The ShowATL Podcast

Chris Veal is an Atlanta based artist and muralist who has gained fame through his use of pop-art murals to engage in social commentary, with topics ranging from local politics to gentrification to the opioid epidemic. Veal recently gained recognition again for his mural collaboration depicting the popular “Baby Yoda”, a character, originally from the Star Wars universe and featured in the show “The Mandalorian”, that has gained viral fame online. Chris joins ShowATL to talk about the evolution of his work as an artist in a city that has demonstrated its own surge in growth and change since Veal first moved here in 1999. We talk about Chris’s work, the influence of graffiti and lettering on his mural work, the rise of street art in Atlanta, fine art, collaborations with other artists, and Chris’s determination to never rest on his laurels and to try different styles of art.

Learn more about Chris at @caveal on Instagram

Blockhead is a pseudonym invented by Chris Skeene in 2012 as a way to explore the thriving free art scene in Atlanta. Blockheads started as small figures with magnets on the backs of their heads that were hidden all over the world for people to find and keep. Inspired by his collection of Pez dispensers and blind box art toys (such as figures by Bearbrick or Kidrobot), Chris uses blockheads to bring variety to the repetition of a singular form. Though much of the inspiration for his work are from machine-made items, blockheads are each hand-carved and painted, thereby highlighting the individuality and uniqueness of each piece. Each blockhead starts from the same shape and is either has material added to or subtracted from it. Chris also extends the unique nature of the figures by inviting collaborators to bring their own styles to the blank canvas of a carved blockhead. Chris believes that there are infinite possibilities when using a blockhead as a canvas and enjoys the experience of letting others experiment with his shape.

Chris was born in Irving, TX and spent most of his childhood in Lakeland, FL. After pursuing and abandoning a business degree from the University of Florida, Chris graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design (’06) with a BFA in photography. He moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 2007, and immediately fell in love with the city.

Learn more about Blockhead at @blockhead_atl

Online at https://www.blockheadatl.com

Maija Ehlinger is the co-founder of Atlanta Micro Theater, a group dedicated to showcasing original one-act plays written, directed, and performed by Southern-based creatives. As well as co-founding the organization, Maija also wrote and directed one of the inaugural performances. Maija came onto the podcast to talk about her background as a writer and journalist inspired by data-driven journalism. With a keen understanding of her passion for writing from a remarkably young age, Maija’s education and career have led her from Southern California to Atlanta, Georgia (and all over the world) to pursue both fiction and non-fiction writing with an emphasis on writing for the screen. Maija is also the co-founder of Film Pitch ATL, an organization that brings local indie filmmakers together to present their ideas to an audience of enthusiasts, investors, and peers. 

The next installment of Film Pitch ATL takes place on August 28th. 

The next Atlanta Micro Theater takes place on September 7th. 

Learn more about Atlanta Micro Theater at www.atlantamicrotheater.com

Bonnie Casamassima is the Principal and Founder of Interweave People Place, an interior design firm focused on biophilic design, which “seeks to incorporate the science behind the benefits we experience while in nature into the interior spaces we inhabit each day.” Bonnie focuses on guiding clients through the process of understanding how their spaces can be designed to enhance their psychological and biological well-being to support their organizational goals and intentional quality of life. She is also an adjunct professor of Interior Design at SCAD. 

Bonnie joined us to talk about her career and mission behind starting Interweave, as well as walking through the work behind biophilic design and its applications to our well-being, using practical design examples. The conversation led to a better understanding of the need behind intentional design, and Bonnie also provided some practical interior design tips that anyone can use to enhance their space without breaking the bank.

Learn more about Interweave People Place at www.interweavepeopleplace.com

Shannon Green and Christy Petterson met in 2004 at a craft and vintage market in Grant Park, exchanged a necklace for a piece of handmade clothing, and created a bond that has lasted 15 years and counting. Shannon and Christy founded Indie Craft Experience in 2005 with a goal of giving consumers an opportunity to buy directly from artists, while also giving artists an opportunity to sell their creations. Indie Craft Experience hosts several craft and vintage markets throughout the year, with their Holiday Shopping Spectacular each November being the biggest and most well-attended. Along with markets, Shannon and Christy have worked to expand the Indie Craft brand to include workshops, retreats (they are going to the Oregon Coast and Oaxaca this year), and summer camps. With Indie Craft Experience celebrating its 15th birthday this year, Shannon and Christy join Parsa behind the mic to talk about Indie Craft’s history, as well as all things exciting coming in the future. 

