ATLart[09] Planning Underway

The Atlanta Gallery Association, the only organization of fine art dealers in Atlanta, has elected a new board and is heading in an exciting new direction. At the helm is Alan Avery, president, who helped found the organization 20 years ago. Avery is accompanied by Kay Lagerquist, vice president; Anne Irwin, treasurer; and Elaina Sanders, secretary.

The new board will immediately begin planning for ATLart[09], the sixth annual city-wide celebration of the visual arts in Atlanta, which takes place at the end of January and the first week of February. Conceived of and spearheaded by the AGA, a consortium of a dozen of the city’s fine art dealers, ATLart has taken the lead in focusing on and highlighting the numerous visual arts opportunities around Atlanta. ATLart [09] continues to expand its outreach, and will cover at least 110 galleries, museums, academic institutions and non-profits in an effort to raise awareness to area residents and visitors of the brilliant array of venues that thread our varied neighborhoods.

A major difference from years past is the board’s intention to create one invitation for the event for all the gallery openings instead of each gallery responsible for its own, which will present a more unified brand and effort. Every year, ATLart kicks off with a silent art auction sponsored by ART PAPERS magazine in late January and finishes in early February with a group gallery exhibition at a luxury home in the Atlanta area. The AGA board is currently searching for a home for 2009. Also on the agenda for the new AGA board are more citywide gallery tours, as well as nurturing a partnership with the Atlanta Opera.

Another highlighted change with the newly minted board is the polished reputation the board members are re-establishing for the association. The new board’s agenda includes revamping the AGA by elevating it from a professional organization to one in which the emblem and logo assure unparalleled standards and fair practices in the industry. To meet this goal, the new board set forth in creating a guideline of professional ethics, which pledges to consumers and artists that every AGA member operates and follows the strictest and highest ethical standards possible, while respecting the individual businesses’ operational differences. Key areas addressed in the code are price gauging and haggling, non-reporting sales to artists, non-payment to artists and publicly posting accessible pricing for works made available for sale. Additional details and specifics are available to the public via the AGA Web site. "The new board is proud to announce that the new code of ethics passed unanimously at its last membership meeting, and an exciting new legacy of the AGA is underway," says Avery. "When a potential collector sees the emblem of the AGA on a gallery’s door, this should inform them that this is a gallery of highest standards. This is an effort we see as long over due."

Atlanta offers impressive collections of original works, from edgy and alternative to time honored and traditional. Works of high aesthetic quality, as well as worthwhile exhibitions can be found at galleries belonging to the Atlanta Gallery Association. Whether collecting for investment potential, aesthetics of a personal environment, or a field trip to recharge your own inner creativity, everyone is invited to experience the welcoming atmosphere of familiar venues, as well as those in parts of town you have yet to explore.

For more information, visit www.atlart.com.