A new multi-use art and dance facility in Grant Park offers state-of-the-art dance studios, community spaces, and an arts preschool. (Photo courtesy of Junior Media)
Everybody’s talking about it. City Lights Collective, WABE’s art and culture radio program launched only three months ago following the retirement of City Lights with Lois Reitzes, has abruptly been canceled, citing federal budget cuts. ArtsATL’s own Executive Editor Shane Harrison was a weekly contributor to the program, which highlighted artists and creatives in Atlanta. Shawn Vinson, co-founder and director of The Sun ATL gallery on Edgewood, has launched a change.org petition to try to save this beloved weekday program from cancellation. The last episode of City Lights Collective will air on September 25.
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Grant Park will soon be home to a vibrant hub for a new dance and arts education complex. Neighborhood Ballet, Rise City Dance and Kidwonder Preschool for the Arts have teamed up to ideate a new complex in Marchon, adjacent to Oakland Cemetery, which will offer five state-of-the-art dance studios, a costume shop and community gathering space. The Neighborhood Ballet, founded by Rebecca Harman in 2017, has become a cornerstone of dance education for all ages, from toddlers to adults. Rise City Dance, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a pre-professional youth dance company and offers technical training, performances, assistantships for teachers, and workshops. Kidwonder Preschool for the Arts a new arts-integrated preschool founded in 2025, offers arts-based curriculum — including visual arts — performances and musical expression. “For me, the most fulfilling part is seeing our students and faculty step into this space and immediately feel at home,” said Harman. “My hope is that it becomes more than just a building — it becomes a beacon for creativity, a place where people can grow in confidence and artistry and where our community can gather through the shared experience of the arts.”
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Atlanta Art Week has appointed Aida Esi Hayfron-Benjamin as curator of special projects for the fourth annual Atlanta Art Week, taking place from October 3 through October 5. Hayfron-Benjamin, originally hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, now lives and works in Accra, Ghana. Her curatorial practice — which connects Caribbean and African fine art, architecture and design — has been informed by international residencies, global brand collaborations and university schooling in Miami, Florida. “Atlanta as a city has had many cultural connections with the happenings in the ‘Global South,’” said Hayfron-Benjamin in a statement. “As it develops into an American nexus of contemporary art, I am thrilled to bring my Afro-Caribbean heritage and sensibility to curating a special project for Atlanta Art Week 2025.”
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Atlanta Downtown and Dashboard have collaborated to present a new Art in the Park exhibition titled The Space Within as part of The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ annual art program ELEVATE. Plans include large-scale immersive installations that encourage wellness through soothing art experiences by Atlanta-based visual artists Lisa Li, Dana Haugaard and Ellex Swavoni. Additionally, The Grief House will install a wind phone, which is an unconnected phone booth that allows visitors to lift the receiver and speak words that were previously left unsaid, encouraging emotional growth through grief and loss.
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Looking Through A Sewn Sky by Rachel Hayes will remain on view at the Georgia Museum of Art through July 30. (Photo courtesy of Georgia Museum of Art)
The Georgia Museum of Art in Athens recently unveiled a new commissioned craft-based installation that incorporates sculpture, painting and craft. Looking Through A Sewn Sky by Rachel Hayes incorporates brightly colored fabrics and materials such as silk, polyester, nylon and tulle to create compositions that surround viewers with vibrant colors on the property. Hayes drew inspiration from pieces in the museum’s collection, notably Joan Mitchell’s Close, Sam Gilliam’s Patchwork/Terry and Frank Lloyd Wright’s windows.
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In late August, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution announced that it will cease print publication for good at the end of this year, planning to print its last physical edition on December 31. This news sent shockwaves through lovers of print media, both locally and further afield as it marks a significant shift toward digital-only journalism for this local institution that has published in print since 1868. Though this change has resulted in the elimination of around 30 full- and part-time employees, president and publisher Andrew Morse insisted that the move will provide a more sustainable future for the brand and for local journalism.
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At risk of closure, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival recently broadcast a fervent plea: It must raise $250,000 by November 1, or the festival will not return as scheduled in April of 2026. For nearly 90 years, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival has celebrated art, music and community through an annual free festival in Piedmont Park. Programming has traditionally included a robust artist market featuring more than 250 artists from across the country, live music performances, an international stage featuring cultural performances, the Atlanta High School Art Exhibition and a children’s area. A fundraising page on the Festival website shows that, so far, it has raised $43,078 toward its $250,000 goal through individual donations.
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In case you missed it — Moon Moon, a unique art amusement park featuring installations created by legendary artists such as Keith Haring, Salvador Dali and Jean-Michel Basquiat, has postponed its Atlanta debut. Originally slated for September 24, news broke this week that the opening date has been pushed back indefinitely. Ticket holders have received refunds for their purchases and rescheduled debut dates have not been announced as of this writing.
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