The ATL Arts Collective

✦  Gulch’s Jasmine Hentschel and EC Famming  ✦ Atlanta Variety Shows ✦ WIT ✦ Best Bets ✦ Art News ✦  

✦This Week On The Show ✦ 

GULCH magazine’s Jasmine Hentschel and EC Flamming join as guest co-hosts today! We dive deep into the origin story of Gulch Magazine, Atlanta's premier print and digital visual art publication. The co-founders discuss their individual professional backgrounds, transitioning from tech startups and historic regional institutions like Art Papers to documenting the contemporary local art scene. They pull back the curtain on how they meticulously curate their comprehensive weekly art calendar on Instagram, and we learn about their massive new data-driven community research survey, which aims to analyze the behaviors, mental models, and needs of regional creators to spark actionable strategy ahead of the highly anticipated Atlanta Art Fair this October.

✦ Atlanta's Live Variety Revue Boom ✦ 

Ever since the pandemic shutdown, a unique breed of live variety entertainment has taken over the Atlanta theater scene. These recurring productions feature a wild mix of local performers aiming to lift the gloom with pure entertainment, community connection, and plenty of laughter. Arts ATL Editor-at-Large Benji Carr catches up with the creative minds behind these recurring shows to find out exactly what makes them tick. Gina Rickicki, an acclaimed Atlanta actress and improviser, shares the inspiration behind her hit monthly show, Joy Deficit, at Red Light Cafe in Midtown Atlanta. Discover why every performance kicks off with a therapeutic 13-second primal scream and how audience participation helps conquer isolation. Plus, puppet designer and clown Scottie Rowell discusses Down to Clown, a vintage game-show-inspired collaboration with Karie Vieira, and Nick Lynn-Rulon details the weekly open-mic performance, NoShame.

✦ Pulitzer Prize-Winning Drama "Wit" at Actors Express ✦ 

Atlanta radio legend Lois Reitzes returns to the microphone for a deeply nuanced conversation with Freddie Ashley, the Artistic Director of Actors Express. They explore the profound thematic layers of Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, Wit, which is at Actors Express theater in the King Plow Arts Center through June 28th. Freddie breaks down the tragic journey of Professor Vivian Bearing, a demanding scholar of 17th-century literature and the holy sonnets of John Donne, who must learn to shed her intellectual armor while battling stage four ovarian cancer. The discussion highlights the play's dual portrayal of healthcare through an ambitious young fellow and a nurturing nurse, its enduring legacy as an educational tool for teaching hospitals and medical schools, and playwright Margaret Edson’s enduring 30-year connection to local education as a teacher at Midtown High School. Freddie and Lois reflect on an emotional quote from Edson, sharing her ultimate desire for the production: that the audience leaves feeling fundamentally closer to the people they love.

✦ Nomadic curating & Tomorrow Mourning at the Hambidge Hive ✦  

GULCH’s Jasmine Hentschel and EC Flamming highlight the fascinating world of elsewhere, a roving, nomadic curatorial practice led by Anna Akpele. Operating outside the constraints of traditional "white wall" galleries, elsewhere activates alternative spaces like houses, apartments, and backyards. The duo reviews elsewhere's latest exhibition, Tomorrow Mourning, on view at the Hambidge Hive, a massive 30,000-square-foot industrial project space on the 15th floor of Uptown Atlanta in Lindbergh. Featuring artists Makita Lewis-Kanuthia, Scott Kightley, Ezekiel Robinson, and Stemlines, the exhibition explores heavy, intimate themes of impermanence, grief, loss, and the fluid space between denial and acceptance. 

✦ ArtsATL Best Bets for the Week  ✦

ArtsATL Executive Editor Shane Harrison joins the show to share his top cultural recommendations for the week. This week, his mix includes Juneteenth celebrations, the Georgia Shorts Film Festival, and a performance by Georgia’s own Empress of Soul, Gladys Knight.

✦ Atlanta Arts News Brief with Isadora Pennington ✦  

ArtsATL Senior Editor Isadora Pennington stops by with a celebratory look at the individuals and organizations shaping the local cultural footprint. Highlights include: The 21st Annual David C. Driscoll Prize, awarded by the High Museum of Art to Spelman University professor Dr. Cheryl Finley. SouthArts Grants celebrates writers Ashlee Haze and Kelundra Smith, The Goat Farm's Loop, and more.

