17th South August 2016

Authentic Living in the Heart of Atlanta AUGUST 2016 ISSUE 2 FREE n

Inside a charming Craftsman near Piedmont Park

Farm-fresh fare steals the show at Venkman's

MEET FIVE INNOVATIVE ATLANTANS WHO ARE SHAKING UP THE CITY'S CREATIVE SCENE

Artist William Massey's mobile murals

Our patio picks for sipping summer cocktails

(THE WAITING IS OVER)

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Photos: 28, 33. Sara Hanna; 12. Sandra Platten; 19, 26, Scott Reeves

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33 19

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CONTENTS AUGUST 2016 9 LATEST

The newest restaurants, shops and other spots to arrive on the scene

Living 12 Shelter

Inside a charming 1920s Morningside-Lenox Park Craftsman

16 Style to Go

Jessica Burns’s casual-cool cocktail style

18 Wellness

Fall in love with the Lagree Method at Stellar Bodies Midtown

19 People

Atlanta Botanical Garden CEO Mary Pat Matheson

20 Out of Town

Revelry in the wilderness at Montana’s Paws Up resort

22 In-Town Escape

Take a European-inspired getaway to Château Élan

Culture 24 Headliners

Clifton Guterman takes on a major new role at The Theatrical Outfit

26 Creators

Artist William Massey’s four-wheeled works of art

Indulge

Happening

28 Restaurant Review

41 Events

30 Liquids

44 CAPTURED

Farm-fresh fare steals the show at Venkman’s in Old Fourth Ward

Our favorite patio picks for sipping summer cocktails

What to see and do when you’re off the clock

Downtown Atlanta skyline

32 Fresh Bites

What’s new and notable in the world of food and drink

Cover Story 33 Tastemakers & Trendsetters

Meet five Atlantans who are making big contributions to our city’s cool quotient

Photo: Elena de Soto

7 Editor’s Letter

41 AUGUST 2016

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AUGUST 2016 | ISSUE 02 Serving Midtown, Ansley Park, Morningside, Virginia Highland, Westside, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, Poncey-Highland, Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown and Grant Park

NOW OPEN

Publisher and Founder Tim Moxley, co-founder of #weloveatl, takes five.

Joanne Hayes

Cover Photo: Sara Hanna

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CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Blackman WRITER

650 NORTH AVENUE, SUITE 201, PONCE CITY MARKET 615.324.1010

| CITYWINERY.COM/ATLANTA

Chief Financial Officer

FAVORITE STORES : Fab’rik is my summer staple store. Their beautiful breezy pieces are perfect for the Atlanta heat!

Goorin Bros. have brought the good oldfashioned hat shop back. They have a great selection, from classic to funky, of high-quality headpieces. I love the Premium Straw collection; it’s Gatsby-esqe with an edge.

Editor-In-Chief

Lindsay Lambert Day Creative Director

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cheryl.isaacs@17thsouth.com Account Executives

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Bill Garst

Sara Hanna PHOTOGRAPHER

Website Development Management

FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHER:

BHG Digital

Zack Arias is one of my favorite Atlanta photographers. His vision and passion come through whether he’s shooting for a commercial client, editorial or a person on the street. He has a sincere appreciation for his craft and is willing to share his insights with others, which can be hard to find in more established photographers.

Kate Parham Kordsmeier WRITER

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: I’ve long been obsessed with chef-owner Meherwan Irani’s Chai Pani in Decatur, but after dining at his newest outpost, Botiwalla at Ponce City Market, I am a full-fledged groupie.

Contributing Writers

Sarah Blackman H.M. Cauley Jessica Dauler Laurel-Ann Dooley Jim Farmer Lauren Finney Sarah Gleim Kate Parham Kordsmeier Alexa Lampasona Amelia Pavlik Photographers Sara Hanna sarahanna.com

Sandra Platten Scott Reeves

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W

hen many out-of-towners think of Atlanta, corporate business and an always-swamped airport come to mind.

But Atlanta is buzzing with creators, thinkers and doers who make our city a bright and vibrant place to live and play.

In that spirit we dedicate this issue’s cover story to just a handful of folks who possess the ability to make breathtakingly beautiful art and objects with little more than their bare hands, who think outside the box to make living in Atlanta more enjoyable and efficient and those who are helping their fellow Atlantans connect with one another through their shared love of our city and social media.

Our cover story isn’t the only place in this issue where you’ll be introduced to innovative Atlantans. For “New Direction (page 24),” writer Jim Farmer sat down with The Theatrical Outfit’s new associate artistic director, Clifton Guterman, to talk about Guterman’s new role and the state of theatre in Atlanta in general. (Hint: It’s going strong!) And for “Mobile Murals (page 26),” writer Laurel-Ann Dooley hung out with Candler Park artist William Massey, whose Car Canvas project is linking automobile owners with local artists to turn their vehicles into four-wheeled works of art.

Of course, art isn’t limited to a painted canvas or stage production.

Food and cocktails are art too, and we’ve got plenty of both. Kate Parham Kordsmeier dined at Venkman’s in Old Fourth Ward (page 28) to discover the music venue/restaurant’s best dishes, which are brought to life by chef/owner Nick Melvin, an artist whose preferred tool isn’t a paint brush and a palette, but a kitchen knife and a rainbow’s worth of fresh ingredients. Amelia Pavlik and Sarah Gleim, who reported our Liquids (page 30) and Fresh Bites (page 32) sections, respectively, quizzed some of our city’s top mixologists about summer’s must-have sips—and we’re not talking plain old pilsners.

As you can see, creativity translates into nearly every facet of our lives, and we hope you enjoy celebrating some of Atlanta’s most fascinating trendsetters and tastemakers alongside us.

Lindsay Lambert Day EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CORRECTION: We erroneously labeled the building shown on our June cover, Ford Factory Lofts, as Ponce City Market.

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AUGUST 2016

7

Intown and in the Mountains

Julie Osborn

Bill Gilmore

SOLD - 150 Cullasaja Drive, Highlands, NC Offered Furnished for $1,325,000 1-828-526-8128 - Office 1-404-455-5712 - Cell www.highlandscoverealty.com 404-455-5712 - Cell 404-876-4901 - PHP Office William.Gilmore@comcast.net

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Latest OPENINGS & ARRIVALS | STORIES: Alexa Lampasona |

SPECS APPEAL At Westside Provisions District, red-hot eyeglass outfit Warby Parker opens the doors to its second Atlanta location

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hances are, whether you’re reading this magazine on MARTA, in a coffee house or on a bench at Ponce City Market, a bespectacled someone within spitting distance snagged his or her stylish frames at Warby Parker.

The New York-based company’s frames in both the optical and sun categories are seemingly everywhere these days, and with good reason: They’re classic but modern, timeless yet fresh and they sell for a fraction of the going rate for designer frames found nearly anywhere else. And Atlantans, just as our counterparts in other urban areas, are lapping them up, so much so that the company

opened the doors earlier this summer to its second location in our city with a sunny space at Westside Provisions.

Warby Parker’s customer model is simple: The company sells its own eyewear at an affordable price by designing glasses in-house, and working directly with customers. For every pair purchased through Warby Parker, a second pair is distributed through non-profit partners, like VisionSpring.

With the successful 2014 opening of its first boutique in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, Warby Parker has been poised to open another location here, and Westside Provisions proved to be the perfect spot. “Westside Provisions is such an eclectic and vibrant scene, and we’re thrilled

to be among such wonderful neighbors,” said Dave Gilboa, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker.

While the two locations offer the same selection and services—sameday, non-prescription purchases; optical measurements; and frame fittings and adjustments—the aesthetics set them apart from one another. Buckhead’s location looks somewhat like a professor’s study, with tufted-leather banquettes and dark wood shelving displays, while the Westside location mimics a creative workshop, starting with its full-length front windows and doors. In the new space, a can’tmiss-it mural in shades of blue—the work of Brooklyn-based artist Josh

Cochran—takes up an entire wall at the rear of the store, adding a lively urban vibe to the warehouse-like space. Tabletop brass library lamps and caramel wood display cases add warm contrast that encourages patrons to linger and enjoy the space.

A couple ways to kill some time?

Leaf through a copy of Warby Parker’s own tongue-in-cheek title, “50 Ways to Lose Your Glasses,” or one of dozens of other books that are sold in the store. You can also try on a pair of Benchley sunglasses, which for a limited time the Westside location will exclusively sell in Crystal, a re-release from the limited-edition Concentric Collection of 2014. n warbyparker.com

AUGUST 2016

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Latest

OPENINGS & ARRIVALS

Old World Watering Hole

ampton & Hudson is the newest restaurant addition to Inman Quarter, one of Atlanta’s fastest growing mixed-use developments.

It’s the first solo effort for owner Billy Streck, who also has a hand in Midtown hangouts Cypress Street Pint & Plate and GRAIN. He and his wife, Jenn, created the space to resemble the character of the bars and restaurants from New York City’s East Village.

“While we did not move into a historic building, we did move into an historic part of Atlanta, which is very important to us. We wanted to bring a little bit of that same feeling to Hampton & Hudson,” says Jenn.

“I’m fascinated by the early 1900s time period, and love finding small details that are similar and work

for us at a neighborhood bar. We used 1800s barn wood and raw elements like steel to portray that time period and give it a cozy atmosphere, have every room feel a little different and have it be welcoming to everyone.”

Grand floor-to-ceiling windows welcome guests into the 3,500-square-foot restaurant.

The cozy interior is a nod to the past, with tufted-leather booths, rustic wood paneling, an open kitchen and a garage-style door that opens to a covered patio are reminiscent of one of the couple’s favorite places to travel—New York City.

The menu offers elevated pub fare with an emphasis on sharing to give patrons the same cozy feeling that comes with entertaining friends at home. In coming up with the cuisine, chef Jason Hall found inspiration in menus from places

Photo: Tomas Espinoza

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he’s previously worked, including Saltyard in South Buckhead and Livingston Restaurant and Bar in Midtown, where shared plates are common offerings. Starters run the gamut, from steak tartare tacos to Hampton hot chicken biscuit sliders. Not up for sharing?

