The ATL Arts Collective

✦ The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL, May 27, 2026
 
VAYNE's massive mural above Freedom Parkway is only visible from above, making it a true secret mural. (Photo by Art Rudick)
✦ Atlanta's Best Hidden Street Art ✦
Did you know that Atlanta is home to a massive graffiti installation that spans 655 feet long and 100 feet wide? Even more surprising: if you have ever driven down the John Lewis Freedom Parkway, you were likely within a few feet of the installation without even realizing it. Sometimes, the city's best street art is tucked away in secretive locations, completely hidden from the main roads. To find these hidden gems, you need an insider guide. Enter Arthur Rudick, the creator of the Atlanta Street Art Map and a regular contributor to ArtsATL. He has spent years tracking down the city's best-kept artistic secrets, and today he joins us to share exactly where to find Atlanta's most elusive murals. 
Artist Michael Jones (photo by Jasmine Hentschel)
✦ Making It Work with Gulch Magazine ✦
Gulch Magazine is a stunning, independent print publication dedicated entirely to the Atlanta visual art scene. Co-created by Jasmine Hentschel and EC Flamming, they just released their highly anticipated Volume 2. Jasmine joins us for this month’s edition of our Making it Work series, which investigates how local creatives build sustainable careers and avoid the "starving artist" trap. Today, Atlanta-based artist, art handler, and professional art installer Michael Jones steps up to offer invaluable conceptual career advice to young artists navigating the contemporary art market. 
Scattrbrain performing at their first headlining show at Drunken Unicorn. (Photo by Christian M Photography)
✦ Scattrbrain: The Ultimate Atlanta Alt-Rock & Rap Supergroup ✦
Get an exclusive inside look at Scattrbrain, the new Atlanta-based genre-bending project fusing rap and alternative rock. While Scattrbrain is a brand-new name on the scene, the powerhouse musicians behind it are industry veterans. The lineup features the critically acclaimed East Atlanta native rapper GRIP (famously signed to Eminem’s Shady Records) alongside core members of the platinum-selling indie rock band Grouplove and regional favorites Mallbangs. We dive into their upcoming debut album, Scattrbrain & the Unwavering Self-Doubt, dropping June 19. You can catch them at the historic 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia, on June 26 as part of the iconic ATHFest Music & Arts Festival. 
Pridgen and Coucheron (Photo by Mark Rainey)
✦ ArtsATL Best Bets for the Week ✦
ArtsATL Executive Editor Shane Harrison stops by to break down his top cultural picks for the week. This week’s curated mix includes eccentric and avant-garde performances at the Atlanta Fringe Festival, a chance to get weird with your favorite AL, and a must-see new contemporary group exhibition at the reimagined Goat Farm Arts Center in West Midtown. 
 
Special thanks to today’s sponsors:
The Atlanta Opera
Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University
 
Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.
Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come.  
Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 
The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 
Thank you for listening!
 
  
00:00:00 Rialto Center Season Announcement (Sponsor)
00:00:37 Show Intro & Host Welcome
00:01:57 Hidden Atlanta Street Art with Arthur Ruddick
00:12:40 Making It Work: Michael Jones (GULCH)
00:23:34 Scatterbrain — New Atlanta Supergroup
00:33:13 ArtsATL Best Bets with Shane Harrison
00:39:44 Next Week Preview & Final Sponsor

✦ Joel Byars ✦ Momocon ✦ Atlanta Jazz Festival ✦ Derrick Stroup ✦ Art News ✦ Best Bets ✦
 
Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective: Weekly Atlanta Arts Scene Roundup
 
Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL. This is your new home for stories from the local Atlanta arts and culture scene, with reporting from ArtsATL writers, conversations with local artists, and voices from across our creative community.
Each week, Kim Drobes will be joined by a rotating co-host: someone you may already know, or someone you’re about to be very glad you met.
And today… Joel Byars!
Joel Byars (photo by Joel Byars Connext Media)
✦This Week’s Featured Guest Co-host: Comedian Joel Byars
Comedian and podcaster, Joel Byars, has been voted Atlanta’s Best Clean Comedian. He’s also the host of the award-winning Hot Breath! Podcast, where he’s interviewed over 400 comedians, about their craft. Joel believes comedy is a way to bring people together, and he’s partnered with organizations like the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society to spread joy and laughter to those who need it most.
(courtesy of MomoCon)
✦MomoCon 2026: Anime, Gaming, and Animation in Downtown Atlanta
Momocon 2026 kicks off tomorrow, bringing together fans of anime, gaming, comics, and animation. The event turns downtown Atlanta into something almost cinematic with the unmistakable energy of people finding joy in the things they love most. Having grown steadily for over 2 decades, the convention attracted almost 60 thousand attendees last year. Arts Reporter Brittany Makins has more.
Atlanta Jazz Festival (photo by Terence Rushin)
✦ 49th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival at Piedmont Park
Memorial Day weekend in Atlanta belongs to Jazz. From May 23 through May 25, Piedmont Park will be the home of the 49th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival. At the center of it all is Adriane Jefferson, the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. She just celebrated her one-year anniversary in the role, and it’s clear she’s set on not just keeping the lights on, but elevating the entire house. Her first fully curated Jazz Fest lineup includes acts like the Roots and PJ Morton and aims to draw music lovers from across the region to experience the latest and greatest in jazz culture. 
Derrick Stroup (Photo by Todd Owyoung NBC)
✦Atlanta Comedy Spotlight: Derrick Stroup Live at Center Stage Atlanta
Fresh off his debut Netflix special titled Nostalgic, comedian Derrick Stroup is quickly becoming a household name on both his own tours and touring sold-out arenas with Nate Bargatze. Born in Alabama, he has southern roots and relatable humor, making him a must-see comedian coming to Atlanta this month. Just one year ago, the comedian was performing in the side room of an Atlanta comedy club, and now he is headlining two shows at Center Stage on May 27th and 28th. The 28th is already sold out, so save your seats for the 27th on Derrick’s website before they’re gone. When I recently talked with Stroup, we began by discussing the last time we’d seen each other. 
CTR Culture Studios
✦Local Art News Briefs & Weekly Best Bets
ArtsATL senior editor Isadora Pennington keeps her ear to the ground and each month brings us her Arts News Brief. Today, her stories include the new CTR Culture Studios and GFB3 designing the art for this year’s Atlanta Jazz Festival.
✦ ArtsATL’s executive editor Shane Harrison stops by with his picks for this week's Best Bets. This week, his mix includes the return of Hot Jambalaya, The American Astronaut for Plazadrome, and Shakespeare Out of a Hat.
 
Special thanks to today’s sponsors:
The Atlanta Opera
Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University
 
Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.
Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come.  
Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 
The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 
Thank you for listening!
  
00:00:00 Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective
00:01:15 Atlanta Comedian Joel Byars
00:02:10 Episode Preview: Guests & Segments
00:03:23 MomoCon 2026 Event Preview
00:07:18 Getting to Know Joel Byars
00:16:50 49th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival Lineup
00:27:30 Derrick Stroup Live at Center Stage Atlanta
00:41:18 Atlanta Arts News Brief & Weekly Best Bets
00:49:13 Closing
 

*Please note the exhibition is on view through May 23, but the concert has passed*
Drivin N Cryin Frontman Kevn Kinney & Artist Anna Jensen Uncut Interview 
 
Last week, we discussed the incredible "Let’s Go Dancing" art exhibition running at The Sun ATL gallery in Atlanta. Created by acclaimed Atlanta artist Anna Jensen, this monumental project serves as a profound visual response to the classic songs of Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductee Kevn Kinney, who is also Jensen's husband. 
 
The scale of this project is unprecedented: 100 of Kinney’s songs (spanning his solo work and his legendary career with rock band Drivin N Cryin) have been reimagined by 100 different collaborating musical artists. Jensen has since painted a unique, corresponding canvas for every single track. She is releasing the massive tribute music project through her own independent label, Tasty Goody Records.
 