Special thanks to today’s sponsors:

Motherlode

Mainline Magazine

It’s UATL

Want to buy the production team a coffee? Drop a one-time tip via Venmo

Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.

00:00:00 Sponsor open

00:01:33 Show Preview & Segment Rundown

00:02:10 Variety Reviews (Benji Carr)

00:08:40 Interview: GULCH Magazine Founders (Jasmine & EC)

00:15:02 Interview: Wit at Actors Express (Lois Reitzes & Freddie Ashley)

00:26:21 GULCH Feature: elsewhere at Hambidge/Hive (Tomorrow Mourning)

00:39:35 Arts ATL Best Bets (Shane Harrison)

00:44:04 Art News Roundup (Isadora Pennington)

00:48:39 Closing, Credits & Next Week Preview

✦ Guest co-host Sundiata Rush ✦ FIFA World Cup Murals ✦ Atlanta Cultural Exchange ✦ Nick Turbo Benson ✦ The Park at the Heart of Atlanta’s Olympics ✦ Best Bets ✦  Footwork: Where We Gather ✦ Beyond the Yellow Brick Road ✦

✦ This Week On The Show ✦ 

Storyteller and community builder Sundiata Rush joins the show as our guest co-host for our FIFA World Cup theme show. He’s the creator and producer behind “Tales of Downtown Atlanta.” Part podcast, part art exhibit, and part old-school mix tape, the series is an audiovisual anthology of our city. Featuring short stories written, voiced, and visually amplified by notable Atlantans, the series offers a spirited tour of historic downtown locations, influential legacies and people, and important events from the past, all while introducing the world to Atlanta’s soul. 

✦ Painting the Town: FIFA World Cup Murals ✦ 

In preparation for the FIFA World Cup, the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and Downtown Atlanta Inc. commissioned a combined total of 21 brand-new public murals. Arthur Rudick, the mastermind behind the famous “Atlanta Street Art Map” and a regular contributor to ArtsATL, recently spoke with several powerhouse artists behind the new work, including Charity Hamidullah, Kyle"BlackCatTips" Brooks, and Melissa A. Mitchell. 

Event note: This Sunday at 4 PM, Arthur is giving a special Street Art Tour of Little 5 Points. Through his website and writing, Rudick has documented over 2,000 murals across metro Atlanta, and local artist Shadow Dancer has created a mural in front of the Little 5 Points Pub to celebrate this milestone. Congratulations Arthur!

✦ Inside the Atlanta Cultural Exchange ✦ 

The Atlanta Cultural Exchange, our city’s massive creative hub and official cultural platform during the FIFA World Cup, begins its activations this Sunday. Host Kim Drobes recently caught up with Adriane Jefferson, the executive director of the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, to learn more about the grand vision and community intention behind the Exchange.

✦ Scattered, Smothered, and Covered in Art ✦  

Artist Nick Turbo Benson has created a FIFA World Cup mural that incorporates one of Georgia’s most well-known institutions - Waffle House. ArtsATL senior editor Isadora Pennington recently caught up with Benson to learn more. 

✦ Audio Anthology: Tales of Downtown Atlanta ✦

Sundiata Rush is our Guest co-host today, and he’s brought us a story from his Tales of Downtown Atlanta series, titled, The Park at the Heart of Atlanta’s Olympics. Written by acclaimed Atlanta Magazine editor Betsy Riley, voiced by Woodruff Arts Center and Metro Atlanta Chamber leader Hala Moddelmog, with stunning visual artwork by Chaz Clark. Let this story inspire you to enjoy the FIFA Fan Festival at Centennial Olympic Park. It’s free and open to everyone, with 16 days of matches on a 40-foot screen, live concerts, Atlanta food vendors, and cultural programming. June 12 to July 15.

✦ ArtsATL Best Bets for the Week  ✦

ArtsATL Executive Editor Shane Harrison joins the show to share his top cultural recommendations for the week. His curated mix features a group exhibition at The Sunday ATL gallery, a performance from blues icon Selwyn Birchwood, and an evening with Grammy Award-winning neo-soul superstar Corinne Bailey Rae.

