Cyclorama to move from Grant Park to Buckhead

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

The famed Cyclorama painting depicting the Battle of Atlanta will move from Grant Park to a brand new facility on the campus of the Atlanta History Center.

The Atlanta History Center will begin construction on a new 23,000 square foot building next summer and the attraction is expected to re-open in 2016. The estimated $32 million project will be completed with funds already raised by the History Center and a $10 million charitable donation.

The History Center intends to restore the painting to its full size and overall height, and to re-create the 128-year-old painting’s original visual perspective – both of which have been lost for nearly 100 years. The new display method will return the painting to its original presentation as a 3-D experience.

Along with the painting the History Center will also move the locomotive “Texas,” and other Civil War artifacts to the new state-of-the-art facility.

“We are honored for this opportunity, and believe the Atlanta History Center is the best long-term solution for the Cyclorama. Sharing history is our passion, and we are excited about incorporating these artifacts into our comprehensive Civil War collection,” said Sheffield Hale, President and CEO of the Atlanta History Center. “We will preserve the Cyclorama in a museum-quality environment that will ensure its availability and accessibility for generations to come. Our resources and expertise uniquely position us to interpret the painting and diorama in their historic context.”

The Battle of Atlanta was painted in Milwaukee between 1885 and 1886 in the studios of the American Panorama Company. The completed painting was 50 feet high, 400 feet long, and weighed more than 9,000 pounds.

The painting toured to a number of cities, was bought and sold numerous times, before being purchased by Atlantan George V. Gress in 1893. Gress asked the city to find space for the painting, which offered Grant Park. A wooden, drum-like structure was built for the painting and Gress gave the painting to the City of Atlanta in 1898. The Grant Park building was dedicated in 1921 and the threedimensional diorama was added in 1936.

After the relocation to the Atlanta History Center is complete, the Grant Park Cyclorama building will be transferred to Zoo Atlanta. The building will be developed into an event and community space that will include an overlook of the Zoo’s African savanna exhibit. Renovations to the building will preserve the historic character and aesthetic appeal of the original facility.

Once the renovation is complete, the Zoo will feature a new entryway plaza, an enhanced African elephant exhibit and renovated workspace for administrative staff. The Zoo’s redevelopment plan also calls for an environmentally sound underground parking solution to alleviate parking in the neighborhoods and accommodate attendance growth at the Zoo.

The City of Atlanta has been discussing the move of the Cyclorama for years. While the city will still own the painting, the History Center stewardship will save Atlanta about $1 million a year in operating costs.

Dad’s Garage hopes to buy Old Fourth Ward church

After a long and exhaustive search, Dad’s Garage Theatre Company has finally found what they hope will be their new home. The 19-year-old theatre company is under contract on a church at 569 Ezzard St. in the Old Fourth Ward, roughly a mile away from its old stomping grounds in Inman Park.

Dad’s Garage marketing director Linnea Frye said there’s still a lot of work to do, including raising the funds needed to purchase the building, but Dad’s Garage’s plan is to close on the property by the end of the year.

Dad’s Garage artistic director, Kevin Gillese publicly announced a capital campaign last week. “Any bit you can give helps, but a lot of bits help even more.” Details on the campaign are forthcoming, but in the meantime folks are encouraged to contribute to the theatre at dadsgarage.com.

Founded in 1995, Dad’s Garage Theatre Company called Inman Park home until it was forced to move to make way for a mixed-use development. The company is still going strong at its temporary home at 7 Stages Theatre in Little Five Points.