ATL Artist Joseph McKinney Talks The Eclectically Artistic ‘Artwalk On Boone’ Festival [Exclusive]
ATL is booming with more than just the rich landscape of “Black Hollywood”, it’s a growing cultural hub for vibrant artwork seeped in self-expression. With that in mind, local visual artist Joseph McKinney is hosting the “Artwalk On Boone” Festival for Black Mind Creative Core, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization founded by the creative who recently received a proclamation from the city of Atlanta for his service in the community exhibited through his art and activism.
Centered in the Vine City community alongside Joseph E. Boone street, “Artwalk On Boone” will take place on Saturday, October 16th, and highlight multiple murals that are eclectic embodiments of the area. Andrea Boone, daughter of Civil Rights leader Joseph E. Boone, and councilwoman of District 10 will also be in attendance at the fest that includes free admission, food trucks, and live music.
Below McKinney tells BOSSIP all about Saturday’s celebratory fest.
What is the “Artwalk On Boone” Festival?
This is our first festival, we can plan on having many more, following this specific festival, we are revealing 29 mural panels to the Vine City community. Those panels are going to represent the creativity, the vibe, the essence of Atlanta Black culture and we have several Vine City artists coming on board to help contribute and paint the wall as well. The idea behind the art walk is that people start on one end of the street and they’re able to walk to the other end of the street while viewing different creative pieces, discussing the concepts on the wall, and just enjoying the outdoor, safer setting than you might see in different places because of COVID. Ideally, it’s a whole vibe. Great music, vendors, a DJ, a community collection of art.
How is mural artwork integral to Atlanta?
Art is all about representation, you got so many different voices and unique talents and creativity in the city of Atlanta. That’s what needs to be expressed. Atlanta is big on music and production in terms of movies and films, and it’s about time that we step over into other creative spaces which is these murals, and create an actual Art District. You could consider Edgewood [neigborhood] or Little Five Points [neighborhood] to be very artsy but we need to really coin a district where people know to go, so you can see tons of art. I think art in Atlanta is very significant, it definitely needs it. It’s also important to step away from—although it’s a great narrative; civil rights [art work] to showcase a different creative side. It’s paying homage to the artists that have come before, the artists that are going to come after, the futuristic creators, and the spirit of art.
Why is Vine City the perfect location for “Artwalk On Boone” festival?
Vine City is the perfect location because it has always had an artistic vibe. [It has] the buildings for wall space, the long walls that these panels are on now, it’s very significant, it’s actually a work of art in itself. If you’re looking at what they’re doing in the community, they just finished the Beltline, they built Cook Park, they’re revamping and revitalizing the area. So it’s actually perfect to come in and make sure that, you know, the voices and the energy is represented in the art of that community as it goes through all these changes. It’s a street full of murals. If you actually go down Boone Street you’ll see more morals. I think it’s a perfect beginning to shape the community.
“Artwalk On Boone” is sponsored by Georgia Power, E.F.F.E.C.T. Fitness, Home Depot, Invest Atlanta, Elevate Atlanta, The Arthur Blank Foundation, Georgia Conservation Voters with the support of the city of Atlanta.
“Artwalk On Boone” Festival Eventbrite
Sponsorship Link: https://www.blackmindcreativecore.com/new-page-1
Vendor Application: https://www.blackmindcreativecore.com/call-for-vendors
