Atlanta Art Fair Guide: What to see, hear and do

The Atlanta Art Fair returns to Pullman Yards October 1 through October 4 for its third edition, bringing more than 80 galleries from Atlanta, across the South and beyond, making it the largest exhibitor roster in the fair’s history.

But the fair isn’t just confined to the booths. This year’s edition expands its programming of installations, exhibitions, performances, projections and conversations, turning Pullman Yards itself into part of the experience. Alongside the art for sale, visitors can encounter site-specific works, special exhibitions and public programs that offer different ways into Atlanta’s contemporary art scene and the broader conversations shaping it.

If you’re planning a visit, allow yourself plenty of time. Here’s where to start.

Start with the galleries

The fair may be reaching farther afield this year, but Atlanta remains its center of gravity. Begin with the galleries that have helped shape the city’s contemporary art scene, then make time for some of the newer local spaces bringing different voices into the mix.

Among the returning Atlanta exhibitors are some of the city’s established galleries, including Jackson Fine Art, Johnson Lowe Gallery, Fay Gold Gallery, whitespace gallery, Marcia Wood Gallery, Mason Fine Art and Spalding Nix Fine Art. Atlanta Photography Group, Artful ATL, Day & Night Projects, Dunwoody Gallery and Wolfgang Gallery also return.

There are also several Atlanta newcomers worth seeking out. TILA Studios presents new sculptures by Charity Hamidullah and Marryam Moma, developed during the artists’ 2025 residency in Porto in collaboration with the Atlanta Beltline and ArtWorks Portugal. Memento presents a solo exhibition of Zimbabwean artist Gabriel Tendai Choto, while Pryor Fine Art, Thomas Deans Fine Art, OC Studios, Morning Dew Gallery, aKAZ! ATL and The Violet Theory Art Company join the fair for the first time.

One noteworthy Atlanta-specific presentation comes from Eckert Fine Art, a Connecticut gallery exhibiting a new body of work by Atlanta-born artist Michael Kalish. Kalish transforms vintage film reels into large-scale portraits of classic Hollywood figures including Humphrey Bogart, Vivien Leigh and Hattie McDaniel, drawing on the history of Turner Classic Movies, which was founded in Atlanta.

The fair also brings a wider network of galleries to Pullman Yards. New York galleries including Bill Hodges Gallery and Claire Oliver Gallery, Lexington’s Institute 193, Dallas’ Daisha Board Gallery and Los Angeles’ Art Melanated are among the out-of-town exhibitors to watch. Internationally, returning exhibitors include Melrose Gallery of Johannesburg, Borderlands Art of Uganda and Fotovat Gallery of Fort Lauderdale, alongside newcomers Hera Kim Gallery of Seoul, Epicentrum Art Gallery of Opole, Poland, and Pigment Gallery of Barcelona.

Explore beyond the booths

This year, the Fair’s public projects spread across Pullman Yards, with sculpture, installation, projection and performance unfolding throughout the complex.

Trulee Hall, Cloud Goddess (2026): A luminous kinetic cloud with animated video eyes and motorized lightning-bolt forms, the installation draws on ancient sky deities through a contemporary feminist lens.

Dennis Scholl, THE RESTLESS WALL: Curated by filmmaker and artist Dennis Scholl, this group project brings together work by Tomas Vu, Rafael Domenech and Scholl to explore the wall as a site of accumulation and transformation.

Sam Lasseter, Monkeys From a Barrel (2021): Presented by Flux Projects, Lasseter’s monumental fiberglass sculpture transforms one of America’s most recognizable classic toys into an oversized sculptural form.

Tariqa Waters, MS PAM, Thank You For Coming (2026): The installation combines monumental church fans from Waters’ 4th Sunday series with hand-blown glass barrettes and the short film Thank You MS PAM, bringing together the visual language of the Black church, pop maximalism and Afrofuturism.

Karo Duro, The Temple Where Time Stops: On Thursday, October 1, beginning at 7:30 p.m., Duro’s surrealistic 3D animation will be projected onto the façade of Pullman Yards’ Building 10 through Downtown Atlanta Inc.’s MAP Rover mobile public-art projection program.

Isaac Mehki, The Squirrel Hunter, Squirrel Diva, & The Sludge River Stomp (2026): The Pittsburgh-based artist, who was born and raised in Villa Rica, Georgia, presents a theatrical performance set to old-time string and bluegrass music, reimagining the classic Americana hunting narrative as an anthropomorphic love story in the forests of the American South.

Tariqa Waters, I Know Art People: Waters’ alter ego, MS PAM, hosts this live game show in Freeman’s Theater, where contestants test their knowledge of art-world culture, etiquette and its unspoken rules: Thursday, October 1, 7:30 p.m. at Freeman’s Theater.

