influenced by the broad cultural essence of the South, both in a contemporary and historical sense. In what way do you believe Atlanta’s own distinct Southern vernacular plays a role in your work? The work derives its Atlantaness from my participation and exploration of Atlanta’s contemporary urban sub culture. My works pulls some of its mark making language from Graffiti Writing and art vandalism. It’s also possible to read the works from the Atlanta music culture. I also continue to look back to go forward. History is an important part of my narrative, but I’m living in the now and communicate this through layers within the works. I try to find narratives that can exist as history but have this futuristic outlook. I am interested in the cities gray areas. These are the areas like Ponce, Boulevard and Monroe. These areas are heavily layered interactions much like my work and the functions of my studio practice.
Do you think that if you lived in a location other than the Southern United States, that this context would change any, or do you believe that your southern upbringing has planted a permanent seed in your observations as an artist and the topics you choose to tackle? I can never not be who I am, that’s the beauty of cultures. We have to be ourselves and operate accordingly embracing and celebrating our cultures’. The failure to embrace cultures also appears in my work. Cultures can be influenced by outside forces and experiences which can and will make the artist grow and question them and their practice. Travel and reading helps a lot with gaining new perspectives. If I travel yes, the work will change but the early influence of my experiences will all ways be within the artist.
Tell us a little about the objects that you use in your work. Do you respond first to the object itself, and then deal with the cultural implications of the materials or do you first decide on the story and then let the objects surface as you piece together the narrative? For me, it’s important to form a relationship with my objects. I have a route that I travel to gather my objects from certain neighborhoods. Once I gather, I began to sit with the objects and have a conversation. For me, it’s not a random put something here or here and hopes for a good piece. It’s a process and it’s thoughtful and made too look effortless and random but, it is ritual in many ways. It’s during this process is where the spirituality and magic may or may not seep into the works. After this process the objects honestly arrange themselves. We have had our conversations and it’s time to apply it within the process of object making. I also look for objects that have a loaded history or a perceived history. Plus a good sense of art history, street histories , philosophy and design also helps.
In which ways do you believe the public has an impact on your work?
Public art is important for me because I enjoy seeing the works along my routes of travel in the city. They offer a moment of reflection a chance to escape the city and question the city at once. It adds flavor to the city. I also enjoy the works because I know some artist has gotten funding for their project and that gives them life and me as well. Like hey maybe one day I can create a big sculpture in the city.
How important is art funding for you as a working artist? Art funding is the start to developing a practice that one can truly began to realize projects without cutting corners. It’s hard to maintain a studio practice and the funding can help relieve some of the stressors. It provides life to scene and the city. More artist will continue to stay in the city instead of moving to more art friendly cities. Without the funding we loose the flavor of the city and that’s the artist.
What other projects or exhibitions do you have planned in the coming year that you are really excited about? I recently received representation by Alan Avery Art Company in Buckhead; I will be having a solo show with Alan Avery in July. I’m nervous and super stoked at the same time by this opportunity and hope it will lead to more projects. I am also on schedule to go to Detroit to produce a huge project. I will be traveling down to Florida for a project as well. I want to get back in the streets this summer for fun after my solo and commissions to crush some public walls. I will be continuing to do beach travels and grow my Cast Iron Cruise Line skillet boats photography project, I have some ideas for sound projects involving marching bands, mass choirs, and preachers that I would like to get funded as well. I will be fishing a lot too. I am also determined to complete a project that I fell behind on so I have to complete that obligation because I feel really bad about the slow follow through. I guess I’m just looking forward to being busy.
For More on Michi’s Work Click Here
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Mayor’s Office of Communications
55 Trinity Avenue, Suite 2500 • Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Anne Torres, Director
404-330-6423, office
404-904-2618, cell
amtorres@atlantaga.gov
Jenna Garland, Press Secretary
404-330-6612, office
404-357-5579, cell
jgarland@atlantaga.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 5, 2015
News Release
City of Atlanta Selected as a Finalist in the Running to Receive Up to $1 Million from Bloomberg Philanthropies for Public Art that Addresses Civic Topics
237 U.S. Cities Applied from 45 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico
ATLANTA – The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs today announced that Bloomberg Philanthropies has selected the City of Atlanta as a finalist in the running to receive up to $1 million as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, a new program aimed at supporting temporary public art projects that engage communities, enhance creativity, and enrich the vibrancy of cities. The City of Atlanta, along with eleven other cities, has been invited to submit a full proposal.
