Atlanta Contemporary

Founded in 1973 as Nexus, a grassroots artists’ cooperative dedicated to promoting experimentation and education in the visual, performing, and book arts, Atlanta Contemporary (AC) has since become one of the southeast’s leading contemporary art centers. In 1989, the organization moved to its current location on Means Street in Atlanta’s historic Westside neighborhood and was soon after renamed to Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. After a decade on Means Street (2013), the board and staff launched a Capital Campaign and renovation of the main galleries and interior spaces with the help of Atlanta architectural firm BLDGS. On September 1, 2015 with funding from the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund, AC underwent a major institutional rebranding and eliminated admission fees resulting in now over 211% increase in annual attendance. Since free admission, the demographic makeup of the audience significantly shifted, encouraging staff to consider the relevancy of exhibitions and educational programming to the audience. This past fiscal year (FY20), AC invited over 200 artists and creative practitioners to create, perform, and collaborate on 132 exhibitions and programs whereas 54 were on-site and open to the public and 78 were hosted off-site or in a virtual format. The organization is proud to uplift a diverse range of voices and perspectives where 27% of artists engaged identify as African American, 14% as Asian American, 12% as LatinX, 47% as Caucasian; 63% as Female, 34% as Male, and 3% as Non-Binary. This demographic diversity is due in large part to building and retaining impactful partnerships with artists and organizations whose core values align with ours to promote innovation, create accessibility, invite collaboration, develop quality content, and set a precedent by influencing peers in the sector.