Don’t be shy. Try the “best veggie sandwich,” smeared with baba ghanoush, smoked pepper and herbs and piled between slices of housemade focaccia, or the half rotisserie chicken, cooked for 24 hours.

The restaurant’s centerpiece is an Old World-style bar illuminated by custom overhead lighting by Atlanta designer Tobin Hagler.

Sidle up and order one of the more than 20 draft beers available. n hamptonandhudson.com

Behind Wearable Design Museum of Design’s Summer Exhibitions

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he newest exhibitions at Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) highlight the latest wearable technology and human-centered design—think Google Glass or the Fitbit around your wrist.

Photo: Clint Zeagler

This step-by-step design process involves finding a solution that is specific to that person’s needs, wants and limitations.

In “Beautiful Users: Designing for People,” almost 100 objects demonstrate the progression of how “user-centered design” has developed throughout the 20th century. The exhibit, organized by Smithsonian Design Museum, includes works spanning from the 1930s to modernday, multifaceted design models.

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AUGUST 2016

Displays focus on objects designed for comfort and function, including the compact 1950s telephone that contained a light-up dial, and the Human Scale Measurement, a tool that determined how to ergonomically design for special populations such as children or elderly.

“On You: Wearing Technology” was created through a collaboration by several of Georgia Institute of Technology’s departments. The exhibit showcases the eye-opening processes and hurdles that are part of making wearable computers: power and heat, networking, mobile input and displays. The exhibitions are currently open and will run through October 2. n museumofdesign.org

Cycle City

Photo: Alexa Lampasona

Hampton & Hudson brings a nouveau pub experience to Inman Park

Oversize windows, tufted leather booths and industrial lighting give the space an East Village feel.

CycleHop brings relief to traffic-weary Atlantans with a new—and much-needed— bike share program A city packed with cars and plagued by never-ending traffic, Atlanta has long been in need of an alternative method of transportation. On June 9, a solution finally rolled into town in the form of 100 bright teal bicycles that are part of Atlanta’s new Relay bike share program. Relay installed 10 stations as an introductory period to ease Atlanta into the new bike share program. Currently, the locations are dotted around downtown, between Georgia State University and 16th Street. By the end of this year, Relay will offer 500 bikes at more than 50 stations.

“We are in the middle of a paradigm shift in Atlanta, moving away from a car-centric culture and shifting toward infrastructure that connects communities and people,” says Becky Katz, Atlanta’s chief bicycle officer. “Relay is a big step forward as it integrates biking into our transportation system to make it easier for people to explore, commute and shop by bike.”

Ready to ride? Reserve a bike via the mobile app Social Bicycles, unlock it with a special PIN number, then return the bike to any station at the end of your ride.Rates start at $8 for a pay-as-you-go plan or $15 to $25 for a monthly plan. n

relaybikeshare.com

Living

SHELTER n STYLE n WELLNESS n PEOPLE OUT OF TOWN n IN-TOWN ESCAPES

12 SHELTER

Support arts-infused educational programming for children!

URBAN PURSUIT A Roswell couple trade suburban life for easier living in an intown oasis

Saturday, September 10th 6:30pm Grand Hyatt Buckhead Open Bar • Seated Dinner • Silent and Live Auctions For details call 404.881.5118 or bidpal.net/stringfling

Photos: Sandra Platten

Jim and Renee Schwarzkopf

AUGUST 2016

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Living

SHELTER

Urban Pursuit An empty nest and grueling commutes inspire Jan Winburn and Bill Mason to swap suburban living in Roswell for a charming intown oasis | STORY: Lindsay Lambert Day | PHOTOS: Sandra Platten

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or many empty nesters, seeing the last of the kids off to college or out into the real world means finally being free to pursue a suburban lifestyle, far removed from school drop-offs, sports practices, class performances and PTA meetings. But in 2014, with her grown daughter gone from the Roswell home they’d shared, plus a grueling commute downtown to her office at CNN, Jan Winburn and her partner, Bill Mason, didn’t have their sights set on more years of suburban dwelling, but rather on a move smack into the heart of Atlanta.

“When I first started working at CNN, my commute was around 40 minutes and could be an hour in bad traffic,” says Winburn. “It had grown to about

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AUGUST 2016

90 minutes.” About to become empty nesters and living in a house that Winburn says was too big for two people, she and Mason, who himself spent nearly six years commuting between Atlanta and Baltimore, decided it was time to make the move into town.

When it came to their new home’s must-haves, the couple wanted to be in a walkable place and to have a front porch where, Winburn says, “you could sit and watch the world go by.” As goes the process for many prospective home buyers, Winburn and Mason recall being distracted during their search by homes with features that, while not essential, they found appealing. “We started looking, and we’d see all these other things that we really liked,” she says. “We actually put a bid on a couple houses that, in retrospect, I’m so glad we didn’t get because they didn’t have a front porch, and they weren’t

Right: Winburn and Mason on the porch of their home.

Above: The couple’s living room is home to sentimental art and an angel’s bust adorned with twinkling white lights.

as walkable.” With help from their Sotheby’s real estate agent, Allie Burks, Winburn and Mason regrouped and reestablished their priorities. The exercise worked, and the couple found the perfect place, a charming 1923 Craftsman in Morningside-Lenox Park with a wide, shaded porch and within easy walking distance of Piedmont Park.

Once the house was officially theirs, the couple set about putting their personal style stamp on it, a process they began by replacing what Winburn describes as the porch’s “gaudy tile floor” with a more modern herring-

bone pattern in brick, and installing hardwood floors on the upper level.

Despite the fact that the couple’s predecessors made many structural improvements to the home, Winburn and Mason decided to gut the kitchen, replacing old cabinetry, clearing out bulky pantry space and installing a large island. They also replaced an original swing door with a pocket door that allows for easy, unobstructed passage into the adjacent dining room.

During the kitchen renovation, frosted block glass was revealed in the wall of a staircase that leads to the basement,

Right: Winburn and Mason gutted their kitchen, which is now a bright space with marbled granite countertops, a spacious island and easy access to the adjacent dining room.

Below: The dining room flows effortlessly into a front sitting room, which floods with golden light come evening time.

The chandelier was repurposed from the couple’s Roswell home.

Below: Butterfly artwork hangs above an antique bar/console table in the dining room.

a feature Winburn says some homeowners might find offputting, but one that she and Mason came to enjoy. “It was original to the home and had just been built over throughout time, so when we discovered it, we said, ‘Hey, this is great; let’s bring it out and let in some light,’” Mason says. The island’s contemporary granite countertop gleams in that light, giving the kitchen a fresh, new feel, while the kitchen’s high ceilings and beadboard keep the space anchored in its original era.

While Mason’s and Winburn’s kitchen is the cozy, comfy kind that

encourages lingering, more inviting still is the bright, cheerful family room just beyond it, a space that arguably underwent the most dramatic transformation. “The previous owners had used this as kind of a kid playroom, so there was a closet here that held all of their toys and art supplies, but it really broke the room up,” says Winburn. “So, on the very day we moved in, we ripped that out.” The room is now an open, airy space, its walls awash in two shades of springy yellow-green paint from SherwinWilliams that the couple chose to

complement a pair of pillows Winburn had made from floral IKEA curtains that used to hang in her daughter’s college apartment. “I saved the material for, like, five years, and when we came here, I said, ‘I know what I’m doing with this room.’ So I had the pillows made, and the inspiration for the colors in here came from those,” she says. “I just love that fabric. How ridiculous that an entire room would get its inspiration from a pillow?”

Like the rest of the house, the room neatly displays a well-curated collection of objects, both new

and old, that reflects the couple’s relaxed style, easy humor and familial love. Flush against one far wall stands a slim metal console table, painted turquoise and white, from artist JP McChesney’s “Dangerous Color” collection that the couple picked up at Paris on Ponce, and in front of the French doors that lead to the deck and backyard stands a carved wood Indian sculpture—his gaze fixed somewhere far off in the distance— which Winburn acquired from a

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Living

SHELTER

“I just love that fabric. How ridiculous that an entire room would get its inspiration from a pillow?” ­JAN WINBURN

Above: Double skylights allow plenty of natural sunlight— and moonlight—to flood in to a secondstory guest bedroom.

Right: Updating the porch’s tile floor with brick pavers in a more modern herringbone pattern was among the couple’s earlier home-improvement projects.

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AUGUST 2016

cousin. “I like to say that he’s an Indian scout,” she says. “I just feel like he’s looking into the future and protecting you. That’s why I like him.”

Settled in their home for 18 months, Winburn and Mason are fully reaping the benefits of their relocation, which now includes a 10-minute commute to CNN for Winburn (Mason works out of the couple’s house) and walkability to places such as Morningside village (“for Alon’s bakery,” says Winburn), Ansley Mall (“which has everything you’d ever need”) and Virginia-Highland. Perhaps the biggest bonus of all, though, is one they didn’t even plan for. In January, after a two-year stint in Knoxville, Winburn’s now 25-year-old daughter, Ella Dorsey, returned home to Atlanta and is now a meteorologist for CBS46. Dorsey lives in Midtown, another easy walk from the couple’s home. “It can’t even be a mile,” says Winburn, adding that Dorsey frequently eats dinner with the couple at their house on Sundays between her evening and late-night weather reports.

For one evening each week, Winburn and Mason’s new intown nest is full again, and along with it, their hearts. n

Above: The sun room’s yellow-green walls were inspired by a pair of pillows that Winburn had made from some old IKEA fabric (pictured on sofa and armchair).

Below: The carved-wood Indian sculpture that Winburn acquired from a relative.