We couldn't fit the full interview into our standard weekly broadcast, so we are throwing open the vault. Please enjoy this full, uncut conversation with Anna Jensen and Kevn Kinney as they break down the intersection of visual art, Southern rock history, and creative partnership. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
00:00 - Welcome & Special Bonus Episode Introduction
05:19 - Selecting 100 Kevn Kinney Songs & Painting Every Track
05:57 - Launching Tasty Goody Records: Distribution & Vinyl Workload
27:08 - Supporting Music Charities & Community Impact
28:30 - Where to Stream the Music, Buy Art & Order Merch
30:44 - Let’s Go Dancing Art Exhibition Dates & Closing Sign-off

✦ Summer Evans ✦ Let’s Go Dancing ✦ Commonplaces ✦ American Sublime ✦ Jessi Kirtley ✦ Best Bets ✦
 
Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL. This is your home for stories from Atlanta’s arts scene, with reporting from ArtsATL writers, conversations with artists, and voices from across the creative community.
Each week, Kim Drobes will be joined by a rotating co-host: someone you may already know, or someone you’re about to be very glad you met.
And today…Summer Evans! 
 
Courtesy of Summer Evans
✦  Summer Evans is a freelance journalist and multimedia storyteller based in Atlanta. She has a background in public radio and has built her career covering the city’s arts, culture, and community stories. Currently, she works as a freelance social media content producer for Rough Draft Atlanta, creating daily newsletter recap reels to reach audiences. As a photographer, she has over 10 years of experience in visual storytelling, including weddings, couples, brands, families, and photojournalism. When not working on stories, she enjoys outdoor activities with her husband, two kids, and dogs.
 
Kevn Kinney and Anna Jensen talk with Kim at The Sun ATL (Photo by Kim Drobes)
✦ Kevn Kinney Live at The Sun ATL: Let’s Go Dancing Art Exhibition
Let’s Go Dancing, the new exhibition at The Sun ATL by Atlanta artist Anna Jensen, is a profound visual response to the songs of Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductee, and Drivin N Cryin’s frontman, Kevn Kinney, who also happens to be Jensen’s husband. 
What began as a 60th birthday surprise video during the COVID-19 lockdown has grown into a monumental project: 100 songs reimagined by 100 artists, each with a corresponding painting for the track. Jensen produced the whole affair and started Tasty Goody Records in order to put the music out into the wild. 
It’s truly a love letter for the ages. To celebrate, Kevn Kinney is performing amongst Jensen’s paintings at the Sun ATL tonight, with special surprise guests, and a few tickets are still available. Kim recently visited the exhibition and spoke with Jensen and Kinney about the massive undertaking.
 
Author and Distinguished University Professor of Georgia State, Josh Russell. (Photo by Adam Forrester)
✦Author Josh Russell’s New Essay Collection: Commonplaces
What started as ten-cent photocopies in a college library has transformed into a lifetime of capturing the world’s strange and wondrous connections. Georgia State professor and author Josh Russell’s new essay collection,Commonplaces, explores the intersections of life’s challenges with everyday beauty. Literary critic Rachel Wright brings us this story.
 
Amy Sherald Portrait (photo by Kelvin Bulluck)
✦ Amy Sherald’s "American Sublime" Exhibition at the High Museum of Art
Painter Amy Sherald’s American Sublime exhibition is currently on view at the High Museum. While the world may know the artist for her iconic portrait of Michelle Obama, Atlanta knows her as one of our own. Born in Columbus and trained right here at Clark Atlanta University, Sherald’s return to the High feels like a full-circle moment, especially since this is the final stop of the exhibition’s national tour. Co-host Summer Evans recently visited the High to see the exhibition and discuss the work with the museum’s assistant curator of modern and contemporary art, Angelica Arbelaez.
 
Kirtley (far right) and her "Operation Mincemeat" castmates (Photo by Emilio Madrid)
✦ Roswell Native Jessi Kirtley Makes Her Broadway Debut
Jessi Kirtley never missed performing in a school musical from elementary to high school, and now, the Roswell native is living her dream and performing on Broadway. Theatre correspondent Sally Fuller brings us her story.
 
Trey-Wright (photo by Keith Taylor)
✦ ArtsATL Weekly Best Bets with Shane Harrison
ArtsATL’s executive editor Shane Harrison brings us his picks for this week’s Best Bets. Today, his mix includes your chance to indulge in European films, some free jazz performances, and a bunch of neighborhood festivals. 
 
 Special thanks to today’s sponsors:
The Atlanta Opera 
 
Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.
Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come. 
 
Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 
The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 
Thank you for listening!
 
