Covers
Editorial
Collin Kelley
Editor
collin@roughdraftatlanta.com
Beth McKibben
Senior Editor, Food & Dining
Sammie Purcell
Associate Editor
Staff Writers
Dyana Bagby
Cathy Cobbs
Bob Pepalis
Logan C. Ritchie
Contributors
Isadora Pennington, Clare S. Richie
Maziar Chief Revenue Officer neal@roughdraftatlanta.com
Figliolini
RoughDraftAtlanta.com
EDITOR'S NOTE
Collin Kelley
As we continue to celebrate Atlanta Intown’s 30th anniversary this year, we are also cognisant that this monthly magazine barely scratches the surface of the news happening in our neighborhoods. That’s why I constantly tell readers to bookmark our website at RoughDraftAtlanta.com, follow us on social media @RoughDrafAtl, and subscribe to our Monday-Saturday morning newsletter by scanning the QR code below.
In August, we broke the news that The Galloway School demolished the historic Gresham Building without any notice as part of its modernization of the campus. The clip of the demolition went viral on Instagram and at this writing has nearly 1 million views and almost 1,000 comments. It’s moments like that you simply cannot capture in a print publication.
Similarly, news about Atlanta being the potential new home of the Sundance Film Festival and the beloved Colonnade restaurant looking for a new owner captured readers’ attention online.
Whether you’re looking for breaking news coverage, the latest political controversy, an art happening, or somewhere new to dine, those stories are posted every single day on our website and social media.
We’ve partnered with the Associated Press this fall to bring you coverage of the crucial presidential election in November since Georgia is a swing state once again. You’ll also find stories from our local partners, such as Capitol Beat, Georgia Recorder, and GPB News to help round out our coverage.
I love walking into Manuel’s Tavern or San Francisco Coffee and seeing someone perusing the print edition of Atlanta Intown. That’s why part of my job as editor is to curate what goes in each month’s issue and to partner with other organizations to share special events coming to our communities.
For September, we have a special section on the Decatur Book Festival, including a schedule of events and recommendations from our dining editor Beth McKibben on where to eat between book signings. Turn to page 18 to check it out. I’ll be reading from my new poetry collection, “Wonder & Wreckage,” at 2:45 p.m. on Oct. 5 at the Decatur Library.
Our Sketchbook newsletter editor and regular contributor Isadora Pennington put together a special preview of Atlanta Art Week and the Atlanta Art Fair. You can turn to page 28 to see what’s on the agenda. As always, thanks for reading – no matter which medium you use!
I cut my teeth in print journalism, but I’m also savvy enough to know that many of our readers get their news from their phones these days. We’ve optimized RoughDraftAtlanta.com to make it easy to read on your phone, tablet, or computer screen.
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Beltline Rail supporters want mayor to recommit
By Dyana Bagby
Supporters of building light rail on the Atlanta BeltLine earlier this month to urge Mayor Andre Dickens to throw his full support behind the project.
Organized by BeltLine Rail Now, the Aug. 17 rally occurred days after Dickens expressed ongoing doubts about the financial feasibility of building light rail around the Beltline’s 22-mile loop. He also posed questions if newer technology may be a better option for Beltline transit.
City Council President Doug Shipman spoke at the rally to say his support for light rail on the Beltline is unchanged since his run for office three years ago.
Matthew Rao, chair of Beltline Rail Now, said Dickens touted his support of the first leg of light rail, an approximate two-mile Atlanta Streetcar extension from Downtown to Ponce City Market, when he was on the city council and in his successful bid for mayor.
But over the past year, the group Better Atlanta Transit has lobbied the mayor to rethink the streetcar extension along the popular Eastside Trail, Rao said. The approximately $230 million is set to break ground next year and be operational by 2028.
“Over the last year, a project that is moving forward has had a lot of shade and doubt cast upon it by a small group of highly organized, politically wellconnected and well-financed, mainly Eastsiders, who have the ear of the mayor and are causing Mayor Dickens, once the loudest proponent of this project, to hesitate,” Rao said.
“Equity will never be solved unless we have transportation,” he said. “We cannot have equity without transit on this corridor.”
“Affordability will never be solved unless we have transportation. Transportation in areas that have been under-invested in is not enough. Transportation from areas that have been under invested into affluent areas, is required,” he said.
The rally included the unfurling of a Beltline Rail Now banner on the side of the 912 Wylie St. building for Beltline users to see.
“There’s a large group of people out here in Reynoldstown and in other places … and there are folks in city council and in government and everywhere that want to see us move forward without delay on this project, because we can have trains running in 2028 if we don’t stop right now,” Rao said.
Galloway School demolishes historic building
By Dyana Bagby
The Galloway School in Buckhead’s Chastain Park neighborhood moved forward with the demolition of the campus’ historic Gresham Building on Aug. 8, shocking area residents and historians.
Neighborhood groups, Galloway alumni and historic preservationists have fought for months to save the 113-yearold building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But Galloway administrators have said the building’s age made it unsafe for students and needed to be replaced with a new facility to transform the school’s campus into a “modern learning environment.”
A Galloway spokesperson said no specific date had been set for demolishing the Gresham Building, originally built as the Fulton County Almshouse in 1911. The construction company doing the demolition made the decision to knock it down, a spokesperson said.
Demolition occurred hours before the city’s Zoning Review Board meeting when Galloway’s zoning request was up for discussion. The board ultimately voted to deny the request.
The city granted Galloway School its first demolition permit this spring, but ongoing debates between residents and the school slowed the process. A new demolition permit was issued July 30, according to online records.
Beltline Rail Now chair Matthew Rao speaks at an Aug. 17 rally in Reynoldstown. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)
Atlanta Public Schools’ new superintendent unveils 100-day plan
By Dyana Bagby
Dr. Bryan Johnson, the newly appointed superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, has outlined his priorities for his first 100 days in office.
Johnson was sworn in Aug. 5 as the new Atlanta superintendent. His first official assignment was to create and submit to the school board his 100-day plan. The plan focuses on “four critical areas to lay a strong foundation” for excellence as he begins his tenure leading the state’s largest urban school district with approximately 50,000 students.
The areas are: 1.) Academic acceleration to ensure academic and personal success of all students; 2.) Equity, to include striving for a fair and just educational system for all students regardless of their backgrounds and providing high-quality education in all neighborhoods; 3.) Ongoing engagement with students, parents, teachers, staff and the wider community; 4.) Accountability, transparency and operational efficiency to help build confidence in the community.
“With this 100-day plan, I get
the privilege of, in particular over this early phase, gaining even more context about Atlanta and gaining more context specifically about the school system [and] unpacking historical elements
and components,” Johnson told Rough Draft in a phone interview while driving between schools. His 100-day plan includes visiting all 87 campuses in the Atlanta district.
Johnson said the community town hall meetings held in July before he officially took over the superintendent post impressed on him the importance of building trust with parents, teachers and all stakeholders.
“Trust allows people to believe and know the intent. People don’t have to agree with the decision, but they have to know that you’re making the decision out of the best place and from the best place and you want to do that by building and gaining trust,” he said.
“You can’t do that with a whole lot of words, you do that with a lot of action,” Johnson said. “We want to listen to people, and we want people to know that we hear them and we’re responding to them. And, you know, we can move forward.”
The Atlanta school board introduced Johnson as the sole finalist for the job in June; the board approved hiring him in July to a three-year contract. The search for a new superintendent began a year ago
Continued on page 10
Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson speaks to a staff member at Ralph J. Bunche Middle School on Aug. 7 (Photo by Dyana Bagby)
after the board chose not to renew Dr. Lisa Herring’s contract. Herring served from July 1, 2020, until August 2023.
Johnson’s background includes working in public education for close to 20 years, from teacher to principal to the superintendent of Hamilton County Schools from 2017 to 2021. He was named the 2021 Superintendent of the Year by the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents. His background also includes working in the private sector and higher education.
Rough Draft asked Johnson some questions about the 100-day plan and what he is noticing during his tour of school campuses and meeting with community members.
Q: Why come up with a 100-day plan?
