Arts & Events

Photos: Burna Boy performs at State Farm Arena

Photos: Burna Boy performs at State Farm Arena

Nigerian singer and songwriter Burna Boy brought his I Told Them tour to a sold-out State Farm Arena on March 9.
Genius: MLK/X showrunners speak on behind-the-scenes motivations and how filming in Atlanta helped the show

Genius: MLK/X showrunners on behind-the-scenes motivations and how filming in Atlanta helped the show

While previous seasons of National Geographic's Genius series told the story of just one person, the most recent season, MLK/X, parallels and contrasts the life journeys of two iconic Black leaders: Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Here, showrunners Raphael Jackson Jr. and Damione Macedon discuss creating the series and filming in Atlanta.
5 of the most Atlanta moments in RuPaul's new memoir

5 of the most Atlanta moments in RuPaul’s new memoir

12-time Emmy-winning global drag superstar RuPaul fondly recalls his star-making days in Atlanta in the late 1970s and early 80s in his new memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings, released this week. Here are five of the most Atlanta-centric moments recounted in the new book.
Photos: Billy Strings performs at State Farm Arena

Photos: Billy Strings performs at State Farm Arena

Guitarist and bluegrass musician Billy Strings closed out his Winter Tour with two sold-out shows at State Farm Arena on March 1 and 2.
The Atlanta Center for Photography takes flight

The Atlanta Center for Photography takes flight

Atlanta Celebrates Photography has recently reinvented itself, moving away from its focus on the signature festival. Rebranding as the Atlanta Center for Photography, the reimagined organization will feature a more year-round approach.
Photos: Jon Batiste performs at the Tabernacle March 2024

Photos: Jon Batiste performs at the Tabernacle

Jon Batiste and his band played to a sold-out Tabernacle crowd on March 3 as part of his Uneasy Tour.

The Balloon Museum at Pullman Yards will blow you away. What to know before you go.

Designed to be immersive, the family-friendly museum takes about an hour and a half to fully experience. Each exhibit is different, with art ranging from black-lit, anime-style punching bags to bubbles that emit smoke when they pop to humongous suspended inner tubes that change height. It’s a series of captivating displays that use sound and movement, as well as texture and color, to garner attention. Here's what to know before you go.
2024 marks the rise of the independent Atlanta artist

2024 marks the rise of the independent Atlanta artist

I'm not sure who created the term artrepreneur, but it characterizes the Atlanta art scene very well. I am declaring 2024 year the rise of the independent, self-producing artist. 
BlackCatTips

BlackCatTips is painting at the corner of street art and folk art

“I don’t think I’ve ever done an interview while sitting on a bucket,” Kyle Brooks, also known as the artist BlackCatTips, muses while sitting on a blue plastic painter’s bucket. It’s a sunny afternoon in Virginia-Highland, and Brooks has begun painting a mural outside Ash Coffee. The cafe-meets-knickknack-shop opened just a few days ago and is already bustling. On the concrete wall outside, Brooks has completed a large white circle, where the cafe’s red logo will go. Next, he’ll add an abundance of whimsical, colorful characters: some mountains, some mushrooms, some faces of fanciful and unknown origin.

Things to do

Travel Georgia: Springtime events, festivals, and destinations around the state

A selection of fun ways to celebrate the season, including trips to must-visit museums and a getaway to Macon.

The Balloon Museum at Pullman Yards will blow you away. What to know before you go.

Designed to be immersive, the family-friendly museum takes about an hour and a half to fully experience. Each exhibit is different, with art ranging from black-lit, anime-style punching bags to bubbles that emit smoke when they pop to humongous suspended inner tubes that change height. It’s a series of captivating displays that use sound and movement, as well as texture and color, to garner attention. Here's what to know before you go.
Love Y’all Book Fest bring 67 romance authors to Atlanta

Love Y’all Book Fest brings 67 romance authors to Atlanta

Fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, second chance—these are just some of the romance tropes authors must defend in Battle of the Tropes. It’s part of the first-ever Love Y’all Book Fest, where hundreds of readers descend upon Decatur’s Courtyard Marriott for romance author panels, signings, keynotes, and even exclusive meet-and-greets from February 16-18.

Theater

2024 marks the rise of the independent Atlanta artist

2024 marks the rise of the independent Atlanta artist

I'm not sure who created the term artrepreneur, but it characterizes the Atlanta art scene very well. I am declaring 2024 year the rise of the independent, self-producing artist. 
What do Atlanta Ballet dancers eat?

What do Atlanta Ballet dancers eat?