00:00  Special Sponsor Message & Show Support
00:22  Episode Introduction & Weekly Welcome
01:43  Meet This Week's Co-Host: Journalist Summer Evans
02:12  Inside the Kevn Kinney & Anna Jensen Art Exhibition
13:37  Gallery Event Details & Exclusive Bonus Episode Announcement
14:28  Local Media Catch-up: Summer Evans on Life & Storytelling
20:02  Author Josh Russell Talks "Commonplaces" Essay Collection
25:49  Interview: Amy Sherald’s "American Sublime" at the High Museum
38:07  Theatre Spotlight: Jessi Kirtley's Journey from Roswell to Broadway
46:34  Weekend Event Picks: ArtsATL Best Bets with Shane Harrison
51:18  Studio Credits, Show Donations & Next Week Preview
 

✦ Shanita Miller ✦ Proposition 1007 ✦ No Words ✦ The New South ✦ Déjà Vu ✦ Spoke and Word ✦ Best Bets ✦
 
Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL. This is your new home for stories from Atlanta’s arts scene, with reporting from ArtsATL writers, conversations with artists, and voices from across the creative community.
Each week, Kim Drobes will be joined by a rotating co-host: someone you may already know, or someone you’re about to be very glad you met.
And today…Shanita Miller!
 
photo credit: Rebecca Carmen
✦  Shanita Miller is an Atlanta native and the visionary founder of the Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta platform. As a community & lifestyle influencer, she’s on a mission to highlight women and black-owned businesses in our city and beyond. She’s also an event coordinator and curator, and her 90 thousand-plus followers know she’s the real deal.
Shanita recommends checking out:
Juci Jerk
The Betty
Hambidge
Rep. Todd Jones, Rep. Kim Schofield and Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver on the Georgia House floor on March 12 discussing HR1007. (Photo courtesy of Georgia House of Representatives) 
✦ Georgia Prop 1007: Redefining the Arts as Mental Healthcare
We’ve all heard the legend of Mister Rogers testifying before the Senate. The soft-spoken man in a cardigan argued that twenty million dollars was a small price to pay for the 'inner life' of a child. The defense of public broadcasting framed the arts not as a luxury but as a necessity for a healthy mind. And for decades, that’s been the battle cry: please, don't cut the arts.
But here in Georgia, the conversation just underwent a radical shift.
Lawmakers recently passed Proposition 1007, which redefines the very purpose of a stage or a symphony, moving the arts out of the 'leisure' column and directly into the world of mental healthcare. Arts reporter Jordan Owen has more. 
 
Photo by Ben Garden
✦ No Words Festival Takes Over Little Five Points
This Saturday, No Words returns, and this time, it’s a free festival and takeover in Little Five Points. It’s a day where the lyrics are stripped away to make room for pure, unadulterated instrumental sounds. The day includes music, art, dancing, film, and a parade. Joining us now to help us navigate the jam-packed event are Ann Wood, the architect of the 'No Words', and Kelly Stocks, President of the L5P Cultural District and a lifelong guardian of the neighborhood's legacy. Hi Kelly and Anne!
   
photo credit: Rebecca Carmen
✦ The New South Collective: Spotlighting Minority Chefs
In 2024, a group of young Black chefs came together to launch a collective that creates a space for collaboration, creativity, and support for minority chefs. They not only wanted to showcase the depth of southern cuisine but also to put the food and talent of minority chefs in the spotlight. Today’s guest co-host, Shanita Miller, talks to the chefs of The New South Collective.
 
photo credit Mitali Singh
✦ Déjà Vu Exhibition at Spalding Nix Fine Art
We’ve all had that fleeting sensation-the feeling that a moment, a color, or a shape is something we’ve encountered before, even if we can’t quite place where. At Spalding Nix Fine Art, the new exhibition Déjà Vu leans into that mystery. It's a presentation of four shows featuring artists working in abstraction, connected by their explorations of movement, memory, and the intangible. Arts reporter Mitali Singh took a walk through the gallery to see how these artists are blurring the lines between the seen and the unseen.
✦ Spoke & Word: Bike-Themed Storytelling Weekend
Whether you feel like life is just one big uphill climb or a flat, easy road, there is a new bike-themed storytelling event that wants to hear from you. Mercy Montgomery, the founder of Spoke and Word, says the idea for this bike-themed storytelling weekend has been a long time coming.
✦ArtsATL Weekend Best Bets with Shane Harrison
ArtsATL’s executive editor Shane Harrison stops by with his picks for this week's Best Bets. Today, his mix includes a lantern parade in Sandy Springs, multiple arts festivals, and comedy with Rickey Smiley.
 
