This tour will focus on the history of the Chastain Art Center, which was formerly the African American Almshouse for Fulton County. City Staff will discuss the history of the buildings on the site and how they were converted for use as the Arts Center over 50 years ago. This tour will focus on not just the history of the 115-year-old building, but also consider how creative planning can give historic structures new life. This tour will be given in conjunction with the Office of Design Historic Preservation Studio’s annual Historic Preservation Week, which will be focusing on adaptive reuse this year, as well as Memento Mori, a multidisciplinary art exhibit being hosted by the Office of Design at the Chastain Art Center Gallery.

About Memento Mori

Holistic art exhibit centers mindfulness around mortality to raise awareness about the Atlanta Cemetery Network (ACN).

The Department of City Planning (DCP) and Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) collaborated to produce Memento Mori. This art exhibition delves into themes of mortality and features programming about the Atlanta Cemetery Network.

The project honors and spotlights artistic expression about mortality and raises awareness about the work of the Atlanta Cemetery Network (ACN), particularly its focus on neglected and abandoned African American cemeteries. ACN is an initiative in the DCP Office of Design that promotes caretaking, revitalization, and management of Atlanta cemeteries.

The opening reception will be Friday, August 15th, from 5 to 8 PM, and will be on view through October 17th.