4 Paintings by Karen Cleveland

It's a week later now and I'm still thinking about them.

When I walked in, 5 works immediately caught my eye. Four were by Karen Cleveland. She was showing with many others in "Nick O' Time" at Kibbee Gallery for the December Ponce Crush.


The colors and "cave art" motif first caught my eye.

But it's the vitality that I enjoyed most. Karen's animals seemed alive, ready to frolic, ready to bolt. They seemed to know I was there.









We are happy to know Karen a little. Animals are just one part of her work. You can see these at Kibbee Gallery until December 30, 2011.


Say hello to Karen shown here at Young Blood Gallery last January.


Kibbee Gallery that night. Karen's deer is to the left of the left window.

Terry's Must Do List September 22 - October 1

I hope to do all these. If you are in Atlanta, I hope to see you there and maybe at a few more events.

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1. The Atlanta Preservation Center's first "Sacred Spaces" tour starts this Thursday.
It runs September 22, 24, 25, 2011, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. It's 7 mini-events that cross the spectrum of Atlanta's religious community and history. Churches are, hands down, our best collection of buildings. They are meant to inspire our best impulses. They each mean something personal to 100s' and thousands of our neighbors, across generations. This is the best of architecture tourism.

Thursday September 22, 2011 6:00 pm
Ahavath Achim Synagogue - Tour & Film

Saturday September 24, 2011 9:00 am
Paces Ferry United Methodist Church - Open House

Saturday September 24, 2011 11:00 am
Al Farooq Masjid - Guided Tour

Saturday September 24, 2011 3:00 pm
Big Bethel African AME Church - Guided Tour

Saturday September 24, 2011 4:30 pm
South-View Cemetery - Guided Tour

Sunday September 25, 2011 1:00 pm
Paces Ferry United Methodist Church - Open House

Sunday September 25, 2011 1:15 pm
North Avenue Presbyterian Church - Guided Tour

Sunday September 25, 2011 2:15 pm
North Avenue Presbyterian Church - Guided Tour

The Atlanta Preservation Center labors quietly, doing what they can to advocate for preservation in Atlanta. Please like them on Facebook, right now. Follow them @PreserveAtlanta on Twitter. This is their "office" at the Grant Mansion.

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2. Spotlight On Design at SWITCH Modern - Radcliffe Bailey, Merrill Elam, and Brian Bell on Wednesday, September 28 6p-8.
"Spotlight on Design"is SWITCH Modern's monthly salon. On Wednesday architects Merrill Elam and Brian Bell will discuss Radcliffe Bailey's house/studio. That's pretty darn good if you ask me. Might be a crowd, you'll need to R.S.V.P.

All the cool design kids will be there, it's easy and easy going, kind'a looks like this:

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3. Flux 2011, Friday, September 30, 2011 8pm-12 in Castleberry Hill
I don't know how to put it: You walk Castleberry Hill in the dark from one "event" to another and it gets all magic on you. Art, dance, sounds, projections, performance, light, you won't be able to take it all in. Bring your buds; they'll thank you. You don't need to dress up but you are welcome to dress crazy.

You might see a projected lost zebra:

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4. Modern Atlanta hosts premiere of MY PLAYGROUND on October 1, 2011 7:30pm at Plaza Theater
I attended a press screening of this 50 minute film. It's about Parkour: "Parkour is a sport in which you have to go from one point of the city to another as efficiently and quickly as possible, overcoming any obstacles in your way: walls, fences, trees, etc. This has made Parkour THE urban sport, included in recent music videos, advertisements and feature films." You might have seen snippets of parkour in Youtube. It's odd, amazing, and a bit scary. It will make you want to do it or wish your were young enough to do it.

It could be a part of your Poncey-Highlands evening. It's the night of the October Ponce Crush too. This is not a dull place.

Maybe we'll see Anthony from Team SlipStream Parkour.


Please say hello if you see me.

This is last year's Architecture Tourist Flux team:

Gold Pink Blue Beaux-Arts at Druid Hills Baptist

Is there anything like this anywhere else in Atlanta? Thanks to Jim Wright, Mimi and Graham Walker for giving us a look inside this extraordinary place, Druid Hills Baptist Church.









If you've ever driven Ponce de Leon - and who hasn't - this stands at the Ponce's highest point on one of Atlanta's great corners. It's a breathtaking, blonde brick, beaux-art beauty.



I'm a major bore about this: It's more fun living here when we learn more about the people and great places in our own backyard. In that spirit I approached Jim Wright at the church and gathered a group of architecture tourists.



Atlanta contractor, preservationist, writer, Wright Marshall wrote this about the church:

"Edward Bennett Dougherty and Arthur Neal Robinson are two architects that have largely been forgotten in their native city...the two men designed one of Atlanta’s most impressive landmarks: the First Church of Christ, Scientist. Both men would design later churches that are similar to this Peachtree landmark...The Druid Hills Baptist Church (Dedicated July 1928) was designed by Dougherty and has many similarities. In 1923 Robinson designed the Second Church of Christ, Scientist in Cincinnati that also resembles the earlier Atlanta church."

Both are unforgettable. Top: Druid Hills Baptist, bottom: First Church of Christ, Scientist.



So where is all this gold, pink and blue?





Up there.





Up there.





Up there.









The main level is rusticated, it's fancy around the horseshoe balcony.





See what I mean: plain below, fancy above.









A church discussion covers a lot of ground and a lot of Atlanta history.



This was just one room in this huge church. We slipped out to the portico.









It's at the highest point on Ponce so there is a good view.





How many times have I driven by without looking closely?







I've only scratched the surface of this huge church.



Thanks to our hosts, Jim, Mimi, Graham, and all of the Druid Hills Baptist community. Thanks to fellow tourists Warren Williams, Bobby Mays, Syd Janney, Don Janney, Eileen Drennen, Terry Stevick, Emily Wert, Bill Barber, and Wright Marshal - the more eyes we have the more we can see. I hope we can do it again soon.











Read Wright Marshall on Clem Ford in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.



They continued steadfastly : a history of Druid Hills Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia by Harry Shaw, Jeanne Osborne Shaw, Ga.) Druid Hills Baptist Church (Atlanta)