A: It’s really best practice. I think you’ll see it across the superintendencies. Really what it does is kind of lays out for the community what it is you’re looking to learn more about, and what you’ll be learning about, what you’ll be working towards. Because of how Georgia is legislated I had a vetting period and the opportunity to gain some additional context prior to implementation of the 100-day plan, and use that context to inform what would go into the 100day plan. For instance, in the area of special education, I was able to listen in to the audit committee meeting and engage with multiple parents that that have expressed different special education concerns. From the standpoint of the audit, there’s some opportunity to do some deeper training. As far as federal and district expectations, there’s definitely opportunity to ensure that there’s more accountability and support for teachers. The benefit of me being able to be in schools is, you know, I’m engaging with some special educators, and I’m asking the question, you know, how can we help you? What’s your biggest challenge? What are you seeing? And so, yeah, those things help to inform and help us to, you know, make the best decisions possible for students.
Q: Equity is one of the four categories in your 100-day plan. In Georgia, schools have already had to deal with the state school superintendent attempting to eliminate the Advanced Placement African American History class, but later reversed course. Why is equity important to prioritize at APS?
A: I’ve had conversations with folks within the community and the school board to continue to see us move the work in that in that area. Those activities are really important for me. It’s more than activities. We want to set the structure and the groundwork for us to be able to take off. One was obviously student achievement and subgroup performance. So we want to make sure that we really focused on closing and meeting academic gaps. Secondly, there is student discipline and looking at the disproportionalities within student discipline. Thirdly is … the allocation of resources to meet the needs of all of those partners.
Q: What has stood out to you as you travel to the different schools and meet students, teachers, members of the community?
A: It’s probably two things. The community meetings, and actually [last week] I had a neat opportunity to hear a group of students perform at a scholarship luncheon. The thing that really resonated with [me] at community meetings as superintendent is you get the privilege, the honor, to serve in the community, and they need a superintendent that’s going to listen. They need a superintendent that's going to respond. Then, hearing this group of young ladies that were talented beyond what I could even describe — reminded me of the privilege that we have to serve students. There are stories throughout the district, from honoring the teacher at Booker T. Washington who has been in the district for 59 years to meeting cafeteria staff that’s been here for more than 30 years, to the brand new teacher in the building. There’s so many instances that remind me of how special this work is, and how excited I am to be here and serve.
Dr. Bryan Johnson is in the process of visiting all APS schools in his first 100 days. (Courtesy APS)
SCAD launches new degree programs
By Collin Kelley
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) will introduce seven new degree programs to the university’s offerings for the 2024–25 academic year.
Additionally, SCAD will now offer six existing degree programs previously exclusive to SCAD Savannah at the university’s location in Atlanta. SCAD’s 2024–25 academic year begins Monday, Sept. 9, with the start of fall quarter.
“For more than four decades, SCAD has been at the forefront of art and design education,” said Tara Oviedo, SCAD vice president for curriculum and assessment. “Our curriculum evolves in tandem with — and often ahead of — industry growth, maintaining SCAD’s position as the preeminent source of talent for the world’s most innovative companies. Through these seven new degree programs, along with our
expanded offerings in Atlanta and online, we ensure SCAD graduates continue to lead and shape the creative industries of tomorrow.
The new programs will be offered by the university’s School of Creative Technology, De Sole School of Business Innovation, and School of Film and Acting at SCAD Atlanta, SCAD Savannah, and online via SCADnow.
New programs include:
■ B.A. in game development (SCAD Atlanta, SCAD Savannah, SCADnow)
■ B.F.A. in game development (SCAD Atlanta, SCAD Savannah)
■ M.A. in cinematography (SCAD Atlanta, SCAD Savannah)
■ M.B.I. in creative business leadership (SCAD Atlanta, SCAD Savannah, SCADnow)
■ M.B.I. in design management (SCAD Savannah, SCADnow)
■ M.A. in editing (SCAD Atlanta, SCAD Savannah)
■ M.B.I. in service design (SCAD Savannah, SCADnow)
The university will also offer six undergraduate and graduate degree programs for the first time in Atlanta.
Expanded degree programs include:
■ B.F.A. in sound design
■ M.A. in animation
■ M.A. in interactive design and game development
■ M.F.A. in interactive design and game development
■ M.A. in motion media design
■ M.A. in visual effects
7 classes for keeping your kitchen and culinary skills sharp
By Beth McKibben
Whether you're an avid home cook, love mixing it up behind the bar at home, enjoy wine tastings, or simply want to learn something new before the next dinner party, these classes from Atlanta chefs, bakeries, and cooking schools will help keep your skills sharp.
From the art of Neapolitan pizzamaking and the basics of butchery to the importance of knife sharpening and baking batches of brioche doughnuts, here’s where to start your culinary learning journey in Atlanta.
Cook a new dish
Head to Cook’s Warehouse at Ansley Mall for lessons on everything from how to make Thai dishes and cake decorating to baking gluten-free desserts and creating a spread for a seasonal dinner party. Classes cost between $99 and $110 per person for a hands-on cooking experience and instruction from local chefs and bakers.
Over in Virginia-Highland, consider a pasta-making class at Italian market Tuscany at Your Table. With limited availability, these classes are super popular and fill up fast. Classes cost $95 per person and include a wine tasting.
Pizza-making with a pro
Emory Village Italian restaurant and pizzeria Double Zero regularly offers pizza-making classes. Learn the craft behind making and baking Neapolitan pies, including producing dough and firing pizzas in the Stefano Ferrara Forni ovens imported from Naples. Classes cost $55 per person and include instruction from the restaurant’s pizza chef and a glass of wine.
Bake bread, then break bread
South Atlanta micobakery Osono Bread offers both sourdough and brioche doughnut-making classes. Owned and operated by baker Betsy Gonzalez, the sourdough class sees students feeding
Pizza-making at Double Zero (Courtesy Double Zero)
Courtesy SCAD
The addition of these programs at SCAD Atlanta mirror the growing entertainment industry in the state, with the film industry spending $4.1 billion in Georgia for fiscal year 2023.
starters, mixing dough, and baking bread together. You’ll take home your starter and loaf, along with locally-milled flour and proofing basket. Held at Little Tart Bakeshop in Grant Park, you can also learn to mix, shape, proof, and fry brioche doughnuts and create fillings. Osono Bread classes average around $135 per person.
Fans of Atlanta baker Sarah Dodge can take classes at Colette Bread and Bakeshop in Poncey-Highland, including classes on sourdough and making her wildly popular biscuits.
For wine afficiandos
Dunwoody wine bar and restaurant Vino Venue features weekly wine classes via its Atlanta Wine School. Learn which wines to pair with cheese or how to choose the best wines to complement any meal. Taste your way through wines from France, Oregon, or Italy. For people serious about taking their wine skills to the next level, Atlanta Wine School offers programs for becoming a Certified Specialist of Wine (WSET) and Italian Wine Professional. Classes range from $65 to $75, with certification classes starting at $300. Cooking classes, from kitchen basics to creating family dinners, are also available at Vino Venue.
Schoolhouse Beer in Marietta offers regular beer-making classes, part of its Homebrew University operation. Kick off your beer-making education as a Sophmore with how-to instruction for creating the perfect brewing recipe. Then, level up to Junior and Senior classes where your put your knowledge to work using brewing equipment and techniques from previous classes. Finally, the Graduate Studies course will see instruction from Schoolhouse’s head and assistant brewers to include inside brewing intel, handy
tips, and more. Classes begin at $270 per person and include a brewing kit.
Whole
animal butchery
Avondale Estates butcher shop Pine Street Market hosts butchery classes monthly. Owner and butcher Rusty Bowers will teach you how to use the proper knives and tools to break down a whole hog or to produce several cuts of steak. Classes cost $160 per person or $225 per person, which includes a whetstone for sharpening. Butchery classes are held at The Lost Druid Brewery in Avondale Estates.
Sharpen your knives
Take a one-on-one knife-sharpening class from the sharpener to the chefs, Moshi Moshi’s Michael Behn. This twohour session with Behn deep dives into the importance of keeping your kitchen knifes sharp, properly cleaned, and primed for slicing, dicing, and chopping. Behn will instruct you on how to properly use a whetstone and teach you the functionality of specific knives in the kitchen and why each blade needs something a little different when it comes to sharpening. Classes are $150 per person. Make sure to bring two to three knives for instruction. Lessons are typically held on Friday afternoons. Message Behn on Instagram for more information and to sign up for a sharpening session.
