Atlanta Beltline Celebrates City’s Style Writing History With Graffiti Jam Session And “So So Def Walls” Celebration Day

Friday, November 3 – Sunday, November 5, 2023

25+ style writers, graffiti artists will come together to celebrate the legacy of style writing in Atlanta and its intersection with the city’s influence on hip hop

ATL Jam 2022 at Lee + White on the Atlanta Beltline Westside Trail. Photo by Dr. Arshley Emile.

WHO: Art on the Atlanta Beltline in partnership with the Atlanta Style Writing Association

Featured artists:

• The United Kings Crew: Atlanta’s first hip hop graffiti crew, established in 1981. Now in their late 50s, artists are still a part of the Atlanta style writing culture.

• Dax: Dr. Dax is a Dungeon Family member and Atlanta legend firmly established as a notable graffiti artist and muralist. His graffiti/street art legacy has graced the world for over three decades.

• Totem: Born and raised in Atlanta, Totem has applied paint to walls for more than 30 years. His style and technique are renowned worldwide, most notably for his pioneering 3D style and artistic versatility.

• Additional artists: Save, Poe, Tares, Jolt, Skie, SparkyZ, SBOne, Won2

WHAT: ATL JAM & So So Def Walls Celebration

Atlanta Beltline, as part of the final homestretch of its Art on The Atlanta Beltline exhibition year, brings back its ATL JAM & So So Def Walls Celebration. The weekend-long event will bring more than 25 of the city’s most influential style writers together to celebrate the legacy and influence of style writing in Atlanta. The entire weekend is free and open to the public.

• ATL JAM will showcase the evolution of Atlanta’s style writing culture as writers create new installations, in real time, along the Beltline trail. The live sessions will feature some of the founders of Atlanta’s style writing scene, dating back to the early 1980s when the hip hop movement came to Atlanta. The installations will also become a special exhibition of the Art on the Atlanta Beltline mural collection.

• So So Def Walls Celebration, featuring Walking Tours & Live Paint Exhibition is a tribute to one of the very few remaining graffiti safe spaces in Atlanta, made popular because of its location under the iconic So So Def billboard on Interstate 75/85 South. To the Atlanta graffiti writing community, the billboard was a beacon that guided artists to a place where the “magic” happened. Tours will be guided by Antar “Cole” Fierce, a retired graffiti writer and historian.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE: Friday, November 3 – Sunday, November 5

• ATL JAM: Friday, November 3 – Sunday, November 5

  • Time: Daily**,** 11 AM – 8 PM

    • Location: Lee + White – 1020 White Street, Atlanta,30310 on the Beltline’s Westside Trail where it passes under Lee Street and Murphy Avenue.

  • Details: Style writers will create new installations, from the initial sketch to the final paint, throughout the exhibition sessions. Vendors and live DJ will be onsite, creating three days of celebration.

• So So Def Walls Celebration: Sunday, November 5

  • Time: 1-5 p.m. (Guided tours at 1:30 and 3 p.m.)

    • Location**:** Pittsburgh Yards – 352 University Avenue, Atlanta, 30310 on the Beltline’s Southside Trail

  • Details: Historical tours, live music, vendors and day-long paint sessions

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Free and open to the public

• Official event site: https://art.beltline.org/events/atl-jam/

• Media images (courtesy of Atlanta Beltline, Inc.): https://beltline.mediavalet.com/portals/ATLjam

FOR MEDIA ONLY: Media interviews available by request. Please confirm attendance with on-site media manager Sigele Winbush, (404) 862-2081, sigele@sigelewinbush.com.

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The 2022 – 2023 Art on the Atlanta Beltline exhibition is presented by Northside Hospital. Additional sponsors include Ponce City Market at the Platinum level; Delta at the Gold level; Cox Enterprises and Empire Communities at the Silver level; and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at the Bronze level. The Art on the Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade is sponsored by Delta at the Gold level, Northside Hospital and Ponce City Market at the Silver level, and Kaiser Permanente at the Bronze level.

This program is supported in part by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. Major funding for this organization is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. This program is supported in part by Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts also receives support from its partner agency – the National Endowment for the Arts. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

Major support for this project is provided by:

About Art on the Atlanta Beltline

Art on the Atlanta Beltline is the largest temporary public art exhibition in the history of Atlanta. It showcases the work of hundreds of visual artists, performers, and musicians along the Atlanta Beltline corridor. This spectacular project places working professionals alongside emerging artists, and draws residents and visitors into some of the most unique public spaces in the City of Atlanta, providing powerful new perspectives on the city and its vibrant neighborhoods. The exhibition showcases how art strengthens and beautifies current and former industrial areas and creates signature spaces exemplifying the transformation of the city through the Atlanta Beltline. Art on the Atlanta Beltline touches almost 20 intown communities. Stay abreast of Art on the Atlanta Beltline announcements and events at art.beltline.org, or follow on social media @atlantabeltline and with #beltlineart.

About Atlanta Beltline, Inc.

Atlanta Beltline, Inc.’s vision is to be the catalyst for making Atlanta a global beacon for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable city life. As one of the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment programs in the United States, the Atlanta Beltline is building a more socially and economically resilient Atlanta with our partner organizations and host communities through job creation, inclusive transportation systems, affordable housing, and public spaces for all. For more information on the Atlanta Beltline, please visit www.BeltLine.org.

Media Contacts:

Atlanta Beltline, Inc. Office of Communications and Media Relations

100 Peachtree Street, NW, Suite 2300, Atlanta, GA 30303

Meghann Gibbons, Vice President of Communications & Media Relations
(404) 477-3549, mgibbons@atlbeltline.org

Keona Swindler, Communications & Media Relations Manager
(404) 477-3550, kswindler@atlbeltline.org

Sigele Winbush, PR Consultant, 404-862-2081, sigele@sigelewinbush.com