DETAILS Granite countertops

Bottega Stone

bottegastone.com Console table

JP McChesney (Paris on Ponce)

jpmcchesney.com/dangerous-color Yellow-green paint (“Lime Granita” and “Dancing Green”)

Sherwin-Williams

sherwin-williams.com

atlantaeats.com

Living

STYLE

STYLE TO GO We found the casual-cool Jessica Burns sipping a Chambord Kir Royale at Apres Diem in Midtown | STORY: Sarah Blackman | | PHOTO: Sandra Platten |

y s a E Chic What do you love most about what you’re wearing right now?

My Charlotte Olympia sandals. They have the Eiffel Tower on them. I’ve never been to Paris, but I’ve always wanted to go. I had kids very early, so traveling hasn’t been my thing until now, since they’re older. Whenever I wear these sandals, it’s a reminder of that dream I’d like to fulfill.

Jessica Burns AGE: 41

OCCUPATION: Wife/

Mother/General Manager of Studio 43

MARRIED TO:

Are you an outfit planner, or do you dress by how you feel?

I dress by how I feel every day. I might plan out certain outfits for events, but if I put it on and don’t feel great in it, I’ll always change into something that fits my mood.

Where did you get the pieces you put together for today?

My blazer is Rag & Bone, and the dress is James Perse. The summer fedora is from J. Crew, and my handbag is from the Tom Ford collection.

My long necklace is by Charlotte Ronson. I’ve had it for about 10 years.

Are you wearing anything that’s vintage or a family heirloom?

My family gifted my other necklace to me for Mother’s Day. It’s a custom-made gold-and-diamond pendant that says #1 Mom. It’s very special to me.

Where’s your favorite place to shop Intown?

Bill Hallman [in Inman Park and Virginia-Highland]. I love the style and

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AUGUST 2016

Entertainment personality Kenny Burns WHERE SHE LIVES:

Alpharetta and Los Angeles

selection. [It has] been a go-to of mine for a long time. I like Ann Mashburn on the Westside for separates that travel well. Calypso St. Barth [in the Westside Provisions District] is great for summer beachwear.

Where’s your favorite place to go for a great bargain?

Labels [Resale] Boutique has great prices on some fabulous vintage designer pieces.

Do you consider yourself a trendsetter?

I believe that I am a trendsetter because I don’t follow trends. If I like it, I wear it. I play by my own fashion rules. Although there’s one

fashion trend that I have succumbed to: the choker. I recently purchased a thin gold choker chain by Crystal Streets Jewelry.

Who are your style icons?

I love Rihanna’s fearlessness in fashion and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s laid-back yet pulled-together everyday style. I have also followed the celebrity stylist June Ambrose for a while. I really love people who are authentic in how they dress. I don’t like contrived outfits. I like to see someone’s essence come through in his or her personal style.

What are your favorite Intown stores to shop for vintage,

shoes and accessories?

Timeless Pieces Vintage. It’s an [online] Etsy boutique, but the owner, Sharetta Marcus, lives in Atlanta. I go to her house and pick out my favorite ensembles.

She has everything: clothes, hats, shoes, accessories, even housewares.

She has great prices, too. I found one of my most favorite New Year’s Eve dresses with her—super sparkly and fun!

Where do you find fashion inspiration in Atlanta?

Oh, everywhere! Just with everyday living I come across inspiring fashion that sparks ideas I can translate into my own personal style. n

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Living

WELLNESS “It’s quite humbling to feel the power of this workout and understand how it can be challenging to even the most fit of individuals.” ­

Photo: Deborah Celecia Wagoner

AMY SELIG

Shape Shifter

| STORY: Jessica Dauler |

Stellar Bodies Midtown brings the celebrity-loved Lagree Method—and long, lean muscles—to fitness-minded Atlantans

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ith locations in Midtown and Buckhead, Stellar Bodies is home to what’s arguably one of the hardest workouts you’ll ever do.

The studios’ classes are based on what’s known as the Lagree Method, which co-owners Amy Selig and Jeff Toney, who also co-own Eclipse fitness studio in Buckhead, introduced to Atlanta after the philosophy took off on the West Coast with a celebrity fan base that includes Sofia Vergara and Kim Kardashian. The workout, originally designed by French fitness trainer Sebastien Lagree, is a 50-minute muscle-toning session that combines heart-pounding cardio,

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AUGUST 2016

resistance strength training and Pilates in a challenging sequence that keeps your heart rate up and improves core strength and balance. The best part (or the worst, depending on whether you have a glass half-full or half-empty kind of outlook)? It doesn’t get easier over time, which is precisely why it works.

The movements that make up the workout—push ups, lunges, squats, sit-ups and planks—are familiar, but they’re performed at an intensity that might make you rethink the seriousness of your past fitness efforts. Curious how it works? Class participants each use a piece of equipment known as a Megaformer (think of it as an upgraded Pilates reformer), which is outfitted with

springs and pulleys to set the resistance and counter-resistance of their workouts. Each movement is slow and controlled, targeting individual muscle groups while keeping them engaged.

“We continue to fatigue each muscle with constant tension and no rest, while layering on additional challenges throughout the workout,” says Selig. The result? Longer, leaner muscles. Meanwhile, the physical support of the Megaformer eliminates pressure on the joints and spine, making this a great high-intensity, full-body workout with little impact on pressure points.”

Because the workout is so efficient, it may only take three classes a week for several weeks to see results, which is ideal for busy schedules.

Selig and Toney knew that Stellar

Bodies would be well received in Atlanta. “Jeff and I knew the Lagree Method was an amazing workout that would deliver results, and we were excited to be the first to bring this workout to the state of Georgia,” Selig says. She credits the workout’s popularity to the results that many of its followers see. “These bodies that enter through our doors speak for us,” she says. “These days, busy people want to see a return on their investment of time.”

Each class is limited to 10 patrons, and the spaces often fill up in advance. “It’s important to maintain a small group class of 10 people, which gives the instructor the opportunity to watch the clients’ form, push them to go further than they thought they could go and complete the workout with a feeling of pride,” says Selig.

As for what to expect during and after the workout, “Clients should have a reality check regarding their fitness level,” Selig says. “It’s quite humbling to feel the power of this workout and understand how it can be challenging to even the most fit of individuals. If it’s your first time taking the class, most clients will feel muscle soreness the next day, and even more on the second day out.”

Costs average $25 to $30 per class, depending on the package, and patrons of all fitness levels are accommodated. Newcomers receive an intro to the Megaformer before their first class.

Our own word of Stellar Bodies advice? Prepare Midtown to be sore after 44 12th Street class, a sure sign 404.467.1060 stellarbodiesatl.com your workout was a success. n

Living PEOPLE

d e t n a h c En

n e d Gar Under CEO Mary Pat Matheson, the Atlanta Botanical Garden continues to flourish in its 40th year. | STORY: H.M. Cauley | PHOTO: Scott Reeves |

S

troll along carefully pruned paths, soak in the visual beauty of nature in bloom and stop to savor the skylines views, and it’s hard to envision a day when the Atlanta Botanical Garden was, well, a mess. But back in the 1970s, this corner of Piedmont Park needed a lot of TLC.

“It was in bad shape,” says Mary Pat Matheson, the garden’s president and CEO for the last 14 years. “It had old greenhouses from the parks department, a little rose garden and a little Japanese garden. But a group of people who loved gardening did what they could to keep it up.”

Those people also got talking over their volunteer tasks and agreed that a city the size of Atlanta needed a dedicated botanical garden. They garnered enough support to incorporate as the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and in 1976, then-Mayor Maynard Jackson persuaded the city to lease and dedicate 33 acres of the park as a garden. But the hard work was just about to begin.

“The organizers soon realized there were indigenous plants that were being threatened, so they integrated conservation into their mission,” Matheson says. “They started with carnivorous plants of the Southeast, and now we have the largest collection of pitcher plants in the world, just under 10,000 species, both native and from remote parts of the world.”

Continuing conservation efforts was one of the reasons Matheson left a 30-year job at the University of Utah to move to Atlanta.

“I was very impressed with the commitment; people here were doing important conservation work,” she says.

“And that is so important since we lose biodiversity so quickly. I also liked that the garden has great bones: It’s in a beautiful location in the heart of a dynamic, vibrant and cosmopolitan city. You couldn’t pick a better place for it than Midtown, with Piedmont Park next door and great city views.”

But Matheson also saw a job to be done to keep the garden moving forward. “It was in need of its next evolution. I felt it was under-utilized in the community. One thing I’m known for is raising money, building gardens and bringing exhibitions and concerts—things that bring people back, even if they’re not gardeners.”

Under Matheson’s leadership, more than $110 million has been raised to upgrade and create new facilities and to attract major exhibitions, such as the current display of glass artist Dale Chihuly, ongoing through October.

Matheson brought the first and only Chihuly show to Atlanta in 2004, and since then, the garden has grown from 15 to 30 acres. Membership and attendance numbers have soared.

Award-winning chef Linton Hopkins opened his latest name-sake venture, a full-service, locally sourced eatery.

And yet there is still work to do.

Last month, Matheson unveiled a new children’s garden. A skyline garden with a gazebo, flower walk and terraces planted with succulents is under construction and will showcase the spectacular views of the Atlanta skyline when completed by the end of 2017. By early 2018, Matheson expects to cut the ribbon on the Center for Southeast Conservation, where future botanists will learn about environmental issues of the future. And she expects there will be more community outreach programs, particularly around the hot trend of urban agriculture.

“There is no shortage of things to do, especially these days, when people are so disconnected from nature,” says Matheson, who makes her own connection to it on a farm near Athens where she spends as much time as she can spare. “We don’t go hiking or play in the woods anymore; we’ve become an urban world. The garden is about getting people back to nature.

They may not walk away knowing the name of this endangered Atlanta orchid, but Botanical Garden they’ll feel a 1345 Piedmont Avenue lot better than 404.876.5859 atlantabg.org when they arrived.” n

19

Living OUT OF TOWN

Fresh Perspective At Paws Up resort in western Montana, outdoor adventures come with a side of self-discovery

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acations are meant to free us from stress, and so I’m seriously questioning my choices as I stand paralyzed on the edge of a wooden treetop platform, peering through welling tears at the ground some 40 feet below. Crisscrossed around me is a harness and a labyrinthine system of straps and carabiners, which connect to a stateof-the-art magnetic bungee cord.