In late 2014, Bloomberg Philanthropies invited mayors of U.S. cities with 30,000 residents or more to submit proposals for innovative temporary public art projects that address a civic concern, and demonstrate close collaboration between artists or arts organizations and city government. More than 230 cities submitted proposals for consideration in the Public Art Challenge, representing 68 million residents across the United States.
Proposals cover a range of areas, including revitalization of decayed downtown areas, underutilized waterfronts, and vacant neighborhoods. They also address other social themes including civil rights, neighborhood safety, environmental sustainability, and promoting city identity. Submissions were evaluated on their potential viability as dynamic public art projects, capacity to establish or strengthen public-private partnerships, inclusion of strong audience engagement strategies, and commitment to evaluating outcomes and impact on the host city.
“We are proud that Atlanta was selected as a finalist for the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “The City of Atlanta understands that the arts play an essential role in defining the cultural vitality of our city and has made it a priority to create new programs and arts opportunities for Atlanta residents.”
The City of Atlanta submitted a proposal to activate Freedom Park, a 200-acre public park located in the heart of Atlanta’s civil rights district, through interactive installations of art. A series of colorful glass arches designed by artist Xenobia Bailey would be installed throughout the park along with calls to action that invite viewers to initiate conversations about freedom. Four local artists will be invited to develop art projects that highlight Atlanta’s legacy of advancing freedom, encouraging interaction among viewers, and promoting dialogue about contemporary civil rights issues.
Cities of all sizes applied: nearly 50% of the 237 submissions were from cities with populations between 30,000 and 100,000, 38% had populations between 100,000 and 500,000, and 13% of the applicant cities had over 500,000 residents. A variety of artistic disciplines were represented amongst the applications: 61% of the proposed public art projects involved visual art, 19% combined multiple disciplines, 17% featured digital media, and 3% were performing art projects.
The Public Art Challenge grant will cover development, execution and project related expenditures but will not fund 100% of project costs. The grant is intended to provide catalytic funds as part of a strong, committed consortium of supporters. At least three winning cities will be selected in May to execute their projects over a maximum of 24 months. More information about the Public Art Challenge can be found on http://www.bloomberg.org/program/arts/public-art-challenge/.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ mission is to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Public Health, Environment, Education, Government Innovation and the Arts. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2014, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $462 million. For more information on the philanthropy, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.
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For more information about the City of Atlanta, please visit http://www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26. Follow the City of Atlanta on Facebook and Twitter @CityofAtlanta. Follow Mayor Reed on Facebook and Twitter @Kasim Reed
In celebration of the city Of Atlanta’s new public art app, The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs is hosting its first Public Art Scavenger Hunt! The hunt will take place March 9th – 16th. Locate all of the clues to win amazing prizes like original artwork, vintage posters and more! There will be a 1st place, 2nd place and 3rd place winner at the end of the race. Players are also encouraged to use the new Atlanta Streetcar for getting around downtown. Find the answers by scrolling through the piece descriptions.
Download the Atlanta Public Art Tour app here:
Visit our social media pages here:
Rules for the HUNT
1.Players must download the Public Art App to participate- Download by going to your app store and searching for Atlanta Art Tour
2 .Players must follow Public Art Atlanta’s twitter, instagram and facebook accounts.
3.Participants must Twitpic and instagram images of guesses using hashtags #AtlArtApp and @OCAPublicArt at the end of their posts
4.The image must feature image of the artwork and the player
5.Player must show proof of images at last location of the hunt
6.Scavenger hunt will take place during the above mentioned time
7.Artworks can be captured using a cell phone, point-and-shoot camera, or video
8. Players can walk, run, bike, skate or take the streetcar to find the locations
More Details on our Facebook Page