Now open to the public, four storefronts fronting Piedmont Ave. have been transformed into gallery and studio space for Atlanta’s creatives
Experimental exhibitions. Affordable artist studios. Interpretive dance performances. Small group experiences designed around art and conversation. Atlanta, meet The Hambidge Center’s new Cross-Pollination Art Lab opening today at Uptown.
The Hambidge Center, a 600-acre artist residency sanctuary in North Georgia, is bringing its creative talents to Atlanta and transforming 12,000 square feet of former retail and restaurant space along Piedmont Ave. into a series of art galleries, studios and performance spaces. The space features soaring ceilings and aquarium-like windows that open to interact with the street. The Cross-Pollination Art Lab is the first of many changes coming to Uptown, the transit-oriented, mixed-use community connected to the Lindbergh Center MARTA station and being redeveloped by Rubenstein Partners (Rubenstein).
“We were intentional in signing Hambidge as our first new tenant at Uptown because the vision for the Cross-Pollination Art Lab aligns so well with our redevelopment strategy,” said Taylor Smith, Regional Director of the Southeast at Rubenstein. “Hambidge will be an incredible driver of creative energy, local art and community exploration at Uptown, starting with its annual auction later this month. We are excited to provide something new for people to discover, while also supporting local artists and bringing their works to such a central location in Atlanta.”
After months of isolation due to COVID-19, eight artists, musicians, writers and other creatives will have the opportunity to rent inexpensive studio space at Uptown. As the oldest artist residency program in the Southeast, Hambidge will carefully select projects from a juried open call for proposals where artists are encouraged to experiment, and also to engage with the public in various ways both inside and outside, such as interactive performances and hosting special experiences with a small number of guests. Hambidge will be seeking artist teams, organizations, curators, individuals and any combination thereof to submit projects for consideration. The formal application process will be launched later this month.
“The art community has been hurting, and the pandemic has challenged us to find creative and unexpected ways to showcase art while supporting artists,” said Jamie Badoud, Executive Director of the Hambidge Center. “The Cross-Pollination Art Lab is a collaborative, artistic environment that will empower artists to think, create and inspire. Plus, the lab is located in one of Atlanta’s most connected and visible neighborhoods, which provides great exposure and accessibility for our artists.”
Hambidge chose Uptown because of the project’s unparalleled connectivity. Uptown is less than three miles from Buckhead and Midtown and five miles from Downtown. The mixed-use development is anchored by the Lindbergh MARTA Station, one of the busiest stops in the transit system where the Red (North) and Gold (Northeast) lines converge. Midtown and Buckhead are just one transit stop away, allowing for convenient transportation.
The Lab is now open to the public (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Face coverings are required within the space, and a limited number of people will be allowed inside at one time.
On Oct. 24, Hambidge will host its annual fundraiser event, the Hambidge Art Auction + Virtual Performance Show, featuring 250 works by emerging and established artists from across the region. The gallery will also include more than 100 works at the fixed price of $100 that are available for purchase that evening. Guests can also bid on special experiences, such as a 5 course meal alone in the woods, a 3D portrait of you in Air B N B’s most desired treehouse and other one-of-a-kind COVID safe experiences. Online bidding is now open at HambidgeAuction.org, and the artwork is available to be viewed in person by appointment between now and Oct. 23 via reservation at https://www.freshtix.com/
Hambidge’s fundraiser will also provide a virtual experience for guests via a late night-style show featuring lighthearted and laughable moments, such as Hambidge’s own version of golf cart karaoke (inspired by James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke), as well serious moments of enjoyment featuring Hambidge-grown musical and dance performances by Fielded, Rising Appalachia, and T. Lang Dance. For sponsorship and ticket information, visit: www.hambidge.org/the-auction.
On. Oct. 30, the gallery show will come down and Hambidge will once again transform the exhibition and performance space with new works. In addition, Hambidge is exploring opportunities to activate outside its space to bring more artful encounters and experiences to the Uptown community.
For the latest news and project updates, follow Uptown on Facebook and Instagram at @uptownatlanta or visit uptownatlanta.com.
About Uptown
Uptown is a hyper-accessible, 47-acre mixed-use community that brings the best of Atlanta together. As the largest mixed-use development in Atlanta to connect directly with MARTA and the city’s major pedestrian trails, such as the forthcoming Atlanta BeltLine and the South Fork Trail, Uptown combines 110,000 square feet of street-level retail, greenspace and art and one million square feet of Class A office space. Uptown is being redeveloped by private real estate investment management and advisory firm Rubenstein Partners, LP (Rubenstein). Redevelopment plans include upgrading building facades, streetscapes and greenspaces; activating the property with local retail, artist galleries, restaurants and events; and attracting office tenants who value working in a vibrant mixed-use environment. Atlanta has a Downtown, a Midtown, a Buckhead, and now, finally, an Uptown. To learn more about Uptown, visit uptownatlanta.com and follow @UptownAtlanta on Facebook and Instagram.
About Rubenstein Partners
Rubenstein Partners, founded in September 2005, is a private real estate investment advisory firm with operations throughout the United States. The firm is led by its founder, David Rubenstein, and a group of senior real estate executives, and is focused on directing and managing office real estate investments in the U.S. Rubenstein Partners' predecessor company, The Rubenstein Company, LP and affiliates, founded in 1969, was one of the largest private owner operators of Class A office real estate in the Mid-Atlantic, owning and operating a portfolio of assets valued at approximately $1.2 billion at the time of its disposition in 2004. Since 2005, Rubenstein Partners has, on behalf of its investors and clients, invested in more than 22 million square feet of office real estate assets throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.rubensteinpartners.com.
About The Hambidge Center:
For more than 80 years, the Hambidge Center has been nurturing creative talents within the arts and sciences at our 600-acre creative sanctuary in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Eight individuals are in residence at any given time – each has private accommodations and studio space, and shares communal dinners prepared by an in-residence chef. The public is invited to the Center on Saturdays for a series of programs that include artist talks, nature hikes, gristmill visits, gallery openings and other special events. Find out more about the Hambidge Center at http://www.hambidge.org, and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