Learn to brew beer
Wine classes at Vino Venue. (Courtesy Vino Venue)
Knife-sharpening with Moshi Moshi’s Michel Behn. (Photo by Ryan Fleisher)
Jai Ferrell to lead Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta into the future
By Clare S. Richie
Following a nationwide search, the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta selected Jai Ferrell – a fifth generation Atlantan, former Atlanta Girl Scout and Spellman alumna – as its Chief Executive Officer.
“Jai’s extensive experience and relevant connections to the metroAtlanta community and beyond were important factors in our decision,”Susan L. Lazaro, incoming board chair of the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, said. “We’re excited to see her support our mission while elevating the impact we have on the lives of girls our council serves.”
Ferrell is also the first woman of color to lead the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Council, which serves 23,000+ girls from 34 counties.
“For girls to be able to see themselves in leadership is important,” Ferrell said. “I’ve had girls come up to me almost crying. I didn’t realize the grandeur of the moment. I’m just so grateful.”
Ferrell comes from a long line of trailblazing women of color from District V, as she explained at the July 14 dedication of the Dr. Rosalyn Pope mural on the side of the Atlanta Daily World building.
“Without Rosalyn Pope there would not be a CEO Jai Ferrell standing here,” Ferrell shared in her July 14 remarks. “The mural represents the movement of women who were unafraid to blaze trails and shine their light in things that may seem impossible.”
Pope was a member of Atlanta’s first African American Girl Scout Troop, started in 1943. Ten years later, she was the only Black Girl Scout out of 50 when she represented Georgia at a national Girl Scout encampment. Pope credited
the experience as showing her “the possibilities of an integrated society,” Ferrell shared.
While at Spellman College, Pope coauthored a 1960 manifesto, “An Appeal for Human Rights,” demanding racial justice in every aspect of life. Pope passed in January 2023, but her legacy lives on.
The crowd that gathered for the mural dedication – Pope’s family members, long-term District V volunteers like Rhonda Barrow, Girl Scouts like Gabrielle Tobin and more –also celebrated Ferrell’s new leadership.
“I honestly have no words to describe this moment because it’s a moment in the making of history,” Tobin said. “I really enjoyed meeting the new CEO..I know that the Girl Scouts are in good hands.”
Ferrell credits the Girl Scouts for giving her the skills and guidance to forge her own path.
“I’ve always had a bright light,” Ferrell said. “Girl Scouts helped me cultivate that through public speaking, networking with other troops, we even had pen pals. I never felt like I had to be anyone but myself.”
Girls today face different challenges, like social media pressures and everchanging technology, but Ferrell believes they can still thrive in Girl Scouts whose mission is to cultivate courage, confidence and character.
“Girl Scouts is still a safe space for girls to be themselves and to have a community,” Ferrell said. “We’ve always diversified our curriculum and exposure because we want to equip the girls with the resources they need to be good citizens and future leaders with things like robotics, marketing, mentorship, entrepreneurship, camping etc.”
Even though, the Girl Scouts of
New Girls Scouts of Greater Atlanta leader Jai Ferrel. (Courtesy GSGA)
Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta members and officials gather to welcome Jai Ferrell. (Courtesy GSGA)
Greater Atlanta is already one of the top 10 in the country, Ferrell says she’s ready to “insert myself, strengthen partnerships and move the needle on the mission.”
For 100+ years, Girl Scout cookies funded its mission, starting when women couldn’t have a bank account. For the next 100 years, Ferrell wants to tell a story that “goes beyond the cookie”.
“I encourage everyone to take that voyage with us,” Ferrell said. “To understand that our girls have more to offer than cookie sales – these are the next electricians, architects, attorneys, CEOs - so how can we help them?”
Adding, “It is my goal and desire for however long I occupy this seat that every tap in the glass ceiling that I make will be the welcome mat for your daughter.”
To volunteer, reconnect or donate, visit girlscoutsatl.org.
Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta members and officials gather on Auburn Avenue at the new mural of civil rights pioneer Roslyn Pope. (Courtesy GSGA)
Education Briefs
▲Heritage Preparatory School in Atlanta has welcomed the first graduating class in the school’s history back to class. Each member of the Class of 2025 has managed to accrue at least 60 hours of community service; engaged in extracurricular activities including athletics, fine arts, and clubs; and developed a year-long senior thesis which includes a written paper that is a minimum of 5,500 words and an hourlong oral presentation and defense of their position. The first cohort of students who pioneered the high school helped craft the culture and traditions that will benefit generations of students who will follow them. From uniforms and the discipline policy to dances and selecting a school mascot, the Heritage Class of 2025 left their mark on it all.
Atlanta Gas Light donated $50,000 to three technical schools in support of scholarships for students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) career fields. The schools include Chattahoochee Technical College Foundation, Gwinnett Technical College, and Middle Georgia State University.
Agnes Scott College has announced that Cheryl Webster will join its administration as vice president for college advancement effective Oct. 1. She will be responsible for external relations, fundraising, partnership development, alumnae relations, communications and marketing. Most recently, Webster served as vice president of advancement for Salem State University in Salem, MA.
Bank of America selected five metro Atlanta high school juniors and seniors as Student Leaders, an eight-week paid summer internship connecting students to employment, skills development and service. The leaders included:
■ Ellis Schroeder, Atlanta, Druid Hills High School
►Savannah College of Art and Design has appointed Hannah Flower as Vice President for SCAD Atlanta and General Counsel. In this new role, Flower leads the university's fastest-growing location, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025. Flower, formerly General Counsel and Vice President for SCAD International Student Services, has been a transformational leader at the university for more than 13 years, holding executive and senior leadership positions across departments including SCAD Academic Services, Legal Affairs, and International Student Services.
Camp Twin Lakes was recognized as the only non-school program nationally to be selected as a 2024 Engage Every Student Initiative Recognition Program Champion by the U.S. Department of Education’s Engage Every Student Initiative. The award honors Camp Twin Lakes for their efforts to expand access to afterschool and summer learning programs for students. Camp Twin Lakes was among 13 nonprofit organizations and cities that were recognized for working in partnership with their local school districts for their efforts to expand access to high-quality afterschool and summer-learning programs throughout the country.
■ Annie Lin, Atlanta, North Atlanta High School
■ Ososese Okojie, Douglasville, Douglas County High School
■ Matthew Phillips, Atlanta, Lakeside High School
■ Paul Gomez, Powder Springs, South Cobb High School
At the end of the internship, the Student Leaders travelled to Washington, D.C. for a week-long national leadership summit to learn how nonprofits, governments and businesses collaborate to meet local needs.
►Fulton County student Braxton Camille Smith won third place in the districtlevel oratorical contest of Optimist International –walking away with a $1,000 scholarship for college. Braxton, a 10th grader, competed in the GATEway District Contest of Optimist International at Chattahoochee Technical College, North Metro campus. Braxton, 15, represented the Emory Decatur Optimist Club and Zone five, advancing to the Area level contest before competing at the GATEway District contest of Optimist International.
2024 DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL
Under Contract
Atlanta Intown A Publication
LITERARY LUMINARY CIRCLE
BOOKSELLER CIRCLE CHICORY
AUTHOR CIRCLE
BIBLIOPHILE CIRCLE
READER CIRCLE
SCHOLAR CIRCLE GRANTS
PARTNERING BOOKSELLERS
Joyce Carol Oates to headline Decatur Book Festival
By Collin Kelley
The Decatur Book Festival (DBF) has announced that Joyce Carol Oates will be headlining a lineup of nationally and critically recognized authors Oct. 4-5.
DBF will take place across several different locations in Decatur, including the First Baptist Church of Decatur, DeKalb County Public Library, Marriott Courtyard Hotel, The Reading Room, The Task Force for Global Health and
Decatur Square.
