GROUND FLOOR
Nathan Sharratt, Justin Rabideau, Aubrey Edwards, Iman Person, P. Seth Thompson, Henry Detweiler, Lee Deigaard & Nikita Gale
Edgewood Ave — Atlanta, GA
October 2011
Photos by David W. Batterman
An art walk exploring vacant spaces along Atlanta’s Edgewood Avenue. Eight artists created full bodies of work while exploring the idiosyncrasies of & reimagining empty properties.
Review
"Dashboard Co-op unites emerging artists and empty buildings" - Atlanta Journal Constitution
"This Artist Co-Op Is Transforming Abandoned Atlanta Neighborhoods Into Prime Real Estate" - Business Insider
"Dashboard CO-OP presents 'Ground Floor'" - Creative Loafing
HENRY DETWEILER
IMAN PERSON
P. SETH THOMPSON
LEE DEIGAARD
NIKITA GALE
JUSTIN RABIDEAU
AUBREY EDWARDS
NATHAN SHARRATT
THE RIPPLE EFFECT
All 5 of the properties that were used for Ground Floor leased immediately after the show and, to this day, continue to house locally-owned and operated businesses.
In 2011 when we were invited to do a project on Edgewood Avenue in Atlanta. At the time, Edgewood was full of empty properties. As art curators, we think working in nontraditional spaces is exciting. They challenges artists to respond to architecture and encourages them to take messy risks they may not take in a white-walled gallery.
On Edgewood we found 5 empty buildings that we really loved, convinced property owners to let us use them, and hosted a month-long art walk called Ground Floor. We selected 8 artists for Ground Flr, 6 from Atlanta, 1 from New York and one from New Orleans.
In fact, all 5 of the properties that were used for Ground Floor leased immediately after the show and, to this day, continue to house locally-owned and operated businesses. That is, community members having a say in how their community is being developed. A very real ripple effect art can have on our cities.
This was the first show we did that we realized we were having an impact on community development in addition to artist careers.
ADDITIONALLY - all the artists in this show went on to receive gallery representation, have their work collected by the High Museum, present work in more group shows, and solo shows in Atlanta and around the rest of the country.