Atlanta’s storied style writing scene dates back to the early 80s when the hip-hop movement first took off in the city. Since then, the art form has grown and evolved, all while having a direct impact on the culture and legacy of the metro area.
Join the Atlanta BeltLine and some of the city’s style writing founders in celebrating that legacy and evolution during the second-annual ATL Jam, a three-day exhibition featuring wall painting, live entertainment, and more.
The free-to-attend event kicks off on Friday, November 3, headquartered at Lee + White, where artists will take their places around the Westside Trail for a weekend of painting. The workspaces are open to the public from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Saturday and Sunday will feature live DJs and a local vendor market. The weekend will conclude with a celebration and guided tour of Atlanta’s iconic So So Def Walls on Sunday.
ATL Jam
When: November 3-5, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Where: HQ will be at Lee + White (1020 White St. SW)
What: 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, ATL JAM will bring together 25+ style masters from the years 1984 to the mid-2000s to paint walls around the Westside Trail. 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 artist 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.
- Additional artists: Save, Poe, Tares, Jolt, Skie, SparkyZ, SBOne, Won2
So So Def Celebration & Wall Tours
When: Sunday, November 5, 1:30-2:30 p.m. & 3-4 p.m.
Where: Tours begin at 352 University Ave.
What: For decades, the iconic So So Def billboard on Interstate 75/85 South symbolized 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 Sunday, November 5, the Atlanta Beltline will celebrate the legacy of one of the very few remaining style writing safe spaces in Atlanta. There will be live music, painting, and Antar “Cole” Fierce, a retired style writer and historian, will lead two scheduled tours focusing on the history of Atlanta style writing and the So So Def overpass. Each tour will also feature a Q&A session and photo opportunities.