Oates has published more than 80 works of fiction, short stories, numerous plays, poetry, and nonfiction including her latest re-issue of Broke Heart Blues, Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a
Biographer, and her most recent novel, Butcher. Oates is a recipient of the National Book Award, PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Humanities Medal, and
NEW HOMES FROM
• Enclave of 36 intown cottages
• Historically inspired architecture
• Walk to Milam Park with pool, dog park and ball fields
• Electric car charger
• Two Car Garages
• Great Financing Options*
- No PMI
~ Up to $12,500 in down payment assistance
• Conveniently located near Decatur, Emory, Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, Tucker and downtown Clarkston
Joyce Carol Oates
Decatur Book Festival in Downtown Decatur. (Photos courtesy DBF)
a World Fantasy Award for Short Fiction.
A keynote conversation between Oates and Joe Barry Carroll – former NBA AllStar, artist, author, and philanthropist – will take place on Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Decatur.
“There’s a special joy that comes from connecting today’s authors with the thousands of readers who attend our beloved event. It’s a celebration of all things literary that sparks social, creative and intellectual engagement,” says Denise Auger, DBF’s Program Director. “Our 2022 lineup highlighted so many brilliant local and regional authors. This year’s expanded program includes a diverse array of writers from all around the country, including a spectrum of voices and talents from across the South.”
The 2024 Festival lineup includes more than 100 literary talents including authors, poets, student emerging writers, journalists, artists, chefs and thoughtleaders. Partnering booksellers include
third installment of her children’s book series, Stacey Speaks Up.
The Task Force for Global Health is celebrating 40 years of service through a sponsorship of the Decatur Book Festival, which will include an open house and family-friendly science activities during the day at their Decatur headquarters on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
Brave and Kind Bookshop, Charis Books and More, Eagle Eye Book Shop and Little Shop of Stories.
This year’s festival will also feature longtime Georgia lawmaker, New York Times bestselling author and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams. Abrams will open Saturday’s events as the “Kidnote” speaker and share the
Other sponsors include DeKalb County, Joe Barry Carroll Family Foundation, City of Decatur, City of Decatur Tourism Bureau, City of Decatur Development Authorities, Emory University, LuluMa Foundation, Rough Draft Atlanta, The Atlanta JournalConstitution, The Atlanta Writers Club, DeKalb County Public Library, DeKalb Library Foundation, Georgia Center for the Book, First Baptist Church of Decatur, Georgia Humanities and Agnes Scott College.
For more information on the Decatur Book Festival, visit decaturbookfestival. com.
HARVIN GREENE
Stacey Abrams
Joe Barry Carroll
Where to dine during the Decatur Book Festival
By Beth McKibben
If you’re attending the Decatur Book Festival, it’s the perfect opportunity to try one of the city’s award-winning restaurants. From hearty breakfast fare and Indian street food to tapas and Korean barbecue, check out these restaurant suggestions between book signings and readings.
Pastries a Go Go
235 Ponce De Leon Place | pastriesagogo.com
This popular breakfast and lunch spot recently changed ownership, but you’ll still find the restaurant serving its famous from-scratch cathead biscuits, brunch platters, and chicken salad sandwiches every day except Tuesday. Grab a pastry for the road, including sticky buns, Danishes, and muffins baked fresh daily.
B-Side and The Deer and The Dove
151 Sycamore St. | deerdove.com
Owned by James Beard award-winning chef Terry Koval, B-Side serves Montrealstyle bagels in the morning, followed by quiche, fresh-made sandwiches, and meaty “pounders” like the chopped cheese and Reuben in the afternoon. Head to The Deer and The Dove next door in the evenings, where Koval and his team offer everything from crispy rabbit to duck fatpoached red snapper with cocktails and wine.
The Reading Room
429 Church St. | thereadingroomatl.com
Located in the former Java Monkey space, The Reading Room offers Decatur a coffee shop and wine bar rolled into one. Expect coffee, tea, smoothies, and pastries in the morning, followed by toasted baguette sandwiches and charcuterie and cheese boards with wine and cocktails in the afternoon and evenings.
Brick Store Pub
125 E. Court Square | brickstorepub.com
This award-winning beer bar features an extensive list of local and international brews on tap, not to mention a beer garden out back, a cozy bar upstairs, and
a bar in the cellar styled after a UK pub serving rare and vintage beers. There’s food, too, including giant soft pretzels, sandwiches, burgers, and fish and chips.
Victory Sandwich Bar and S.O.S. Tiki Bar
340 Church St. | vicsandwich.com & sostiki.com
For a quick lunch or dinner, Victory Sandwich Bar serves a menu of sliders like the spicy Tea Bird chicken with ghost pepper jack cheese or the Brisky Business with smoked brisket and provolone. At $6 a sandwich, you can order more than one. Add Victory’s popular Jack n’ Coke slushie for $5. Later in the evening, head down the small alleyway beside Victory for drinks and escapism at S.O.S. Tiki Bar.
Cafe Alsace
121 E. Ponce de Leon Ave. | cafealsace.net
Open for lunch and dinner, pop into this small French restaurant specializing in Alsatian cuisine, including spaetzle, tarte flambee, and choucroute garnie (sauerkraut, sausages, potatoes). For dessert, order the seasonal tarte tartin. Not open on Sundays.
The Iberian Pig
121 Sycamore St. | iberianpig.com
A favorite for tapas and wine on Decatur Square, The Iberian Pig includes dishes like pan con tomate, patatas bravas, pork cheek tacos, and braised short rib empanadas. Order boards overflowing with a variety of cheeses and house-cured meats. Stop by after 4 p.m. for a snack and a drink during jamon happy hour.
D 92 Korean BBQ
225 E. Trinity Place | d92koreanbbq.com
Owned by the team behind 9292 Korean BBQ, D 92 serves KBBQ meats and seafood for grilling at your table. There’s also an all-you-can-eat KBBQ section.
Smiley’s Burger Club
310 East Howard Ave. | IG: @smileysburgerclub
Currently only open on the weekends, Smiley’s Burger Club keeps it simple and
The Reading Room on Church Street.
(Photo by Eugene Buchko/Atlanta Coffee Shops)
classic with burgers served as one, two, or three patties griddled and topped with American cheese, house-made pickles, and a riff on Big Mac sauce with sides of fries. Beer and wine are available. Head over to Kelly’s Market to purchase fresh salads or other pre-made deli selections to pair with your burger. Want coffee or a latte? Check out Opo Coffee next door.
Kimball House
303 E. Howard Ave. |.kimballhouse.com
This award-winning Decatur restaurant across from Smiley’s is known for its cocktails and wine, oysters, and French-Southern dishes like caviar and middlins
with Carolina gold rice grits, smoked fish tartine, and duck breast with seasonal vegetables. Martini lovers should order the gin and French vermouth-based Kimball House.
Taqueria Del Sol
359 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.| taqueriadelsol.com
A perennial favorite for tacos stuffed with fried chicken, vegan jalapeno refried beans, or spicy chopped smoked pork, Taqueria Del Sol often sees a line snaking out the door. But the food is worth the wait, as are the margaritas.
Chai Pani
406 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. | chaipani.com
This restaurant from James Beard award-winning chef Meherwan Irani features a menu of Indian street foods like sev puri dahi puri (SPDP), chicken kathi rolls, butter chicken bowls, and daily daal. Order a cup of chai or a mango lassi. Want a cocktail? Try the Kerala Colada with habanero-infused tequila or the Mohan's Old Fashioned with rum, chai syrup, and cardamon bitters.
Inner Voice Brewing and Glide Pizza
308 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. | innervoicebrewing.beer
Order a double IPA or Mexican-style lager from this downtown Decatur brewery to pair with a pizza from Glide. The New York-style pizzeria features a takeout window inside the taproom serving slices and whole pies.
Chai Pani serves traditional and original takes on Indian street food. (Courtesy Chai Pani)
A Special Section
Pullman Yards to host inaugural Atlanta Art Fair
By Isadora Pennington
From Oct. 3-6, Pullman Yards will undergo a massive transformation into an art-filled destination.The Atlanta Art Fair is set to bring over 60 exhibitors and more than 100 local, national and international artists to present their works on the grounds. Artists and art industry leaders will have opportunities to connect with one another, network, and experience art from institutions
Continued on page 30
The Many Worlds, 2023, by Jeffrey Gibson Installation at Seattle Art Fair
across Atlanta and beyond.
