New art season on the Atlanta BeltLine kicks off with annual Lantern Parade

This year marks Atlanta BeltLine’s 15th season of its juried public art exhibition, Art on the Atlanta BeltLine, featuring the work of hundreds of visual artists, performers and musicians.

The big kickoff event, the Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade, is scheduled for Saturday, May 11 on the Westside Trail. The parade will begin at Adair Park I, 742 Catherine St. SW, and end at Lee + White, 1070 White St. Line-up begins at 7:45 p.m. and departure is at 8:45 p.m.

This year’s AoAB features more than 100 artists and 56 works of visual and performing arts.

“Art on the Atlanta BeltLine continues to embody the vision we hold dear for the BeltLine: a convergence of people, cultures, communities and perspectives,” said Nonet Sykes, director of equity and inclusion at Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. Atlanta’s arts and cultural community continues to be an integral part of BeltLine life. The cultural tapestry woven along these trails provides a dynamic showcase of the diverse voices of our city. As we celebrate AoAB’s 15th anniversary, we are excited to highlight the immense talent and creativity of women artists who will be highlighted in our exhibition.

2024 Season Preview

Special exhibitions:

• LagosAtlanta: sister cities on the rise – Fifty years ago this year, the City of Atlanta and then-Mayor of Atlanta Maynard Jackson proudly announced Lagos, Nigeria, as one of its first sister cities, negotiating what would become a historic bond between the culture and commerce. Since February, Atlanta BeltLine has commemorated this decades-long cultural exchange with a 10-week artist residency and special exhibition featuring two renowned Lagos-based artists: Taiye Idahor and Kainebi Osahenye.
• May 25: BeltLine Beach Partypresented by Liquid Sky: A unique theatrical and circus experience including aerial acrobatics, dance and electrifying performances on pendulum poles.
• June 15: “No tables, no chairs” – For the 10th year, Mausiki Scales & the Common Ground Collective will present “No Tables, No Chairs” at Atlanta’s Westside Park, a “funk journey through the pulsating rhythms of the African diaspora.”
• August: ATL Park Jam – A celebration of hip hop and Atlanta’s unique contributions, returning for its second year.

• September: BeltLine After Dark presents PhaeMonae“Amplified Bodies” by – an evening performance featuring PhaeMonae and her team who will create a work of art embodying the intersection of the emergence of hip-hop and the lifespan of the cicada through dance, sound, sculpture and fashion.
• October: Where are the strange things. A “haunting” processional pop-up created and led by Chantelle Rytter of BeltLine Lantern Parade and the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons. Puppet monsters roam the Eastside Trail near Memorial Drive to the music of the Black Sheep Ensemble, handing out special treats to those they meet.
• November: JAM ATL – As part of the final stretch of the year, the BeltLine will bring back ATL JAM, which for the past two years has brought together more than 40 style writers and graffiti artists to pay homage to the legacy of art in Atlanta with live installations along the BeltLine.

Programs, installations, residencies and murals throughout the season

• BeltLine Business Ventures: Artist Edition – A 9-week pilot program, presented in collaboration between Atlanta-based BeltLine Business Solutions Office and TILA Studios, aims to equip creative professionals with the skills needed to deliver sculptural public art projects worldwide and develop as entrepreneurs and artists. Twenty artists from varied backgrounds, experience levels and mediums will be selected for the first cohort, which will launch in early summer.
• A/V radio – Ree de la Vega’s independent, off-network radio station runs through June before returning in the fall. A/V Radio is located on the BeltLine Eastside Trail, under the Freedom Parkway Bridge, adjacent to the BeltLine MarketPlace.
• “The Restful Children” by Chiomma Hall– Quarterly youth arts program designed to provide a safe and nurturing space where Black youth can develop essential skills for self-care in partnership with many Black arts professionals in Atlanta.
• BeltLine Residency Program returns in April, with artists in residence Eugene V Byrd (curator in residence), Nadya Zeitlin and Dr. Shay Welch (researcher in residence).
• BeltLine Walls Flight. 6 will feature muralists Aziza Andre’ and Charity Humidullah.
• BeltLine spaces Sculpture series will feature artists such as Camisha Butler and Adana Tillman.

In addition to this year’s artists, a number of previous installations, now part of BeltLine’s continuing collection, will remain on the trail as part of AoAB’s current season.