In just a few short weeks, Atlanta Center for Photography (ACP) will have cause for celebration. On July 1, 2024, the Center will take over the entire building at 546 Edgewood Avenue. Since it was founded under the name Atlanta Celebrates Photography in 1998, this artist-run organization has championed lens-based artists working in the American South.
During the summer of 2023, ACP welcomed new Executive Director Lindsey O’Connor who sought to expand their reach from an annual festival to year-round programming.
In October 2023, as ACP celebrated its 25th anniversary, the organization announced a rebrand as Atlanta Center for Photography while keeping the same acronym, ACP. That same month they established their first permanent physical location on Edgewood Avenue.
Now, less than a year later, ACP is growing again.
“Our city’s arts landscape is rapidly changing, and Atlanta Center for Photography is meeting the moment,” said O’Connor. “Expanding our footprint means we can increase our programs that invest directly in artists and mobilize, train, and retain the next generation of artists and arts workers.”
ACP’s original Project Lab Gallery is around 400 square feet and will soon occupy the entire 2,300-square-foot building. With the added space, ACP intends to unveil several new initiatives including a Studio Artist Program which will provide two subsidized artist studio spaces for photographers.
Additional spaces will include the ACP Reading Room, a comfortable and inviting area allowing visitors to peruse a non-circulating library of photography books. Also launching soon is the Bookshelf Residency, an interdisciplinary program inviting makers, writers, creatives, and book lovers to curate a selection of alternative media including books, records, and ephemera.
“We believe mentorship and education are critical to catalyzing the high-functioning and sustainable arts ecosystem Atlanta desires and deserves,” O’Connor continued. After the expansion, ACP will also offer a dedicated classroom space that can accommodate workshops, lectures, and seminars with up to 12 students at a time.
“Expect to see more opportunities for intergenerational community-building as we grow our programs and test new models for exchange,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor was kind enough to share some images of the building as it stands today, with furnishings and decor pictured from the previous tenant’s setup. The space outfitted as a sitting room with a couch will soon become the workshop, for example. So, while these images give an idea of the space, if you want to see the full transformation you might just have to visit it in person to see it in all of its glory.
While the lease officially begins on July 1, the team at ACP will be activating its new programs on a rolling basis through late summer and early fall to have the entire building ready for visitors by Atlanta Art Week, Sept. 30 through Oct. 6.
Up next at ACP is an artist talk with Chip Moody at the ACP Project Lab on Sat., June 22 at 2 p.m. He will discuss his exhibition Open Swim, which features images from 12 historically segregated City of Atlanta public pools. The exhibition seeks to shed light on how increased access to shared public spaces can grow an organic sense of community.
