Next Atlanta

Just recently, we gathered at BLVDNEXT, on the site of the former Atlanta Medical Center, for a powerful day of healing, art-making, and community connection.

Together, we celebrated the culmination of the Thriving Together Atlanta Mobile Art Experience and unveiled “20 Voices. 1 Shared Story,” a large-scale installation honoring the voices, stories, and aspirations of Atlanta residents.

What unfolded that day was more than an event - it was a gathering of neighbors, artists, healers, and civic leaders who came together to imagine what thriving looks like for Atlanta. The construction wrap now standing on the site honors that moment and the 20 Atlanta voices who helped shape this work, photographed by Iyahdae Rose and curated by Faith Carmichael of Next Atlanta.

We’re deeply grateful to our Thriving Together Atlanta partners - NBAF - National Black Arts, City of Atlanta - Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, MARTA, Out of Hand, and Bloomberg Philanthropies - for championing this work from beginning to end.

To our collaborators and hosts across all five activations — , .contemporary, , , ,
, (, ) and — thank you for welcoming us into your spaces and communities.

Special thanks to our featured artists: Cat Lee • • • • • • • Soul Brothers Djembe & Dundun

And to the experts, health partners, and community leaders who shared their insight and lived experience:
• • Katherine Dirga • • • • • • • • • •

Your voices shaped this project. Your leadership grounded it. Your generosity, partnership, and vision made it possible.

What we built together doesn’t end here. It now lives on in the city - shaping how Atlanta sees itself and inspiring new possibilities for what comes next.

(Bon voyage to the TTA bus, which went out with a story of its own.)

Video: Captured by Casso