30 artist studios, a studio manager and three new murals bring meaningful art to Atlanta’s Westside
Before there was retail, office or residences, the developer behind Echo Street West, Lincoln Property Company, saw the advantages of first bringing art to the 19-acre mixed-use development. With construction now well underway, Echo Street West is already home to over 30 artist studios and several installations, including three new hand-painted murals at Westside Motor Lounge, the project’s three-acre indoor-outdoor culinary experience opening this summer. Lincoln Property Company has also recently welcomed Jessica Helfrecht, an art veteran with over 25 years of experience, as studio manager for Echo Street West.
Helfrecht will serve as the studio manager at Echo Street West, with a focus on Guardian Studios, the former factory warehouse turned artist community. As studio manager, she will create opportunities for artists at Guardian Studios by establishing regular gallery hours for the public, launching an annual summer exhibition and hosting up to 12 exhibits per year featuring emerging to mid-career Southeastern artists. In addition, Helfrecht will open her own gallery in Guardian Studios named Echo Contemporary Art. Prior to Echo Street West, she served as artistic executive director for MINT, a 16-year-old nonprofit arts organization that nurtures and promotes Altlanta’s emerging artists through exhibitions, programs, residencies and W.A.G.E. stipends.
As one of Helfrecht’s first orders of business, Echo Contemporary Art will host a grand opening exhibition event on Friday, August 5 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and feature multi-medium work from 20 local Atlanta artists. Following the inaugural event, Guardian Studios will establish regular gallery hours on Thursdays through Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Guardian Studios’ gallery hours are free and open to the public to explore and purchase local art.
Full article at https://www.citybiz.co/article/291817/echo-street-west-welcomes-the-community-with-art/