✦ Footwork: Where We Gather at Emory University’s Michael C. Carlos Museum ✦  

“Footwork: Where We Gather,” is a powerful new photography exhibition at the Michael C. Carlos Museum by award-winning lens-based artist Sheila Pree Bright. The work is on view through July 19 and is part of Emory University’s broader, campus-wide "Footwork" initiative—a series of curated exhibitions celebrating the intersection of sport, style, and the spirit of a city ready to welcome the world. Kim Drobes recently attended a panel at Emory exploring the communities created by fandom, featuring Bright, Andi McKenzie, the Curator of Works on Paper for the Michael C. Carlos Museum, Francisco Stenger of Soccer in the Streets, and Bem Joiner, co-founder of Atlanta Influences Everything. 

✦ Pride Month: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road ✦ 

In celebration of Pride Month, the historic Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus is back on stage with their concert, "Beyond the Yellow Brick Road.” ArtsATL editor-at-large Jim Farmer stops by the microphone to give us an exclusive preview of what to expect from this legendary local musical institution.  

Special thanks to today’s sponsors:

Motherlode

Mainline Magazine

It’s UATL

Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective

00:00:00 Motherlode Atlanta Vintage Market

00:01:22 Introducing Guest Co-Host Sundiata Rush

00:02:48 Atlanta Arts and Culture Weekend Preview

00:03:43 FIFA World Cup 2026 Public Art Murals Art Rudick Atlanta Street Art Map Report

00:11:38 Atlanta Cultural Exchange Launch City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs Interview

00:16:09 Historic Downtown Atlanta Public History Project Overview

00:22:38 Nick Turbo Benson ATL Nighthawks at the Diner Waffle House Public Art Mural

00:34:03 Centennial Olympic Park 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games History Audio Documentary

00:43:14 ArtsATL Best Bets Weekend Event Guide with Shane Harrison

00:48:00 Sheila Pree Bright Footwork Where We Gather Photography Exhibition Review

00:52:36 Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus Beyond the Yellow Brick Road LGBTQ Pride Concert

00:58:54 Arts Journalism Podcast Production Credits and Next Week Preview

✦  Beth McKibben ✦ Basura ✦ WigOut ✦ The artistry of food plating ✦ Atlanta Opera’s new home ✦ Best Bets ✦   

(photo courtesy of Beth McKibben)

✦This Week On The Show ✦ 

Beth McKibben joins as co-host! She serves as both Editor-in-Chief and Dining Editor for Rough Draft Atlanta. She was previously the editor of Eater Atlanta and has covered food and drinks both locally and nationally for 15 years. Her work in local journalism truly makes her an Atlanta treasure.

Gloria Estefan, along with her daughter, Emily, wrote the songs for the world premiere musical "Basura," on stage at the Alliance starting May 30. (photo courtesy of Alliance Theatre) 

✦ Gloria Estefan’s Basura at Alliance Theatre ✦ 

The new musical Basura is having its world premiere run at the Alliance Theatre through July 12. Inspired by the true story of Paraguay’s Recycled Orchestra, the show features original songs by Grammy Award winner Gloria Estefan and her daughter, Emily Estefan. Basura is directed by Michael Greif, the creative behind the hit Broadway musical Rent, and, as ArtsATL editor at large Jim Farmer explains, this duo is just the start of the all-star creative team behind the new musical.

(photo courtesy of Lady Bunny and WigOut)

✦ WigOut Festival in East Atlanta ✦ 

How about a daytime drag festival in Georgia in June? That’s not just a party: it's an endurance test for glue and aerosol technology. This Saturday, the WigOut festival comes to the East Atlanta Community Garden. The community fundraiser celebrates pride, drag culture, and local Queer joy with special guests, including the legendary drag icon Lady Bunny, founder of New York's original WigStock. Atlanta drag superstar Ella Saurus Rex and Tony DiCaro, a driving force behind the party and a professional wig wrangler, sit down with Kim Drobes to preview the festivities.

(courtesy of Avize)

✦The Art of Culinary Plating ✦  

We really do eat first with our eyes. And nowadays, our phone cameras are next in line. Guest co-host Beth McKibben, speaks with Chef Demetrius Brown of Inman Park’s Bread & Butterfly and Chef Karl Gorline of Avize in West Midtown to find out how, and why top Atlanta chefs turn a simple dinner plate into an artistic canvas. 

