Thursday, January 16, 2020

Atlanta's Liberty Plaza

Five years ago today, on January 16, 2015, Liberty Plaza was dedicated. More than 100 years in the making, a civic area near the Capitol Building was propose in 1910 as part of a comprehensive city beautification and development plan that was finally realized a century later thanks in great part to the Georgia Building Authority

Today, Liberty Plaza serves as a major focal point for large groups that hold public rallies and assemblies both during and between legislative sessions. The plaza is large enough to accommodate over 3,000 visitors and is located southeast across from the Georgia State Capitol.

Liberty Bell reproduction | Liberty Plaza | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Liberty Bell reproduction | Liberty Plaza | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Did you know that the actual Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania used to travel? And that it traveled to Atlanta? It was on display during the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition in Piedmont Park. That exposition was a message to the world that Atlanta was poised to be a significant contributor to domestic and international commerce and the country's economic fabric—that we were (and continue to be) worth consideration and investment.


Liberty Bell reproduction | Liberty Plaza | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Liberty Bell reproduction | Liberty Plaza | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Surrounding the Liberty Bell replica fly the flags of the 13 states whose representatives signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, declaring these states independent from Great Britain. The 56 signatories were representatives from New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Georgia had three representatives sign the Declaration of Independence: Button GwinnettGeorge Walton, and Lyman Hall—the first three signature on the left—whose names are engraved on section of wall around the Liberty Bell.

Statue of Liberty reproduction | Liberty Plaza | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Statue of Liberty reproduction | Liberty Plaza | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor


Some may think that this is a replica of Miss Freedom, the statue atop the Gold Dome of the Georgia Capitol Building. It's not, but Miss Freedom has two relative previous names—“Goddess of Liberty” and “Liberty”—which she had before assuming her current title of “Miss Freedom”.

This statue is a replica of the Statue of Liberty, standing a few feet tall at the northwest corner of the Plaza, and was gifted to the City of Atlanta in 1951 by The Boy Scouts of America. The dedication plaque reads, "With the faith and courage of their forefathers who made possible the freedom of these United States...as a pledge of everlasting fidelity and loyalty".

Liberty Plaza is open 6am-6pm Monday-Friday. The Liberty Bell and the Statue of Liberty replicas, previously located on the Capitol grounds, were relocated to prominent locations in the new Plaza and are visible to visitors at all times.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Fashioning Art from Paper

Exploring 500 years of fashion, SCAD FASH's current exhibition features Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave's spectacular visual illusions in Fashioning Art from Paper, a collection of nothing short of masterpieces of life-size attire made of paper and paint. The exhibition is in its final week. You can see it through Sunday, January 12, 2020.


Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

This exhibition is absolutely stunning! Isabelle de Borchgrave's works of art are sculptural replicas of historic garments found in early European paintings or collections from around the world, including gowns worn by Queen Elizabeth I.


Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor


SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film had been on my must-visit list since its opening was first announced but sadly this was the first time I'd been. Sad because I've missed some magnificent exhibitions already, but I will not miss any others! The space is AMAZING, the staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and the museum is a wholly unique experience.


Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Being my first time at the museum, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd seen photos of previous exhibitions and I was familiar with the building—I worked in a satellite office of Equifax many years ago and would go to meetings and training classes at the company's headquarters, now SCAD Atlanta. 

Signage leading to the museum is well done, and clever, too! You follow the purple line to the level where the museum is located and there are signs noting "a little farther" and "almost there"...pure brilliance!


Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Programming

This Thursday, January 9, at 12noon, join SCAD FASH Italian Renaissance scholar and art history professor Sarah Mellott Cadagin for her talk Moda Alla Medici: Fashioning the Self in Renaissance Florence


Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

This exhibition includes a number of fashion accessories including shoes, purses, and jewelry so exquisitely fashioned that they too would trick the eye from a distance if you did not know that they were made of paper.


Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Within the exhibition are pieces from Isabelle de Borchgrave's Kaftans series, inspired by the Silk Road textiles of Central Asia.


Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

I visited on a rainy day, but took my umbrella and ventured onto their outdoor space, located on the parking level. It's elegantly appointed and offers some wonderful vistas of Atlanta's skyline. Up on the museum level, there's a terrace overlooking the outdoor space with some seating and a staircase leading down to the larger outdoor space which spans the width of the building.


Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

There's a digital exhibition guide which you can follow along on your cell phone or the museum will loan you a tablet (they'll need to hold your ID while the tablet is in use). The garments in the exhibition are numbered, so it's easy to follow.


Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

SCAD FASH is a teaching museum—and an absolute gem for locals and tourists alike—featuring nearly 10,000 square feet of adaptable exhibition space.


Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor
Fashioning Art from Paper | SCAD FASH | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

The exhibition includes a trio of de Borchgrave’s series Les Ballet Russes.

Fashioning Art from Paper is co-organized by SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film, Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Society of the Four Arts, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Frick Art and Historical Center, Baker Museum and Flint Institute of Arts. This fabulous exhibition is on view at SCAD FASH through Sunday, January 12, 2020.