Thriving Together Atlanta Encourages Conversation and Fosters Connection
Has a play you’ve seen ever made you think differently? Has a mural stuck with you long after you’d walked away?
Public art plays a vital role in spurring conversations, shifting cultural narratives and elevating awareness of critical issues in our communities in creative and unique ways. Investing in major public artworks is a way to bring creativity to problem solving while enhancing a city’s cultural life.
The Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge tapped into this by bringing together mayors, residents, community leaders and artists to develop thought-provoking, temporary public art projects that address important civic issues in their communities.
Thriving Together Atlanta, the selected project for the city of Atlanta, is a public art project that presents cultural events to inspire conversations about how systemic racism continues to impact the health and well-being of Atlanta citizens. A collaboration between the City of Atlanta - Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, the CDC Foundation, National Black Arts Festival and Out of Hand Theater, the project engages communities through the power of arts and culture to educate, empower and mobilize individuals to positive action.
Long recognized as a profound social injustice, racism is increasingly understood as a critical public health issue. In addition to the social and psychological impacts, racism contributes to significant disparities in health outcomes amongst marginalized communities. Systemic discrimination affects access to healthcare, quality of care and overall health equity. In April 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared racism a serious public health threat that directly affects the well-being of millions of Americans and, as a result, affects the nation.
Thriving Together Atlanta launched on March 1, 2024 at the Atlanta History Center. The event, entitled the Night of Ideas, featured our first of many Equitable Dinners, led by Out of Hand Theater.
By inviting people from diverse backgrounds to engage in discussions about complex subjects while enjoying a meal together, Equitable Dinners are designed to foster connections between attendees and spark change.
The event brought together over 200 people, including Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, in addition to artists, health experts, politicians and members of the public, for dinner and a conversation about racial equity in Atlanta.
Since our launch event, we’ve held an additional 14 Thriving Together Atlanta Equitable Dinners, with many more to come.
We’re expanding efforts to engage and educate the community on health inequities by reaching out to local muralists to create public art murals that spur conversation and raise awareness. Do you know someone who’s interested? Share our RFP. We are accepting applications until October 1, 2024.
In fall 2025, we will host a community arts festival to celebrate our thriving city and encourage community members to continue this important conversation and spark long-term change. There are upcoming opportunities to join the conversation. Check out our website and sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear about all these exciting events!