Behind me, a suntanned activities guide patiently coos words of encouragement. All that’s left for me to do is take a single step forward and enjoy a few seconds of free fall before the magnets snap into action and slow my descent. But terror has taken over, and my feet are frozen in place.

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AUGUST 2016

It’s the last afternoon of my stay at Paws Up, the sprawling wilderness resort in Greenough, Montana, and that single step forward is all that stands between me and the end of the resort’s new aerial ropes course, which I’m among the first guests to use. Paws Up has been on my travel bucket list since it opened 10 years ago, a dream escape for its myriad soft outdoor adventures: fly fishing on the Blackfoot River, hotair-balloon rides over the Montana landscape, nature walks through windswept meadows, repelling down rock cliffs. In all the years I’ve spent picturing my own visit to the resort, the all-consuming terror I feel in this moment somehow never factored in.

And yet, during my short stay in this beautiful place, with its luxurious

Above: Along with the sun, a hot-air balloon lifts off over the mistshrouded, mountainous landscape of Paws Up.

| STORY: Lindsay Lambert Day |

tents and log cabins and crackling campfires, living outside my comfort zone has quickly become a theme.

For all of the resort’s plush comforts, this is a place where mindful travelers can come to revel in personal challenges. The ropes course is not my first. The previous day, I’d sat in a circle with a handful of other guests, glasses of wine and plates of snacks perched at our sides, a fresh, blank leather-bound notebook lying open in each of our laps. At the head of our circle sat New York Times bestselling author Laura Munson, who’d come to Paws Up from her home in Whitefish to lead a series of writing workshops at the resort. What seemed at first like a golden opportunity for a writer and editor like myself became an exercise in the act of disappear-

ing when Munson instructed us to 1) write a freeform poem and 2) read it out loud to the group—a nightmare for a self-conscious introvert like myself. Mercifully, Munson sensed my trepidation and let me off the hook, making recitation optional for my far-more-confident classmates.

(Note to self: Study up on poetry.)

Later that afternoon I’d mounted a stubborn, chocolate kiss-colored horse and tried in vain to herd a dozen rowdy calves into a muddy, narrow pen, learning in the process that desire alone does not a cowgirl make.

But that’s not to say that this visit has been entirely spent in a state of fear or frustration. (Nor were those emotions unwelcome.) I’ve warmed my toes and sipped rich red wine in front of my very own fireplace.

Above: Guests in search of R&R can get massages, facials and other body treatments at Spa Town, a cluster of white canvas tents situated in a secluded field on the resort’s grounds.

Left: Paws Up presents guests a unique opportunity to saddle up and head out on a cattle drive alongside working ranch hands.

Below: Big Sky, emerald pines and utter tranquility encourage guests to unplug and enjoy the resort’s natural beauty.

Handmade pasta, perfectly cooked steaks & fresh seafood expertly prepared using the �nest ingredients.

I’ve been lulled to near-sleep at the spa with a Swedish massage while snow-capped mountains sparkled in the distance. I’ve snacked on afterdinner s’mores by starlight. And I’ve sped alongside the Blackfoot River on an ATV, fresh Montana air filling my lungs and inflating my spirit.

It’s that same ATV ride that has deposited me here at the ropes course, where, after what feels like an eternity, decision time has arrived. I close my eyes, recall each of the challenges I’ve encountered in this place and feel grateful—successful or not in my efforts—merely

to have been shaken from the safety of routine. At last, I draw in one final big breath of that fresh Montana air and step forward.

Whether it’s the cord or purely the spirit of this place that makes me feel safe in this moment, I don’t know. But I’m floating. I’m free. n

For reservations please call 404.844.4810

VISIT The Resort at Paws Up 40060 Paws Up Road Greenough, MT 59823 877.588.7151 pawsup.com

21

Living

IN-TOWN ESCAPES

Head for the Hills

The Spa at Château Élan overlooks a pond and gazebo near the 9th-hole tee box of the resort’s Par 3 course.

| STORY: Joanne Hayes |

An hour’s drive transports Atlantans to Château Élan’s tranquil grounds

D

riving through the gates of Château Élan, a beautiful orange-pink sunset as our backdrop, my husband and I prepared for two teenager-free nights filled with warm Southern hospitality, gourmet food and wine in seven restaurants, and world-class amenities.

With sweeping views of the North Georgia foothills and 3,500 acres of gorgeous property—including a full-production winery—it was like we were in the French countryside, just an hour away from the city.

But that’s the point, right?

After settling into our room, we headed to Café Élan for wine tasting and dinner. A distinguished gentleman who introduced himself as Hank Evers, CEO and president of Château Élan, cheerfully greeted us. He escorted us to the Wine Market to sample the winery’s new Muscadry

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AUGUST 2016

and Pink Muscadry, along with two reds, Pinot Noir 2011 Reserve and Barbera D’Asti D.O.C.G. 2011, explaining the origins of each.

Afterward, we dined in the bustling Café Élan. Our server, Crystal, attended to every need without being obtrusive—her wine suggestion (Justin Cabernet) with our Cher­moula Spiced Ahi Tuna and Swordfish Catch of the Day was superb. One of our favorite dishes was the appetizer, a selection of local charcuterie and fromage, featuring Sweet Grass Dairy cheeses, housemade pickled vegetables and assorted jams.

The first night, we slept blissfully in our comfy bed outfitted in a Richloom Home Fashions duvet cover and Harbor Linen “Opulence” sheets, dreaming of next-day spa treatments.

We were so anxious to get the pampering started, we didn’t make it to breakfast. Instead, we opted for an early lunch at Fleur-de-Lis, the lovely, sunlit dining room overlooking the lake and gazebo at Château Élan’s Spa.

Our treatments included a Men’s Hot Towel Facial and Château Essential Massage (for him) and Château Essential Facial and Deep Tissue Massage (for me) as well as his-andhers pedicures. The Spa uses d’vine products featuring all natural ingredients from wine, grapes and potent botanicals. The mild, fruity scent of grape seed oil lingered on our skin throughout the weekend, serving as a constant reminder to relax.

Although the spa was dreamy, our weekend highlight was dinner at Le Clos, which seats just 28 people in its intimate setting within the Winery. The five-course, prix-fixe menu features sea­sonal fla­vors and local har­vest—all fruits and veg­eta­bles on the menu are Georgia-grown.

I opted for the chef’s seasonal salad, monkfish, lemon sorbet and bison tenderloin, and house-made coconut pistachio sorbet. My husband chose smoked tuna, “Bacon & Eggs,” lemon sorbet and venison osso buco, and the charcuterie tray for dessert.

Perfectly portioned and served leisurely over two-and-a-half hours, dinner was satisfying, and the chef’s presentation very impressive. He visited our table personally after dinner to get our thoughts about the new seasonal menu, which debuted that evening. We complimented the artistic and colorful presentation of each dish, which showcased the freshness of the local ingredients.

The next afternoon, we reminisced about every moment of our French Château “staycation.” We drove home with the top down, sun shining on our faces. Short, meaningful trips go a long way in staying connected as a couple, and we’ve vowed that Château Élan will be a more regular one for us. n

CHÂTEAU ÉLAN The Château Élan Inn 100 Rue Charle­magne, Brasel­ton, Ga. 30517 678.425.0900 chateauelan.com

Culture HEADLINERS n CREATORS

26 CREATORS

MOBILE MURALS

Photo: Scott Reeves

Candler Park artist William Massey turns cars into moving canvases.

AUGUST 2016

23

Culture

HEADLINERS

n o i t c e r i D w Ne

“People are moving here, and everyone is friendly and wants others to succeed.” ­

As Theatrical Outfit celebrates its 40th anniversary, actor Clifton Guterman steps into his most important role yet. | STORY: Jim Farmer |

CLIFTON GUTERMAN

H

It’s a new position for the company and for Guterman, who has been with the Downtown Atlanta theater four years as an executive associate and casting director. He will continue casting duties and add community engagement to his tool belt.

An additional focus, however, will be locating plays and playwrights and producing The Unexpected Play Reading Festival in 2017, full of original or fairly new work.

After growing up in Iron City, Georgia—a small city of approximately 325 people without a single stop light, school or church—Guterman, 40, went to UGA and later picked up an MFA in performing arts from SCAD. A summer internship in casting at the Alliance Theatre turned into a four-year job as an assistant for Susan Booth, the theater’s artistic director, in 2001.

During the day he handled administrative duties, and at night he acted across the city. Guterman’s favorite local role was his first, as a gay teenager in Actor’s Express’s 2002 “Beautiful Thing,” but he was also seen during that time in “Bat Boy: The Musical” at Dad’s Garage and in “The Goat” at Actor’s Express, among others.

An acting gig took him to California in 2005, and he moved to New York the next year. “It was a challenge,” Guterman recalls of living in the city.

“I went there at 28. I think if I had gone out of college with college

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AUGUST 2016

Photo: Stacey Bode Photography

e’s known throughout the area for his stage roles, but this summer Clifton Guterman starts the largest nonacting gig of his professional career, taking on the title of associate artistic director at Theatrical Outfit.

energy it would have been different. I had had success in Atlanta and done several shows, and living here was affordable. In New York, I worked, and I had agents, but I just didn’t like the city. It felt oppressive to me.”

In 2008, he met his future husband—Chad Gough, a senior vice president for an advertising firm— in New York, and by the next year they had decided to move to Atlanta.

Gough was charmed with the city on his first visit. “He fell in love with it,” says Guterman. “He saw the life you could have here—being able to afford to have a home and a car and a dog.”

They briefly relocated to Chicago in 2014, but Guterman knew after just three days it was a mistake. The two had lived in Chicago temporarily when visiting for Gough’s work and liked the area’s theatre community and liberal environment. Wanting to give life in a big city one more crack before settling down, they moved to the Windy City in the spring, but they were back in Atlanta by the fall.

