Best of Atlanta 2017: Arts & Leisure
Reason to play tourist: Senoia, Georgia
Take a 52-minute drive down I-85 to Senoia, where AMC films the hit TV show The Walking Dead, for the Touring Dead Walking Tour. You’ll travel the streets of Woodbury, visit the gate at Alexandria, and maybe even meet Rick, Carl, or Negan (or maybe just a drooling, decomposing extra).
Pre-gaming: Atlanta United Footie Mob
Sure, you can spend the time, money, and energy to create a tailgating spread. Or you can join the Footie Mob and delegate the job to one of the team’s sanctioned—though still slightly unofficial—fan clubs.
Fashion show: SCAD FASH
Since opening at the Savannah College of Art and Design’s Atlanta campus in 2015, SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film has staged retrospectives on Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera, as well as other lavish fashion exhibitions never before seen in the South.
Film booster: Christopher Escobar
The purchase of one historic building seems strikingly auspicious for Atlanta’s growing film community: Chris Escobar’s acquisition of the Plaza Theatre.
New dance troupe: Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre
Welcomed with a temporary home at the Westside Cultural Arts Center and a promised spot at Serenbe’s planned arts facility, Terminus debuted exstasis—Latin for “ecstasy” or “rapture”—to sold-out crowds in October.
Rising curator: Tracy Murrell
Since taking the helm of the Hammonds House Museum in 2013, Murrell has breathed new life into the West End arts center by pushing conversations about racial injustice and inequality. Murrell, an accomplished painter herself, is known for reaching out to younger artists.
Restful fest: Dirty South Yoga Fest
More than 25 classes from 48 of Atlanta’s favorite yoga instructors are on offer at this four-year-old summertime yoga festival.
New composer: Michael Kurth
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra has a long history of investing in new works by contemporary composers, but few are as breathtaking as the spectacles by the ASO’s own Michael Kurth.
Breakthrough artist: Cosmo Whyte
The adept Jamaican-born artist and Morehouse College lecturer explores themes of ancestral, generational, and personal identity through various mediums. His distinct talent and vision have earned him inclusion in Atlanta Contemporary’s most recent biennial, a nomination for the coveted Hudgens Prize, and exhibitions in South Africa, Miami, and France.
Hidden park: Lake Claire Community Land Trust
Meet an emu named Big Lou, visit a pond popular with turtles, and commune with free-range chickens in this park inside a residential neighborhood near Candler Park, hidden just steps away from busy DeKalb Avenue. Climb up to the lookout point for some great views.
Thrill ride: iFLY Atlanta
Ever wondered what it would be like to jump out of an airplane, but afraid to actually do it? Then indoor skydiving is for you. Experience the thrill of flight in a safe wind tunnel at this Cobb Parkway attraction.
Revamped attraction: Atlanta History Center
Everything old is new again at this renovated Buckhead stalwart, which now features a StoryCorps studio, a Souper Jenny outpost, and an expanded bookstore and gift shop. Bonus: The museum no longer prohibits event guests from sipping cocktails while visiting the exhibits.
Arts district we hope can survive: South Downtown
Starting in 2013, the glorified arts district centered around historic South Downtown has been home to some of the city’s most boundary-pushing creatives: upstart artist and underground rock champions Mammal Gallery; zine and cultural hub Murmur; and Eyedrum, the 20-year-old pioneer of Atlanta DIY culture.
Place for gamers to geek out: iSimu VR
Donkey Kong is no match for this immersive virtual reality experience in Duluth.
Debut album: Mattiel by Mattiel
The local singer’s “Whites of Their Eyes” was an instant sensation when its desert-set video—coproduced and coedited by local rock band Sealions’s Jason Travis—hit the internet like a heatwave in mid-July.
Indie comedy: Dottie, 1 A.M. Secret Show, and Ladie’s Night
Catch some of Atlanta’s most innovative comedy at these indie nights.
Neighborhood gem: Blue Heron Nature Preserve
This greenspace—which considers itself a “haven for nature in an urban environment”—dates back to the 1800s, when North Buckhead was home to the Creek Indians.