Rendering of Rosemary Hall (photo courtesy of the Atlanta Opera)

✦ The Atlanta Opera’s New Multidisciplinary Home ✦  

We check in on the Atlanta Opera’s massive $43 million cultural expansion. ArtsATL reporter Doug DeLoach brings us a comprehensive update on the development of the Molly Blank Center for Opera and the Arts, the state-of-the-art facility being constructed adjacent to the Atlanta BeltLine.

John Crist (Photo courtesy of Crist and Shore Fire Media)

✦ ArtsATL Best Bets for the Week  ✦

ArtsATL Executive Editor Shane Harrison joins the show to share his top cultural recommendations for the week. His curated mix features a wave of new local theater productions, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s season-closing concert, and comedian John Crist’s return to Georgia.

Special thanks to today’s sponsors:

Motherlode

Mainline Magazine

Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.

00:00:00 Support: Mainline Magazine (Festival Announcement)

00:00:31 Welcome to the ATL Arts Collective — Show Intro & Teasers

00:01:04 Introducing Beth McKibbin — Co‑host Bio

00:02:08 Basura — New Musical with Gloria & Creative Team (Jim Farmer)

00:13:42 Meet Beth McKibbin — Career, Mentoring & Rough Draft

00:19:58 Wig Out Preview — Ella Saurus Rex & Tony DeCaro

00:28:49 The Art of Plating — How Chefs Create on a Plate (Beth McKibbin)

00:41:47 Molly Blank Center for Opera & the Arts — Atlanta Opera Update

00:51:01 ArtsATL Best Bets — Weekend Picks (Shane Harrison)

00:55:21 Closing, Credits & Patreon Call — Final Remarks

00:56:47 Next Week Preview & Credits

✦ The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL, May 27, 2026

VAYNE's massive mural above Freedom Parkway is only visible from above, making it a true secret mural. (Photo by Art Rudick)

✦ Atlanta's Best Hidden Street Art ✦

Did you know that Atlanta is home to a massive graffiti installation that spans 655 feet long and 100 feet wide? Even more surprising: if you have ever driven down the John Lewis Freedom Parkway, you were likely within a few feet of the installation without even realizing it. Sometimes, the city's best street art is tucked away in secretive locations, completely hidden from the main roads. To find these hidden gems, you need an insider guide. Enter Arthur Rudick, the creator of the Atlanta Street Art Map and a regular contributor to ArtsATL. He has spent years tracking down the city's best-kept artistic secrets, and today he joins us to share exactly where to find Atlanta's most elusive murals. 

Artist Michael Jones (photo by Jasmine Hentschel)

✦ Making It Work with Gulch Magazine ✦

Gulch Magazine is a stunning, independent print publication dedicated entirely to the Atlanta visual art scene. Co-created by Jasmine Hentschel and EC Flamming, they just released their highly anticipated Volume 2. Jasmine joins us for this month’s edition of our Making it Work series, which investigates how local creatives build sustainable careers and avoid the "starving artist" trap. Today, Atlanta-based artist, art handler, and professional art installer Michael Jones steps up to offer invaluable conceptual career advice to young artists navigating the contemporary art market. 

Scattrbrain performing at their first headlining show at Drunken Unicorn. (Photo by Christian M Photography)

✦ Scattrbrain: The Ultimate Atlanta Alt-Rock & Rap Supergroup ✦

Get an exclusive inside look at Scattrbrain, the new Atlanta-based genre-bending project fusing rap and alternative rock. While Scattrbrain is a brand-new name on the scene, the powerhouse musicians behind it are industry veterans. The lineup features the critically acclaimed East Atlanta native rapper GRIP (famously signed to Eminem’s Shady Records) alongside core members of the platinum-selling indie rock band Grouplove and regional favorites Mallbangs. We dive into their upcoming debut album, Scattrbrain & the Unwavering Self-Doubt, dropping June 19. You can catch them at the historic 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia, on June 26 as part of the iconic ATHFest Music & Arts Festival. 

Pridgen and Coucheron (Photo by Mark Rainey)

✦ ArtsATL Best Bets for the Week ✦

ArtsATL Executive Editor Shane Harrison stops by to break down his top cultural picks for the week. This week’s curated mix includes eccentric and avant-garde performances at the Atlanta Fringe Festival, a chance to get weird with your favorite AL, and a must-see new contemporary group exhibition at the reimagined Goat Farm Arts Center in West Midtown. 

Special thanks to today’s sponsors:

The Atlanta Opera

Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University

Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.

Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come.  

Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 

The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 

Thank you for listening!

00:00:00 Rialto Center Season Announcement (Sponsor)

00:00:37 Show Intro & Host Welcome

00:01:57 Hidden Atlanta Street Art with Arthur Ruddick

00:12:40 Making It Work: Michael Jones (GULCH)

00:23:34 Scatterbrain — New Atlanta Supergroup

00:33:13 ArtsATL Best Bets with Shane Harrison

00:39:44 Next Week Preview & Final Sponsor

✦ Joel Byars ✦ Momocon ✦ Atlanta Jazz Festival ✦ Derrick Stroup ✦ Art News ✦ Best Bets ✦

Joel Byars (photo by Joel Byars Connext Media)

✦This Week’s Featured Guest Co-host: Comedian Joel Byars

Comedian and podcaster, Joel Byars, has been voted Atlanta’s Best Clean Comedian. He’s also the host of the award-winning Hot Breath! Podcast, where he’s interviewed over 400 comedians, about their craft. Joel believes comedy is a way to bring people together, and he’s partnered with organizations like the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society to spread joy and laughter to those who need it most.

(courtesy of MomoCon)

✦MomoCon 2026: Anime, Gaming, and Animation in Downtown Atlanta

Momocon 2026 kicks off tomorrow, bringing together fans of anime, gaming, comics, and animation. The event turns downtown Atlanta into something almost cinematic with the unmistakable energy of people finding joy in the things they love most. Having grown steadily for over 2 decades, the convention attracted almost 60 thousand attendees last year. Arts Reporter Brittany Makins has more.

Atlanta Jazz Festival (photo by Terence Rushin)

✦ 49th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival at Piedmont Park

Memorial Day weekend in Atlanta belongs to Jazz. From May 23 through May 25, Piedmont Park will be the home of the 49th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival. At the center of it all is Adriane Jefferson, the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. She just celebrated her one-year anniversary in the role, and it’s clear she’s set on not just keeping the lights on, but elevating the entire house. Her first fully curated Jazz Fest lineup includes acts like the Roots and PJ Morton and aims to draw music lovers from across the region to experience the latest and greatest in jazz culture. 

Derrick Stroup (Photo by Todd Owyoung NBC)

✦Atlanta Comedy Spotlight: Derrick Stroup Live at Center Stage Atlanta

Fresh off his debut Netflix special titled Nostalgic, comedian Derrick Stroup is quickly becoming a household name on both his own tours and touring sold-out arenas with Nate Bargatze. Born in Alabama, he has southern roots and relatable humor, making him a must-see comedian coming to Atlanta this month. Just one year ago, the comedian was performing in the side room of an Atlanta comedy club, and now he is headlining two shows at Center Stage on May 27th and 28th. The 28th is already sold out, so save your seats for the 27th on Derrick’s website before they’re gone. When I recently talked with Stroup, we began by discussing the last time we’d seen each other. 

CTR Culture Studios

✦Local Art News Briefs & Weekly Best Bets

ArtsATL senior editor Isadora Pennington keeps her ear to the ground and each month brings us her Arts News Brief. Today, her stories include the new CTR Culture Studios and GFB3 designing the art for this year’s Atlanta Jazz Festival.

✦ ArtsATL’s executive editor Shane Harrison stops by with his picks for this week's Best Bets. This week, his mix includes the return of Hot Jambalaya, The American Astronaut for Plazadrome, and Shakespeare Out of a Hat.

Special thanks to today’s sponsors:

The Atlanta Opera

Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University

Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.

Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come.  

Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 

The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 

Thank you for listening!

00:00:00 Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective

00:01:15 Atlanta Comedian Joel Byars

00:02:10 Episode Preview: Guests & Segments

00:03:23 MomoCon 2026 Event Preview

00:07:18 Getting to Know Joel Byars

00:16:50 49th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival Lineup

00:27:30 Derrick Stroup Live at Center Stage Atlanta

00:41:18 Atlanta Arts News Brief & Weekly Best Bets

00:49:13 Closing

*Please note the exhibition is on view through May 23, but the concert has passed*

00:00 - Welcome & Special Bonus Episode Introduction

05:19 - Selecting 100 Kevn Kinney Songs & Painting Every Track

05:57 - Launching Tasty Goody Records: Distribution & Vinyl Workload

27:08 - Supporting Music Charities & Community Impact

28:30 - Where to Stream the Music, Buy Art & Order Merch

30:44 - Let’s Go Dancing Art Exhibition Dates & Closing Sign-off

✦ Summer Evans ✦ Let’s Go Dancing ✦ Commonplaces ✦ American Sublime ✦ Jessi Kirtley ✦ Best Bets ✦

Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL. This is your home for stories from Atlanta’s arts scene, with reporting from ArtsATL writers, conversations with artists, and voices from across the creative community.

