(Photo by Lorace Deen)

Which is unfortunate, because Wolf had kindly taken the time to explain the gallery’s decision to discontinue the visual-arts component, which concludes with Saturday’s fourth annual Vinyl Show of artistically rendered records.

When I offered Wolf the opportunity to help me clarify the comment, he offered this:

Atlanta is in a challenging arts situation right now. There is little public or private funding that is being distributed to local artists. The recent Idea Capital grant, which awarded one artist grant of $500, is a move in the right direction. Anyone who has been following the situation with the Percent for Arts knows that the City of Atlanta and the mayor have been failing the arts community, so to make up for this, the private community needs to step up and fill the holes.

For the record, the gallery will continue to run its record label, with some live-music events, as well as its film series “Cinemama!”

(Image courtesy Meshakai Wolf)

Here’s a favorite “online-only” back-and-forth that didn’t make it in the print version:

According to Wikipedia, and Wikipedia is never wrong: “The Westminster Schools is a private secondary school in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1951, Westminster has the largest endowment of any non-boarding secondary school in the United States.[1] The school’s expressed mission is ‘to develop the whole person for college and for life through excellent education.’” You now work for “The Daily Show.” Would you call yourself a ‘riches-to-rags’ story, then?
I’d say yes. All I can hope is that my story will inspire millions of would-be immigrants to give up and just stay in their country of origin.

And for those who are curious about Kutner’s work with the Shushan Channel, here’s a pee-in-pants promo for Jewno, their hilarious satire of Juno. Kudos for them to con J.K. Simmons (one of my fave character actors) into reprising his role as the dad.

(Photo courtesy Rob Kutner)

Atlanta has a pretty impressive punk-rock heritage that was nurtured in the Little Five Points scene of the 1980s and beyond, so it will be interesting to see what happens when children of parent punk-rockers (should they attend) come together over the next week and show their stuff on Saturday, July 19.

Local founder and director Stacey Singer should know; the former bassist for My Siamese Self and publicist for Indigo Girl Amy Ray’s Daemon Records, Singer volunteered at Girls Rock! camps in Portland, Ore., and Murfreesboro, Tenn. She also wrote her master’s thesis on the subject. “You’d be surprised what girls can accomplish with a little encouragement. When you show them that they can, they believe it and go for it,” Singer said in a press release. “It’s an amazing experience to see little girls on stage playing instruments as big as they are. And they don’t suck. … Adult musicians could learn a thing or two from girls’ rock camp campers.”

Girls’ Rock Camp (ATL) hopes to build on next week’s finale, having applied for nonprofit status with future programs in development, including Ladies’ Rock weekend workshops and after-school rehearsal spaces and band mentoring.

(Photo by Nicole Weingart)

With 18 features and 14 shorts at five venues over five days, the AUFF promises to be film-tastic, and other bad puns denoting cinematic fun.

The festival kicks off Aug. 20 at the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge with Greg Kohs’ feature Song Sung Blue, a documentary about husband-and-wife Neil Diamond tribute artists Lightning & Thunder.

Other, uh, diamonds on the schedule include, among others, Dan Lamoureux’s geeky hip-hop-umentary Nerdcore for Life and the 2008 Local Shorts showcase.

The AUFF all-access pass is only $35. That gets you into all of the screenings, parties and whatnot for less than a meal for two at Applebee’s. For the schedule, a full list of films and locations or to purchase tickets, visit the AUFF website.

(Photo courtesy Waitwhat Productions)

Executive Director Kay Kallos, who has led the organization since March 2007, has resigned, effective July 7, 2008, for personal reasons … To continue her good work, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Curator Stuart Horodner and Gallery Manager Stacie Lindner will take on expanded roles. As Artistic Director and Managing Director, respectively, Stuart and Stacie will assume expanded roles to include fundraising, board relations, facilities and financial management, and program oversight. Insuring continuity of mission during this transitional period, staff members Michelle Frost, Alana Wolf, and Stan Woodard will continue in their respective roles as Bookkeeper, Events Coordinator, and Communications Director.

After 35 years, the Contemporary has become one of Atlanta’s most important resources for the visual arts. The arts center took home two CL Best of Atlanta awards under Kallos’ direction in 2007 for Best Out-of-Town Guests (Daniel Bozhov and Greta Pratt; see review here) and Best Gallery for Kids (although welcoming to families, see Felicia Feaster’s review on its gritty fall 2007 exhibitions featuring Harrell Fletcher, Nubar Alexanian and the group show Finding Form).

(Photo courtesy Atlanta Contemporary Art Center)

For this year’s Best of Atlanta Raging Election edition, we are looking for independent voters to act as special CL critics. If your nominations are picked, YOU will be considered a CL critic and given the power to bestow a Critics Pick Best of Atlanta award for 2008. We are looking for picks in all categories, so send us a blurb about what you consider to be the Best of Atlanta and why. Send them to bestofatlanta@creativeloafing.com.

If you haven’t voted, what are you waiting for? And don’t forget to take our exit poll once you do!

We look forward to your nominations!

(Photo courtesy Atlanta Pride Committee)

PES’s fun food-related shorts are completely work safe and kid-friendly — which is more than you can say for his hilarious “Roof Sex,” which features furniture instead of food, as well as a killer punchline.