Leia’s Lens: South of Center Art Experience gets it right

A new art weekend just emerged in Atlanta, and it’s a model that should be replicated.

On April 26 and April 27, the art community came together to attend the inaugural South of Center Art Experience (SOCAE). Offering two days of programming that included open studios, demonstrations and live music across 18 venues, this event showcased the wealth of art and highlighted the talents of artists who work and reside in south Fulton County. 

Spearheaded by Corrina Sephora, a metalworking artist whose studio in East Point was open during SOCAE, this initiative aims to bring together a part of the city that isn’t normally known for its artistic prowess.

In my interview with Sephora, I determined that this kind of endeavor is nothing new for her. As long as Sephora has been an artist, she has worked within an artistic community. From the Met, to the Goat Farm and later Atlanta Contemporary, no matter where the artist’s studio was, she was within a complex — a site containing many working artists. 

In these communities she thrived, not just as an artist but also as an organizer. Sephora shared many anecdotes about her artistic career that illustrate her organizing efforts over the years. In 2010, for example, while a resident studio artist at what is now called the Met, Sephora launched the West End Art Tour, which included a weekend of open studios and exhibitions found throughout the West End. 

Some of this changed when she moved her studio to its current location in a freestanding building in East Point. Three years ago, she hosted an open studio event in partnership with neighboring ArtsXchange, which sparked the idea to put on a larger, more encompassing art tour experience. “This art tour’s intention was really to bring the community together and to shine a light on all of the talent on the south side of town, and contribute to the growing art ecosystem,” said Sephora.

Coming to this initiative with years of organizing experience is certainly a boon, but Sephora knows that undertaking an event at this scale requires assistance, which is where South Fulton Arts (SFA) enters. Alice Lovelace, Director of ArtsXchange, introduced Sephora to the organization back in January, which led to their collaboration towards the inaugural SOCAE event in April. SFA is an arts nonprofit founded in 2005 whose mission, according to the organization’s website, is to become “a regional catalyst for the advancement of the arts, education and environment that enriches lives and communities.” 

While Sephora brought community organizing expertise, SFA brought geographically specific artistic expertise. Over the months of planning that went into the weekend-long programming, Sephora and SFA worked closely together securing participants, compiling infographics and scheduling events. The result was a jubilant weekend that welcomed the community to celebrate the artists and artistry produced in South Fulton County. 

What this initiative does best — and why it should be a template for similar projects — is its emphasis on collaboration and foremost focus on highlighting participants. 

It is a wonderful coincidence that Sephora’s desire to remedy her loneliness and SFA’s mission align, but the event’s success is no doubt due in part to the two working so closely together. The alignment of missions created a mutually beneficial experience in which both parties’ visions were realized without compromising either’s integrity. 

As the old saying goes, there is strength in numbers — and this proves true for endeavors such as SOCAE.

Despite the passion and investment by the organizers, the event did not exclusively focus on them but rather positioned the two as vessels through which energy and attention could flow onto others in the community. The emphasis on participants was so strong, in fact, that I didn’t know who organized the programming until I contacted SOCAE to request an interview. 

In my opinion, it is this kind of altruism that the city truly needs. There are so many wonderful people and places that make up our community, and I believe more could be inspired by the South of Center to use their energy and efforts to uplift others.

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Leia Genis is a trans artist and writer currently based in Atlanta. Her writing has been published in Hyperallergic, Frieze, Burnaway, Art Papers and Number: Inc. magazine. Genis is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design and is also an avid cyclist with a competition history at the national level.