Each week, Kim Drobes will be joined by a rotating co-host: someone you may already know, or someone you’re about to be very glad you met.

And today…Summer Evans! 

Courtesy of Summer Evans

✦  Summer Evans is a freelance journalist and multimedia storyteller based in Atlanta. She has a background in public radio and has built her career covering the city’s arts, culture, and community stories. Currently, she works as a freelance social media content producer for Rough Draft Atlanta, creating daily newsletter recap reels to reach audiences. As a photographer, she has over 10 years of experience in visual storytelling, including weddings, couples, brands, families, and photojournalism. When not working on stories, she enjoys outdoor activities with her husband, two kids, and dogs.

Kevn Kinney and Anna Jensen talk with Kim at The Sun ATL (Photo by Kim Drobes)

✦ Kevn Kinney Live at The Sun ATL: Let’s Go Dancing Art Exhibition

Let’s Go Dancing, the new exhibition at The Sun ATL by Atlanta artist Anna Jensen, is a profound visual response to the songs of Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductee, and Drivin N Cryin’s frontman, Kevn Kinney, who also happens to be Jensen’s husband. 

What began as a 60th birthday surprise video during the COVID-19 lockdown has grown into a monumental project: 100 songs reimagined by 100 artists, each with a corresponding painting for the track. Jensen produced the whole affair and started Tasty Goody Records in order to put the music out into the wild. 

It’s truly a love letter for the ages. To celebrate, Kevn Kinney is performing amongst Jensen’s paintings at the Sun ATL tonight, with special surprise guests, and a few tickets are still available. Kim recently visited the exhibition and spoke with Jensen and Kinney about the massive undertaking.

Author and Distinguished University Professor of Georgia State, Josh Russell. (Photo by Adam Forrester)

✦Author Josh Russell’s New Essay Collection: Commonplaces

What started as ten-cent photocopies in a college library has transformed into a lifetime of capturing the world’s strange and wondrous connections. Georgia State professor and author Josh Russell’s new essay collection,Commonplaces, explores the intersections of life’s challenges with everyday beauty. Literary critic Rachel Wright brings us this story.

Amy Sherald Portrait (photo by Kelvin Bulluck)

✦ Amy Sherald’s "American Sublime" Exhibition at the High Museum of Art

Painter Amy Sherald’s American Sublime exhibition is currently on view at the High Museum. While the world may know the artist for her iconic portrait of Michelle Obama, Atlanta knows her as one of our own. Born in Columbus and trained right here at Clark Atlanta University, Sherald’s return to the High feels like a full-circle moment, especially since this is the final stop of the exhibition’s national tour. Co-host Summer Evans recently visited the High to see the exhibition and discuss the work with the museum’s assistant curator of modern and contemporary art, Angelica Arbelaez.

Kirtley (far right) and her "Operation Mincemeat" castmates (Photo by Emilio Madrid)

✦ Roswell Native Jessi Kirtley Makes Her Broadway Debut

Jessi Kirtley never missed performing in a school musical from elementary to high school, and now, the Roswell native is living her dream and performing on Broadway. Theatre correspondent Sally Fuller brings us her story.

Trey-Wright (photo by Keith Taylor)

✦ ArtsATL Weekly Best Bets with Shane Harrison

ArtsATL’s executive editor Shane Harrison brings us his picks for this week’s Best Bets. Today, his mix includes your chance to indulge in European films, some free jazz performances, and a bunch of neighborhood festivals. 

 Special thanks to today’s sponsors:

The Atlanta Opera 

Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.

Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come. 

Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 

The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 

Thank you for listening!

