Art on the Atlanta BeltLine Feature: COLORism

The success of Art on the Atlanta BeltLine continues to grow as visitors come out to support public art through the 2015 exhibition. With performances and installations from local artists, as well as artists from around the nation and around the world, this year’s exhibition continues to show how Atlanta is elevating art on a whole new level. Artists creatively explore unique perspectives and address social issues through the expression of art.

Joshua Rashaad McFadden, a photographer and graduate student at SCAD, is the artist behind COLORism, the 200-foot photographic installation located on the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail across from the pedestrian entrance into Ponce City Market. The concept of colorism is built on the belief that one skin tone is better or worse than another between people within the same ethnic group.

Atlanta BeltLine Art on the BeltLine September 16, 2015 photos by Christopher T Martin

Joshua hopes to promote a more positive self-image for all women of color through his installation. Colorism is very much still an issue within African-American communities today causing disparities in areas such as income, education, housing, and marriage. Joshua speaks more on the issue of colorism and the future plans for his photo installation during his interview with Stephen Key on AM 1690 The Voice of the Arts.

Atlanta BeltLine Art on the BeltLine September 16, 2015 photos by Christopher T Martin

Atlanta BeltLine Art on the BeltLine September 16, 2015 photos by Christopher T Martin

Check out the video below to  hear from some of the photographed models and their experiences with colorism.

While performances for this year are all wrapped up, murals, sculptures, and other visual art pieces can still be seen throughout the Atlanta BeltLine. Artists’ background and installation information for this year’s exhibition can be found at art.beltline.org/artists . Temporary pieces will be up until mid-November, so make sure to catch them while you still can.

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