Fair Director Kelly Freeman and her team have been hard at work crafting a three-day-long festival that includes a vast array of mediums, panel discussions, and other related programming. Presented by Art Market Productions (AMP), the event calls on numerous local partners such as the High Museum of Art, Art Papers,
Atlanta History Center, Dashboard Co-op, Spruill Center for the Arts, and Millennium Gate Museum Atlanta.
The 2024 Atlanta Art Fair has enlisted Artistic Director Nato Thompson alongside Atlantabased guest curators Lauren Jackson Harris and Karen Comer
Lowe who have long standing reputations as champions of underrepresented voices in the arts.
Harris is an independent curator and director from Atlanta who co-founded Black Women in Visual Art which is an organization dedicated to supporting Black women arts professionals. Lowe’s career includes curatorial and education positions at institutions across the nation including the Whitney Museum of American
CHASTAIN PARK CUSTOM HOME
Art, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, and her current role as Curator in Residence at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art.
During the Atlanta Art Fair, Harris will curate a group exhibition of rising Atlantabased artists while Lowe will highlight two internationally-recognized local artists, Navin Norling and Pam Longobardi.
For Freeman, launching an art fair in Atlanta was a natural choice, especially after seeing the homegrown success of Atlanta Art Week. Freeman has been working in the art fair space for a decade now and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table.
She was born and grew up in Southern California before relocating to New Hampshire to attend Dartmouth College. Once in the Northeast, she began traveling to visit New York City with friends and quickly became enamored with the city. “I fell in love with the city and the culture of New York City,” Freeman said. She went on to get her master’s degree in Art Business at Christie’s Education.
Following graduation, Freeman worked in New York City galleries including Galerie Lelong, P.P.O.W Gallery, and Morgan Lehman Gallery. She made her entry into the world of international art fairs when she became Art Fair Director in Business Development & Marketing at Art Market Productions in Brooklyn in 2014.
“I just fell in love with the idea that you are creating this marketplace that really is created out of nothing,” explained Freeman of the Art Fair industry.
Today, Freeman holds the position of Art Fair Director and Head of AMP Vertical in Creative Direction & Business Development at A21, formerly Agency 21. The company already has connections to Atlanta, as A21 also operates the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. It was the next logical step to bring an international art fair here, with organizers calling Atlanta one of the fastest growing cultural hubs in the United States.
While the final lineup for participants
is yet to be released, they have provided a list of highlighted art galleries taking part in this year’s inaugural Atlanta Art Fair. That list includes Gallery Anderson Smith, Marcia Wood Gallery, Maune Contemporary, The Object Space, Poem 88, Sandler Hudson Gallery, Spalding Nix Fine Art, Whitespace, Dunwoody Gallery, Fay Gold Gallery, Day & Night Projects, Jackson Fine Art, and Johnson Lowe Gallery, among others.
Visitors can expect displays of work from outside the metro area as well. Galleries from Savannah, Birmingham, Fort Lauderdale, Greensboro, Houston, New York, Los Angeles, and as far away as South Korea, Colombia, Finland, Canada, and Ireland will all have a presence at the 2024 Atlanta Art Fair.
Attendees at the Atlanta Art Fair will be greeted by a stage for panels and artist talks surrounded by works from local artists Sheila Pree Bright and Gyun Hur, internationally recognized artist Roy Campos, Curtis Patterson’s bronze sculptures, plus installations by projected light artists and sculptors.
The 2024 Atlanta Art Fair has also enlisted an esteemed group of advisors for their board, with a lineup that includes Shannon Morris of Spruill Gallery, Natassha Chambliss of the Chambliss Collection, art consultant and advisor Kristen V. Cahill, Cynthia Farnell from the Ernst G. Welch School of Art & Design Gallery at Georgia State University, independent artist and curator Makeda Lewis, curator and founder of Town + Culture Denise Jackson, Donovan Johnson of Johnson Lowe Gallery, Birney Robert from Georgia Tech, Sarah Higgins of Art Papers, Burnaway’s Executive Director Brandon Sheats, independent curator Denise Leitch Jackson, Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman, and Allison Thorpe, Vice President of Sutton.
For more information about the 2024 Atlanta Art Fair, visit theatlantaartfair.com.
Freebird (Free as a Bird), 2024, Navin Norling
Courtesy Pullman Yards
Want to help ATL moms? Come to our party!!
The Kristine Pettoni Foundation invites the Greater Atlanta Community to attend:
Fund the Foundation: The KPF’s Inaugural Charity Bash. All proceeds from the event will go towards The KPF’s endowment fund.
Shine up those dancing shoes and blow the dust off the old tux, or glitter gown, or glitter tux, whatever makes you feel fabulous. We’re having a dance party with an open bar, live band, silent auction, 50:50 raffle and loads of fun! Please join us as we raise a glass to our namesake, to the strength of our community, and to the future of The KPF. Cheers!
The Kristine Pettoni Foundation is a 100% volunteer led, Atlanta-based nonprofit that helps moms transition back to paid work. We honor the legacy and values of our namesake by providing mothers access to mentorship, education, technology, and community. The KPF is helping mothers move towards career stability and financial independence.
A PLAY THAT “PULSES WITH A NEW SENSE OF URGENCY” – ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
AUG 30–SEP 22
A gripping reimagining of events the night before the assassination of civil rights leader
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
By
KATORI HALL
Directed by TINASHE KAJESE-BOLDEN
SEP 18–OCT 13
Described as “moving and often sharply funny” (The New York Times), THE CHINESE LADY is a unique portrait of the United States as seen through the eyes of an idealistic Chinese migrant.
By LLOYD SUH
Directed by JESS MCLEOD
Atlanta Art Week garners international attention
By Isadora Pennington
In 2022, Kendra Walker made a big splash in the Atlanta art scene. By launching the inaugural Atlanta Art Week, she quickly established the city as worthy of national and international attention for the arts.
Walker is busy preparing for the third iteration of this annual artistic tradition taking place from Sept. 30 through Oct. 6. This year’s highlights include the Coca-Cola Art Collection, Atlanta Contemporary, Spelman Museum, the Atlanta University Consortium (AUC), Georgia Tech, and the Goat Farm.
Walker was born and raised in Warner Robins and moved to Atlanta a decade ago to attend Georgia State University. There, she received a bachelor's degree in Psychology and minored in Fine Art. During her tenure, she joined a study abroad program in Europe during her senior year.
“That’s where my entire reality shifted as far as what was possible for a career in this space,” Walker said.
After graduation, Walker interned with Arnicka Dawkins, owner of Arnicka Dawkins Gallery in the Cascade neighborhood on the westside of Atlanta. In that internship she learned the business side of fine art. Later, she further developed her understanding of artistic careers when she interned at Art Papers.
And then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Due to the restrictions of the pandemic, many art buyers turned to online resources for collecting works, which represented a significant shift in the art scene. People stayed home, and as a result the community aspect of art events went into hibernation.
When the pandemic eased off and restrictions were finally lifted, Walker was able to resume traveling both domestically and internationally, including visits to Ghana, Africa. During this time, she took note of how other cities operated and how their art scenes were promoted to the world at large.
“When I’m traveling around I’m noticing there’s not one of these art fair moments in Atlanta,” explained Walker. “Every time I traveled my friends in other art cities were asking about what’s happening in Atlanta, and this was a way to create that and again just really push Atlanta into having a moment in that art fair calendar.”
In 2022, Walker launched the first Atlanta Art Week.The inaugural event attracted 2,000 ticket holders and featured more than 20 galleries, institutions, projects, and cultural partners across the city. Atlanta Art Week quickly garnered attention from artists, art lovers, and media outlets both locally and beyond.
The 2024 Atlanta Art Week programming is still in its final stages of development, but Walker shared a preview of this year’s events.
The Goat Farm will feature a variety of art installations, exhibitions, and performances called “Site.” Another major highlight is the traveling exhibition “Jeffrey Gibson: They Teach Love, From the Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation,” which will be presented at the Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art in Kennesaw. The University of Georgia and Georgia State University have teamed up to present a group MFA exhibition curated by Didi Dunph.