Special thanks to today’s sponsors:
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Atlanta Opera
The ArtsXchange
Swan Coach House Gallery 
 
Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.
Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come. 
 
Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 
The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 
Thank you for listening!
 
 
00:00 Special Sponsor Message & Show Support00:21 Opening and Weekly Welcome02:55 Georgia Prop 1007 Report: Arts as Mental Healthcare13:42 Co-host Shanita Miller & Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta22:28 No Words Festival Preview: Little Five Points Music & Parade32:49 Culinary Feature: The New South Collective Chefs39:21 Déjà Vu Abstract Exhibition at Spalding Nix Fine Art45:54 Spoke & Word Bike-Themed Storytelling Weekend47:42 Weekend Event Picks: ArtsATL Best Bets52:25 Closing Remarks, Studio Credits & Next Week Preview
 

     
Lois Reitzes has questions for Bloum Cardenas about Niki de Saint Phalle’s Iconic Art
 
Acclaimed Atlanta broadcasting legend Lois Reitzes returns to the microphone with an exclusive interview featuring Bloum Cardenas, the granddaughter of legendary French-American sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle.
 
In this bonus episode, Cardenas shares intimate family insights into her grandmother’s personal memoirs, the powerful feminist themes driving her career, and the world-famous, colorful "Nana" sculptures. They also discuss the global legacy of the artist's historic monumental works, which have captivated local art lovers on display at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
 
Listen in as they trace Niki de Saint Phalle's creative journey, her high-profile friendships with contemporary art icons like Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, and the ongoing mission of the Niki Charitable Art Foundation to protect her radical creative legacy.
 
Episode Timeline & Chapters
 
00:00 Introduction & Special Art History Bonus Episode00:22 Behind the Scenes: How Bloum Cardenas’ Interview Was Recorded01:11 Exploring Niki de Saint Phalle's Memoirs: Writing vs Visual Artwork02:59 Feminism, Gender Politics, and the Origin of the Nanas06:55 The Famous Nana Sculptures: A Global Structural Overview07:25 The Hon Exhibition 1966 Stockholm: The First Monumental Nana09:29 Famous Art Circles: Friendships with Jasper Johns, Rauschenberg & Oldenburg11:34 Niki Charitable Art Foundation: Mission, Archives & Creative Stewardship15:07 Closing Remarks, Studio Credits & Local Art Community Updates
 
 
 

✦ Lois Reitzes ✦ Compassionate Corridor ✦ WigWag ✦ Niki in the Garden ✦ Gulch’s Making it Work ✦ Bent Frequency presents ✦
 
Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL. This is your new home for stories from Atlanta’s arts scene, with reporting from ArtsATL writers, conversations with artists, and voices from across the creative community.
Each week, Kim Drobes will be joined by a rotating co-host: someone you may already know, or someone you’re about to be very glad you met.
And today… Lois Reitzes! 
 
courtesy of Lois Reitzes
✦ Lois Retizes is a Public Radio superstar. After retiring in 2025, she holds the record for the longest-running voice in Atlanta radio (45½ years). Reitzes created and hosted both Second Cup and City Lights on WABE and is a lifelong advocate and amplifier of the arts. She’s also a fan of nicknames, just in case you’re wondering why she affectionately calls Kim “KDro.” 😂
    
Shannon Willow stands with her sculpture, 'Lungs of Mother Earth,' at a pocket park in Scottdale. (Photo by Isadora Pennington)
✦ The Compassion Corridor: Public Art in Scottdale
What if a piece of public art could help an entire community breathe easier? Well, an emerging outdoor greenspace anchored by the Path is hoping to do just that through connection and community. ArtsATL senior editor Isadora Pennington has the story of the Compassion Corridor.
 
courtesy of Robet Lee and WigWag
✦ WigWag 2026: Avondale Estates Arts District Festival
This Saturday, May 2nd, the streets of Avondale Estates Arts District will close to traffic and come alive with the sound of music alongside local makers, vendors, and artists. It’s WigWag 2026, and joining us now is the man behind the curtain, Robert Lee from Methane Studios.
   
