This weekend, ABV Gallery celebrated a major milestone: the debut of their new home in East Atlanta Village. On Friday evening, I attended a media preview for the gallery and the solo show of founder and visionary artist Greg Mike. “CHAPTER NEW” is a collection of new works created specifically for the debut of ABV’s new location.
ABV Gallery + Agency, which stands for “A Better View,” is a creative hub for exhibitions and representation for artists that has been a mainstay of the local art scene ever since it first opened in 2010. The gallery has occupied a storefront in Old Fourth Ward’s Studioplex ever since.
Over the years, ABV’s reach has grown in scope. They have maintained well-attended exhibition openings, established special art events such as their popular monthly Drink & Doodle and annual mural festival the OuterSpace Project, as well as executing an impressive array of artist collaborations through the agency side of the organization.
Eventually, with a burgeoning staff of creatives and arts professionals, Mike felt that they needed a larger venue to support their continued growth.
“We were just kind of bursting at the seams there, we were on top of each other and our team grew like crazy,” said Mike. He was eager to not only find a more suitable location, but also to buy instead of renting.
For around 6 years, Mike searched in earnest for a new home for ABV Gallery. It wasn’t until he toured a former church in East Atlanta Village that he felt that he had found the right place to land.
“I knew it was the perfect space,” recalled Mike, who has connections to the community of East Atlanta Village from various events and murals throughout the years. In fact, he painted one of his first large-scale murals there over 15 years ago.
“I love East Atlanta and the vibe,” he told me, sharing that he has seen a lot of changes occurring around him since he first got on the scene. He is eager to root ABV in a community that remains a cultural hub for creatives.
And now, with the opening of their new space, Mike and his crew are embracing the change and all the opportunities it will provide.
I asked Mike about his experience overseeing the renovations and improvements at the former church which drew huge crowds to openings over the weekend.
“It has been a roller coaster, definitely a ton of stress and ups and downs,” said Mike. “I went into it not knowing anything. I walked into the building four years ago and was told it would take 6 to 8 months but it ended up taking 3 years.”
“Good things take time,” Mike said, knowingly.
Beyond the logistics of finding contractors, getting permits, and getting the project underway, Mike was challenged by his own commitment to prevision. It’s no secret that Mike is a visionary, and as such he tends to be a perfectionist.
He had a specific vision for every aspect of the new gallery, from the lighting to the furniture to the Scandinavian-inspired all black exterior, and he was exacting as a site supervisor.
In order to make their new space truly suit their needs, he took the structure down to the studs, removing and replacing even the foundation of the space. Mike explained that large scale sculptures, including the four that he has in his “CHAPTER NEW” exhibit currently on display, can be quite heavy and he wanted to ensure that they could safely be displayed in the building.
In the process of renovations, Mike found records of the building dating back to the 1950s, though the structure appears to have been added onto multiple times since it was first built.
Prior to Mike’s purchase of the 8,500-square-foot property in 2021, the building was home to Holy Temple Deliverance Church, a historically Black sanctuary of worship that was led by Bishop Nelson E. Clements whose wife, Mrs. Shirley Ann Clements, inherited the church after his passing. I asked Mike what the reception has been like as they converted a former place of worship into an art gallery, and he said that Mrs. Shirley has been enthusiastic about the changes.
“Mrs Shirley, she has been so great,” said Mike. “The big thing for her is there were so many memories for her in this space with her husband, her friends, her family. She was really glad and excited that it would still be a space for gatherings and community versus being torn down for condos.” She visited the site multiple times during the renovation process and attended the opening night party this weekend.
For Mike, this endeavor was not only an opportunity for the gallery, it also marked a new chapter in his artistic career. Now he has his own studio space on the property where he can continue developing his artwork.
He shared that the development of his personal artistic style has evolved since he was an angry kid who was into skateboarding and anarchy. In those days, he would fill his sketchbooks with dark and sinister art which he then hid under his mattress.
It wasn’t until around 20 years ago when Mike started participating in public art that he reconsidered the artwork he was putting out into the world. He explained that it felt wrong to put out such negative works for everyone in the community to experience. As a result, he shifted and began making vibrant works with more cheerful messages. Mike’s works have resonated with art lovers both locally and abroad who are drawn to the playful compositions and cultural references within them.
“I really use art as therapy for me, and the way that I’m able to make myself feel better is by painting happier and brighter and more colorful stuff,” said Mike. He said that the reaction to this shift in his work was overwhelmingly positive, and he also began feeling better in turn, as if he was manifesting a better future for himself.
Mike has worked hard for many years at developing his own personal style, as well as his signature character ‘Larry Loudmouf.’ These days, the city of Atlanta is peppered with artwork that is either directly from Mike’s hand, or otherwise was touched by him in its creation and curation. He has deep ties to the local arts community and has made a name not just for himself but also for many of the artists who regularly work with his team at ABV.
“I never imagined this when I started off as a starving artist painting on abandoned paint cans,” said Mike.
“It’s just mind blowing, it’s a testament to hard work… It hasn’t been an easy road, so it’s humbling and exciting and also terrifying. I’ve always believed that if it doesn’t challenge you and doesn’t scare you, it won’t change you.”
Beyond the sense of accomplishment that he feels from reaching this truly incredible milestone, the new space for ABV Gallery has also had a profound impact on his two young children who have seen this idea take shape and then come to life over the past several years.
They are growing up surrounded by art, just like Mike did when he was a young boy drawing on the floor of his father’s set design shop. It’s a kind of full-circle experience, in that way. And Mike is eager to pass along his love for art to the next generation of artists as well.
“Art is important because it’s therapy for me at the core,” Mike said. Art is a constant in his life, and was his first love since before he met his wife and started a family of his own.
“It brings people together and uplifts the community,” Mike continued. “It takes blank walls and turns them into works of art around the city. It adds culture and diversity. There are so many reasons why art is important. Art is everything. It has saved my life, guided my life, it is my light. I don’t know what I’d be doing without art.”
Luckily, we don’t have to find out. “CHAPTER NEW” is on display now through October 19 at 1206 Metropolitan Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316. ABV Gallery is open Mondays through Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
