Borderline Gallery

Relatively new on the scene, Borderline has already done well to carve out a niche for itself with a handful of shows that elicit more of a house party vibe, with loud music and cheap drinks, than a typical opening. For example … a curated show dubbed "Infoxicated" had flasks designed by more than 50 local artists, and another featured painted-over vinyl albums. There are also pop-up events such as the summer block parties and artist markets in between.
• 858 Dekalb Avenue, facebook.com/borderlinegallery

Living Walls

Founded in 2009 by Monica Campana and Black Li Rudi Migliozzi, non-profit organisation Living Walls has worked with academics and city officials to make huge strides in turning Atlanta's nondescript public walls and abandoned buildings into canvases for local and international street artists and muralists. Artist ROA's sprawling alligator painting near the 5 Points Marta station, Sam Parker's cosmic mural on the corner of Randolph and Irwin streets and Trek Matthews' geometric fox rendition at 154 Carroll Street are just a few popular pieces. Its annual conferences serve to celebrate street art by bringing together artists for panels, workshops, screenings, exhibits and more - their first conference, in 2012, also served as the first all-female street art conference in the world.
• livingwallsatl.com. Map of murals: livingwallsatl.com/walls

Mint, and Young Blood Boutique

Mint was founded by Georgia State University film student Erica Jamison in 2006 as a grassroots organisation to showcase up-and-coming artists and bring Atlanta's emerging arts community together. With exhibitions and collaborations with 200-plus artists (including Chelsea Raflo, Ashley Anderson, Mike Germon and Estela Semeco) under its belt, you can now find Mint in its new location in the Poncey-Highland neighbourhood's Young Blood boutique, a storefront chockablock with independently-made prints, handmade soaps, jewellery and clothing. In addition to various exhibits throughout the year, it recently partnered with local startup Scoutmob to offer affordable one-time art classes in needlepoint, shadowboxes, painting and more.
• 636 North Highland Avenue NE, mintatl.org. Open Wed-Sun midday-6pm

WonderRoot

This Reynoldstown-based arts centre has been a seminal resource for Atlanta's artistic community since 2004. For $60 a year, artists are granted open access to services that include a darkroom, ceramics studio, digital media lab, recording studio, performance venue and more, with classes on how to make the best use of the facilities. They've even expanded in recent years with podcasts, youth outreach, a literary magazine, a film series and other programmes. Stop by to peruse the space, hear a live band, catch a show opening or learn a new skill.
• 982 Memorial Drive SE, wonderroot.org. Open Mon-Tues and Thurs-Sat noon to 10pm

Beep Beep Gallery

On an unassuming side street off Ponce de Leon Avenue, this cosy, DIY-styled art space has shown some of the most innovative pieces and installations the city has seen of late. Co-owned by Mark Basehore and James McConnell, who also run Old Fourth Ward bar Mother, this gallery sets itself apart through curated exhibition openings, readings, performances and live music complete with cheap drinks, all in an intimate yet accessible space. Offering a mix of cutting-edge new artists, such as Jonny Warren, Allen Taylor and Paige Adair, plus annual group shows such as Alchemy – which takes place at the end of the year – Beep Beep continues to be a force in Atlanta's evolving arts scene.
• 696 Charles Allen Drive, facebook.com/beepbeepgallery. Open Wed-Sat midday-6pm

Elevate

Culture driving commerce: that's the idea behind Elevate, a project from the mayor's office of cultural affairs, which once a year takes over an area of downtown for a week and through murals, installations, pop-up galleries and performances provides a facelift for unnoticed parts of a neighbourhood. Admission is always free and different topics are explored each year (2013's theme was dubbed Transit: Time, People and Places), with participation by both local and international artists. Plus, in the spirit of Atlanta's progressive public transportation initiatives, works can be viewed through Elevate-hosted walking, transit and bike tours. Check out past public projects in Old Fourth Ward on Edgewood and Auburn Avenues.
• 233 Peachtree Street NE, elevateatlantaart.com

The Mammal Gallery

One of the main driving forces behind this recently-opened music venue and art space was to bring a colourful burst of life to South Broad, a neighbourhood with a lot of unharnessed potential. Officially open since last autumn, Mammal is run by Chris Yonker (a member of local band Hello Ocho) and Brian Egan, who both live in the three-storey space, its exterior splashed with murals from mayor-backed arts initiative Elevate (see above). In addition to live music and art openings, the duo plan to host open-mic nights, film screenings, and video game tournaments.
• 91 Broad Street SW, mammalgallery.com

Atlanta Zine Fest

No event in the city showcases the resurgence of the do-it-yourself art movement quite like the Atlanta Zine Fest (AZF). Conceived by Amanda Mills and Tracy Soo-Ming, AZF is presented by creative organisation MASS Collective and the Atlanta Zine Library, and aims to be an all-inclusive festival where attendees can join in zine-related panels, browse vendors' handmade art and media, hear guest speakers and take part in DIY workshops. The second annual AZF, slated for summer 2014, will feature panels on zine archiving and counterculture, as well as workshops on wood-blocking, zine binding, and layouts. In the meantime, browse the Atlanta Zine Library wares at Hodgepodge Coffeehouse and Gallery at 720 Moreland Avenue SW.

Art on the BeltLine

It isn't easy to get Atlantans to agree on much but one thing they can find accord on is the positive impact of the Atlanta BeltLine - the revitalisation of the historic railroad corridor - in making neighbourhoods more accessible and creating green spaces. Now, with the addition of Art on the BeltLine, this 22-mile stretch of multi-use trails has its own artistic element to boot, with a mix of temporary and year-round public works that can be viewed on various routes, from the south-east and south-west corridors to the Eastside Trail. Take a stroll, and be on the lookout for sculptures from JD Koth, murals from Hense and Brandon Sadler and even posts painted as larger-than-life crayons by Santiago Menendez Gil.
• 86 Pryor Street SE, art.beltline.org

Eyedrum

Established in 1998, Eyedrum is one of the longest-running volunteer-backed art and performance organisations in the city. After losing its original digs and hosting a few year's worth of satellite shows at spots such as the Goat Farms Arts Center and The Music Room, Eyedrum relocated to the Fuse Art Center in summer 2013, where it celebrated with the launch of a new arts and literary publication Eyedrum Periodically. It continues to steam ahead, hosting art shows, lectures, film screenings and live performances, as well as collaborating on projects with the likes of Georgia Tech and Henry W Grady High School.
• 115 Martin Luther King Jr Drive SW, eyedrum.org

Caroline Cox is an associate editor at Modern Luxury, the US's largest city magazine publisher, and co-editor in chief of CommonCreativ, a website focusing on all things creative in Atlanta, Georgia. Follow her on Twitter @carolinecox.

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