00:00  Special Sponsor Message & Show Support

00:22  Episode Introduction & Weekly Welcome

01:43  Meet This Week's Co-Host: Journalist Summer Evans

02:12  Inside the Kevn Kinney & Anna Jensen Art Exhibition

13:37  Gallery Event Details & Exclusive Bonus Episode Announcement

14:28  Local Media Catch-up: Summer Evans on Life & Storytelling

20:02  Author Josh Russell Talks "Commonplaces" Essay Collection

25:49  Interview: Amy Sherald’s "American Sublime" at the High Museum

38:07  Theatre Spotlight: Jessi Kirtley's Journey from Roswell to Broadway

46:34  Weekend Event Picks: ArtsATL Best Bets with Shane Harrison

51:18  Studio Credits, Show Donations & Next Week Preview

✦ Shanita Miller ✦ Proposition 1007 ✦ No Words ✦ The New South ✦ Déjà Vu ✦ Spoke and Word ✦ Best Bets ✦

Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL. This is your new home for stories from Atlanta’s arts scene, with reporting from ArtsATL writers, conversations with artists, and voices from across the creative community.

Each week, Kim Drobes will be joined by a rotating co-host: someone you may already know, or someone you’re about to be very glad you met.

And today…Shanita Miller!

photo credit: Rebecca Carmen

✦  Shanita Miller is an Atlanta native and the visionary founder of the Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta platform. As a community & lifestyle influencer, she’s on a mission to highlight women and black-owned businesses in our city and beyond. She’s also an event coordinator and curator, and her 90 thousand-plus followers know she’s the real deal.

Shanita recommends checking out:

Juci Jerk

The Betty

Hambidge

Rep. Todd Jones, Rep. Kim Schofield and Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver on the Georgia House floor on March 12 discussing HR1007. (Photo courtesy of Georgia House of Representatives) 

✦ Georgia Prop 1007: Redefining the Arts as Mental Healthcare

We’ve all heard the legend of Mister Rogers testifying before the Senate. The soft-spoken man in a cardigan argued that twenty million dollars was a small price to pay for the 'inner life' of a child. The defense of public broadcasting framed the arts not as a luxury but as a necessity for a healthy mind. And for decades, that’s been the battle cry: please, don't cut the arts.

But here in Georgia, the conversation just underwent a radical shift.

Lawmakers recently passed Proposition 1007, which redefines the very purpose of a stage or a symphony, moving the arts out of the 'leisure' column and directly into the world of mental healthcare. Arts reporter Jordan Owen has more. 

Photo by Ben Garden

✦ No Words Festival Takes Over Little Five Points

This Saturday, No Words returns, and this time, it’s a free festival and takeover in Little Five Points. It’s a day where the lyrics are stripped away to make room for pure, unadulterated instrumental sounds. The day includes music, art, dancing, film, and a parade. Joining us now to help us navigate the jam-packed event are Ann Wood, the architect of the 'No Words', and Kelly Stocks, President of the L5P Cultural District and a lifelong guardian of the neighborhood's legacy. Hi Kelly and Anne!

photo credit: Rebecca Carmen

✦ The New South Collective: Spotlighting Minority Chefs

In 2024, a group of young Black chefs came together to launch a collective that creates a space for collaboration, creativity, and support for minority chefs. They not only wanted to showcase the depth of southern cuisine but also to put the food and talent of minority chefs in the spotlight. Today’s guest co-host, Shanita Miller, talks to the chefs of The New South Collective.

photo credit Mitali Singh

✦ Déjà Vu Exhibition at Spalding Nix Fine Art

We’ve all had that fleeting sensation-the feeling that a moment, a color, or a shape is something we’ve encountered before, even if we can’t quite place where. At Spalding Nix Fine Art, the new exhibition Déjà Vu leans into that mystery. It's a presentation of four shows featuring artists working in abstraction, connected by their explorations of movement, memory, and the intangible. Arts reporter Mitali Singh took a walk through the gallery to see how these artists are blurring the lines between the seen and the unseen.

✦ Spoke & Word: Bike-Themed Storytelling Weekend

Whether you feel like life is just one big uphill climb or a flat, easy road, there is a new bike-themed storytelling event that wants to hear from you. Mercy Montgomery, the founder of Spoke and Word, says the idea for this bike-themed storytelling weekend has been a long time coming.

✦ArtsATL Weekend Best Bets with Shane Harrison

ArtsATL’s executive editor Shane Harrison stops by with his picks for this week's Best Bets. Today, his mix includes a lantern parade in Sandy Springs, multiple arts festivals, and comedy with Rickey Smiley.

