Designed by Graeme Nelson.
This poster will be on sale on Saturday 12/1. All profits will be donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank
During the month of October, hundreds of Atlanta residents took their phones to the streets to show Instagram their favorite places around the city. Pictures of The Varsity, Little 5 Points, The Beltline and others started popping up on Instagram feeds with the hashtag #weloveatl. All in hopes that their picture would be picked for the crowd-sourced group show.
#weloveatl, a community-driven photography show, is the brainchild of Tim Moxley, Brandon Barr, Keith Weaver and Aaron Coury. After a little over 5,000 picture submissions, they went over them and choose 275 to turn into high quality prints. The show highlights Atlanta’s tight-knit community and how this city leaves its permanent mark in every one of us.
On Saturday, December 1, the photos will be shown at Young Blood Gallery — the last show at the gallery since Kelly Teasley and Maggie White are stepping away and closing the space on January 6. A limited-edition 19×25 screen print, designed by Graeme Nelson (right), will be sold at the opening reception and the profits will be donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
Here, we talk to Moxley about the last show at Young Blood Gallery, Instagram and well, loving ATL.
CC: Where did the idea come from? What did you hope to achieve?
Tim Moxley: A few months ago I was looking at my Instagram feed and noticed how the grid of images revealed a glimpse into my everyday life and experiences. Each image stands on it’s own, but as a group they tell a broader story about who I am. I began to explore the #atlanta feed and noticed how that grid of images does the same thing, but about Atlanta. I found myself engrossed, all the different perspectives, places, people — peering into the lives of the people of Atlanta. I’ve always loved the community vibe of Instagram. It’s a populist medium that doesn’t exclude; it’s really a great way to catch a glimpse into other cultures you may be unfamiliar with. I thought, wouldn’t it be great to have a gallery show of the Instagram images about Atlanta, all the prints could be sold at an affordable price and proceeds could go to a local charity that serves the local community? Essentially, bring the community together to show their love for our city, offer a creative outlet for that expression, and raise desperately needed funds for a charity that serves those in our community in need.
Young Blood Gallery has always been a great supporter of community and art in Atlanta so I approached Kelly and Maggie about hosting a show. They liked the idea and scheduled the show for December.
The next step was to seek out other curators to work with on the show. I had been following Keith Weaver and Aaron Coury for a while on Instagram. Both already had ties to the Atlanta Instagram community, and when I approached them for help they wholeheartedly agreed. We had a few brain storming sessions, that’s when the #weloveatl hashtag came to life, and worked out the logistics for how to gather submissions, curate, notify, and execute the show. We soon asked Brandon Barr to join as well to round out the differences in our individual aesthetics. We have all contributed time, money, and brainpower to make this happen. It’s something we are all passionate about.
Photo by Tim Moxley
CC: How many submissions did you get? How did you sort through them all to pick the ones specifically for the show?
TM: There were 5256 images submitted to the show. We have chosen approximately 275 to hang in the gallery. Looking through the raw #weloveatl feed is an experience all its own, there are so many great photos. Each curator went through the feed and chose images individually. We felt that process gives the show variety and helps ensure that different styles and subject matter were chosen. After the choices were made, we had small prints produced of those selected, cut them up and mocked up the show.
Any weird stories/photos while going through all of the submissions?
Thankfully no, I think I’ve seen many things so my definition of weird may be broader than others. One thing I did notice, though, is you get a good sense of the iconic spots in Atlanta. Places like the ATL statue in Woodruff Park, the skyline from the Jackson St. Bridge, and the Oakland Cemetery are all well represented on the feed.
CC: That’s great that you guys are donating money to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Why did you guys pick this organization?
TM: During the initial discussions with Young Blood we agreed that the profits from the show should go to a charity that serves the Atlanta community. Food is a fundamental human need and there are people in this city that have fallen on hard times and aren’t able to get proper nutrition. ACFB steps in to provide for those folks when they are in need. This is great work that needs our support.
Designed by Keith Weaver
CC: What are your thoughts on Atlanta’s creative/art scene? Favorite projects right now?
TM: Atlanta has a vibrant and varied art scene. It’s really great that in addition to museums like The High there are several venues for emerging or outsider artists to display their work. The artistic community supports itself here somewhat. I’m always hearing that a new artist co-op has formed or a group show is opening. There’s also tons of support for artistic youth programs that serve the community like Wonder root.
My favorite projects in Atlanta right now would have to be the Living Walls initiative and the Beltline. Both beautify our city with public art projects. They expose the community to art and also support local artists in the process. It’s a win-win for the city.
CC: If you could submit your own picture, what/where would be your #weloveatl photograph?
TM: I would submit all the photos I take around the city because they describe my life in Atlanta. No one’s photo can really sum it up the way a collection does.
#weloveatl opens tomorrow, Saturday 12/1, at Young Blood Gallery. More info here.
Gale Thomas
This is so awesome!