Update: Your guide: 2 Loft Tours, 3 Home Tours, +art in 10 days beginning Dec 2

Honestly, this is almost too much goodness to handle. I know you've got Christmas shopping, guests coming into town, and the dog at your homework.


Just think happy thoughts about the Fulton Bag Mill towers.

It's hog heaven for Architecture Tourists in Atlanta.

Decatur Holiday Candlelight Tour of Homes and Decatur tour on Facebook $20 7 homes + 4 Points of interest and market Dec 2, Fri, 5:30p-9:30p Dec 3, Sat, 5:30-9:30p Terry's tip: Take the shuttle. Don't miss the Decatur First United Methodist Church Chapel and the Julia Thompson Smith Chapel at Agnes Scott College: two takes on charming small chapels.

The Stacks Lofts + Artists Tour at the Fulton Bag Mill and Stacks Tour on Facebook $5 Cash 14 lofts + 25 Artists Dec 2, Fri, 6p - 10p Dec 3, Sat, 2p - 8p Terry's tip: The Bag Mill complex takes my breath away. R.S.V.P to stackshistorytour@gmail.com for free guided historical tours at 12:30 or 2:00 Saturday. Awesome

Telephone Factory Art Show & Sale! and Telephone Factory Tour on Facebook and @TFactoryArtShow on Twitter Free 16 lofts 37 Artists Dec 3, Sat, 11:00a-7:00p. Dec 4, Sun, 1:00p-6:00p Terry's tip: The definition of "hard" lofts, each one is surprise. Lot's of art for sale for Christmas including ceramics and jewelry. Shout out to clay artist Lori Bluff, who'll be in 102 one of the corner lofts with awesome light.

Virginia-Highland Tour of Homes and Va-Hi tour of homes on Facebook $25.00 Advance. $30 Weekend of the Tour 8 Homes Dec 10, Sat,10a-4p Dec 11, Sun, 12p4p Terry's tips: One of Atlanta's great neighborhoods. Tour the houses, have dinner, and party. How about George's?

Grant Park Candlelight Tour of Homes and music and a market and... $15 Advance. $20 Weekend of the Tour 8 Homes, St Paul UMC, and the L.P. Grant Mansion Dec 10, Sat, 6p-10p Dec 11, Sun, 6p-10p Terry's tips: You've probably been to the zoo and always wondered about the houses, decked out for Christmas to boot. I adore the unfinished Grant Mansion and St. Paul Methodist across the street.

If you don't mind, I'll tease a bit:


You might see something like this inside a Stacks loft.


They don't build mansions today any prettier than this 100 year old factory building.


The Telephone Factory was built better than it needed to be.


Every loft is different.


What windows.


What coffee cups.


Grant Park Tour HQ is St. Paul which opened this building in 1907.

You need to start training immediately.

It'll hurt my feelings if you see me out and don't say hello.

P.S. Did you know there is a pool at The Stacks?

They Ran Around the Cemetery!

The elite crew of the Architecture Tourist Sporting Society got up early to watch loved ones run Atlanta's Thanksgiving Half Marathon.


Of course we don't go anywhere without enjoying the built scenery, in this case the gate of Oakland Cemetery at Mile 11. It's an entry that's an exit.


This is rarely a lively place. But on this morning we had sweaty irony.


The runners turned tombstone corner.


The loved ones arrived, stumbled and headed for the finish to the tune of "Cowbell."


I'm pretty sure the spectators - Syd, Nick, Elizabeth, Katherine - enjoyed it just as much as the runners.

Old school dancing in Grant Park

Architecture tourists go to events just so we can see the buildings. On November 11 it was the Lucky Penny Spectacular at the old Grant Park School, which is now repurposed and home to The Arts Exchange.



It was an evening of art, dance, and good cheer at an old school you've never seen. When you give artists, musicians, and dancers half a chance, they'll make some magic.


They'll take this workaday school doorway...


and make some magic with it...


...and draw a crowd by turning it into a dance stage.


The school's auditorium / gym is now the Paul Robeson Theater.

Lucky Penny really knows how to throw a dance whether on a sidewalk, in a doorway or theater.







Thanks to the Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday.

David Huff paintings at Mattress Factory

Here is David Huff (with hat) in his studio from last week's Mattress Factory Studio Tour post.



He was kind enough to invite me to his solo show last Friday night (11-20-09). It was perfect for Architecture Tourists: Seeing original art in one of Atlanta's original loft conversions. The building deserves it's own post. Right now let's see some of David's hyper vivid colors. These 2 could light up a stadium.



In fact I wanted to see them from a distance as with this Zen View:



I don't know the moment when abstract art started to appeal to me. From the first I guess. I haven't studied are so I don't have words for the art. But they communicate fine without them. And David printings reward deep looks and repeated visits.



This is an arch but...


David Huff is working with plastic sign board and outdoor sign paint to produce works like this. He said these could be heated and bent and applied to curved surfaces.



This one isn't so curvy. I only notice from the picture.



Hardly anyone I know has been to an artist's reception. I'd urge you to go to one. The artist will appreciate it, there is food and drink, they don't demand much time, and have a very flexible dress code. Nice folks from all stripes are usually just as mystified as you are about the art and the artist, mystified by how the art affects.



They might even think you are cool in your red sweatshirt taking pictures from a tiny tripod. See if you can spot me in the picture.





Thanks to David Huff for inviting me to his solo art show.

P.S Check out this 3-story neon sculpture in the Mattress Factory lobby.



Here are all the pictures:

Mattress Factory Artsts - WOW

We heard about the first holiday tour at Atlanta's Mattress Factory studios so David and I strolled over. Wow and wow again. You can make all these pictures bigger if you want: click on a picture and select "All sizes." The Mattress Factory is one block west of Oakland Cometary on Martin Luther King.

Todd Alexander: Didn't get a picture of Todd but here is part of his studio:





Maxwell Sebastian (right): He had so much to see in each painting that we had to keep looking and looking.





David Huff: Stunning crisp colors. Huge pieces. David has reception this weekend: Opening Reception artist David Huff this Friday, November 20, 7pm-10pm Mattress Factory Lofts 300 MLK JrDr SE Loft 126 Atlanta, GA 30312.



Nabil Mousa built frames while we gasped at his work.





Esteban Patino: Stunning we thought.





Anne Cox with Clark Goodwin (left) and David Kearns (right).



Allison Shockley does encaustics with great gestures.



Tony Hernandez (left) produces his iconic work in a huge studio.





John Folsom: We were very pleased to meet John. We saw his work at an opening last week at White Provision.



David and I like the factory as well as the art. Right outside John Folsom's door: TRAINS.



Here is the truck dock loggia and arbor. Excellent place to hang out.



Not your momma's bathroom:



There are many more pictures. I hope you will enjoy them if you have time to look.



Thanks,
Terry

Red Bridge Over Ormewood Avenue in Grant Park Atlanta

The Ormewood Avenue Bridge is certainly one the most beautiful bridges in Atlanta. It's a railroad bridge in Grant Park, part of the Atlanta BeltLine. A tall red arch, it's not on the way to anywhere these days. You've probably never seen it. Don't miss it if you are in the East Atlanta, Grant Park, or the Zoo.

Drive west on Ormewood from Boulevard at Grant Park.