Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

The Atrium Gallery is located in the heart of the main Terminal. Rotating exhibits of two-dimensional contemporary art have been presented here since 1997, and in that time passengers have enjoyed a wide range of artistic styles and subject matters by local, national and international artists. Exhibits change roughly every six to eight weeks allowing the Art Program to constantly refresh the space so even the most frequent visitor to Hartsfield-Jackson can find something new and interesting when they come to or pass through the Airport.

Current Exhibition
Everything and the Space between Everything
Curated by Katherine Marbury and Lisa Alembik

Astronomy is the world’s oldest science, encompassing the study of stars, planets, comets, galaxies and all phenomena that originate outside the Earth’s atmosphere. It is also concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the origins, formation, and development of the universe. In short, astronomy is the study of everything “out there”.

Only since the invention of the telescope in the early 17th century has astronomy been considered a modern science. Early astronomy contained an element of mystery and magic, and the stars themselves have always had great symbolic significance. Throughout the ages we humans have used the stars as characters in our oldest stories, and as navigational tools not just for land and water, but also for life. In ancient times, we worshipped our own life-giving star, while some modern religions designate the heavens as the house of God. We have used the night sky as a canvas for our imaginings and as a counterpoint to illustrate our human fragility.

UNESCO has proclaimed 2009 the International Year of Astronomy to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first recorded observations with a telescope. The Airport Art Program, in participating, wants to share with our passengers two views of the universe: a purely empirical, scientific view supplemented with subjective, intuitive visions by local artists. Inside the airport, between train stations, we are exhibiting 50 breathtaking, crystal-clear photographs of the solar system and outer space taken by a variety of ground and space-based telescopes. To add a new perspective to these images, the Art Program has invited a select group of artists to share their vision of Everything and the Space Between Everything.

Previous Exhibit
The Encyclopedia Project
Curated by the ArtHouse Co-op

“The Encyclopedia Project” is a collaborative activity organized by Atlanta’s Art House Co-op to bring together artists, art lovers and amateurs to create a visual lexicon of words provided to the participants at random. From a pool of more than 6,000 paintings and counting, 1,200 were chosen to represent a sample of this massive effort. The collaborators are from 48 states and 21 countries, fulfilling Art House Co-op’s philosophy of “bringing art to the masses” and creating both a physical place to share art, through the foundation, as well as a virtual space online for people to share their portfolios and sketchbooks.

The project will be exhibited here in the Airport Atrium for six weeks, and then travel to the Art House Gallery in Atlanta’s arts district, Castleberry Hill. All participants will have at least one painting included in a show catalog entitled “The Art House Encyclopedia, VOL. 1.”

Art House started three years ago with the goal of bringing art to the masses. Since Art House began its collaborations, interacting with tens of thousands of artists from around the world, it has brought people together who share a goal of creating art and sharing it with each other. Anyone can become a part of the community at www.arthousecoop.com