courtesy of The Atlanta Botanical Garden 
✦ Niki de Saint Phalle’s "Niki in the Garden" at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
There are many ways to acknowledge a milestone anniversary. Some people give flowers – a small bouquet, perhaps a dozen. The Atlanta Botanical Garden began celebrating its 50th anniversary with Atlanta SUPER Blooms – nearly 140,000 tulips and daffodils have been on the great lawn all month. And now, a spectacular exhibition of 41 works by the late French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle will be on view from May 9 through September 6. Lois Retizes recently discussed the upcoming exhibition, Niki in the Garden, with Mary Pat Matheson, President and CEO of the Atlanta Botanical Garden. 
 
Building out Hawkins HQ (photo credit Jasmine Hentschel)
✦ Making It Work: Alexander Hawkins of Hawkins HQ
Gulch is a printed magazine about Atlanta’s visual art scene, created by Jasmine Hentshel and EC Flamming. It’s quite an undertaking, absolutely gorgeous, and Volume 2 is currently available. Jasmine and EC are very connected to our city’s art world, and they’re joining us monthly for their new segment, Making It Work, which investigates how local creatives avoid being “starving artists.” These are personal stories from Atlanta artists about how they make a living for themselves through art. Today, they talk with Alexander Hawkins of Hawkins HQ and learned how he found the money to change parts of an abandoned motel into a functional and beautiful art gallery. (spoiler alert - he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.)
 
Bent Frequency founders Jan Berry Baker and Stuart Gerber. (Photo by Steve Eberhardt)
✦ Bent Frequency Concludes Season with Steve Reich Masterpiece
Contemporary classical specialists Bent Frequency are concluding their 2025-26 season with a special free concert on Sunday at Kopleff Recital Hall on the Georgia State University campus. The afternoon program includes recitals of the three winning entries to Underscore, an annual open call for composition submissions organized by Bent Frequency. Also included is Music for 18 Musicians, Steve Reich’s “masterpiece of momentum” performed by an assemblage of the city’s talent-rich new-music community. Arts reporter Doug DeLoach has the story.
 
courtesy of the ASO
✦ ArtsATL Weekend Best Bets with Shane Harrison
ArtsATL’s executive editor Shane Harrison stops by with his picks for this week's Best Bets, and today his mix includes comedy, a jazz legend, and an abundance of photography.
 
Special thanks to today’s sponsors:
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The ArtsXchange
Bookish Atlanta
 
Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.
Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come. 
 
Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 
The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 
Thank you for listening!
 
 
Episode Timeline & Chapters
 
00:00 Welcome to the ATL Arts Collective with Co-Host Lois Reitzes00:25 The Compassion Corridor & Lungs of Mother Earth Sculpture in Scottdale08:04 Interview with Lois Reitzes: WABE Radio Retirement & Life Transitions10:59 WigWag Art & Music Festival Preview: Avondale Estates Arts District19:20 Niki de Saint Phalle Exhibition at the Atlanta Botanical Garden32:13 Making It Work: Hawkins HQ Gallery with Gulch Magazine43:00 Bent Frequency Concert: Underscore Winners & Steve Reich at GSU51:22 Local Weekend Event Picks: ArtsATL Best Bets56:48 Closing Remarks, Studio Credits & Next Week Preview

✦ Aja Arnold ✦ Atlanta Film Festival turns 50 ✦ Lillian Blades Exhibition ✦ Scattrbrain ✦ Art News ✦ Venus ✦ Best Bets ✦
Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL. This is your new home for stories from Atlanta’s arts scene, with reporting from ArtsATL writers, conversations with artists, and voices from across the creative community.
Each week, Kim Drobes will be joined by a rotating co-host: someone you may already know, or someone you’re about to be very glad you met.
And today...Aja Arnold!
 
courtesy of Aja Arnold
✦ Aja Arnold, founder of the Atlanta-based magazine and production company Mainline, and a nationally published journalist with writings in Scalawag Magazine, Vice, Intercept, Creative Loafing, and more. She is also the co-producer of Standard Selects: The Movie and its companion digital series. Aja brings us the story of Scattrbrain (see below) and shares details on her collaboration with Standard Electric Recorders Co. 
 
