Office of Cultural Affairs plans to Elevate downtown

The City of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs, the department responsible for programs like the Cyclorama and the Atlanta Jazz Festival, is backing an ambitious, two-month-long public art exhibition, Elevate, set in the center of downtown. Courtney Hammond, the project coordinator for Elevate, wrote CL earlier this week to fill us in on some of the ideas behind the project:

Elevate was born out a slice of the Office of Cultural affairs mission: to enhance areas of the city buy using art and culture as a vehicle for growth and change. Elevate is funded in partial by the Office of Cultural Affairs via the Percent for Art Program. Some forward thinking minds here at the city’s public art program saw this funding as an opportunity for an even greater endeavor for the downtown district of Atlanta and thus, Elevate lives.

Often there are complaints about not being able to take advantage of public transportation due to its lack of convenience. And so, Elevate is located in the surrounding areas of Five Points Marta station. The project area includes pedestrian friendly corridors, public parks and glass store fronts. Physically, the opportunity for a cultural district, a pipe dream of Elevate, is there. Residents and visitors need a reason to experience it and see the area’s inherent culture and ultimate potential. We wish for them to explore their city and interact with the downtown experience. By engaging the public to participate in performances, installations and artworks in an urban environment such as this, Elevate believes that it will build consciousness to the importance of supporting the art community, a strong cultural center and vibrant downtown, essential concepts in growing and developed cities.

Hammond, better known for her work co-founding Dashboard Co-Op, is currently working with a panel that includes some the sharpest minds in Atlanta’s art scene, Susan Bridges of Whitespace and Ben Goldman of Kibbee among them, to review proposals for the project. Elevate will kick off on August 26 and run until October 30. You can keep up with developments on the Elevate blog and Facebook.