ELEVATE ATL | 2015 | F(OREVER) I L(OVE) ATLANTA

ANNUALLY HOSTED BY THE ATLANTA MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

T. Lang Dance- LIT: Variation #10- LIT explored the ritual movement of a ring shout re-imagined for the 21st century, performed by professional Atlanta-based dance artists and pre-professional dancers studying at Spelman college. The work spoke to the anticipation of reunification and uncertainty if prayers will be answered.

Curator Fahamu Pecou provided a guided tour of ELEVATE “Forever I Love Atlanta (FILA)”

Rising Consciousness – by Lionel Daniels- Local painter, Lionel Daniels live art performance painting historical images of Atlanta on canvas in Woodruff Park.

Bent Frequency- Music for a Captive Audience- This exhibit turned the newest downtown feature, The Atlanta Streetcar, into Atlanta’s first mobile performance venue. For 14 hours during ELEVATE 2015, musicians from Atlanta’s premiere contemporary music ensemble Bent Frequency occupied the street cars to give free concerts to riders for the duration of the loop route. These performances offered visitors, concertgoers and adventure seekers a unique sonic landscape.

The Art of Organized Noize Exhibition at Gallery 72: When Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Pat “Sleepy” Brown formed Organized Noize in the early 1990s, hip-hop was in the midst of a vicious (and ultimately fatal) bi-coastal turf war. While historically polarized between (North) East Coast rap artists and West Coast rap artists, Organized Noize completely changed the direction of hip-hop culture, its sounds and expression. This exhibition traced the legacy of Organized Noize and their Dungeon Family Collective (which includes Outkast, Goodie Mob, Joi, Slimm Cutta Calhoun, Big Rube and more) from their dirt-floor basements to stages around the world. The exhibition featured archival items from Organized Noize and the Dungeon Family including photographs, artwork, studio equipment, notebooks, costumes and more.

Balmori Associates- Meditation Room: Reflecting on the Horizon.

Evening Opening Block Party - Hosted by Emporer Searcy and featuring performances and installations by DJ Jelly, Speakerfoxx, JIVA, Max Hnery Woo, Bent-Frequency, and Wabi Sabi

Dance City Melting Pot – by Max Henry Woo Members of the Atlanta Dance World, Zulu Nation, and Jungle Boogie crew collaborated and battled against each other in a series of performances showcasing the history and culture of Atlanta’s original and adopted Hip-Hop dance styles.

2015

F(OREVER) I L(OVE) ATLANTA - F.I.L.A.

Operating under the theme F(orever) I L(ove) A(tl) – F.I.L.A., The goal of ELEVATE 2015 was to generate a heightened sense of pride in the city of Atlanta and what it offers to the nation and the world. ELEVATE 2015 produced a 9-day celebration of what makes Atlanta unique and special through visual art, performances, and events that showcase Atlanta – past, present, and future.

Inspired by its rise from the ashes of Sherman’s war campaign, Atlanta is represented by the phoenix. Today, she continues to reinvent herself. ELEVATE 2015 was a celebration of Atlanta, where she’s been, where she is now and where she is going!

The curator for ELEVATE 2015 was visual/performing artist and scholar Fahamu Pecou.

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