Most professional athletes adhere to strict meal plans. NBA and NFL players rely on chefs and meal coaches who guide their day-to-day nutrition. Ballet is one of the most athletic art forms, yet even the most prestigious dance programs don’t employ personal chefs.
Atlanta Ballet begins to diversify

How the Atlanta Ballet is working to become more diverse

Seven months into his tenure as executive director of Atlanta Ballet, Tom West saw a line item on the pay scale that didn’t seem right. Dancers entering the company under its apprentice program were paid less than $500 a week. Company leaders noted that apprenticeships are standard practice in the field. But the low-paying program was one of several barriers faced by young dancers from historically underrepresented communities—the very dancers Atlanta Ballet has struggled to attract. Atlanta’s population is close to 50 percent Black, and until recently, Atlanta Ballet’s roster had only a token few Black artists.

Visual Arts

The Atlanta Center for Photography takes flight

The Atlanta Center for Photography takes flight

Atlanta Celebrates Photography has recently reinvented itself, moving away from its focus on the signature festival. Rebranding as the Atlanta Center for Photography, the reimagined organization will feature a more year-round approach.
2024 marks the rise of the independent Atlanta artist

2024 marks the rise of the independent Atlanta artist

I'm not sure who created the term artrepreneur, but it characterizes the Atlanta art scene very well. I am declaring 2024 year the rise of the independent, self-producing artist. 
BlackCatTips

BlackCatTips is painting at the corner of street art and folk art

“I don’t think I’ve ever done an interview while sitting on a bucket,” Kyle Brooks, also known as the artist BlackCatTips, muses while sitting on a blue plastic painter’s bucket. It’s a sunny afternoon in Virginia-Highland, and Brooks has begun painting a mural outside Ash Coffee. The cafe-meets-knickknack-shop opened just a few days ago and is already bustling. On the concrete wall outside, Brooks has completed a large white circle, where the cafe’s red logo will go. Next, he’ll add an abundance of whimsical, colorful characters: some mountains, some mushrooms, some faces of fanciful and unknown origin.

Music

Photos: Billy Strings performs at State Farm Arena

Photos: Billy Strings performs at State Farm Arena

Guitarist and bluegrass musician Billy Strings closed out his Winter Tour with two sold-out shows at State Farm Arena on March 1 and 2.
Usher's Super Bowl performance is the halftime show Atlanta should have had

Usher’s Super Bowl performance is the halftime show Atlanta should have had

For the rest the world, this may have been Taylor Swift's Super Bowl but here in Atlanta, we weren't watching the game for Taylor, or Travis, or Brock Purdy, or Patrick Mahomes. No, we were watching the game for Usher, and not only did he not disappoint, he gave us the Super Bowl halftime show we deserved five years ago.
2024 Atlanta 500: Arts, Sports, & Entertainment

2024 Atlanta 500: Arts, Sports, & Entertainment

These are Atlanta's 500 most powerful leaders. We spent months consulting experts and sorting through nominations to get a list of the city's most influential people—from artists to chefs to philanthropists to sports coaches and corporate CEOs. In this section, we focus on arts, film, music, entertainment, and sports.

Film

Why we'll always need TCM

Why we’ll always need Turner Classic Movies

Like other creative enterprises that get national exposure but can be overlooked in their hometowns, Turner Classic Movies is a lodestar for fans of classic film that is sometimes taken for granted in Atlanta. The network’s film-purist canon of uncut, commercial-free movies, piped into American homes like cinematic catnip 24 hours a day, has made it a beloved binge-watch for top directors like Nancy Meyers, Alexander Payne, and Martin Scorsese.
2024 Atlanta 500: Arts, Sports, & Entertainment

2024 Atlanta 500: Arts, Sports, & Entertainment

These are Atlanta's 500 most powerful leaders. We spent months consulting experts and sorting through nominations to get a list of the city's most influential people—from artists to chefs to philanthropists to sports coaches and corporate CEOs. In this section, we focus on arts, film, music, entertainment, and sports.
A new documentary from the AJC chronicles Atlanta's hip-hop history

A new documentary from the AJC chronicles Atlanta’s hip-hop history

The 90-minute feature film, directed by Ryon and Tyson Horne and written by AJC journalists Ernie Suggs and DeAsia Paige, had its world premiere Thursday night at Center Stage theater in Midtown and began streaming on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s website on Friday. The doc features exclusive interviews with T.I.; Jermaine Dupri; Arrested Development; Goodie Mob; DMC of Run DMC; Lil Yachty; Atlanta mayors Andrew Young, Kasim Reed, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Andre Dickens; Sleepy Brown; DJ Toomp; and many others.