Épisodes

  • Summer Evans co-hosts + 100 paintings for 100 songs
    May 13 2026
    ✦ 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) ✦ 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) ✦ 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) ✦ 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) ✦ 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’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! 00:00:00 Support & Sponsor Message 00:00:22 Intro & Welcome 00:01:43 Summer Evans Co-hosts 00:02:12 ’Let’s Go Dancing’ Exhibition 00:13:37 ’Let’s Go Dancing’ Event Details & Bonus Episode Note 00:14:28 Catch-up with Summer Evans — Life & Work Updates 00:20:02 Josh Russell — Commonplaces (essay collection) 00:25:49 Amy Sherald — ’American Sublime’ at the High (Interview) 00:38:07 Jessi Kirtley — From Roswell to Broadway 00:46:34 ArtsATL ...
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    54 min
  • Shanita Miller co-hosts + The New South, No Words, Déjà Vu, and art as medicine
    May 6 2026
    ✦ 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) ✦ 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 ✦ 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 ✦ 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 ✦ 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. ✦ 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’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! 00:00:00 Support & Sponsor Message 00:00:21 Opening and Welcome 00:02:55 Report: Prop 1007 — Arts as Mental Health 00:13:42 Co-host Shanita Miller — Black Girls Guide to Atlanta 00:22:28 No Words to L5P Festival — Instrumental Music & Parade 00:32:49 Feature: Chefs of the New South...
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    55 min
  • Bonus! Lois Reitzes + Niki in the Garden: Bloum Cardenas on her grandmother's legacy
    May 4 2026

    Lois Reitzes returns with questions for Bloum Cardenas, Niki de Saint Phalle’s granddaughter. Hear Cardenas' thoughts on her grandmother’s memoirs, feminist themes, iconic Nana sculptures, and the monumental works on display at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

    00:00:00 Introduction & Bonus Episode

    00:00:22 How Bloum’s Interview Was Recorded

    00:01:11 Memoirs — Writing versus Artwork

    00:02:59 Feminism and the Nanas

    00:06:55 Nana Sculptures — Overview

    00:07:25 The ”Hon” (1966 Stockholm) — First Monumental Nana

    00:09:29 Famous Friendships (Johns, Rauschenberg, Oldenburg)

