The ShowATL Podcast ShowATL

Chris Veal is an Atlanta based artist and muralist who has gained fame through his use of pop-art murals to engage in social commentary, with topics ranging from local politics to gentrification to the opioid epidemic. Veal recently gained recognition again for his mural collaboration depicting the popular “Baby Yoda”, a character, originally from the Star Wars universe and featured in the show “The Mandalorian”, that has gained viral fame online. Chris joins ShowATL to talk about the evolution of his work as an artist in a city that has demonstrated its own surge in growth and change since Veal first moved here in 1999. We talk about Chris’s work, the influence of graffiti and lettering on his mural work, the rise of street art in Atlanta, fine art, collaborations with other artists, and Chris’s determination to never rest on his laurels and to try different styles of art.

Learn more about Chris at @caveal on Instagram

Blockhead is a pseudonym invented by Chris Skeene in 2012 as a way to explore the thriving free art scene in Atlanta. Blockheads started as small figures with magnets on the backs of their heads that were hidden all over the world for people to find and keep. Inspired by his collection of Pez dispensers and blind box art toys (such as figures by Bearbrick or Kidrobot), Chris uses blockheads to bring variety to the repetition of a singular form. Though much of the inspiration for his work are from machine-made items, blockheads are each hand-carved and painted, thereby highlighting the individuality and uniqueness of each piece. Each blockhead starts from the same shape and is either has material added to or subtracted from it. Chris also extends the unique nature of the figures by inviting collaborators to bring their own styles to the blank canvas of a carved blockhead. Chris believes that there are infinite possibilities when using a blockhead as a canvas and enjoys the experience of letting others experiment with his shape.

Chris was born in Irving, TX and spent most of his childhood in Lakeland, FL. After pursuing and abandoning a business degree from the University of Florida, Chris graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design (’06) with a BFA in photography. He moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 2007, and immediately fell in love with the city.

Learn more about Blockhead at @blockhead_atl

Online at https://www.blockheadatl.com

Maija Ehlinger is the co-founder of Atlanta Micro Theater, a group dedicated to showcasing original one-act plays written, directed, and performed by Southern-based creatives. As well as co-founding the organization, Maija also wrote and directed one of the inaugural performances. Maija came onto the podcast to talk about her background as a writer and journalist inspired by data-driven journalism. With a keen understanding of her passion for writing from a remarkably young age, Maija’s education and career have led her from Southern California to Atlanta, Georgia (and all over the world) to pursue both fiction and non-fiction writing with an emphasis on writing for the screen. Maija is also the co-founder of Film Pitch ATL, an organization that brings local indie filmmakers together to present their ideas to an audience of enthusiasts, investors, and peers. 

The next installment of Film Pitch ATL takes place on August 28th. 

The next Atlanta Micro Theater takes place on September 7th. 

Learn more about Atlanta Micro Theater at www.atlantamicrotheater.com

Bonnie Casamassima is the Principal and Founder of Interweave People Place, an interior design firm focused on biophilic design, which “seeks to incorporate the science behind the benefits we experience while in nature into the interior spaces we inhabit each day.” Bonnie focuses on guiding clients through the process of understanding how their spaces can be designed to enhance their psychological and biological well-being to support their organizational goals and intentional quality of life. She is also an adjunct professor of Interior Design at SCAD. 

Bonnie joined us to talk about her career and mission behind starting Interweave, as well as walking through the work behind biophilic design and its applications to our well-being, using practical design examples. The conversation led to a better understanding of the need behind intentional design, and Bonnie also provided some practical interior design tips that anyone can use to enhance their space without breaking the bank.

Learn more about Interweave People Place at www.interweavepeopleplace.com

Shannon Green and Christy Petterson met in 2004 at a craft and vintage market in Grant Park, exchanged a necklace for a piece of handmade clothing, and created a bond that has lasted 15 years and counting. Shannon and Christy founded Indie Craft Experience in 2005 with a goal of giving consumers an opportunity to buy directly from artists, while also giving artists an opportunity to sell their creations. Indie Craft Experience hosts several craft and vintage markets throughout the year, with their Holiday Shopping Spectacular each November being the biggest and most well-attended. Along with markets, Shannon and Christy have worked to expand the Indie Craft brand to include workshops, retreats (they are going to the Oregon Coast and Oaxaca this year), and summer camps. With Indie Craft Experience celebrating its 15th birthday this year, Shannon and Christy join Parsa behind the mic to talk about Indie Craft’s history, as well as all things exciting coming in the future. 

Learn more about Indie Craft Experience at www.ice-atlanta.com 

Find Indie Craft Experience on Instagram at @iceatlanta

Lela Brunet is an Atlanta based visual artist. With her main subject being the female form, Lela “explores the contrast created when the grace of the figure and the tension of energetic patterns and colors collide together. Lela’s work explores this visual battlefield of pattern, color, and form.” She works in a variety of media including murals, painting, drawing, and design. She has exhibited her work and murals in multiple galleries and events throughout the United States and internationally. In her own words, Lela is a “devoted mother, loving wie, and insanely dedicated artist. That should go on my gravestone.” Lela joined us to talk about her work, as well as her dual role as a new mother and working artist. We also talked murals, collaborations, commissions, and more (and had a great time doing it). 

Learn more about Lela at http://www.lelabrunet.com/

Find Lela on Instagram at @lelabrunetart