Style writing, commonly referred to as graffiti, is considered by many to be the precursor to public art. Join the Atlanta BeltLine for a special weekend celebrating Atlanta’s style writing history with two epic events bringing together some of Atlanta’s most influential style writers. The So So Def Walls Talk and Tour will take place on November 3 from 11am to 4pm on the Atlanta BeltLine Southside Trail under the Interstate 75/85 underpass. The fun will continue with ATL Jam, a style writing exhibition with some of Atlanta’s greatest style writers, on November 4-6 from 10 am to 9pm at Lee + White.
So So Def Walls Talk and Tour
When: Thursday, November 3, 11am to 4pm
Where: Atlanta BeltLine Southside Trail, I-75/85 Underpass (Parking available at Pittsburgh Yards, 352 University Ave SW)
For decades, the iconic So So Def billboard on Interstate 75/85 South was a symbol of Atlanta’s dominance in the music industry. To the Atlanta graffiti writing community however, it was a beacon that guided artists to a place where the magic happened.
On Thursday November 3, 2022, the Atlanta Beltline will celebrate the legacy of one of the very few remaining graffiti safe spaces in Atlanta. The Interstate 75/85 underpass, known affectionately in the graffiti Style Writing community as So So Def, will be the site of this celebration.
The event will include two scheduled tours led by Antar “Cole” Fierce, a retired graffiti writer and historian. Following the tours will be a panel discussion on the history of So So Def, Atlanta graffiti and the challenge of curating and preserving full scale graffiti.
Tour 1: 11am – 12pm
History of Atlanta Graffiti and the So So Def overpass
Q&A Session
Photo Opportunities
Tour 2: 1pm – 2pm
History of Atlanta Graffiti and the So So Def overpass
Q&A Session
Photo Opportunities
So So Def Walls Panel Discussion – 2:30 pm – 4pm
The Legacy of So So Def and the challenges of curating a full scale Graffiti space.
Panelists:
Save One: Atlanta native and one of the earliest artists to paint the So So Def wall in 1994.
Miranda Kyle: Program Manager and Curator of Art on the Atlanta BeltLine
Poest: Tenured artist at the So So Def wall and current manager/curator of art at the So So Def wall.
ATL Jam
When: November 4-6, 10am-9pm
Where: Lee + White (1020 White St SW, Atlanta, GA 30310)
ATL JAM is a style writing exhibition showcasing the evolution of Atlanta’s style writing culture. Featuring some of the founders of Atlanta’s style writing scene, which dates to the early 80’s when the hip hop movement came to Atlanta, ATL JAM will bring together roughly 40 style masters from the years 1984 to the mid 2000’s to paint walls at Lee + White. Free and open to the public, this event aims to show appreciation to the first generations of individuals who painted on public walls here in the city.
The line-up will include:
- The United Kings Crew. Established in Atlanta in 1982, The United Kings Crew was part of the first wave of the hip hop movement when it came to Atlanta in the early 1980s. Now in their late 50s, these men are still relevant and a huge part of the Atlanta style writing culture.
- Doctor Dax. Doctor Dax migrated from Miami to Atlanta when he was 9 years old in the 1980s and was immediately drawn to the names that were painted on the walls by The United Kings Crew. He has gone on to represent Atlanta in many fashions and is a known associate of Dungeon Family and Outkast. He started painting in the late 1980s and is still painting to this day.
- Save. Alongside Dax, Save played a vital role during the second wave of Style writing culture here in Atlanta. He would ride MARTA and see the writings on the walls and would hop off to watch and study. He has been painting since 1990 and is an important pillar of the Atlanta style writing culture.
- Totem. Considered to be one of the most talented style writers of the present day, Totem was from the north side of Atlanta and used to come down to the city to express his name on the walls in the early 1990s. Now he does corporate jobs, painting private schools, working with the BeltLine, yet he continues to push the limit, unlocking new techniques and styles through his creative journey while staying true to the fundamentals of letter structure. He is one of the biggest inspirations in style writing the city has to offer.
This event is presented by the Atlanta Style Writing Association, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.’s Arts & Culture Department, and Lee + White.