    00:11:34 Niki Charitable Art Foundation — Mission & Stewardship

    00:15:07 Closing Remarks & Credits

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    16 min
  • Lois Reitzes co-hosts + a compassionate corridor, Niki de Saint Phalle, WigWag + how Hawkins HQ is making it work
    Apr 29 2026
    ✦ 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) ✦ 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 ✦ 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 ✦ 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) ✦ 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) ✦ 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’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! 00:00:00 Welcome to the ATL Arts Collective and welcome Lois Retizes 00:02:55 Compassion Corridor — Lungs of Mother Earth 00:08:04 Conversation with Lois — Retirement & Transition 00:10:59 WIGWAG Art & Music Festival 00:19:...
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    59 min
  • Aja Arnold co-hosts + a golden film festival, Scattrbrain's debut, and a trip to Venus
    Apr 22 2026
    ✦ Aja Arnold ✦ Atlanta Film Festival turns 50 ✦ Lillian Blades Exhibition ✦ Scattrbrain ✦ Art News ✦ Venus ✦ 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...Aja Arnold! courtesy of Aja Arnold ✦ Aja Arnold, founder of the Atlanta-based magazine and production company Mainline, and a nationally published journalist with writings in Scalawag Magazine, Vice, Intercept, Creative Loafing, and more. She is also the co-producer of Standard Selects: The Movie and its companion digital series. Aja brings us the story of Scattrbrain (see below) and shares details on her collaboration with Standard Electric Recorders Co. Aja recommends checking out: Standard Selects Scalawag Magazine UMAW Gutwrench Journal (Aja's first published story: Orange & Ivory: A Tremendous Night of Democratic Carnage) courtesy of the Atlanta Film Festival ✦ Fifty years ago, a group of Atlantans started a film festival with no major backing and no guarantee it would last. But it didn’t just survive; it continues to grow, powered by people who believe this city has stories worth telling. This story was based on an interview by film reporter Steve Murray, and you can read Steve’s full story on the Atlanta Film Festival at ArtsATL.org. Photo by Kevin Storer ✦Lillian Blades is a powerhouse in the Atlanta art scene, known for vibrant, maximalist pieces that weave together her Bahamian roots and West African ancestry. But her latest exhibition, Sanctuary, at the Emma Darnell Aviation Museum, offers something more than just finished masterpieces; it offers a rare look at an artist in the middle of a transformation. Dr. Kevin Storer, a scholar and critic who recently reviewed the show for ArtsATL stops by. Scattrbrain performing at their first headlining show at Drunken Unicorn on March 19, 2026. Photo credit: Christian M Photography (@christian_m_photography on IG) ✦ Guest co-host Aja Arnold brings us the story of Scattrbrain, the new Atlanta-based rap-meets-alt-rock project. While Scattrbrain is a new project, the players involved are not. Among them are longtime rapper and East Atlanta native GRIP and members of the bands Grouplove and Mallbangs. Their new album, Scattrbrain & the Unwavering Self-Doubt will be released on June 19. photo credit Natrice Miller ✦ ArtsATL senior editor Isadora Pennington joins the show for a News Brief featuring stories that affect our arts ecosystem. Today, she has news about Lauren Jackson Harris being announced as the next Executive Director of Dashboard, Atlanta Art Week's postponement, and EarthGang, an Atlanta-based Grammy-nominated MC duo, and their new comic book series, Wheel of Fate. Photo by Casey Gardner Ford ✦Venus, a new play from the creator of HBO’s The Flight Attendant and Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives, just opened at Actor’s Express. It’s a dark romance full of twists and turns, and ArtsATL Editor at Large Benji Carr has the story. Photo by Joan Marcus (0307)r ✦ArtsATL’s executive editor Shane Harrison stops by with his picks for this week's Best Bets. Today, his mix includes lots of music. From Opera, to roots, to the retro genre-bending stylings of Raye. Special thanks to today’s sponsors: The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra The ArtsXchange The Dekalb History Center 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 Intro & Hosts 00:01:31 Show Preview & Upcoming Segments 00:02:32 Atlanta Film Festival — 50th Anniversary 00:07:05 Standard Selects (Movie & Series) 00:13:16 Lillian Blades — ’Sanctuary’ at Emma Darnell 00:23:52 Scattrbrain — Atlanta DIY Supergroup 00:32:59 Mainline Music Fest & Atlanta DIY Notes 00:34:45 ATL Arts Collective News Brief 00:39:00 Venus — New Play at Actors Express 00:44:15 Arts ATL’s Best Bets (Events Roundup) 00:48:18 Closing, Credits & Next Week
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    51 min
  • Jon Goode co-hosts + poetry, playgrounds, music, smoke, records, and neon in a cemetery
    Apr 15 2026
    ✦ Jon Goode and National Poetry Month ✦ Illumine at Oakland Cemetery ✦ Illuminating Noguchi ✦ Best Bets ✦ Yum Yum Tree ✦ Smoke at the Goat Farm ✦ Record Store Day ✦ 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...Jon Goode! Photo courtesy of Jon Goode ✦ Three-time Emmy-nominated writer, performer, and poet Jon Goode joins as guest co-host. He’s the author of Black Curio and host of The Moth and Show & Tell. In honor of National Poetry Month, he shares his suggestions for open mics and explains why Poetry is so important to culture and history. Jon’s suggestions for poetry: Urban Grind on Thursdays ArtsXchange Spring Fling Poetry Slam on April 24 The Book Bird Anything by Abyss or Georgia Me Photo by George Gomez ✦ Beginning tomorrow, Oakland Cemetery is set to come alive with art and music. It’s the return of Illumine, a multi-sensory art experience curated by Cat Eye Creative. ArtsATL senior editor for art+design and dance, Isadora Pennington, went for a sneak peek to learn how multiple artists are transforming Atlanta’s oldest and most historic cemetery into immersive art installations. Photo by Steve Eberhardt, Krewe puppeteers (and their creators) Cameron & Joy Ayer. ✦If you've ever seen a river of light flowing down the Atlanta Beltline, you've seen the work of Chantelle Rytter. We talk to the artist and crew captain behind Atlanta's iconic lantern parades about how she's made the practice of turning public spaces into galleries of collective joy. She shares details on her collaboration with the High Museum for Illuminating Noguchi, an event that culminates in a glowing procession from the museum to the historic Noguchi playscape in Piedmont Park. Photo courtesy Atlanta Symphony Orchestra ✦ ArtsATL executive editor Shane Harrison stops by with his picks for the week’s Best Bets. Today, his mix includes a chance to catch the ASO in Piedmont Park, a feast for French film lovers, and the Black Boy Art Show. Shane’s full list of this week’s 9 essential Atlanta arts events is at ArtsATL.org. Photo courtesy of Team Clermont ✦ Music reporter Jordan Owen talks to The Yum Yum Tree’s bassist/vocalist Andy Gish to learn what a primate, Peter Gabriel, and our city’s shifting economic tides have to do with the band’s new album, Turn Down the Noise. Photo by Mitali Singh ✦ Arts reporter Mitali Singh visits the Goat Farm for a sneak peek at their upcoming show Smoke. It’s a live performance blending contemporary dance, performance art, and electronic pop. Image by mgattorna from Pixabay ✦ Record Store Day is this Saturday, and music writer, Rad/ATL founder, and the man who literally wrote the book on Atlanta’s independent record stores, Chad Radford, stops by. Chad’s the former music editor of Creative Loafing and the author of Atlanta Record Stores: An Oral History. So, if you want to know which crates to dig through this Record Store Day, there’s no better guide. (Chad’s interview was cut short for time, so “Part 2” will come out as a bonus episode this Friday and includes a list of records that Chad hopes to aquire this Record Store Day) Special thanks to today’s sponsors: The Alliance Theatre Soul Food Cypher The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra The ArtsXchange The Sun ATL 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 Jon Goode! 00:06:01 Illumine 00:12:54 National Poetry Month 00:15:08 Illuminating Noguchi 00:26:24 Best Bets 00:31:13 The Yum Yum Tree 00:39:58 Smoke 00:45:37 Record Store Day 00:57:18 Thank you + next week on the ATL Arts Collective
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    1 h
  • What's the vibe?
    Apr 1 2026

    Atlanta's arts scene deserves coverage as dynamic as the city itself. But... what is the arts and culture vibe in Atlanta right now?

    🎧🎤🎧

    The ATL Arts Collective launches on April 15. Follow now and join us then.

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    1 min
  • Introducing the ATL Arts Collective (Launching April 15)
    Mar 12 2026

    Welcome! You found us early.

    The ATL Arts Collective launches April 15 with weekly conversations and stories about the artists shaping Atlanta’s creative life. Follow the show now so you don’t miss the first episode.

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