In Old Fourth Ward, The Temporary Art Center will present an Atlanta Biennial featuring Dr. Fahamu Pecou, Melissa Messina, Antonio Darden, and Scott Ingram. OCHI Projects from Los Angeles will present an exhibition and artist talk by Hana Ward.
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture will join Atlanta Art Week as a cultural partner, and Atlanta-based artist Alfred Conteh will present a solo exhibition and screening. This year will also feature an Art Week Gala on Thurs., Oct. 3 at 7 p.m.
Be sure to visit atlantaartweek.co for the full lineup.
Kendra Walker Founder of Atlanta Art Week, standing in front of Still Untitled by Patrick Eugene. (Photo by Piera Moore)
Can’t-miss events at Atlanta
By Isadora Pennington
Earlier this year, I was honored to receive an invitation to join a burgeoning group of female-identifying curators called CurateHers here in Atlanta. Several of this group’s members are now serving on the Atlanta Art Fair’s advisory board, and have insider knowledge into the art activations and exhibits that we can expect to see during the return of Atlanta Art Week and the inaugural Atlanta Art Fair.
Presented below are insights from seven members about exhibitions and happenings they are particularly excited to see at the events.
Denise Jackson Curator and Founder, Town + Culture | townandculture.com
When I talk to people around the country and abroad, there’s a growing curiosity about Atlanta’s art scene. We’ve been known for our music and film industries, and now our art market is finally getting the attention it deserves, thanks to the incredible artists based here. I’m telling friends that the first week of October is the perfect time to visit Atlanta and see what’s happening in our art world.
Conversely, when I talk to people in Atlanta, I find that not everyone knows where to experience art outside of the High Museum. I hope they discover that we’re hosting an art fair this year, and if they’ve never been, this is the perfect chance to experience one. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see dozens of galleries in one place.
Personally, I’m looking forward to the panels and conversations that will be happening during the fair and Atlanta Art Week. The art fair has a robust theater program planned, and I’m particularly interested in the panel led by Nate Freeman, Cultural Correspondent for Vanity Fair, titled Atlanta's Cultural Renaissance, which will explore the city’s wider cultural community.
I’m also excited to be working with the artist Ralph Ziman and his team to exhibit the “Casspir Project” at the Atlanta Art Fair and Atlanta Contemporary, followed by the Emma Darnell Aviation Museum. Ziman, who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, has created a multi-dimensional exhibit that involved dozens of artisans from South Africa. The project carries a powerful message of transforming symbols of oppression into icons of peace. It’s wonderful to see all the momentum in Atlanta’s art scene coming together.
Kate Chesnutt Connell Founder and Curator, Labyrinth Curation | labyrinthcuration.com
Inside the Atlanta Art Fair, I have partnered with Shannon
Morris of The Curator’s Studio LLC, and The Millennium Gate Museum to present an installation by conceptual artist Pilar. The Millennium Gate Museum’s mission to preserve and protect Georgia's history, art, culture and philanthropic character aligns with Pilar’s eco-conscious artistic vision for “PORTALS.”
This series showcases Atlanta's greenspaces and nature alongside elements and byproducts of modern society – expressing “the new natural”, where industry and technology coexist alongside humanity and other living organisms. An additional activation, Portal01 by Pilar, greets travelers inside the atrium Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and was organized by Labyrinth Curation and The Curator's Studio.
Outside the fair, Morris and I have joined forces with The Bakery, Amanda Norris & Willow Goldstein, to present “Boundary Lines” at The Supermarket (638 North Highland Ave NE). "Boundary Lines” is a pop-up group exhibition highlighting the contrast of modern society, industry, and nature. There will be a private opening on Oct. 3 from 6:30-10 p.m. “Boundary Lines” will open to the public Friday from 6-10 p.m. during Supermarket’s Night Market, all day on Saturday, Sunday from noon-5 p.m., and Monday 6:30-8:30pm.
Birney Robert Curator and Director of External Engagement, Georgia Tech | arts.gatech.edu
Georgia Tech has always cultivated creative students who have become leaders in the arts and creative industries. The arts have also been an essential mechanism for building campus community and for driving creativity and innovation across all disciplines of study.
Arts at Tech represents a paradigm shift for the Institute. By championing the arts and supporting creative research and practice as scholarship, we recognize the arts as integral to our mission to champion innovation and advance the human condition. We also acknowledge that art has intrinsic value for makers, participants, and observers.
During the Atlanta Art Fair, Georgia Tech will showcase three artists working at the intersection of technology (Bojana Ginncurrent Artist-in-Residence at Georgia Tech’s Library; Noura Howell - assistant professor in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech; and Samuel Thurmangraduate student in the College of Design at Georgia Tech). During the Atlanta Art Week, Georgia Tech will host a panel discussion about art in the digital age on Oct. 1 5:307:30 p.m. in the The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design.
There are two exhibits happening on campus during the week of Sept. 30 - Oct. 6; one at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking and the other at the Price Gilbert Library Gallery for their “Dataseum: A Place to Play with Data exhibit.”
Atlanta Art Week
Cynthia Farnell
Owner/Operator of Cynthia Farnell Projects | cynthiafarnell.com
Cynthia Farnell Projects (CFP) is a new Atlanta gallery focusing on sculpture and works on paper.
Our premiere exhibition, “Equinox Autumn 24,” opens Sunday, Sept. 22 and will be on view until Nov. 10. The exhibit will overlap the Atlanta Art Week and the Atlanta Art Fair. An opening reception on Sunday, Sept. 22, from 2-5 p.m. is free and open to the public. Participating artists are Emily Baker, Hope Benson, Blaise Dell, Serena Perrone, Allen Perterson, Frank Poor, and Lisa Schnellinger.
The aim of the exhibition is to create a sense of equilibrium via the artists’ antimonumental approaches to the practice of sculpture. Horizontality replaces verticality, softness counters hardness, and intimacy supplants alienation in works crafted in stone, metal, ceramic, glass and paper. Artists’ themes range from labor to hybridity, to the passage of time and the inaccuracies of memory.
Atlanta combines a temperate climate with a dynamic sculpture scene creating perfect conditions for a gallery concentrating on outdoor work. The CFP program features two focused group exhibitions a year, one in fall and one in spring. CFP offers a full slate of curatorial services including project management and exhibition concept development.
Sharon Moskowitz
Founder/Director of srmARTconnect srmartconnect.com
There are so many arts happenings coming to Brookhaven during the month of October, many of which will be promoted on the Explore Brookhaven website in coming weeks. I can’t wait to see this city come to life with art exhibitions and theater performances.
On my end, srmARTconnect started as a passion to follow and support arts organizations that are making a difference in their communities. It then grew into active arts advocacy and ultimately an arts consultancy firm/organization.
Whether it’s artists, collectors or galleries, I assist them by connecting to buyers, designers, and to collectors. The Atlanta Art Fair will be absolutely an incredible opportunity to provide one on one introduction and connections that can sometimes take a longer or virtual process.
During Atlanta Art Week, don’t miss the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art’s group exhibition titled “The Gaze” which examines the intersection of disability, accessibility, and ableism. The Museum is located on the third floor of the university’s library and has an incredible permanent collection. It is worth the trip to Brookhaven!”
Robin Bernat
Owner/Curator,
Poem 88 | poem88.net
Poem 88 has the unique mission of combining a rigorous sense of the avant garde with a commitment to fairness as a concept. Whether it comes to ensuring representation of women and older artists or challenging institutions to serve as a model of fairness for the community, Poem 88 has been at the forefront of ensuring that art is about more than commerce.
In the first ever Atlanta Art Fair, Poem 88 will present the work of four artists with whom we’ve worked for many years: Susan Seydel Cofer, Brendan Carroll, legacy pieces from the estate of Phyllis Alterman Franco, and Elizabeth K. Porcel. All of these artists present their observations of nature through landscape, light effects, and biological processes in varying degrees of lusciousness. Susan Cofer creates landscapes and biomorphic shapes through the nearly implausible mark-making of layered vertical lines in color pencil. Forms seem lit from a primordial light.
