Atlanta: The Cultural Capital of the South

Arts Born from Ashes

Atlanta's cultural community, born from the ashes of one of the deadliest aviation disasters in history, is one of the most vibrant in the U.S. In 1962, 122 members of the Atlanta Arts Association perished when their plane crashed on takeoff at Orly Airport in Paris. The group was heading home following a month-long tour of European art treasures. As the city grieved, residents came together and used the devastating loss as a catalyst for investment in the arts.

This effort led to the creation of the Atlanta Arts Alliance and the Memorial Arts Center, which we now know as The Woodruff Arts Center. The rebirth put Atlanta on the road to becoming the cultural capital of the Southeast, and one of the America's great cultural cities. The Woodruff Arts Center, comprised of the High Museum of Art, Alliance Theater, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Young Audiences draws more than one million visitors annually.

Today, Atlanta boasts more than 50 visual art galleries and more than 30 playhouses and theatres. The metro Atlanta region has more than 1,700 cultural non-profit organizations. Atlanta's Midtown neighborhood is home to the largest concentration of arts facilities and organizations in the city with more than 30 permanent performing arts groups and 22 various entertainment facilities.

Art Without Borders

Atlanta's arts scene is not confined within the walls of the city's world-class venues. Over the past five years, a new wave of visual art installations and street murals have rolled in, splashing parks, facades, tunnels and walkways with color and energy. Musicians play live at more than 40 outdoor festivals and neighborhood farmer's markets. Performance artists, such as those from Glo Atlanta, can be spotted on any given day practicing at The Goat Farm Arts Center or performing on the grassy lawns of Piedmont Park.

The Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail is a scenic two-mile stretch speckled with permanent and rotating visual art installations from locally- and nationally-acclaimed artists. Get an insider's look at the city's current street art movement with Bicycle Tours of Atlanta. The bike tours wind through Atlanta's in-town neighborhoods past vivid murals commissioned by both Living Walls and independent neighborhood associations. In the fall, spring and summertime, neighborhoods like the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Inman Park Festival, and Yellow Daisy Festival showcase local artists.

Hollywood of the South

The influx of film and television projects in Georgia has catapulted the state to the No. 3 production location in the nation and generated $5 billion in economic impact. In addition to the rise in production activity in Atlanta and the surrounding region, the area has also served as an incubator for filmmakers.

Atlanta's film festivals showcase new and emerging talent from around the country. The longest running Atlanta-based film fest, The Atlanta Film Festival, engages more than 25,000 viewers annually. The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival draws 31,000 participants annually, making it the second largest Jewish film festival in the U.S. Atlanta's Bronze Lens Film Festival is one of the nation's most comprehensive film festivals showcasing people of color both in front of and behind the camera.

For more information on Atlanta's arts and cultural attractions, visit www.atlanta.net/things-to-do/arts-culture/

Established in 1913, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau is a private, nonprofit organization created to favorably impact the Atlanta economy through conventions and tourism.