The Imaginary Million

The Imaginary Million is an art exhibition and auction for artists. That’s right, an auction that is for artists. On Wednesday, October 24 the public is invited to attend a gala-style event where artworks from 100
artists will be exhibited and available for purchase. But there’s a catch… only participating artists will be bidding on the work with the $10,000 in “currency” that we provide them.

The Imaginary Million seeks to:

• empower artists as stakeholders in the arts economy
• foster a culture of peer collecting
• inspire future hybrid modes of exhibition and auction that perpetuate excitement about collecting
• contribute to a toward a more robust arts economy in Atlanta

Commissioned by the Office of Cultural Affairs for ELEVATE, The Imaginary Million will also offer a series of programmatic learning opportunities including a collecting seminar, artist talks, gallery tours and more!  Artists interested in participating should click the “Participate” link above for guidelines and instructions.  Anyone can submit, and a jury including Annette Cone-Skelton (MOCA GA), Maggie Ginestra  (WonderRoot), Courtney Hammond (OCA) and Kirstie Tepper (Zuckerman Museum) will select the 100 best works.

Elevate is a contemporary art commissioning and exhibiting program. Hosted annually in central downtown Atlanta, Elevate exhibits large scale public artwork and offers performance, events, educational opportunities and civic services free to the public with the mission of instigating  positive urban growth through arts economics.

Elevate is a public art program hosted by the Office of Cultural Affairs in central downtown Atlanta. Elevate presents public artworks, performances, events, educational opportunities and engage in civic services to inspire public interest in the arts.

Elevate 2012

Elevate 2012 will take place October 19-27. Projects such as The Imaginary Million will jumpstart the festivities with a gala along with the installation of art projects and featured events throughout, that are not to be missed. You can find out more about The Imaginary Million and other Elevate projects and events by visiting www.OCAAtlanta.com/public-art.

The Launch of Elevate

Launched in 2011 as “Elevate/Art Above Underground,” the program hosted 15 events and 40 performances over 66 days. Artwork filled vacant properties, street corners and plazas showcasing large murals, contemporary dance, video, installation and poetry.  Funding from the City of Atlanta percent for art program, civic organizations and local businesses made possible exhibitions and performances of high caliber. Donation of art space, hotel rooms, theatrical lighting, food, advertising and cash nearly doubled the program budget. This intensive cultural programming brought in 13,313 new viewers to downtown Atlanta during its run of 66 days .Within one month following the close of Elevate/Art Above Underground, 101 local, national and international articles were published on the event.

At the conclusion of the program, downtown property owners and businesses adopted the bulk of the visual artwork, commissioned through Elevate/Art above Underground. In addition to the adopted artwork, other aesthetic improvements to the downtown district were implemented surrounding the close of the event which included Underground Atlanta becoming a designated site of the events and publicity earmarked as an “art space” by Atlanta Mayor, Kasim Reed.

Elevate 2012 will continue to build bridges and present high caliber art in downtown Atlanta though partnerships and collaboration. Nineteen partnerships formed during the initial Elevate program, continue with Universities, Not for Profit organizations, government organizations and private businesses.

Elevate officially has become an annual downtown arts program supported by the Office of Cultural Affairs. Now in its second year, the physical project area has been extended from coverage of three blocks to all of central downtown Atlanta. Partnerships have grown to include museums, civic and volunteer groups. This year, artwork commissioned through Elevate will be offered a larger budget per project, increasing the caliber and scale of selected work to exhibit. We expect Elevate 2012 programs and commissions to impact the Atlanta economy, increasing the quality of life for our citizens, educating the public and gaining global attention for our city as a creative and cultural destination.