Local Artists and Beyond

The Atlanta Art Workers Coalition Newspaper took on an ambitious editorial direction in volume three under Founding Editor Dan Talley and new Editor Laura Lieberman. The Artist to Artist series continued with a dialogue between a very young John Turturro and Laurie Anderson, and other youthful interview personalities included artist Alan Sonfist and critic Peter Frank, who is currently a member of the magazines Editorial Advisory Board. Many topics at this time highlighted Atlantas rising cultural scene thanks to the growing Arts Festival of Atlanta, public art in the new MARTA transit system and at the expanding Hartsfield Airport, which included a rejected proposal by Dennis Oppenheim, and the beginning of the Fulton County Art Council, a major funder of the publication to this day. Also included were articles on George Trakas (see photo), Nancy Spero, Michelangelo Pistoletto and Mary Beth Edelson, the latter three visiting Atlanta and having exhibitions at such venues as the Women’s Art Collective. Particularly relevant were the published transcripts of a critical symposium on regionalism in which Donald Kuspit and John Howett espoused various theories on this growing issue. Other key topics included artists books, the 19th century Atlanta art scene and the history of the world famous Atlanta Cyclorama, and a series of articles on black and white artists in the state including Georgia Expatriate Benny Andrews. The publications first review section appeared in the JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1979 issue.