Learn more about Indie Craft Experience at www.ice-atlanta.com 

Find Indie Craft Experience on Instagram at @iceatlanta

Lela Brunet is an Atlanta based visual artist. With her main subject being the female form, Lela “explores the contrast created when the grace of the figure and the tension of energetic patterns and colors collide together. Lela’s work explores this visual battlefield of pattern, color, and form.” She works in a variety of media including murals, painting, drawing, and design. She has exhibited her work and murals in multiple galleries and events throughout the United States and internationally. In her own words, Lela is a “devoted mother, loving wie, and insanely dedicated artist. That should go on my gravestone.” Lela joined us to talk about her work, as well as her dual role as a new mother and working artist. We also talked murals, collaborations, commissions, and more (and had a great time doing it). 

Learn more about Lela at http://www.lelabrunet.com/

Find Lela on Instagram at @lelabrunetart

Karen Anderson is the founder of Tiny Doors ATL. In her own words, “Tiny Doors ATL is an Atlanta-based art project bringing big wonder to tiny spaces.” Karen founded Tiny Doors in the summer of 2014 with Atlanta native Sarah Meng. Tiny Doors ATL installs 6 to 7-inch tall doors throughout the city. Each door is designed to look and feel like the surrounding neighborhood’s architecture and community spirit. As Tiny Doors ATL approaches its fifth year anniversary, Karen took time out of her increasingly productive schedule to talk through her personal journey as well as the journey of Tiny Doors, which now includes 16 numbered and mapped doors (which are all free and wheelchair accessible), as well as numerous commissions. 

Learn more about Tiny Doors ATL at https://tinydoorsatl.com/

Find Tiny Doors on Instagram at @tinydoorsatl

In this episode, we sit down once again with Meredith Howard, founder of The Streets Magazine, after the release party for the 2018 print edition of The Streets. Meredith joined us at a table in the middle of the Atlanta Photography Group gallery space where The Streets’ print show was being exhibited last November. We talk about the 2018 print edition, as well as the various artists and works featured in the magazine. We even take some time to walk around the gallery and spend some time talking about select pieces up close. For this episode, we were joined by local photographer and videographer Kevin Fuentes, also featured in the magazine, to film the entire interview. This podcast features all of the audio from the interview minus the gallery walk-through. Check back on our website or Instagram for an announcement of when we release the full video of our interview and gallery walk-through with Meredith Howard, which is coming out very soon!

Learn more about The Streets Magazine at www.thestreetsmag.com

Find The Streets on Instagram at @thestreetsmagazine

Ben Getz is the founder and host of the popular Atlanta Foodcast, a podcast focused on highlighting Atlanta’s incredible food scene through interviews with chefs, restaurant owners, and other people working to make Atlanta a great food city. Ben helped Corrigan and I get the ShowATL Podcast off the ground last year, and as the Atlanta Foodcast turns 1 year old and passes the 50 episode mark, Ben joins us yet again to chat about all things food in Atlanta. Ben also shares some of his personal story, from his evolving relationship with food, to the starting and growing of the Atlanta Foodcast. 

Listen to The Atlanta Foodcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Learn more about Ben and the Atlanta Foodcast at www.atlfoodcast.com

Find The Atlanta Foodcast on Instagram at @atlfoodcast

Jeff Dake and Jamey Adams are 2 of the 5 co-founders of Arches Brewing in Hapeville, Georgia. As a lager-focused brewery, Arches is committed to bringing classic European styles to the modern American craft market. Arches is so dedicated to the quality of their craft that they drilled a 400+ foot well on premises to be able to get water from the headwaters of the Flint River, which they can then manipulate to match the water style needed for the particular beer being brewed. Jeff and Jamey, both chemists, have been brewing together for over 13 years. At Arches, Jamey guides the whole business, working on beer development, long term planning, and the direction of the brewery. Jeff does the lab work to ensure the health and viability of the yeast and progress of each batch. They joined us prior to their 3-year anniversary celebration to talk about the process of starting Arches Brewing, why they focus on lager beers, and even go into depth on some of the process behind what it takes to brew some of their beer. Arches beer was consumed while taping, so this was a fun episode. 

Learn more about Arches at https://www.archesbrewing.com/ 

Find them on Instagram at @archesbrewing