Atlanta Ballet and whitespace came together earlier this month for OFFStage, the second annual event aimed at bridging the various arts communities throughout Atlanta. The Atlanta Ballet was promoting its season finale, New Choreographic Voices, which included the work of two female choreographers while whitespace was exhibiting work by two female artists as well. As a result, the overarching theme of the event celebrated strong female voices in the arts by hosting an artists’ chat at whitespace gallery moderated by John Welker of the Atlanta Ballet. The featured artists included painter, Sarah Emerson, who is represented by whitespace gallery, teaches Drawing and Painting at Emory University and whose exhibition ,Underland, was on display during the event ; visual artist, Kelly Cloninger, whose exhibition, Girl Party, was recently exhibited in whitespec at whitespace; Tara Lee, Atlanta Ballet dancer and choreographer of Pavo; and Helen Pickett, Atlanta Ballet guest artist and choreographer of Prayer of Touch. All four ladies introduced their work and the initial inspiration or spark that led to their current projects. Although each artist works in different mediums, the ladies found that they often approach their work in the same manner and are influenced by similar ideas. For instance, Helen Pickett’s ballet was directly influenced by a Marcel Duchamp piece, Prière de Toucher (Please Touch), that she saw at the Picasso to Warhol exhibition at the High Museum of Art, showing that the line between performing and visual arts is extremely fluid.

Guests mingled during the Party in the Garden which was held before the event in whitespace’s beautiful courtyard and featured the music of DJ Pejma along with light bites and libations from the Good Food Truck. Here are some highlights from the event:

John Welker, Atlanta Ballet dancer, introduces panel: (L to R) Jesse Tyler, AB Dancer and Assistant Choreographer of Pavo; Tara Lee, AB Dancer and Choreographer of Pavo; Kelly Cloninger, visual artist for Girl Party, exhibited in whitespec at whitespace; Sarah Emerson, Emory professor and painter whose body of work Underland is pictured here in the whitespace gallery; and Helen Pickett, choreographer of Prayer of Touch.

Susan Bridges, Whitespace Owner/Director and John McFall, Atlanta Ballet Artistic Director with guest

Guest gather before the artists' chat for the Party in the Garden featuring wine, music and good food