“Immediately, there was a homesickness for my friends and theatre people, the comfort for the history I had built.” says Guterman “I also knew I would be rebuilding in a sense

and having to reprove myself.” The Grant Park residence he and Gough share is now a permanent home.

Guterman has noticed a significant change in Atlanta of late. “The trend used to be to work all you could here, build up a resume and then move to Chicago or New York,” he says.

“Because of all the great theatre here, and the TV and film industry exploding, people are staying to have families and work in both mediums.

People are moving here, and everyone is friendly and wants others to succeed.” He has also been inspired that the Atlanta theatre community, which went through a recession that saw companies such as Georgia Shakespeare and Theatre in the Square close, is healthy again.

Theatrical Outfit celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. One of the reasons Guterman is happy at the company is its leader, artistic director Tom Key. “He is ageless and inspiring,” Guterman says of Key. “We have challenges, like every other non-profit, but because of Tom it’s positive, even in disappointing times.

He has a way of keeping people positive. I work well under that model.”

Over the years, Guterman has branched out to film but for the most part is content with behind-the-scenes tasks these days. Yet the acting bug hasn’t altogether disappeared. “When I have a play that I am passionate about, I know who to email about it.

I think I will be back on stage.” n

The Theatrical Outfit

The Balzer Theater at Herren’s 84 Luckie St. NW 678.528.1500 theatricaloutfit.org

THRILLING!

“

YOU ABSOLUTELY NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, RIGHT UP TO THE LAST, POWERFULLY MOVING BEAT.”

From the Pulitzer Prize & Tony Award-winning Creators of Next to Normal, the Director of Rent and the Producer of Wicked

PHOTOS: JOAN MARCUS; ILLUSTRATION: ZINA SAUNDERS

-New York Magazine

ON SALE NOW! August 9-14

FoxTheatre.org/IfThen 855-285-8499

25

Culture CREATORS

s l a r u M e l i b Mo

Y

ou’re driving along Ponce when a giant eagle feather flies past in the left lane. Or maybe some sunflowers and a Nepali peace flag sail by.

If so, you’ve probably just seen a painted car from the collection curated by Candler Park artist William Massey.

Since 2014, Massey has been introducing local artists to car owners wanting to add some personalized art to their cars. How did the Atlanta sculptor become the match.com for painted cars?

“It happened after returning from a trip to India,” Massey explains. “I was intrigued by how people painted what they wanted to share on their cars. It might be ‘I have a blind spot; please honk,’ or a depiction of the god that they worship or a family crest. It wasn’t really what they put on the car, just the fact that they did it, that they weren’t scared or ashamed to alter

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AUGUST 2016

Candler Park artist William Massey is creating buzz with an unusual canvas: cars. | STORY: Laurel-Ann Dooley | PHOTO: Scott Reeves |

the factory paint job with something they felt the need to share.”

Massey liked the concept so much that when he got home, he painted his own car gray, getting it ready for when inspiration struck. It didn’t take long. Two weeks later, Massey was having an art exhibit. He parked his car, put out an array of paints and told everyone there to have at it.

“It was crazy, but fun,” he says.

Afterward, as he drove his multi-colored car around Atlanta, Massey started thinking: What if he made the painting more intentional?

He asked an artist friend if he would create a mural on his car, painting whatever he wanted. The answer was an excited “yes.”

“It came out almost the opposite of my personality, with a sort of Japanese anime feel. It was fun because it was

different. A couple of weeks later, a friend asked if I could find an artist for their car, and a few weeks after that, another, and the trend has just continued,” says Massey. He named the project Car Canvas. “I haven’t pushed for it to grow; it did it on its own.”

So far, Car Canvas has produced about a dozen uniquely painted autos and one 45-foot bus. Eight more cars are on the docket.

Like the moving murals, the business model is not typical. No money changes hands. Massey explains it this way: “I love connecting people and getting art out into the world in a fresh way. Car owners get to share something they love. And artists get more exposure than they would from a giant billboard.

The best part is when I roll down the road, people just light up. It

“I live at the crux of business and joy, and joy always trumps money in my mind.”­ WILLIAM MASSEY

literally creates joy in the places I go.

Women say, ‘That is so cute.’ Men are like, ‘That’s dope,’ Kids say, ‘Mom, look at that cool car.’ Everyone can relate in some way.”

Along with Car Canvas, Massey is an established artist, known for his large-scale, found-art sculptures.

His third and current installation on the Atlanta BeltLine, “The Art of Reconciliation,” involved more than 200 people, “hipsters, homeless, veterans, kids,” in its creation. The sculpture embodies Massey’s commitment to bringing people together through art.

“I live at the crux of business and joy,” he says, “and joy always trumps money in my mind.” n

To see more, visit williammasseyart.com or follow @carcanvas on Instagram.

Indulge IVE ME FIVE

n

REVIEW n LIQUIDS n FRESH BITES

One in five children in America struggles with hunger.

Support Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.

JOIN US FOR OUR 10TH YEAR OF this highly anticipated benefit featuring an exclusive five-course dinner with hand selected wine pairings.

Together, we can make No Kid Hungry a reality.

Sunday, August 14 PIE DMONT DRIVING CLUB 1 2 1 5 P i e dm o n t Ave, A t la nt a , G A 30 3 0 9 5 P M - C O C K TA I L R E C E P T I O N 6 PM - DINNER

28 REVIEW

SURPRISE STAR Farm-fresh food is a scene stealer at Venkman’s in Old Fourth Ward

Purchase tickets at GiveMeFiveDinner.org 100% of proceeds benefit the work of Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger in America.

Photos: Sara Hanna

THE BILLI MARCUS FOUNDATION

AUGUST 2016

27

Indulge REVIEW

r a t S ise

pr r u S

Inventive farm-fresh fare steals the show at this Old Fourth Ward live music venue.

Above: A brunch favorite, duck egg hash is a savory combination of duck leg confit, sweet potatoes, arugula and bearnaise aioli topped with a sunnyside-up duck egg.

Top left: Mushroom lettuce cups, a vegan treat even a carnivore could love.

| STORY: Kate Parham Kordsmeier | PHOTOS: Sara Hanna |

T

hey say that to write a good review, you must, among other things, dine at the restaurant multiple times.

Though I don’t get much sympathy from friends and family for fulfilling this duty (and I understand why), I can’t say I always enjoy this part of the job.

Restaurants aren’t always good; the food isn’t always consistent; the service isn’t always on point. But when I got the assignment to write this piece on Venkman’s, Old Fourth Ward’s latest hot spot, I found myself finding any and every excuse to go there, well beyond what was required. One week, I was there three times.

And it’s a good half-hour away from my house.

Venkman’s is that good.

It’s unsurprising, considering chef-partner Nick Melvin’s past performance (he’s the man behind those addictive Doux South pickles you see at every farmer’s market and artisanal food shop in town). Still, I have to admit I wasn’t expecting to find food this spectacular at a live music venue.

In addition to being a hotbed for innovative comfort food creations (think Gochujang pepper jelly smoked wings), Venkman’s is also an entertainment venue. The brainchild of Nicholas Nie-

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AUGUST 2016

spodziani and Peter Olson (the co-front men of Yacht Rock Revue and founders of PleaseRock), Venkman’s plays host to a slew of live shows, from local parvenus to national names, running the gamut from rock and roll to bluegrass, soul to salsa, circus performers to puppeteers.

Sure, the trend of entertainment venues with chef-driven cuisine may be sweeping America right now, but few do it with as much integrity and talent as Venkman’s.

Chef Melvin’s approachable yet innovative food can stand on its own—meaning a meal at Venkman’s is worth it even if there isn’t a show—or it can up the ante on date night, perfectly complementing the entertainment in a way that previously would’ve required two stops.

Of course, no restaurant is perfect. After trying dozens of dishes from the various menus (Venkman’s is open for brunch, dinner, happy hour and late night), I did, admittedly, find one dish I could’ve done without. The pimento mac and cheese should’ve been decadent and bold but instead was somehow bland, seemingly unseasoned and, ultimately, lifeless.

Fortunately, it came alongside the most expertly cooked piece of fried chicken, served straight from the cast iron with a drizzling of hot sauce honey that left me wondering “mac and who?”

Despite that misstep, Melvin’s track record

during my many visits still clocks in with more than a 99 percent success rate, which is to say, Venkman’s is as good as it gets.

Much of the menu tells a tale of two Souths, as traditional tastes of the American South mingle with Southeast Asian flavors in dishes such as the lively flat iron steak, served atop an herbaceous crispy cauliflower salad dressed with a bright lime vinaigrette. Likewise, the duck tartare laced with fiery Gochujong (a special) tantalized.

Equally shocking for such a venue is the number of gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. Don’t miss the mushroom lettuce cups, a crispy, herb-centric dish spiked with shiitake “bacon” and crunchy peanuts.

The exceptionally textured arugula and sugar snap pea salad, tossed with vibrant mint, sharp Parmesan and a smoky charred lemon vinaigrette, is not to be missed.

Perhaps the best item on the menu is a surprising skillet bursting with pickled beets and strawberries, smothered atop warm feta cheese and the most perfectly buttered crostini.

It shouldn’t work, and yet somehow Melvin has wielded his chefly superpowers to make it one of the most exciting plates in Atlanta.

Brunch is equally thrilling. Do yourself a favor and start with the breakfast poutine—roasted

Top left: Smoked Springer Mountain chicken wings with gochujang pepper jelly, pickled carrots and sesame seeds.

Left: Arugula and sugar snap pea salad, tossed with mint, Parmesan and charred lemon vinaigrette.

Above: Venkman’s Cast Iron Fried Chicken is drizzled with hot sauce honey and served alongside pimento cheese and shells.

Chef’s Selects potatoes bedecked with pickled peppers, mozzarella curds and an umami-forward roasted mushroom gravy. And the blueberry ricotta donuts, accented with tangy lemon curd for a sweet and sour masterpiece. Yes, you need both.

