Saturday, June 27, 11 am, High Museum of Art
Artist Talk: Jennie C. Jones
After a tour of the Ellsworth Kelly painting installation at the High Museum, Jennie C. Jones gives a talk in the Hill Auditorium. She discusses the cultural connections between jazz, abstract painting, product design, and legacies of experimentation.
Free for members of the Contemporary and the High Museum of Art.
Free with admission to the Museum.

Thursday, July 16, 6 pm
Avant Garden
Artist Survival Skills Series
Talk: $#%@&*+?!: Contemporary Art Now
Independent curator Isolde Brielmaier and Artistic Director Stuart Horodner discuss the state of art-making now, focusing on exhibitions, expectations, economics, and audiences. The Contemporary and the Atlanta Film Festival co-host Avant Garden, a monthly salon with social activities for art and film professionals and enthusiasts.

Isolde Brielmaier, PhD, is a NY-based curator and writer as well as Visiting Assistant Professor at Vassar College and Guest Professor at Barnard College/Columbia University. For the 2009-10 season Isolde is curating exhibitions in NYC and Paris and is editor of the forthcoming monograph on the work of South African photographer Zwelethu Mthethwa. She is developing contemporary art programming for ARCO Madrid, The Armory/Volta, Art Chicago and also continues to work on a range of art and cultural projects for private companies and individuals.

Saturday, July 18
Artist Talk: Alexi Brown-Schmidt and Rose Marcus, 11 am
Westside Arts District Art Walk, 11 am - 5 pm
Exhibiting artists Alexi Brown-Schmidt and Rose Marcus discuss their recent paintings that combine comic and grotesque figures and abstract patterns, incorporating elements from art history, pop culture, and the everyday. Following the talk, take a walk on the Westside and explore the galleries and restaurants in this dynamic area.

Saturday, July 25
FUNDRED Project Family Day, 1 - 4 pm
We are proud to participate as a collection site for internationally recognized artist Mel Chin's FUNDRED DOLLAR BILL Project, and have converted our Resource Room into a bank vault for the creation and display of locally produced FUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS. Once this nationwide project reaches its goal of 3 million artworks, an armored truck will pick up and deliver the art currency to Washington D.C. in exchange for a request for $300,000,000 in funds to support the implementation of OPERATION PAYDIRT'S solution to lead-related health and quality-of-life issues still challenging post-disaster New Orleans. Through the simple gesture of creating FUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS, everyone can take part in this giant performance to support the rebuilding of New Orleans from below the ground up.

FUNDRED activities are free and group-friendly; regular gallery admission applies to view the exhibitions.

Thursday, July 30, 6:30 pm
Artist Talk: Charles Huntley Nelson
Exhibiting artist Charles Huntley Nelson discusses his Alphaville project, including how aspects of film noir, fraternity rituals, architecture, and technology are shaping his film and installation plans.

Thursday, August 6, 6:30 pm
Curator Talk: Stuart Horodner
Artistic Director Stuart Horodner leads a tour of the current exhibitions and discusses how contemporary artists use concepts and images from art and music history to explore issues of identity and expression.

Saturday, August 15
Jazz into Drawing Family Day, 1 - 4 pm
Westside Arts District Art Walk, 11 am - 5 pm
Join us for a listening and drawing session featuring classic jazz recordings by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and others. We’ll provide the markers, crayons, pencils, and paper; you provide the improvisational gestures. Regular gallery admission applies to view the exhibitions. Make a day of it and take a walk on the Westside, while exploring the galleries and restaurants in this dynamic area.