PRESS CONTACT: Art Rudick [email protected] 404-759-7650

ATL1000 to Celebrate ’s 1000th Mural and the Artists Who Create Them in the Fall of 2020

(ATLANTA, GA) Already known as a hotspot for murals, Atlanta can now boast it has more than 1000 murals as counted by the Atlanta Street Art Map! In the Fall of 2020, the ATL1000 campaign will honor the artists who created these distinctive works through a new celebratory mural in Cabbagetown, a series of murals by Black women artists curated by Power Haus Creative, digital projections in the Downtown Arts & Entertainment District highlighting Atlanta artists, and self-guided walking tours. ATL1000 aims to promote Atlanta as an arts destination, to encourage a community discussion about Atlanta’s street art, and to give Atlanta’s residents and visitors a family friendly, safe street art experience. Residents can visit https://streetartmap.org/atl1000/ for more details.

HISTORY: TRACKING ATLANTA’S MURALS & Making the 1000 Mark ● Recently retired engineer Art Rudick created the Atlanta Street Art Map which catalogs and maps murals all over Atlanta. ● When nearing the 1,000 mural marker, Art assembled representatives from several of Atlanta's mural sponsoring organizations for a series of brainstorming sessions that ultimately led to the ATL1000 campaign. ● During the first half of 2020, Atlanta's mural activity had slowed down in response to the Covid-19 pandemic with the total mural count hovering just below 1000. ● With the wave of protests following the murder of George Floyd, an outpouring of creative expression through protest murals pushed Atlanta over the 1000 mural mark. ● By the count of the Atlanta Street Art Map, the "Black Lives Matter" mural by Ashley Dopson on the driveway of Kipp Strive Academy in the Westview neighborhood was Atlanta’s 1000th mural.

“A thousand murals in Atlanta is a huge accomplishment. Why should I be the only one to know this trivia fact? Our muralists deserve recognition.” – Art Rudick, founder, Atlanta Street Art Map.

PROGRAMS 1. Celebratory Mural:

● The Cabbagetown Initiative 501c3 is installing a special new mural at the entrance to the Krog Street Tunnel, sponsored by ATL1000, Atlanta Department of City Planning, and Fulton County Arts & Culture. ● This location is significant as the intersection of a famous graffiti tunnel & a renowned mural wall; a cultural bridge between two proud Atlanta traditions of street art. ● Atlanta’s muralists were invited to an open call for proposals. There were 30 submissions. Six finalists and a winner were selected by an Artist Selection Panel representing diverse expertise and backgrounds. ● The six finalists were George F. Baker III, Corey Barksdale, Ashley Dopson, Alea Hurst, Angela Faustina, and Faatimah Stevens. The winner was Ashley Dopson. For more information about Dopson’s winning proposal click here. ● Ashley Dopson’s winning mural titled “Fish are Jumping and the Cotton is High” will be unveiled virtually via live- stream video on November 20, 2020.

2. Downtown Arts & Entertainment District Digital Exhibition: September 1 - October 31, 2020 Featured Artists & Digital Billboard Locations Muhammad Yungai - Peachtree Center at 235 Peachtree Street Gilbert Young - The Reverb Hotel at 89 Centennial Olympic Park Drive Ashley Dopson - Above the Westin Hotel Motor Lobby on Carnegie Way Angie Jerez - 101 Marietta Street

3. Power Haus Creative Installation: ● In celebration of the Atlanta Street Art Map clocking Atlanta’s 1000th mural, Power Haus Creative presents “The Goddess Glow Project”. ● Goddess Glow is a multiple mural mix tape in which 100% of all imagery and content will be created and documented by Black women for Black women and girls to see authentic reflections of themselves in street art. ● In this exhibition curated by Creative Director and Arts Advocate Ash Nash, you’ll find imagery in Atlanta street art that amplifies Black Women and everything that makes them DOPE AF! ● Use the following link to make a donation. Artists Videographers Mural Titles Locations Yuzly Mathurin & Ash Nash Evelyn Quinones Respect Black Women 212 Edgewood Ave. Courtney Brooks Melissa Alexander Shine On ‘Em 831 York Ave Zipporah Joe’l Logan Lynette Peace 785 Lee St

4. Forward Warrior Mural Project: Forward Warrior is a popular, curated mural wall in Cabbagetown on Wylie St, adjacent the . It is an outdoor, pedestrian-friendly gallery, painted annually in the fall. The exhibit is free, but there is no formal event this year. Spectators are encouraged to tune in online for live painting video feeds during October: https://www.twitch.tv/cabbagetownusa

5. Self-Guided Walking Tours: Self-guided street art walking tours are available for the following Atlanta neighborhoods: Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail, Cabbagetown, Downtown, East Atlanta, Edgewood Ave, , and Pittsburgh

RESOURCES Link to Photographs: ATL1000 Photos (Muralists’ names are in the title of the image, all photos by Atlanta Street Map unless noted otherwise)

CONTACTS For general information on ATL1000 contact: Art Rudick, [email protected] For information on Cabbagetown Initiative and Forward Warrior contact: John Dirga [email protected] For information on Power Haus Creative contact: Ash Nash [email protected] For information on Ashley Dopson contact: [email protected]