Follow it up with the red chile chicken and grits or the luxurious duck egg hash, both of which come with flawless runny eggs.

Bottomless mimosas—just $18 a person—are the obvious pairing, and the servers would sooner have you dine at IHOP than take a sip without having your glass immediately refilled.

When the weather cooperates, opt for a seat on the patio, though if there’s a performance, inside is preferred, particularly a seat with a view of the open kitchen and the stage. Designed by local architecture firm ai3, Venkman’s is reminiscent of a vintage lounge you might find in New Orleans or Nashville (see the red velvet curtains, cozy leather banquettes and industrial details, from concrete floors to exposed beams).

Alongside the thoughtfully crafted cocktails barman Pieter Guilbault stirs up—start with the boozy Azzurri (Bourbon, Sweet Vermouth, Curacao, Campari and Black Walnut) before moving on to the signature slushies, or a glass of rosé on tap—Venkman’s perfectly encapsulates Modern Southern culture in the capital of the New South. Cheers to that! n

Order up an Azzurri cocktail, a vibrant blend of bourbon, sweet vermouth, Curaçao, Campari and black walnut.

Chef Nick Melvin dishes on what gets him amped up in the kitchen 1. Favorite Dish: Roast trout with smoked corn hash 2. Favorite Drink: Mountain Valley Sparkling Water with a splash of lime 3. Favorite Dessert: Chocolate chip and Nutella pudding with sweet cream, crushed Heath Bar, and salted pretzels 4. Favorite Seasonal Ingredient: Radish in spring, cucumbers in summer, turnips in fall, celeriac in winter

Puffy blueberry ricotta donuts are piled high, served atop lemon curd and dusted with powdered sugar

VENKMAN’S 740 Ralph McGill Blvd. N.E. 470.225.6162 venkmans.com Recommended: Strawberry, beet and feta starter ($14); Flat-iron steak ($23); Mushroom lettuce cups ($10); Breakfast poutine ($13) Bottom line: Innovative comfort food creations alongside killer live music and cocktails.

Bottomless mimosas are a brunch essential—and a bargain at $18 per person

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Indulge LIQUIDS Seven spots for enjoying this season’s sips alfresco. | STORY: Amelia Pavlik |

A

cool rosé or cocktail, a patio with a warm breeze and good people watching—it’s the recipe for a perfect summer evening.

The next time a drinks-on-the-patio craving comes calling, answer with a visit to one of these summer-ready watering holes.

BeetleCat

O-Ku

Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall

BEVERAGE AND BITES TO ORDER: Lost in Havana and avocado toast

PATIO PICK FACTOR: “With a panoramic view of Atlanta’s beautiful skyline, our Westside patio offers guests the ultimate experience,” says Natasha Horton, patio bar manager. “With oversized lounge furniture, a full-service bar and customized rooftop menu, O-Ku is the place to kick back in style this summer.”

topped with roasted grapefruit (available at brunch only)

BEVERAGE AND BITES TO ORDER: Jasmanian Devil

PATIO PICK FACTOR: “Come and check out our new grove area along the BeltLine,” says Richard Roe, bar manager. “After all, there’s nothing better than being transported to your happy place on the patio with a cold drink, good tunes, a light breeze and a front row seat to the best people watching in town.”

and the Lobster Temaki

PATIO PICK FACTOR: “BeetleCat has not one but two patios,” says Lara Creasy, beverage director. “The upstairs patio gets full sun in the afternoon—great for people who love the sun. And the downstairs patio is in the shade, so even on a blistering Atlanta afternoon, you can sit outside and not have to bake.”

BEVERAGE AND BITES TO ORDER: Bay Breeze for Two and the octopus dip and warm pita

Photo: Dave Crawford

o i t s a k c P i P Linton’s in the Garden PATIO PICK FACTOR: “Our patio is an escape within the Atlanta Botanical Garden—a place to relax and take in the surroundings,” says Executive Chef Jason Paolini. “To have a cocktail or a glass of riesling and a few bites in this environment is something special.”

BeetleCat

299 N. Highland Ave. N.E. 678.732.0360 beetlecatatl.com

Hampton & Hudson

299 N. Highland Ave. N.E. 404.948.2123 hamptonandhudson.com

BEVERAGE AND BITES TO ORDER: The High Tea (debuting this summer) and the panino

Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall

684 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. N.E. 404.458.6838 ladybirdatlanta.com

Marcel PATIO PICK FACTOR: “The best way to experience Marcel is to start or finish your dinner outside on the patio, enjoying a beverage by the fireplace,” says Beverage Manager Eduardo Guzman. “It’s a reminder that life is so endlessly delicious.”

Linton’s in the Garden

1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E. 404.585.2061 lintonsinthegarden.com

BEVERAGE AND BITES TO ORDER: Le Bombardier

Hampton & Hudson PATIO PICK FACTOR: “We wanted to create a true community bar and restaurant in the heart of Inman Park that redefines how diners look at pub food,” says Billy Streck, who co-owns the space with his wife, Jenn. “And we know that the intimate outdoor patio with a fire pit will be a go-to for folks in the neighborhood spring through fall.”

BEVERAGE AND BITES TO ORDER: The Hampton and the Double Stack

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AUGUST 2016

and the Oysters Bienville

Marcel

Tavernpointe PATIO PICK FACTOR: “There’s nothing like overlooking Peachtree Street, sitting under the umbrellas with draft sangria. In addition to having the sangria on draft, our new Watermelon Blueberry Mint Julep cocktail is also available on draft,” says Beverage Director Madison Burch.

BEVERAGE AND BITES TO ORDER: Upper East Side and the Hampton Hot Chicken Biscuit Slider

1170 Howell Mill Rd. 404.665.4555 marcelatl.com

O-Ku

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FRESH BITES

What’s New & Noteworthy in Food

cool cocktails

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t’s August in Atlanta, and although your beach vacation may have already come and gone, the summer temperatures aren’t going away any time soon. The good news is you still have time to chill out with some of these killer summer cocktails.

Cellar Scene After several construction hiccups (to be expected in the industry), City Winery Atlanta opened its doors at Ponce City Market at the end of June.

Tin Lizzy’s Cantina introduced several refreshing cocktails on its drink menu this summer, including its Ruby Sangria.

The mix of Trapiche Malbec, Deep Eddy Ruby Red grapefruit vodka and fresh fruit is a tasty way to stay cool. We also love The Sun Down, a mixture of 1800 Añejo Tequila, PAMA pomegranate juice and orange juice. It’s as refreshing as it is pretty to look at.

1Kept Kitchen and Bar in Midtown recently added an in-house cold-brew system that slowly infuses vodka with fresh fruits and botanical ingredients.

Check out two of the hottest cocktails utilizing a vodka naturally infused with ginger and lime: The Moscow Mule (cold-infused ginger and lime

Part urban winery, part music venue, part restaurant/bar, it’s the newest of the City Wineries founded by Michael Dorf, originator of New York City’s Knitting Factory music venue. In 2008, Dorf created the concept as a way to combine his love for food, music and wine. Executive Chef Jeffrey McGar’s menu features locally sourced ingredients in dishes with global and Southern influences, and portions are easy for concertgoers to share—think seasonally rotating flatbreads, risotto balls and a daily charcuterie selection. Seasonal cocktails include house-made bitters and mixers, and, of course, there’s an impressive curated 400-plus bottle wine list featuring City Winery-made wines. Concerts and live music are being added daily.

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vodka and ginger beer) and the Evening Star (Van Gogh Gin, cold-infused ginger and lime vodka, lemon, saffron, EVOO and basil, topped with Prosecco).

If you’re looking for a new spin on that standard martini, order the Poplar Grove at Tom Murphy’s new outpost, Morningside Kitchen. This one is a shaken-and-stirred version of Dixie Vodka, apricot Eau-de-Vie, lemon juice, orange bitters and Thai chili.

It’s the creation of Beverage Director Dan Givens, and now, a favorite of the neighborhood. n

Poplar Grove from Morningside Kitchen

1Kept 2293 Peachtree Road 404.254.1973 1kept.com

Ruby Sangria from Tin Lizzy’s Cantina

Morningside Kitchen 1397 North Highland Ave. 404.347.9747 morningside-kitchen.com Tin Lizzy’s Cantina Multiple locations tinlizzyscantina.com

Food News

Photos: Heidi Geldhauser

City Winery 650 North Ave. Ponce City Market 404.946.3791 citywinery.com/atlanta

Evening Star from 1Kept

Photo: Jeff Moore-Garnish Photography

| STORY: Sarah Gleim |

Photo: Chris Watkins

Summer’s

n Georgia craft brewery Second Self Beer Company opened its new tasting room in July. The renovation, designed by Square Feet Studio, tripled the original footprint that can now accommodate up to 180 guests.

The space includes a 24-foot butcher-block bar, reclaimed wood tables and a kitchen for catered events and chef pop ups. The tasting room is open to the public Monday, Thursday and Friday from 6 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.

n Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison announced they are relocating Bacchanalia and Star Provisions to a stand-alone building they’ll be constructing at the Ellsworth Office Lofts on Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard.

They’ve hired the firm of Perkins + Will to design the new space, which they anticipate being completed in early 2017. Star Provisions to-go will remain in the current Westside Provisions District space.

Second Self Beer Company 1317 Logan Circle 678.916.8035 secondselfbeer.com Star Provisions/ Bacchanalia 1198 Howell Mill Road 404.365.0410 starprovisions.com

COVER STORY

| PHOTOS: Sara Hanna |

Atlanta is home to an impressive population of creative thinkers and doers, from urban planners to photographers to artists who work with unexpected mediums. Here, meet five folks whose collective creative vision is making our city a more exciting place to live.