Likewise, Elizabeth Porcel’s works on paper imagine surreal landscapes littered with the rich detritus of tree trunks, snake skin, and viscera. Brendan Carroll, in a nostalgic nod to abstract expressionism, dives headlong into the physicality of painting presenting images made from thick, waxy impasto. Finally, The legacy works from Phyllis Alterman Franco meditate on evening light, waterscapes, and birds in flight.
Shannon Morris
Director, Spruill Gallery | spruillarts.org
08.31.24
VS. CLEMSON TIGERS
VS. TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
VS. KENTUCKY WILDCATS
VS. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
VS. AUBURN TIGERS
VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
VS. TEXAS LONGHORNS
VS. FLORIDA GATORS
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VS. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM, ATLANTA, GEORGIA
SANFORD STADIUM, ATHENS, GEORGIA
KROGER FIELD, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY
BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM, TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA SANFORD STADIUM, ATHENS, GEORGIA
SANFORD STADIUM, ATHENS, GEORGIA
DKR-TEXAS MEMORIAL STADIUM, AUSTIN, TEXAS
EVERBANK STADIUM, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
VAUGHT-HEMINGWAY STADIUM, OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI
SANFORD STADIUM, ATHENS, GEORGIA
SANFORD STADIUM, ATHENS, GEORGIA
SANFORD STADIUM, ATHENS, GEORGIA
Spruill Gallery presents “After an Endless Embrace,” featuring Kate Burke and Aineki Traverso, whose works are part of a two-person collaborative exhibition from Sept. 19 to Oct. 31. The accompanying program –“Imagining the Internal” at 7 p.m. on Oct. 1 – offers insight into Burke and Traverso's individual and collaborative practices while making their new work, which revolves around ideas of nature, technology, and humanism. The two Atlanta-based artists discuss their inspirations and processes, engaging in a meaningful conversation and subsequent Q&A.
Inside the Atlanta Art Fair, Spruill Gallery Cultural Partner Booth presents Atlanta-based contemporary artists Steven L. Anderson, Gavin Bernard, Kate Burke, In Kyoung Chun, Manty Dey, Heather Deyling, Sabre Esler, Cynthia Farnell, Claire Paul, and Aineki Traverso. The Installation of the artists' small works invites viewers to engage with artists and gallery staff members who will share the history of the Victorian Homestead and the gallery's current vision.
REAL ESTATE
By Collin Kelley
Real estate investment and management firm Jamestown announced in August that it will acquire the Atlanta subsidiary of North American Properties (NAP).
NAP’s Atlanta subsidiary has $2 billion in assets under management as of June 2024.
As part of the transaction, a Jamestown affiliate will make an investment in the platform’s portfolio comprised of Colony Square in Midtown; The Forum in Peachtree Corners; Avenue East Cobb in Marietta; Birkdale Village in Huntersville, NC; Ridge Hill in Yonkers, NY; and Newport on the Levee in Newport, KY.
The acquisition also includes NAP’s real estate services business that manages Avalon in Alpharetta, Mercato in Naples,
FL, and Riverton in Sayreville, NJ.
“Jamestown’s North Star is to create inspiring places that serve as the foundation of community life and reinforce a sense of place and belonging, while generating value for investors,” Michael Phillips, President of Jamestown, said in a press release. “This acquisition will bolster our differential advantage in the market as a vertically integrated, mixed-use operator with a focus on placemaking. Their expertise around suburban placemaking is a great complement for our urban placemaking expertise, as well as our grocery-anchored shopping center business.”
Upon closing, which is expected before the end of the year, the NAP subsidiary will move forward under the Jamestown name—as will its more than 200 employees. Tim Perry, who is currently the managing partner of NAP’s Atlanta subsidiary, will join Jamestown’s executive team as a managing director and co-chief investment officer.
NAP will continue to own and operate real estate through its other affiliates and manage investments across its wideranging venture portfolio. The company will also continue to be an investor in the subsidiary’s six owned assets.
City to transform Mall West End
By Collin Kelley
The City of Atlanta and Atlanta Urban Development Corporation have announced it will transform Mall West End into a mixed-use development with affordable housing.
The 12-acre landmark will become a 1.7 million square feet mixed-use development with retail, residential, and community spaces in partnership with developer BRP Companies.
feet of medical office space, and extensive community amenities such as a public green space.
The city and BRP Companies is planning approximately 120,000 square feet of retail – including a grocery store, fitness center, restaurants, and local boutiques – along with 893 mixedincome rental units, 152 beds of student housing, a 150-key hotel, 12,000 square
The city said it will engage residents, legacy business owners, and other stakeholders through various channels, such as town hall meetings, surveys, and public forums, to gain insight on the Mall West End redevelopment.
Construction on the Mall West End redevelopment is expected to begin in 2025.
Colony Square (Courtesy Jamestown)
Mall West End (Via Google)
The Move: The legacy of R. Thomas’ Deluxe Grill
By Beth McKibben
Some of my favorite restaurant memories from when my children were little include taking them to R. Thomas’ Deluxe Grill on Peachtree for Saturday morning breakfast. The trip from the car to the host stand typically took an extra five minutes because we had to stop and see the talkative tropical birds outside the entrance. The trip back to the car after breakfast took equally as long.
Children (and adults) crowded around the cages engaging with cockatoos like Peaches and Cream, and Ruby the parrot who would squeak, squawk, or mimic words like “Hello.” People marveled at the beautiful birds who seemed unbothered by their busy city living quarters.
It’s hard to miss R. Thomas’ while driving down Peachtree with its motley collection of yard ornaments, flea market finds, and multicolored Statue of Liberty. I also love the unpretentious diner vibe inside R. Thomas’.
The restaurant’s owner, the late Richard Thomas, was almost always outside in the mornings watering the plants and feeding his beloved birds. Like the birds, he would greet
finally reopened for dine-in service, the takeout window remained for to-go orders, but the restaurant closed early.
Then came the brazen theft of the restaurant’s birds in 2023, which were returned safely, followed by the gaping sinkhole earlier this year that threatened to take out R. Thomas’s dining room, along with neighboring restaurants Sufi’s Kitchen and Bell Street Burritos.
During a recent visit to R. Thomas’, I snapped a photo of Peaches and texted it to my kids. Both in their early 20s, they immediately texted back. They knew I was at R. Thomas’ and made me promise to take them back when they returned home for the holidays. I ordered the breakfast quinoa bowl. It’s mixed with scrambled eggs, kale, tomatoes, and salsa. I like to order a side of chicken sausage to cut up and add to the bowl.
customers heading into the restaurant, smiling and chatting up the regulars. Sometimes he’d chuckle when first-time visitors would gaze upon the magical world he had created outside. If you ran the Peachtree Road Race before he died in 2017, you likely saw Mr. Thomas on the sidewalk cheering on runners with one of his birds perched on his arm.
My first memories of dining at R. Thomas’, however, were the late-night pitstops in my 20s. The restaurant was open nearly 24 hours and served everything from its popular Peachtree breakfast plate to a teriyaki rice bowl to vegetarian meatloaf with bottomless coffee and fresh juices. Tables were filled with people like me and my friends, hospital workers on break, and restaurant industry folks just getting off their shifts. It was a late-night microcosm of Atlanta.
When Mr. Thomas died, longtime patrons, some of whom had been coming to the restaurant since it opened in 1985, truly mourned his death. He was a special part of our lives and typified the entrepreneurial spirit of Atlanta. He was one of the few restaurateurs to offer a variety of healthier dishes on Atlanta’s Main Street (and at all hours,) including vegetarian,
vegan, and gluten-free options, well before other restaurants jumped on the bandwagon.
It’s been a rough few years for R. Thomas’, which is still family-owned.
The pandemic saw the restaurant cease its 24-hour dining service and pivot to takeout in 2020. When R. Thomas’
The restaurant finally resumed late-night dining again in April, which means you can eat at R. Thomas’ from 7 a.m. to 5 a.m., Wed. through Sat. And while you’ll likely see me dining here during regular breakfast hours rather than late at night, I’m happy a new generation of young people will discover the joys of an R. Thomas’ burger or breakfast quesadilla on Peachtree at 2 a.m.
