Gallery 72 to open in Downtown’s old AJC building

• OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
• This rendering from 2013 shows the ambitious proposed design of Gallery 72

The Office of Cultural Affairs announced today that Gallery 72, the long-promised gallery at 72 Marietta Street in the heart of Downtown, will open in May. In 2010, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution decided to move to the suburbs and gave their iconic building to the city. In the years since, an art gallery has been promised as part of the city’s efforts to reimagine the building’s purpose. A contest was held to field redesign ideas, the Atlanta City Council eventually approved the $750,000 budget, and a long wait began. The building, which includes offices for city department staffers, recently was renamed Two City Plaza.

Finally, Gallery 72 will open on Thurs., May 8 at 6 p.m. The inaugural exhibition, Foreword, will include works by Craig Drennen, Nikita Gale, Pablo Gnecco, InKyoung Chun, Julia Venske and Gregor Spänle. Mayor Kasim Reed will be on hand to cut a ribbon, refreshments will be served, and the Jacon Deaton Trio will perform, courtesy of the Atlanta Jazz Festival. According to a press release, the “3,400 square foot lobby renovation is broken into three zones - a south gallery, a north gallery, and entry lobby. The south gallery will feature a variety of art forms while the north gallery will focus on digital artwork.”

A position of Gallery Administrator, who will serve as a kind of curator for the space, has not been filled, but local galleries Marcia Wood, Saltworks, and Poem 88 have their artists represented in the show.