Get to know the artists behind Low Grit Grins

Guest curator Sarah Higgins brings together three Georgia artists for Low Grit Grins, a special exhibition exploring comedy, irreverence and parody as ways of approaching serious topics.

Antonio Darden of Atlanta, Victoria Dugger of Athens and Tori Tinsley of Decatur use humor in their practices: Darden examines the commodification of Black death and the ability of a joke to transform trauma into connection; Tinsley uses bright, childlike imagery and humorous scenarios to explore relationships of care; and Dugger draws on girlhood, Southern domesticity and “sumptuous monstrosity” to explore disability and vulnerability.

The three artists will also participate in a daytime talk moderated by Higgins on Saturday, October 3, at noon in Freeman’s Theater.

Take in a few talks

The Fair’s talks program offers another way into Atlanta’s art scene, with conversations about collecting, public art, independent artists and the people who keep the city’s cultural infrastructure moving. Here are a few to build into your visit:

Artist talk with Marryam Moma and Charity Hamidullah: Stop by TILA Studios’ booth A15 Friday morning for a conversation about how the artists’ 2025 ArtWorks Residency, powered by the Atlanta Beltline, pushed their practices from 2D into sculpture and new forms of material experimentation. Friday, October 2, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., TILA Studios, booth A15.

Collecting in Place: Curator and scholar TK Smith talks with Atlanta Art Fair Director Nato Thompson about the role collectors can play in shaping Atlanta and the Southeast. The conversation looks beyond collecting as acquisition, considering how buying, donating and advocating for artists can help build a city’s cultural identity. Friday, October 2, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Freeman’s Theater.

50 YEARS of ART PAPERS: Book launch and signing: Celebrate five decades of ART PAPERS, the Atlanta-founded, artist-centered publication, with a book launch and signing. Saturday, October 3, 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Freeman’s Theater.

The Invisible Labor Behind Atlanta’s Creative Community: Who really makes an art exhibition happen? This panel, moderated by EC Flamming of GULCH magazine, brings together art handlers, conservators, registrars, security professionals and other behind-the-scenes workers whose expertise often remains out of sight. Saturday, October 3, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Freeman’s Theater.

The Next 50 Years of Arts in the South: What the Work Needs Now: Doug Shipman, president and CEO of South Arts, moderates a conversation about the opportunities, challenges and investments shaping the future of the region’s arts ecosystem. Saturday, October 3, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Freeman’s Theater.

ATL CURRENTS: An Independent Artist Spotlight: Moderated by Nato Thompson, this Freeman’s Theater conversation brings together Atlanta artists Charity Hamidullah and Emmy Marshall, from Artful ATL, and Harrison Wayne, from the Hambidge Center, to discuss building an art career outside traditional gallery representation. Saturday, October 3, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Freeman’s Theater.

African Art in Atlanta: On Sunday, curator Brandy Pettijohn moderates a conversation with artist and public scholar Fahamu Pecou, curator Kara Blackmore and others about the growing connections between Atlanta and artists and institutions across the African continent and diaspora. Sunday, October 4, noon to 1 p.m., Freeman’s Theater.

Reprogramming the Gaze: Black Women, Art & Artificial Intelligence: French-Senegalese artist Delphine Diallo joins gallerist Jessica Ann Peavy to discuss photography, mythology, spirituality and AI — and the possibilities of using emerging technologies to rethink how Black women are represented. Sunday, October 4, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Freeman’s Theater.

Monument Making for Atlanta: Artists Curtis Patterson and Shanequa Gay join Atlanta Beltline Director of Arts and Culture Amina Cooper for a conversation about Atlanta’s public-art landscape and the experiences of Black Southern artists. Sunday, October 4, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Freeman’s Theater.

The full talks schedule includes additional conversations on collecting, artist residencies and other topics shaping Atlanta and the South.

And don’t miss the Balentine Prize

The Balentine Prize returns, recognizing an emerging artist from Atlanta or the greater American South. Participating galleries nominate works for consideration, with the winning artist’s work acquired for Balentine’s corporate collection.

The 2026 jury includes Nato Thompson, Mark Bell, Ph.D. and Melissa Messina. Last year’s inaugural prize went to Atlanta native and Nashville-based artist Caroline Allison for Book of Hours (Nones), presented by ZieherSmith.

Plan your visit

The Atlanta Art Fair runs Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 4 at Pullman Yards, 225 Rogers St. NE. A select VIP and press preview takes place Thursday, October 1, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by exclusive Fair pass access from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Fair opens to the broader public throughout the weekend. Friday, October 2, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, October 3, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, October 4, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fair passes are $65, and single day tickets are $35.