Special thanks to today’s sponsors:

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

The Atlanta Opera

The ArtsXchange

Swan Coach House Gallery 

Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.

Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come. 

Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 

The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 

Thank you for listening!

00:00 Special Sponsor Message & Show Support

✦ Lois Reitzes ✦ Compassionate Corridor ✦ WigWag ✦ Niki in the Garden ✦ Gulch’s Making it Work ✦ Bent Frequency presents ✦

Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL. This is your new home for stories from Atlanta’s arts scene, with reporting from ArtsATL writers, conversations with artists, and voices from across the creative community.

Each week, Kim Drobes will be joined by a rotating co-host: someone you may already know, or someone you’re about to be very glad you met.

And today… Lois Reitzes! 

courtesy of Lois Reitzes

✦ Lois Retizes is a Public Radio superstar. After retiring in 2025, she holds the record for the longest-running voice in Atlanta radio (45½ years). Reitzes created and hosted both Second Cup and City Lights on WABE and is a lifelong advocate and amplifier of the arts. She’s also a fan of nicknames, just in case you’re wondering why she affectionately calls Kim “KDro.” 😂

Shannon Willow stands with her sculpture, 'Lungs of Mother Earth,' at a pocket park in Scottdale. (Photo by Isadora Pennington)

✦ The Compassion Corridor: Public Art in Scottdale

What if a piece of public art could help an entire community breathe easier? Well, an emerging outdoor greenspace anchored by the Path is hoping to do just that through connection and community. ArtsATL senior editor Isadora Pennington has the story of the Compassion Corridor.

courtesy of Robet Lee and WigWag

✦ WigWag 2026: Avondale Estates Arts District Festival

This Saturday, May 2nd, the streets of Avondale Estates Arts District will close to traffic and come alive with the sound of music alongside local makers, vendors, and artists. It’s WigWag 2026, and joining us now is the man behind the curtain, Robert Lee from Methane Studios.

courtesy of The Atlanta Botanical Garden 

✦ Niki de Saint Phalle’s "Niki in the Garden" at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

There are many ways to acknowledge a milestone anniversary. Some people give flowers – a small bouquet, perhaps a dozen. The Atlanta Botanical Garden began celebrating its 50th anniversary with Atlanta SUPER Blooms – nearly 140,000 tulips and daffodils have been on the great lawn all month. And now, a spectacular exhibition of 41 works by the late French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle will be on view from May 9 through September 6. Lois Retizes recently discussed the upcoming exhibition, Niki in the Garden, with Mary Pat Matheson, President and CEO of the Atlanta Botanical Garden. 

Building out Hawkins HQ (photo credit Jasmine Hentschel)

✦ Making It Work: Alexander Hawkins of Hawkins HQ

Gulch is a printed magazine about Atlanta’s visual art scene, created by Jasmine Hentshel and EC Flamming. It’s quite an undertaking, absolutely gorgeous, and Volume 2 is currently available. Jasmine and EC are very connected to our city’s art world, and they’re joining us monthly for their new segment, Making It Work, which investigates how local creatives avoid being “starving artists.” These are personal stories from Atlanta artists about how they make a living for themselves through art. Today, they talk with Alexander Hawkins of Hawkins HQ and learned how he found the money to change parts of an abandoned motel into a functional and beautiful art gallery. (spoiler alert - he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.)

Bent Frequency founders Jan Berry Baker and Stuart Gerber. (Photo by Steve Eberhardt)

✦ Bent Frequency Concludes Season with Steve Reich Masterpiece

Contemporary classical specialists Bent Frequency are concluding their 2025-26 season with a special free concert on Sunday at Kopleff Recital Hall on the Georgia State University campus. The afternoon program includes recitals of the three winning entries to Underscore, an annual open call for composition submissions organized by Bent Frequency. Also included is Music for 18 Musicians, Steve Reich’s “masterpiece of momentum” performed by an assemblage of the city’s talent-rich new-music community. Arts reporter Doug DeLoach has the story.

courtesy of the ASO

✦ ArtsATL Weekend Best Bets with Shane Harrison

ArtsATL’s executive editor Shane Harrison stops by with his picks for this week's Best Bets, and today his mix includes comedy, a jazz legend, and an abundance of photography.

Special thanks to today’s sponsors:

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

The ArtsXchange

Bookish Atlanta

Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective.

Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come. 

Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records. 

The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land. 

Thank you for listening!