A place to be/come
Atlanta Art Fair
October 3-6, 2024
Artwork by Ellex Swavoni
a multimedia exhibition featuring experiential local artists exploring themes from Atlanta’s past, present, and future.
As eyes look to the Southeast during shifting climates, Atlanta finds itself at a crossroads. Historically defined by its rich cultural legacy, the city now grapples with challenges to its political, social, and economic landscapes. Through the lens of those who have called Atlanta home, artists Ariel Dannielle, Ellex Swavoni, and Rosa Duffy reflect on the forces that shape the city's modern identity, highlighting the tension and harmony between its long-standing history and its evolving future.
Artists
Ariel Dannielle
Ariel Dannielle (b. 1991) is an African-American painter born and raised in Atlanta, GA. She graduated from University of West Georgia, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Drawing directly from her life, Ariel creates large-scale paintings that depict the daily experiences of young Black women through her personal and playful lens.
She believes in the importance of her artwork to provide a look into Black girlhood/womanhood that can be represented and understood.
This acrylic archive has enabled her to explore aspects of the mundane, human vulnerability and sexuality. Influenced by Kerry James Marshall and Mickalene Thomas.
Dannielle focuses on developing personal narratives within her portraits that challenge gender and racial stereotypes. By placing herself in the paintings, Dannielle welcomes the viewers to also participate in a process of introspection.
Ellex Swavoni
Ellex Swavoni, born in 1992 in Louisville, Kentucky, embarked on her artistic journey at the age of nine when she discovered art toys online. This serendipitous encounter ignited a lifelong passion for sculpture. With resourcefulness and the power of the internet, Swavoni taught herself the art of sculpting and creating toy-like figurative sculptures. She pursued graphic design at Campbellsville University, earning a Bachelor of Science in 2014. During her studies, she developed an art practice focused on Afro-futurism, depicting women as powerful entities and reimagining ancient ideas through a futurist lens.
Her work often involves the use of computer programs, 3D printing, and fine finishes. In her process, Swavoni creates detailed sketches using computer programs, which are then 3D printed, meticulously programmed, and finished with fine paint details. This blend of traditional and digital techniques allows her to craft intricate, futuristic pieces that challenge conventional narratives. "With the courage and curiosity within us all, and a knowledge of recent and ancient histories, we can transcend standard thought and develop new realities for ourselves.
Rosa Duffy
Rosa Duffy is a multidisciplinary artist from Atlanta, GA. Duffy explores questions about the complex relationships between material objects, commodities, and personhood. Creating works with cut metal and cast iron adorned with jewelry, found photographs, concrete, and wire, her works balance industrial heft with poetic, emotionally charged ephemera. Her process and material choices evoke the intersecting histories of manual labor and vernacular craft, and address the persistence of racial inequalities amid the industrial working class and the contemporary art world alike.
Artwork
Ariel Dannielle
Teenage Dirtbag, 2023
Acrylic, paint, glitter, rhinestones, and gemstones on wood panel
24” x 36”
$4,500
Fresh Set, 2022
Acrylic paint on canvas
11”x14”
$3,000
Smile For Me, 2022
Acrylic paint on canvas
8”x8”
$2,000
Off To The Races, 2024
Acrylic, paint and glitter on canvas
16'“x20”
$3,000
Ellex Swavoni
Soon and Very Soon, 2024
SLA Resin, Epoxy, Acrylic paint, Urethane, Pigment, MDF, Canvas
55” x 25” x 10in”
$4,500
Mothership V 2.0, 2024
SLA Resin, Epoxy, Enamel, Acrylic, Touch Screen, HP Computer, Bluetooth Controllers
$2,700
Rosa Duffy
Soloist, 2024
Mixed Media and Found Objects on Wood
72” x 36” x 72”
$800
About Dashboard
Dashboard is a creative non-profit producing transformative arts experiences in public spaces.
We build creative projects and programs that have lasting impact on communities, and interrupt the status quo. We’re the team organizations call to produce projects with a ripple effect—artful experiences that have never been done before, that have extended impact.
Dashboard consists of three full-time staff members and a revolving team of 300+ local, national, and international creatives, designers, architects, engineers, and builders. Our services include (from conception to completion): large-scale immersive installations, non-traditional gallery exhibitions, event design and production, public art commissions, artist grants, and public programming.
Our niche is connecting artists, funding, space, and big ideas. We’re the conceivers, the matchmakers, and the project managers. We build the visions, and manage the artists and experts to make it happen.