In 1990, Atlantans learned that their city would host the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games and when company’s coming you tend to look at your home with a fresh eye - that is just what Atlanta did for several years leading up to the 1996 summer games. Improving upon what was already in place: Atlanta developed a new stadium, new parks, and renovated the arts center. In conjunction with the games, Atlanta decided to focus on the arts and also hosted a Cultural Olympiad - bringing in visual and performing artists from around the world and showing off Atlanta’s and the Southeastern region’s finest talent.
The city continues to view its cultural life with the eyes of perspective visitors; a culture rich with strong regional character, history and an international and multicultural mix that is not often seen in the cities of the Deep South.
Atlanta has a lot of art to share with its visitors. Art collectors view the cosmopolitan character of Atlanta’s artistic community as a dynamic resource to find up and coming artists. Many first encounters with Atlanta’s art world begin at Hartsfield International Airport, a state-of-the-art facility whose art collection has been featured in Smithsonian magazine. Visitors quickly discover a city that has numerous museums, galleries, alternative spaces and public art that is featured throughout Atlanta. Some of the more popular sites to view art are the High Museum of Art, Nexus Contemporary Art Center, the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, the City Gallery at Chastain, City Gallery East and the Fay Gold Gallery. The annual Arts Festival and First Night Celebration expand the opportunities artists have to present their work to the public.
Atlanta is also known for its performing arts with many venues for visitors to enjoy dance, music and drama. The city offers diversity where one can attend classical, contemporary and experimental performances that take place in a number of historic or modern facilities such as the Fox Theatre, 14th Street Playhouse, Barking Dog Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Hall, the Alliancer Theatre and the Center for Puppetry Arts to name a few. This fall, the Alliance Theatre will be producing a project with the Disney Corporation based on the story of Aida featuring the music of Elton John.
There is so much to do and see in Atlanta that students from all over the US and abroad select the Southeastern city as the place to further their education in the arts. Living and learning in an environment that supports the arts is just what young visual and performing artists need to nurture their talents. Creativity has been cited as an important attribute in future employees and for this reason businesses look for applicants who have experience in the arts.
Major corporations such as IBM, Turner Broadcasting/CNN, and Coca-Cola made Atlanta their home and art students find that these businesses and many more are eager to offer them internships and quite often future employment. Corporations also contribute greatly to the arts in Atlanta through the purchasing of art for their collections and in the development of foundations that support arts events. Atlanta welcomes newcomers to begin their visual and performing arts careers in a city known for its hospitality and one that recognises and embraces the "voices" of its artists.
