EIGHT: Members of the Westside Arts District
The newly christened Westside Arts District will host its inaugural gallery walk Sat., Feb. 28, in what may become a monthly routine. Scheduled events begin at 11 a.m. at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center, and continue throughout the day at seven other WAD locations along Howell Mill and Marietta Street.
“We’re trying to introduce people to the idea that there is a growing arts district in this part of town, and that we are all located within walking distance,” comments Lloyd Benjamin, owner/operator of Get This! Gallery. “This will be a different type of art walk. It’s during the daytime, and one focus point will be on special events. We hope the viewer walks away from the afternoon more informed about the shows they have just seen, along with having enjoyed the neighborhood and all it has to offer.”
So, does WAD represent a long-term shift in Atlanta’s physical and cultural development? Benjamin’s Get This! and next-door neighbor Saltworks — both recent transplants from other Atlanta neighborhoods — continue a trend since late 2006 of new galleries opening or reopening on the Westside, including WAD members Kiang Gallery and Bobbe Gilles Gallery.
“If feels like it’s still growing,” says Emily Amy, the eponymous owner and director of Emily Amy Gallery, which opened just last year. “There may have been plans for forming something like [WAD] before, but no one ever really mentioned it. There are so many creative people working here, it just makes sense to establish some teamwork.”
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1) The Octopus Project plays Star Bar.
