Episode 64: Julia Fenton is, in her own words, an artist, retired curator, retired arts administrator, and gardener. At 76 years old she’s been a founding member, editor, and director of many of the organizations dear to the Atlanta arts scene, including what are now Art Papers and the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. In this special extended one and a half hour podcast (both parts stream-able here) she describes the shock of The Feminine Mystique, the trials of being an ambitious woman in the 1970’s, and her experiences and lessons learned in her career. What you’re about to hear is, according to Julia, history you’re probably not aware of; this is artists taking control of their lives.
As Fenton says, My life is anecdotal and serendipitous.
Part 1: From Mississippi to Princeton to Atlanta: details of her early practice, student days at the Atlanta College of Art, and founding the Contemporary Art Southeast Magazine and the Atlanta Art Workers Coalition. Click the player above to listen to Lampe’s conversation with Julia Fenton, or download the MP3.
Part 2: Curating, the ’96 Olympics, grief, and a return to Atlanta: the evolution of Nexus into the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, directing Chastain Gallery and Spruill, and getting back into her own practice in her 60’s after the death of her husband. Click the player above to listen to Lampe’s conversation with Julia Fenton, or download the MP3.
BURNAWAY Radio now sponsors Out There Atlanta, by Lilly Lampe. Out There Atlanta is a podcast and online platform for interviews with artists. The intention to create a archive of conversational interviews with artists in Atlanta, or with an Atlanta connection. These conversations are informal and conducted in the spirit of a coffee meet-up. Out There Atlanta fills the gap between formal studio visits and event-related coverage and exists as a place for a more relaxed and personal dialogue, allowing artists to get a little more “out there” with the online audience.
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