ArtsXchange, South Fulton Arts (SFA), and BronzeLens Film Festival are uniting to present Art in Action, a free evening of films and community conversation Friday, June 20 honoring the role of working artists in shaping Atlanta’s cultural legacy. Featured are four locally made documentary films produced and commissioned by SFA in 2023 and 2024 as part of its Filmer series and explore artists’ influence: City of Kings, Just People, Rhyme Travelers and Say Yes to Destiny.
The event is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m., Friday, June 20, at ArtsXchange, 2148 Newnan St., East Point, Ga., 30344.
South Fulton Arts and its annual Filmer series produces short documentaries that uplift Atlanta’s vibrant creative community through the eyes of emerging filmmakers in a collaborative project between filmmaker and artist. Art in Action will spotlight those who remind us that artists don’t only create—they heal, organize, and transform.
“Atlanta didn’t become a cultural capital by accident. It was built by everyday artists who understood art, not as fringe, not as an add-on, but as an integral component of culture, and of the struggle for social and economic justice,” said The ArtsXchange co-founder and Executive Director Alice Lovelace.
Art in Action features three documentaries from the South Fulton Arts 2023 Filmer 6 series including Ethan Payne’s Rhyme Travelers that centers the Soul Food Cypher, a safe and liberating space for emcees to practice and grow; City of Kings directed by Will Feagins Jr., a visual narrative of Atlanta’s graffiti writing culture and its place in the global graffiti community; and creative director Jonathan Banks tells the stories of ReEntry Arts Connection, which uses art to reduce recidivism in Just People. Lastly, Say Yes to Destiny (2024 Filmer 7 series) – also by Banks – is a portrait of ArtsXchange founder Lovelace and her legacy of tireless cultural work and community impact.
“ArtsXchange is a catalyst for important conversations influenced by artists and others who shape culture,” said South Fulton Arts Executive Director Jennifer Bauer-Lyons. “Our Filmer series has become a recognized platform for local creatives to convey untold stories, and we are proud to partner with organizations who help continue this mission.”
Filmmakers scheduled to participate in the talkback include Banks, Feagins, Alex Acosta of Soul Food Cypher, and Dr. Curtis A. King and Garry Yates of ReEntry Arts Connection.
The aim is to encourage viewers to reflect on how artists anchor communities, and how the arts remain essential to building an imaginative, equitable and prosperous society.
“ArtsXchange is a living example of the power of artists to create their own destiny,” Lovelace said. “So we’re excited to host an event that shows many examples of artists and the real, lasting influence they have on our daily lives and our future.”
ArtsXchange is a cultural facility founded in the Black arts tradition that empowers artists, social justice activists, and creative entrepreneurs to engage communities through the transformative power of the arts. The pillars of its programming are Visual Arts, Literature and Literacy and Land Conservation. It serves its communities through workshops, exhibitions, concerts, health and wellness classes, films, performances, and community gardens. Its resident studio artist program supports emerging, mid-career and established artists by providing affordable creative spaces. As cultural stewards, it fosters resilience within its communities as a gathering, sharing and organizing space. The facility makes the arts accessible to individuals traditionally excluded from creative industries, responding directly to community needs through partnerships and collaborations with like-minded arts organizations, social justice advocates and people-led initiatives.
South Fulton Arts generates and fosters strategic partnerships to increase access to high-quality, free arts programming for South Fulton County and Metro Atlanta residents and communities. Through successful partnerships—such as with artists, teaching artists, schools and other nonprofits—SFA collaborates, connects, and provides financial and functional resources as a producing partner to bring artist-inspired projects to life. SFA includes the communities of South Atlanta, Chattahoochee Hills, College Park, City of South Fulton, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville, Palmetto and Union City. In addition to its programming, SFA produces the monthly “Spark” podcast and its biannual magazine Arts United. Last year SFA partnered with 90 artists and organizations to bring 220 engagements to more than 19,000 audience members across 18 venues.
BronzeLens Film Festival of Atlanta is a non-profit organization founded in 2009, dedicated to bringing national and worldwide attention to Atlanta as a center for film and film production for people of color. Its mission is two-fold: to promote Atlanta as a film mecca for people of color, and to showcase films and provide networking opportunities that will develop the next generation of filmmakers. BronzeLens is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences qualifying film festival for the Short Film Awards category. The short film that receives the BronzeLens Best Short Award may now be eligible to enter the Academy’s Short Subject competition for the concurrent season.
ArtsXchange receives support from the Fulton County Arts & Culture under the guidance of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, the Georgia Council for the Arts under the guidance of the State of Georgia Legislators with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, Threshold Foundation, Community Corps, Fidelity Charitable Trust, City of East Point Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Its literary partners are South Fulton Arts and Atlanta Writers Club. The organization collaborates with the Partnership for Southern Equity through the Justice Green Accelerator, with funds from the BEZOS Earth Fund. Shades of Green Permaculture provides substantial in-kind support. The organization thrives thanks to the support of individual and business donors, board members and its membership.
Below are trailers for the four films included as part of Art in Action night:
Trailer for Rhyme Travelers
Trailer for City of Kings
Trailer for Just People
Trailer for Say Yes to Destiny
