Almost all of them were taller than me. And smarter. Even the quiet ones crackled with energy. It's as if their sensors were all dialed to 11 while most of mine have been shut down by age and experience.

It was Excursion Week at Galloway. Our 20-student group chose "Interaction of Art and Social Justice" with the theme of "separate but equal." With the help of Galloway artist in residence and Georgia State sculpture professor Ruth Stanford the group explored, researched, and made some art. Galloway teacher Mary Stuart Hall gave me Tuesday to "do something." Mary and former Galloway principal, Gordon Mathis, had two little buses at our disposal to take on the town.

My idea was to visit neighborhoods and corridors "below the line" in the morning then talk with Atlanta's city planners in the afternoon.


"Below the Line" Courtesy Atlanta City Studio, Ryan Gravel, Tim Keane, Jodi Mansbach, Vanessa Lira, Kevin Bacon (Atlanta's Kevin Bacon), Heather Alhadeff, and more.

To compare the booming corridors like Peachtree Street


"Peachtree Corridor" Courtesy Atlanta City Studio, Ryan Gravel, Tim Keane, Jodi Mansbach, Vanessa Lira and more.

To compare booming Peachtree with the less booming west side.



To compare the booming Peachtree corridor with the less booming westside corridors of  Donald Lee Hollowell, Joseph Boone, Ralph David Abernathy. Courtesy Atlanta City Studio, Ryan Gravel, Tim Keane, Jodi Mansbach, Vanessa Lira, and more.


We saddled up at Chastain Park.

Our first stop was at Lincoln Cemetery which led us through English Avenue and Vine City. Lincoln Cemetery 1926, an early African American Cemetery

Next stop Washington Park

"Prior to the construction of Washington Park in 1919, there were no recreational parks in Atlanta available to African Americans. The park started with a gift of six and a half acres and expanded to 25 acres (100,000 m2) when completed in 1928. It originally included a swimming pool, dance hall, pavilions, and tennis courts."


Washington Park


I did not know that the current SW BeltLine construction ends at Washington Park. This place will change!


We'll be able to bike to swim at the Washington Park Natatorium.

Next stop Brown Middle School and West End.

Formerly Brown High School.

Joseph E. Brown Jr. High School, located at 765 Peeples Street SW in Atlanta's West End neighborhood, was opened in 1924

Then we did a West End Walkabout, in my opinion one of the most charming neighborhoods in Atlanta.


My personal favorite activity: small blocks, styles that have been consistently popular for 150 years, mix of sizes, close to the curb in a way that enhances the beauty of the street as a public space for all passersby.


Agree?


Corner of Peeples and Ralph David Abernathy.

How we marched.


The West End Parade.

Then to Ponce City Market for lunch and a lecture at Atlanta City Studio.

Because by then we had some questions.


Jodi Mansbach had the slides.


Jodi had the giant posters.


Jodi had the big table.

That was just Tuesday!

On Thursday I rejoined the excursion at the Atlanta Contemporary.

I'll let you in on an art secret in case you didn't look.

What is really behind this piece Phillip Andrew Lewis’ Distribution in Red, 



It's the Colonel.



Tiny tips for touring with teens? I'll work on these for next time.

1. Get two experienced teachers for each 10 students.
2. Do lunch with options: Ponce City Market and the Sweet Auburn Market are superb.
3. Talk briefly to the group whenever you can get them together.
4. Stop talking before they stop listening.
5. Huddle with teachers at stopping points.They make it look easy but...
6. Find a way to integrate their phones. Students are superb at their phones.
7. Pretend that they can't smell you fear.
8. Enjoy the ride though it won't turn out exactly as planed.

Thanks so much for the experience.

Many of the private mausoleums feature stained glass. Go to Westview Cemetery and peek though the  doors.

Guided (R.S.V.P required) and self guided tours of Westview Cemetery start on March 17 for The Atlanta Preservation Center's "Phoenix Flies" Tweeters Facebooker and Instagrammers, please use: #phoenixflies.


The Rhodes Mausoleum. Westview Cemetery.


The Rhodes Mausoleum stained glass window.


Candler Mausoleum.


Candler Mausoleum stained glass window.


Read mausoleum.


Read mausoleum stained glass window at Westview Cemetery Atlanta.

 
McDonald mausoleum.


The McDonald mausoleum has two stained glass windows. I Photoshopped them side by side for this image.


The Ralph Williams mausoleum has more to see than stained glass.


Ralph Williams mausoleum stained glass window. The door glass is hazy.


Weiblen mausoleum.


Weiblen mausoleum stained glass.


Haverty mausoleum.


The Haverty mausoleum's stained glass window is the most elaborate.


Daniel mausoleum.


Daniel mausoleum stained glass.


Marks mausoleum.


The hazy door of the Marks mausoleum can't obscure this amazing window.



Prier mausoleum.


The front window of the Prier mausoleum is so foggy, the best view is from outside.

There are more of these. Here is my photoset in Flickr "2014-03-01 Westview Cemetery Private Mausoleum Stained Glass Atlanta."

Two things, then a bunch of other stuff, then the controversy.

META: Preservationists, historians, urbanists, city lovers, artists, activists, inactivists, neighbors, friends, and future friends.

1. Let's party to kick off Phoenix Flies

Phoenix Flies starts this Friday, March 7, 2014 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm and I hope you'll say hello. Haven't been to the L.P. Grant Mansion? It's worth it just for the restored windows in Atlanta's oldest and finest room.

