Grand Opening: The Sun ATL and One Contemporary

The King Historic District welcomes One Contemporary Gallery and The Sun ATL, two new art spaces that will add to a roster of nearly a dozen galleries and art organizations at the cross section of Old Fourth Ward. Collaboratively, these two galleries will host four days of festivities beginning with a public grand opening reception on Friday, January 17, from 5 to 8 pm. The celebration will continue on the 18th, 19th and 20th with artist talks, film screenings, music and more.

Kicking off with an exhibition titled “The Start of Something”, One Contemporary Gallery is featuring a group show of millennial artists at a pivotal moment in their practice, in Atlanta’s evolving landscape. Located at 395 Edgewood Ave., One Contemporary is a curator-led space founded by Faron Manuel, a former grant manager at the High Museum of Art and former Director of the BAIA Foundation. As a gallery and consultancy, One Contemporary is committed to expanding the footprint of early career artists and staying on the pulse of contemporary art in Atlanta and beyond.

For this dual opening, visitors will also be able to experience “First Light” at The Sun ATL, just next door at 399 Edgewood Avenue. Founded by longtime Atlanta gallerist Shawn Vinson, The Sun ATL is a dynamic new venue that combines the elegance of an art gallery, the historical depth of a museum, and the versatility of a premier meeting and event space. The inaugural exhibition showcases works by sixteen local and international artists, creating a unique dialogue between established and emerging talents. Paintings by the late Purvis Young, a highly influential self-taught Southern Black Artist, adorn the front gallery – which offers a perfectly framed view of Ebenezer Baptist Church, anchoring the space in Atlanta’s rich cultural heritage. Documentary photographs by Jim Alexander pay homage to over fifty years of Black music and culture. The exhibition spans two floors, featuring charcoals and paintings by British-born, Atlanta-based artist Ruth Franklin; large scale canvases by Raphael Bahindwa, a SCAD graduate student from the Congo; mathematical sculptures created at the Gathering 4 Gardner and works by British painters and printmakers from Vinson’s artist roster.