AUGUST 2016

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TIM MOXLEY Photographer/Co-founder, #weloveatl | STORY: H.M. Cauley |

T

im Moxley grew up in Florida, but after graduating from SCAD and the University of Georgia, he’s called Atlanta home since 2000. And he’s grown to love his adopted hometown, so much so that he and two buddies launched an online campaign to connect with others who share the same passion. In 2012, just as Instagram was making a splash, Moxley and partners Brandon Barr and Aaron Coury launched #weloveatl, a site he considers one of the first links dedicated solely to showcasing images of what’s best about the city.

The idea quickly garnered 200 followers, and Moxley and his cofounders decided to move the photos from cyberspace to the real world with a showing at the Young Blood Gallery on N. Highland Avenue.

“We connected with eight people who had posted photos and asked them if they wanted to work on a show,” says Moxley, an advertising photographer by trade. “Three of them responded, and we met, complete strangers, and started having weekly meetings to plan it.”

The team curated about 5,000 submitted photos that they whittled down to 275 by 180 photographers.

The show drew 1,000 people, raised just over $3,000 for the Atlanta Community Food Bank and inspired more people to post their Atlanta images online. Today, more than 350,000 shots are part of the #weloveatl archive.

But it’s not just about Atlanta,” Moxley says. “I love that we’re making connections with people who live around

the city but also the state and the globe. I’ve shared images with other people of their cities, too. It’s a way to get a glimpse into other cultures.”

Moxley and his colleagues also came up with a way to bring those glimpses of Atlanta into the public eye. “We figured the next step was to take the art from the streets to the street,” he says. “So we raised $7,500 from a Kickstarter campaign and bought an old bread truck that we converted into a gallery.”

About twice a month, the #weloveatl truck shows up at events around town and opens its doors to those who want to explore the city through a local’s lens. The photos are for sale, and proceeds go to the Food Bank.

A selection of images has also been part of public art projects, including displays on the BeltLine and another at CNN Center. Last summer, the team covered the MARTA Five Points station with about 850 photos. They’re now working with a gallery in Clarkston to exhibit shots that tell the stories of the area’s diverse refugee population.

But as with all the #weloveatl projects, it’s happening on a shoestring budget.

“We sell T-shirts and stickers to put gas in the truck,” says Moxley, who lives in Kirkwood. “But I’m proud that we’re doing our part to help people express their pride in the city and raise money for some charities at the same time.” n

Visit weloveatl.org for more info, and follow @weloveatl on Instagram.

AMY FLURRY AND NIKKI NYE Co-Founders, Paper-Cut-Project

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tlantans Nikki Nye and Amy Flurry have pretty impressive resumes. One is a former fashion boutique owner, and the other a former magazine style editor. But their ingenuity, creativity and chutzpah have drawn international acclaim to their talents, which just happen to be in the simplest medium: paper.

The two have been working together to create intricate and painstakingly detailed paper sculptures since 2009 under the moniker Paper-Cut-Project, when “we discovered a mutual love for the theater and fantasy as it played out on the runway or in a fashion editorial,” says Flurry. “When we came up with our idea, we decided to choose just one material and to keep it simple. Nikki had been working in paper since art school and knew the material well; we chose that for our medium but in a different, more

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| STORY: Lauren Finney |

sculptural direction than in her personal work, which is also fabulous.”

Paper might seem extremely one dimensional, but the duo ensures that it’s anything but. Their commissioned pieces can take anywhere from five days to two weeks to complete, proving that they’ve been able to reinterpret an extremely simple, everyday medium and turn it into decorative, fanciful and sculptural wigs that complement the clothing that sits on the mannequins beneath it.

The project started at the upscale retail shop Jeffrey in Buckhead.“We approached then-manager Don Purcell with our idea, which was pretty elaborate. He was incredibly gracious, considering we didn’t have any prior work to show him, only the concept and a drawing,” admits Flurry. “It was Don and the visual director who helped us to scale our idea to something that was executable: [mannequin] wigs.”

“Then Don said, ‘Well, if you do the windows for Atlanta, you’ll have to do the New York [outpost of Jeffrey] as well,’’’ remembers Flurry. “And I will never forget that, as I was aware of the popularity of the boutique in the Meatpacking District.”

From those windows and that first effort came many exciting opportunities. The very next project they worked on was a series of equestrian-inspired masks for Hermès that proved how electrifying the concept and work was.

Since then, they’ve created pieces for Kate Spade, Valentino and more, although the pair’s favorite endeavor is a 17-piece commission for “Hollywood Costume,” one of the most visited exhibits ever at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

It’s easy to see why the wigs are of particular note: The pair has done everything from a Cruella De Vil-inspired, swept-back style to medievallooking ponytails and piles of curls

worthy of Marie Antoinette. Made mostly black and white, the pieces are striking and daring, with enough whimsy to keep observers staring at a vitrine that much longer.

These two Georgians continue to find inspiration at home in Atlanta, even though their work has taken them all over the world. (Up next: a luxury shopping mall in Lisbon, Portugal, has commissioned an installation of 10 custom pieces, prints and a fashion collection out on loan.)

Says Nye, “Atlanta is a city on the rise. The development and redevelopment both are what help to make it so unique. The people here, especially in the artistic community, are so energized by where this city is going.” n

Find Paper-Cut-Project online at paper-cut-project.com, and follow Amy and Nikki on Instagram at @amyflurry and @biggik.

MARK TORO Founder/partner, North American Properties’ Atlanta office

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or most Atlantans, there’s just one thing standing between them and the rest of their lives: their cars. So says Mark Toro, founder and partner of North American Properties’ (NAP) Atlanta office. Voted “most admired CEO” by Atlanta Business Chronicle readers and named one of the “55 most influential Atlantans” by Atlanta magazine, Toro is aiming to change this mindset. “In order for Atlanta to become a more walkable city, more people need to commit to a walkable lifestyle,” he says.

Toro has more than 40 years of experience under his belt and has acquired, developed or redeveloped more than 65 projects totaling 22 million square feet during his time at NAP. He has spearheaded several live/work/play developments, including Atlantic Station and Avalon in Alpharetta, which tie together what’s known as the first place (a person’s home) with his or her second place (work) and bring in the third place (play) to create a community. Each development is uniquely curated to fit

the needs of the market. For example, Avalon includes a dog park, children’s play area and bike share station to cater to families. An open container policy gives the community a place to enjoy a glass of wine or cold beer and meander throughout the property.

“We study the surrounding community to find out who lives there, who works there. Then we ask, ‘What are they missing?’” says Toro of NAP’s process of acquiring a property. “Can we create seamless connections between the development and its surroundings? We assess whether the local community is growing and determine the property’s potential place in the community’s future.”

Toro’s latest project is Colony Square in Midtown, which NAP procured in December 2015. “It’s a perfect example of investing in a tired development within a growing city and breathing new life into the property as it transforms into a vibrant, sophisticated mecca,” he says.

With help from a local branding firm and the community’s input, the

| STORY: Alexa Lampasona |

space is pegged as “urbane”— having the polish and suavity similar to that of a sophisticated social life in major cities. The brand reflects Colony Square’s dynamic future— a 24/7 foodie and shopping hub energized with events, retailers, restaurants and cultural experiences.

Toro’s involvement on the Executive Committee of the Midtown Alliance and his status as a Midtown resident helped cement NAP’s decision to acquire and transform Colony Square.

“Almost daily, I walked past the property, going over its potential with friends and colleagues,” Toro says. “I look forward to its future, where we will bring modern art and culture to connect with the community.”

The Midtown Alliance’s isn’t the only committee that Toro leads. He is chair of the Urban Land Institute’s Livable Communities Council, which recently implemented TransitScreens at Colony Square. The displays show MARTA times at nearby stations, as well as the time it would take to walk to MARTA, the closest Uber,

the weather for walkers and bikers and current driving times between given destinations (which are almost always painfully long).

“Our goal is to encourage Colony Square guests and office workers to consider alternative transit options and commit to a more walkable lifestyle,” says Toro. “The strategy is to dissolve the barriers between Colony Square and the adjacent community by creating visual connections that will reinforce connectivity and promote an engaging pedestrian experience.” n

Curious to know more about North American Properties’ portfolio?

Check out the sites below.

Atlantic Station atlanticstation.com Avalon experienceavalon.com Colony Square colonysquaremidtown.com North American Properties naproperties.com

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AMY OSABA Founder, Amy Osaba Events | STORY: Lauren Finney |

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hen you look at Amy Osaba’s floral work at a wedding or event, you see a decidedly West Coast feel: organic and foraged happenstance, succulents mixed with ranunculus or unusual blushing brides with traditional peonies. But Osaba is Georgian through and through and has helped bring a new wave of weddings to her native Atlanta, as well as across the Southeast,. Brides seek her out for her use of natural elements, unstructured bouquets and touches of artistic whimsy.

Like many businesses, Osaba’s began about 10 years ago when the economy was in turmoil, and she was looking to pick up extra work. “I began with the woman who did my wedding, and then a friend asked me to do the flowers for her wedding. I didn’t really set out to do this!” she says.

No matter her intentions, Osaba has a real talent not only for floral design but creative direction for the 65-plus weddings she coordinates a year. She’s been a pioneer like many of her peers in this newer, looser style that formerly formal Atlanta brides are craving, and she and her team can make just about anything happen by approaching it in a very modern way.

“A lot of times I’ll come up with these ideas, and my team will be unsure,” she says. “Recently, we did creative direction for a couple, and they wanted to do something really unique. So I came up with the idea of a 12-foot marble wall that would have cost a million dollars. But we ended up getting a high-resolution photo and printing it to look exactly like a marble slab. We’re always trying to figure out how to rig stuff from the ceiling, how to build walls where there are none.

One bride wanted to use those LED wristbands like Taylor Swift had at her concert [last year], so that was a challenge coordinating that for the first time, but it went off without a hitch.”

Osaba has also long been a proponent of farm-to-floral design. “We do

a lot of foraging for each season,” she says. “We’ll cut things locally—greens and such—and I think that has set us apart. We forage wherever we’re working. We look for all those small farms, too, that have the most unique things or that sell to only a few designers.”