Aja recommends checking out:
Standard Selects
Scalawag Magazine
UMAW
Gutwrench Journal (Aja's first published story:  Orange & Ivory: A Tremendous Night of Democratic Carnage)
 
   
courtesy of the Atlanta Film Festival
✦ The 50th Anniversary of the Atlanta Film Festival
Fifty years ago, a group of Atlantans started a film festival with no major backing and no guarantee it would last. But it didn’t just survive; it continues to grow, powered by people who believe this city has stories worth telling. This story was based on an interview by film reporter Steve Murray, and you can read Steve’s full story on the Atlanta Film Festival at ArtsATL.org.
 
Photo by Kevin Storer
✦ Lillian Blades' "Sanctuary" at the Emma Darnell Museum
Lillian Blades is a powerhouse in the Atlanta art scene, known for vibrant, maximalist pieces that weave together her Bahamian roots and West African ancestry. But her latest exhibition, Sanctuary, at the Emma Darnell Aviation Museum, offers something more than just finished masterpieces; it offers a rare look at an artist in the middle of a transformation. Dr. Kevin Storer, a scholar and critic who recently reviewed the show for ArtsATL stops by.
 
   
Scattrbrain performing at their first headlining show at Drunken Unicorn on March 19, 2026. Photo credit: Christian M Photography (@christian_m_photography on IG)
✦ Scattrbrain: The New Atlanta Rap-Meets-Alt-Rock Supergroup
 
Guest co-host Aja Arnold brings us the story of Scattrbrain, the new Atlanta-based rap-meets-alt-rock project. While Scattrbrain is a new project, the players involved are not. Among them are longtime rapper and East Atlanta native GRIP and members of the bands Grouplove and Mallbangs. Their new album, Scattrbrain & the Unwavering Self-Doubt will be released on June 19.
 
 
photo credit Natrice Miller
 
✦ ATL Arts News Brief: Dashboard, Atlanta Art Week & EarthGang
 
ArtsATL senior editor Isadora Pennington joins the show for a News Brief featuring stories that affect our arts ecosystem. Today, she has news about Lauren Jackson Harris being announced as the next Executive Director of Dashboard,  Atlanta Art Week's postponement, and EarthGang, an Atlanta-based Grammy-nominated MC duo, and their new comic book series, Wheel of Fate.
 
 
Photo by Casey Gardner Ford
 
✦ "Venus" Marks a Dark Romance Premiere at Actor’s Express
Venus, a new play from the creator of HBO’s The Flight Attendant and Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives, just opened at Actor’s Express. It’s a dark romance full of twists and turns, and ArtsATL Editor at Large Benji Carr has the story.
 
 
Photo by Joan Marcus (0307)r
 
✦ ArtsATL Weekend Best Bets with Shane Harrison
ArtsATL’s executive editor Shane Harrison stops by with his picks for this week's Best Bets. Today, his mix includes lots of music. From Opera, to roots, to the retro genre-bending stylings of Raye. 
 
Special thanks to today’s sponsors:
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The ArtsXchange
The Dekalb History Center
 
Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.
Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come. 
 
Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 
The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 
Thank you for listening!
 
00:00 Introduction & Meet Guest Co-Host Aja Arnold01:31 Show Preview & Cultural Segment Lineup02:32 Celebrating 50 Years of the Atlanta Film Festival07:05 Inside Standard Selects Movie and Digital Series Collaboration13:16 Art Review: Lillian Blades’ Sanctuary Exhibition at Emma Darnell23:52 Music Spotlight: Scattrbrain Rap and Alt-Rock Supergroup32:59 Mainline Music Fest News & Atlanta DIY Community Notes34:45 Arts Ecosystem News Brief: Dashboard, EarthGang Comic & Atlanta Art Week39:00 Theater Review: Venus Play Premiere at Actor’s Express44:15 Local Weekend Event Picks: ArtsATL Best Bets with Shane Harrison48:18 Closing Remarks, Studio Credits & Next Week Preview
 

✦ Jon Goode and National Poetry Month ✦ Illumine at Oakland Cemetery ✦ Illuminating Noguchi ✦ Best Bets ✦ Yum Yum Tree ✦ Smoke at the Goat Farm ✦ Record Store Day ✦
 
Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL. This is your new home for stories from Atlanta’s arts scene, with reporting from ArtsATL writers, conversations with artists, and voices from across the creative community.
Each week, Kim Drobes will be joined by a rotating co-host: someone you may already know, or someone you’re about to be very glad you met.
And today...Jon Goode!
 
