Offering some of Atlanta’s most diverse, passionate and innovative artists, Cat Eye Creative’s “Summer in the City” art gallery is showcasing pieces of work meant to delve into some of the most unexplored scenes of Atlanta all the while highlighting important social issues.
Throughout the gallery, artwork of all different backgrounds and mediums can be found hanging on the walls of the exhibit. From oil-based paintings to chicken wing bones coated in resin, the art featured at Cat Eye Creative showcases modern-day art perfect for a diversified crowd that appreciates beautiful art with a deeper meaning.
Adam Crawford, owner and founder of Cat Eye Creative, started the group because of his constant exposure to Atlanta’s extensive art scene. His love of art is rooted in his childhood, and as an artist himself, he felt the need to keep Atlanta’s art scene alive and consistent.
“There needed to be a place that was for the artists and about the artists,” Crawford said. “We take the lowest commission in the city and are a bunch of artists ourselves. It’s about bringing people together and making a space for the whole art community.”
Cat Eye Creative is all about finding something new, something that hasn’t been seen or something that is being reintroduced. The goal is to attract artists with a solid body of work and to have artists that are consistent in the work they produce. This tactic acts as a way to create more foot traffic toward the artistic side of Downtown Atlanta by cultivating a scene that is eye-catching and sociable.
Featured in Summer in the city are artists such as Cory Jones, Emily Wang, Lucy Luckovich and VAYNE, a well-known Atlanta street artist.
Cory Jones, the photography creator for Cat Eye Creative, seeks to curate the best photographers in Atlanta and display their art in a trendy and new-age fashion. Through Crawford and Cat Eye Creative, Jones came up with the idea to exhibit photos by featuring artists on a fence.
“The Photo Fence” not only pushes photography in a creative way but also serves as a way to get his foot in the door as a young artist. Considering photography is not as pushed as other forms of art in the Southeast, Jones used his photography fence as a way to open Atlantans’ eyes to the medium.
“The fence was just here, and I told Adam he didn’t need to give me wall space. I could just do something on the fence,” Jones said. “I came in, and it was like three days before the show opened. I threw my best work together, put it up on the fence and we sold everything. After that, he left the project up to me. It’s been my thing ever since.”
Emily Wang, a film photographer, began working with photography in middle school after becoming fascinated with the documentation of her life and the lives of others. She describes herself as a “memory hoarder,” taking pictures for her future and her future self.
When it comes to shooting photos, Wang works with a plethora of subjects to create her niche. Her photos feature the softer side of reality, and she likes to capture the in-between moments of life. Currently, Wang’s focused on a project featuring old signs looming around Atlanta. This project focuses on signage around Atlanta that might not be around in the near future due to the gentrification of the city.
“I want to document ATL old signage, but then I take away the pole so it looks like it’s floating in the sky. It feels kind of other-worldly,” Wang said. “For me, I want to take this idea and apply it to Atlanta Landscape and Atlanta old signage that might disappear in the next five years.”
The Summer in the City exhibition will be open and featuring art until August August 1st. Cat Eye Creative is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am -7 pm as well as Sunday, 11 am -5 pm.