The colorful R. Thomas’ Deluxe Grill at 1812 Peachtree St. (Via Google)
The Colonnade hopes to preserve legacy with new owners
By Beth McKibben
Speaking to Jodi Stallings, you can hear her voice tittering on the edge of exhaustion. Since announcing the sale of The Colonnade on Aug. 7, Stallings and her husband, David, have been fielding calls from journalists, chatting with longtenured staff, and quelling the fears of regulars concerned that the nearly centuryold Southern restaurant would close.
Stallings is finally ready to retire and insists that The Colonnade will live on under a new owner. She won’t sell the
Cheshire Bridge Road dining institution to anyone who intends to change the business.
“I’ve been in the restaurant since I was nine. It’s been my entire life. I want our lives to slow down,” Stallings said of selling The Colonnade. “The restaurant business is tough, especially as a single establishment and with quite a legacy. There’s a lot of energy in this restaurant. I want it to continue in Atlanta.”
At 97 years old, The Colonnade may be best known for its diverse clientele, including senior citizens and members
of Atlanta’s LGBTQ community. It’s a unique assemblage of people affectionally referred to as “the gays and the grays.” But The Colonnade casts a much wider net in Atlanta, with Gen Alpha and Gen Z dining with their Millennial and Gen X parents or Boomer generation grandparents. It’s how new generations become acquainted with, and fall in love with, the good, old-fashioned Southern hospitality and food at The Colonnade.
“My family has been dining at The Colonnade for over 30 plus years, celebrating many milestones: engagement, Mother’s and Father’s Day, graduation,” one regular told Rough Draft. “To say this wonderful and welcoming restaurant is deeply embedded in our family history and memories is an understatement.”
Stallings respects how much people cherish The Colonnade, especially after several unforeseen events threatened the restaurant’s existence on Cheshire Bridge.
Road closures caused by construction and bridge fires, followed by a global pandemic, saw businesses up and down Cheshire Bridge experience a sharp decline in sales for months at a time, including at restaurants like Nakato, Nino’s, and The Colonnade.
An Atlanta and family legacy
Opened in 1927, The Colonnade has
been part of Stallings’s life since 1979 when her dad took ownership. She was 9 years old and spent most of her days there as a child, eventually working alongside her dad when she got older. In 2019, he sold the restaurant to Stallings and her husband, keeping The Colonnade in the family.
A year later, the COVID-19 pandemic would wreak havoc on the restaurant industry. It became an all-out battle for survival during the early months of the health crisis and there were days Stallings worried The Colonnade might not make it.
The 9,000-square-foot restaurant relies on its regulars, a full dining room and martini-slinging bar, and busy banquet space to pay the rent. Between the dining room, bar, and banquet room, The Colonnade seats 280 people at capacity.
Pivoting became more than a PR buzzword for restaurants in 2020, including for The Colonnade. Stallings closed the restaurant for four months, briefly opening on Mother’s Day to serve its famous fried chicken from the parking lot. Shifting The Colonnade’s 46 employees and extensive dining operation to takeout wasn’t possible. Closing for a few months allowed them time to shore up the restaurant before reopening for
Courtesy The Colonnade
outdoor dining later that summer.
Despite their best efforts to financially secure the restaurant and its employees, sales were down nearly 70% by the end of 2020. Labor and ingredient costs had also increased. It became clear to many longtime regulars that Atlanta might lose The Colonnade. A fundraiser set up on behalf of The Colonnade raised close to $125,000 to help the Stallings and their employees, many of whom have been with the restaurant for decades, navigate the uncertain months ahead.
The Aug. 7 headlines from news outlets across Atlanta regarding the impending sale of The Colonnade brought back memories of 2020. People panicked reading the real estate listing, keying in on one bullet point that simply read, “keep or convert.” The thought of converting The Colonnade into another restaurant, or worse, knocking it down for apartments, set off a firestorm of online comments about the sale, with most raising red flags that it could spell the end of The Colonnade.
Sealing the deal
More than four years from the start of the pandemic, six years from taking ownership, and 45 years from when her dad bought the restaurant, Stallings said it’s time for her family to pass the torch. She’s modeling the decision-making process after Jack Clark when he sold The Colonnade to her father, Paul Jones, in 1979.
“When the previous owner took my dad to Michigan to show him where he was from, he wanted my dad to meet the family and understand what he was taking on with The Colonnade,” said Stallings. “I hope to do something similar with potential buyers. I’m not selling The Colonnade to throw it away. They need to understand why it matters to our family and our customers.”
Stallings made it clear that they aren’t in jeopardy of losing the lease on the building, owned by Selig Enterprises. The company’s chairman and CEO, Steve Selig, often eats at The Colonnade. According to
Stallings, he’s a firm believer in retaining legacy tenants. Selig Enterprises also owns the buildings of other iconic Atlanta restaurants like Manual’s Tavern, Smith’s Old Bar, and The Silver Skillet.
None of the potential buyers who’ve approached the Stallings about purchasing The Colonnade, she said, plan to change the restaurant, other than make some necessary upgrades and improvements to keep it ticking over for decades to come.
That will include retaining its current staff, like Rhea Merritt who joined the restaurant in the early 1970s. You’ll often find her behind the bar in the lounge serving up ice-cold martinis. Then there’s Randell Stenson at the host stand. He’s been meeting, greeting, and calling out names of parties waiting to dine at The Colonnade for 32 years.
Some of the restaurant’s regulars, now fixtures at The Colonnade, have been dining there since the 1970s and 1980s.
Considering the legacy
“I’ve been going to The Colonnade for about 40 years and would be sad to see it close. When you slide into the cozy little bar and watch those martinis get shaken, poured, and passed out, you feel kinda like you’re in a club with all types [of people] happy to be together,” one regular said of why he hopes the new owners take stock in the inclusive culture at The Colonnade.
“Where will the alternative ‘Gays & Grays’ destination be? I’m on the gray side, so my perspective of the Atlanta restaurant/bar scene is long and pretty wide. I don’t see an alternative.”
You hear sentiments like this time and again from patrons of The Colonnade, loyal to a restaurant without a polished social media presence or populated by influencers dining for the ‘gram or hot takes on TikTok. Up until 2014, the restaurant was cash-only and didn’t take credit cards.
On Cheshire Bridge Road, with its quirky collection of strip clubs, antique stores, LGBTQ nightclubs, and restaurants like The Colonnade, the tug-of-war plays out every day between old and
new Atlanta. Not all change is bad, but some residents would like to see the city work toward blending the cultures and businesses of past, present, and future Atlanta on busy corridors like Cheshire Bridge.
“I have fond memories of going to The Colonnade with my grandparents on Sunday evenings. They lived on Lenox Road [in the 1980s] near the train tracks,” one native Atlantan said. “I now live in the same neighborhood and it makes me feel connected to not only them but the feel of an old Atlanta.”
While this resident understands the need to progress as a city, she also feels a sense of urgency to integrate and preserve places like The Colonnade into Atlanta’s rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods.
“Atlanta has changed over the decades, but the feel of the neighborhood, the skeleton of what once was, will always be here,” she added. “As I see Cheshire Bridge dilapidated, move up and on, build upon
itself for the worse (i.e. Sam’s Corner) and then for the better (The Buttery, The Daily Chew), it saddens me but also gives hope.
In an industry where restaurants often don’t survive the first five years in business, The Colonnade continues to endure – and for almost a century. Multiple owners and generations of customers became custodians of its legacy in Atlanta.
For Stallings, retirement from the restaurant business will mean a quieter life at her home in the North Georgia mountains. It’s bittersweet. She’ll miss being part of The Colonnade and the lives of customers. Her aim right now, however, is to find a buyer who will take as much pride in owning The Colonnade as she and her family have for the last 45 years.
“I’m on my sixth generation of customers. That’s amazing. I cherish that. We’re fortunate to be in that position as a restaurant,” Stallings said. “The Colonnade isn’t and shouldn’t go anywhere. It’s a mainstay in Atlanta.”
Southern fried chicken and sides are a staple at The Colonnade. (Courtesy The Colonnade)
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