Photo courtesy of Jon Goode
✦ Three-time Emmy-nominated writer, performer, and poet Jon Goode joins as guest co-host. He’s the author of Black Curio and host of The Moth and Show & Tell. In honor of National Poetry Month, he shares his suggestions for open mics and explains why Poetry is so important to culture and history. 
Jon’s suggestions for poetry:
Urban Grind on Thursdays
ArtsXchange Spring Fling Poetry Slam on April 24
The Book Bird
Anything by Abyss or Georgia Me
Photo by George Gomez
✦Illumine Immersive Art Experience at Historic Oakland Cemetery
Beginning tomorrow, Oakland Cemetery is set to come alive with art and music. It’s the return of Illumine, a multi-sensory art experience curated by Cat Eye Creative. ArtsATL senior editor for art+design and dance, Isadora Pennington, went for a sneak peek to learn how multiple artists are transforming Atlanta’s oldest and most historic cemetery into immersive art installations. 
Photo by Steve Eberhardt, Krewe puppeteers (and their creators) Cameron & Joy Ayer.
✦ Illuminating Noguchi: Chantelle Rytter’s Lantern Parade Collective Joy
If you've ever seen a river of light flowing down the Atlanta Beltline, you've seen the work of Chantelle Rytter. We talk to the artist and crew captain behind Atlanta's iconic lantern parades about how she's made the practice of turning public spaces into galleries of collective joy. She shares details on her collaboration with the High Museum for Illuminating Noguchi, an event that culminates in a glowing procession from the museum to the historic Noguchi playscape in Piedmont Park. 
Photo courtesy Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
✦ ArtsATL Weekend Best Bets with Shane Harrison
ArtsATL executive editor Shane Harrison stops by with his picks for the week’s Best Bets. Today, his mix includes a chance to catch the ASO in Piedmont Park, a feast for French film lovers, and the Black Boy Art Show. Shane’s full list of this week’s 9 essential Atlanta arts events is at ArtsATL.org.
Photo courtesy of Team Clermont
✦ The Yum Yum Tree
Music reporter Jordan Owen talks to The Yum Yum Tree’s bassist/vocalist Andy Gish to learn what a primate, Peter Gabriel, and our city’s shifting economic tides have to do with the band’s new album, Turn Down the Noise.
Photo by Mitali Singh
✦ Smoke at The Goat Farm
Arts reporter Mitali Singh visits the Goat Farm for a sneak peek at their upcoming show Smoke. It’s a live performance blending contemporary dance, performance art, and electronic pop. 
Image by mgattorna from Pixabay
✦Atlanta Record Store Day Guide with Author Chad Radford
Record Store Day is this Saturday, and music writer, Rad/ATL founder, and the man who literally wrote the book on Atlanta’s independent record stores, Chad Radford, stops by. Chad’s the former music editor of Creative Loafing and the author of Atlanta Record Stores: An Oral History. So, if you want to know which crates to dig through this Record Store Day, there’s no better guide. (Chad’s interview was cut short for time, so “Part 2” will come out as a bonus episode this Friday and includes a list of records that Chad hopes to aquire this Record Store Day)
Special thanks to today’s sponsors:
The Alliance Theatre
Soul Food Cypher 
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The ArtsXchange
The Sun ATL
 
Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.
Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come. 
 
Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 
The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 
Thank you for listening!
 
Episode Timeline & Chapters
 
00:00 Welcome Emmy-Nominated Writer & Poet Jon Goode06:01 Inside Illumine Immersive Art Experience at Historic Oakland Cemetery12:54 National Poetry Month: Top Atlanta Open Mics & Poetry Slams15:08 Illuminating Noguchi: Chantelle Rytter on BeltLine Lantern Parades26:24 Weekend Event Roadmap: ArtsATL Best Bets & Free ASO Concert31:13 Local Indie Music: The Yum Yum Tree Album Preview39:58 Dance & Performance Art Review: Smoke Live at The Goat Farm45:37 Record Store Day Crate Digging Guide with Author Chad Radford57:18 Closing Remarks, Show Donations, Studio Credits & Next Week Preview

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The ATL Arts Collective launches on April 15. Follow now and join us then.