Success seems to have come easily for Osaba, who is regularly featured on popular wedding sites like Design Sponge, Martha Stewart Weddings and 100 Layer Cake and who has been featured in many magazines as well as on HGTV, but she insists that she’s had some help along the way. “In the beginning, there was a really good group of wedding people in Atlanta that were doing this new wave, independent, artistic take on weddings,” she says. “We all started in the industry together and worked and developed our own style together. There are a lot of really amazing wedding artists in Atlanta, and since we were all niche vendors, and people weren’t really doing [our style] in the South previously, we’ve all kind of helped each other’s careers take off. We have a great wedding community—everyone is nice and generous, very Southern.”

Her humility is admirable, but make no mistake: Osaba is a creative force whose seemingly effortless work is a carefully orchestrated performance, a trait she culled in her days as a professional ballerina.

“The cool part of what I do,” she says, “is that it’s still a production; there is still movement, balance and shape that spread over my medium. For a ballet, you spend months perfecting the technique to make sure that opening night is going to be perfect, and that’s how a wedding is. And then there’s that moment when the curtain goes up.” n

Check out Amy’s work at amyosaba.com, and follow her on Instagram at @amyosabaevents.

DR. JIM CHAPPUIS Founder, Westside Cultural Arts Center

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here aren’t many doctors in town who can ease the pain in your back and sate your appetite for cutting-edge art at the same time.

Dr. Jim Chappuis, a surgeon and founder of the Buckhead-based Spine Center Atlanta, has mastered that ability by combining his medical talent with a drive to discover and offer an outlet to emerging local artists.

“I was drawn to art first, but was told you can’t do art for a living,” says Chappuis, who grew up in Ohio, the son of a waitress mom and a mechanic dad. “I liked math and science, and was amazed by human anatomy. It’s much like art.”

So medical school it was, followed by opening a practice in Atlanta in

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| STORY: H.M. Cauley |

1987. The decision to concentrate on the spine was also influenced by his love of art.

“Twenty-five years ago, there weren’t a lot of answers for someone with spine problems,” he says. Working on those problems provided the opportunity to design new instruments for spine surgery—an activity that channeled his artistic creativity.

When he wasn’t focusing on medicine, Chappuis was keeping an eye on the local arts scene.

“To me, it’s been very fragmented,” he says. “I don’t think there’s been a venue to bring collectors and artists together. And there’s a lot of corporate-sponsored art, which means if it’s too controversial, it won’t work.”

Ten years ago, Chappuis bought an old warehouse west of Howell Mill

Road as an investment. He eventually tired of being a landlord and wanted to put the space to an artistic use, so two years ago, he reconfigured the building into art studios, gallery areas and event spaces. The result was the Westside Cultural Arts Center.

“Here, artists can be who they are,” Chappuis says. “I think art should push the envelope; I’m attracted to artists who have something to say.

For me, it’s a way to effect social change and raise social awareness.

If artists can’t do that, who can?”

The center has hosted shows on gun violence and is gearing up for what Chappuis expects to be a much-talked-about display around religion. His aim is to have a new exhibit every eight weeks or so, featuring local artists working in

abstract, contemporary genres.

“I’m looking for shows that the High wouldn’t embrace,” he says with a smile. “And I’m not looking to pigeonhole art, to say, ‘This is African-American’ or ‘This is women’s art.’ To me, it’s just art.”

The space is dotted with many of Chappuis’s own collected pieces, including several paintings and photos of Muhammad Ali, one of his idols.

Other works are on display in his medical office, where they double as soothing backdrops for patients.

“To me, art is about sharing,” he says. “I think it’s selfish to just buy it and take it home.” n

To learn more, head to westsideartscenter.com

Happening WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND TOWN

Photo: Courtesy Grant Park Conservancy

| STORIES: Alexa Lampasona |

PARTY IN THE PARK

A

tlanta’s oldest public park celebrates its 14th annual event, the Grant Park Summer Shade Festival, August 27-28, drawing in local mainstays and emerging musicians.

Two outdoor stages will host performers of various genres, from singer-songwriters to folk and alternative rockers. This

year, the festival’s celebrated artist market has doubled in size to nearly 200 vendors whose wares include statement jewelry, handmade personal care products, surrealistic paintings and landscape photography.

Saturday morning, the festival kicks off at 8 a.m. with the annual Adams Realtors Run for the Park 5K that starts and ends at Zoo Atlanta.

GRANT PARK’S SUMMER SHADE FESTIVAL RETURNS Registration is available online at active.com or on race day.

New this year, the Grant Park Farmers Market, generally only open on Sundays, will be in business both Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. In addition to locally made artisan fare at the farmers market, several food trucks will serve tasty creations throughout the day.

The Summer Shade Festival benefits the Grant Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that preserves, restores and enhances the park. Among its initiatives are increased lighting and restoration of the Erskine Memorial Fountain that dates to 1896. The festival is free and open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. n summershadefestival.org

AUGUST 2016

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Happening

EVENTS

BIG OL’ GROUP RUN

Coming up...

AUGUST 10

WILD WORLD WEEKEND

Plenty of people around Atlanta love to run, but, more often than not, geography dictates groups’ routes and keeps them from exploring too far outside their own base areas.

Discover the cultures and ecological environments of the six continents that Zoo Atlanta’s animals call home, from Asia and the Pacific to Africa and the Americas. Entertainment features live music and dance performances, in addition to family-friendly crafts.

Wild World Weekend runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

www.zooatlanta.org

COOL DADS ROCK SOAPBOX DERBY FESTIVAL Photo: Courtesy runningnerds

The Big Ol’ Group Run is an annual event out to break down those barriers. The run starts at Urban Tree Cidery on Howell Mill Road and comprises 3- and 6-mile routes that gather running groups—think running store staffers, organized neighborhood groups and racing teams—for a night of fun and fellowship that gives participants a chance to train outside their normal territories.

The Run was created and hosted by runningnerds, an inclusive running community founded in Atlanta by Tes Sobomehin.

So whether you run a mile in six minutes or 12, whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or have never laced up a pair of sneakers, don’t worry—runningnerds’ events were created to be accessible and approachable for all

August 6-7 Zoo Atlanta

who have an interest in the sport.

Big Ol’ Group Run starts at 6:30 p.m., and runningnerds will host a group social, complete with cider and a tour of Urban Tree Cidery. Register your group at active.com. The $5 fee includes a commemorative bib name tag, Big Ol’ Group Run cup, one

free cider at Urban Tree Cidery, a raffle entry and a chance to win prizes. In its second year hosting the event, runningnerds hopes to draw a crowd of up to 400—which means you’re bound to end the night with at least one new training partner. n runningnerdnation.com

Photo: Elena de Soto

THE WRECKING BALL ATL

In the same spirit as its inaugural celebration last year, this year’s Wrecking Ball promises an epic line-up of punk, indie, emo, alternative and hardcore rockers.

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More than 60 emerging artists are slated to play throughout the weekend, in addition to reunions from Piebald, Promise Ring, Thursday and more. Headliners include Deerhunter, Motion City

AUGUST 12-14

Soundtrack, Quicksand, Sorority Noise and The Joy Formidable.

The Masquerade serves as the backdrop for Wrecking Ball, with two outdoor stages and three more intimate indoor club stages hosting performances.

An assortment of Atlanta food trucks will be on hand throughout the weekend to serve up belly-filling plates, including vegan and vegetarian options, and beer will be poured for thirsty concert-goers. General admission for a single day pass is $65, and a two-day general admission pass is $110. Want even more music? Cough up 10 extra bucks and head to the pre-party, “Atlanta is the Reason,” on August 12 that kicks off the weekend with a round-up of punk and emo classics. n wreckingballatl.com

August 13 Historic Old Fourth Ward Park Free to attend, this event is a fun showcase of speed, creativity and bonding between dads and kids, where little ones aged 4 and older get behind the wheel to race their homemade cars. Cool Dads Rock, the event’s sponsor, is a nonprofit geared toward building meaningful relationships with fathers and their children.

Races run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

www.cooldadsrock.com

PIEDMONT PARK ARTS FESTIVAL August 13-14 Piedmont Park One of Piedmont Park’s most celebrated events, the Piedmont Park Arts Festival, gathers art aficionados to peruse the work of more than 250 artists whose work includes paintings, photography, sculptures, metalwork, crafts, glass décor and jewelry.

The festival also features an emerging artists tent, artist demonstrations, live music, a kid’s zone and a variety of concessions. In its 8th year, the festival draws talented artists from around the country.

www.piedmontparkartsfestival.com

YACHT ROCK REVIVAL August 20 Park Tavern Yacht Rock Revue leads this year’s Yacht Rock Revival, with music and comedy acts paying homage to the 1970s and ‘80s, including seven throwback performers from the era. Bring blankets and chairs to Piedmont Park’s lower meadow and hillside and join fellow fans in reminiscing about the genre’s glory years. Standard general admission runs $30, but for $60, you’ll get VIP perks, which include use of an air-conditioned tent at Park Tavern, a bourbon bar and exclusive food offerings.

www.pleaserock.com

Captured

Summer Gaze

| CAPTURED BY: Lee Rankin |

The story behind the snap: “The Jackson Street Bridge in Old Fourth Ward provides a great view of Downtown Atlanta’s skyline, but it’s a commonly seen photo. So to give it a slight twist, I asked my friend to wear my “I Believe In Atlanta” hat and, by chance, she was wearing jewelry that added a special touch to the photo. It was a spur-of-the-moment idea, but it came together even better than envisioned.”

| TWITTER: @LeeFromEP | INSTAGRAM: @LeeFromEP | CAMERA: iPhone5 |

If you’d like submit a photo to appear in Captured, please email captured@17thsouth.com with the photo attached (or provide a download link) and tell us: 1) Your name, 2) where the photo was taken, 3) a brief story behind the photo, 4) your Twitter and Instagram handles and 5) what device you used to shoot the photo.

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