Now get out your calender and click to the Phoenix Flies Events Listing because there is too much and you need a plan. Some events are limited and you need to R.S.V.P. now.

Please Hashtag Phoenix Flies: Y'all Tweeters, Facebookers and Intagrammers, please use #preserveatl and #phoenixflies and anything else you think is good. The Atlanta Preservation Center tweets at @PreserveATL and they are on Facebook too at AtlantaPreservationCenter.

Terry's tips "Stained Glass Bucket List for Phoenix Flies..." and there is even more stained glass this year: St. Luke's and Rock Springs Presbyterian. Keep looking up: "Must See Ceilings for Phoenix Flies."

2. Let's go to the Douglas C. Allen annual lecture at Georgia Tech Wednesday, March 5, 6 pm.

Here's Doug with on the right with the blurry hand. The lectures are in his honor, world class lectures on landscape architecture. It's easy, it's free with free parking. Please say hello, I sit up front

If you still have spare time, consult the Burnaway To-Do List, the Atlanta Fine Arts Calendar, and the ArtsATL Event Guide. That's what I do.

Done That....................
I've had the most extraordinary week just by following my nose and showing up. I'll need a month of blogging to tell you.

A. Atlanta Studies Meetup on February 24 at Manuel's. They are on Facebook.This is a meta meetup for Atlanta Lovers put on by folks who know stuff and want to know stuff. Ever hear of ATLmaps.com? Click on!


B. Hilan Theater is next to Atkins Park Restaurant

It showed films until closing in 1969 then it was a church and almost the Cotton Club. My friend Linda grew up on Adiar and went to movies here.

C. Opening of "Mapping Place: Africa Beyond Paper" at Robert C. Williams Paper Museum at Georgia Tech

This is a 400 year old map book. The pages are hand colored. I don't know what to tell you except find your way over there some time.

D. Opening of "The Price Is Right" at Swan Coach House Gallery

Works under $1,000 but you don't have to buy to enjoy them. Here's Leisa Rich who got top billing with her movable fiber sculptures.

E. Opening of "Blind Handshake" by David Humphrey at Marcia Wood Gallery

Here's David gesturing. Colorful, amusing, and more than that.

F. Greenwood Cemetery

I took the Architecture Tourist route through West End coming back from the airport on Saturday. Wow: Jewish, Greek, and Chinese sections. It has this 1965 holocaust memorial containing ashes from Dachau. Greenwood is also home to St. Barbara's Chapel.

G. Westview Cemetery Stained Glass "crawl"

I'd never been in the Westview Mausoleum. I spent an hour in there all alone trying to photograph every stained glass window. It was overwhelming.

H. The B-17 "Memphis Belle"

My cousin James flies this. I crawled through at Dekalb-Peachtree Airport. It too was overwhelming.

I. Opening of the Zuckerman Museum of Art at Kennesaw State University

A gala grand opening with architecture, art, music, dance and controversy see "J." below.

J. Artist Ruth Stanford and the Kennesaw controversy over her piece for the opening of the Zuckerman

Ruth (center) displayed the most admirable good form through all this.

The story has gone national. You can find local coverage and a link to the petition at Burnaway. Wherever you come down of the curation / censorship scale, I think the controversy is a plus for us in Atlanta, for our artist community, for the work and for Ruth in particular. I hope so anyway. I'm looking forward to seeing her piece sooner or later.

What a week in Atlanta and I didn't even see the Nakatani Gong Orchestra at the Goat Farm.

Atlanta's St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church is in West End. The sanctuary is from 1924.

"The idea of building a Catholic church in the West End was conceived in 1902 by Mrs. Esther LaRose Harris, wife of Joel Chandler Harris, the famous author of the Uncle Remus stories."

It's a beauty but it's suffering. The stained glass is extraordinary as you'll see in the video. But it's at risk.

This video shows the interior and stained glass starting at about 1:36 but I hope you'll watch all 4 minutes.



I must visit the West End churches some day. Want to join me?

After I took loved ones to the airport yesterday I skipped the Interstate and headed toward West End looking for landmarks. I took all these pictures from the car.

Loop Road, to Atlanta Avenue (Hapeville), Central Avenue, East Washington, Main Street (East Point) which becomes Lee Street. Left on Avon (Border of Venetian Hills and Oakland City), south on Oakland to Donnelly (West End). Left to Ralph David Abernathy, West End's main street.


Auto Audio is 1200 Central Ave Cleveland Avenue between Hapeville and College Park. If you enjoy hard-working light-industrial streets - and who doesn't - this is a fine one.

Oops, wasn't I headed to West End?


The West Hunter Street Baptist Church, in 1961 Ralph David Abernathy became pastor here.


It's an impressive landmark and we must learn more about it.


Giant pilasters and urns galore.


You can see the Hammonds House Museum from I-20 as you race by.


I'm never here at the right time to photograph the north side. This is St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. Church Website.


This former school building is for sale.


Maybe it was a church school. Does anyone know?


There are many photographs of Brown Middle School (formerly Brown High School) by Pringle & Smith in 1924.


But you really need to see it in place. It's not so imposing in person. It lends dignity to the surrounding streets and houses. It feels good. It's why we shouldn't put great buildings off by themselves.


The Higher Hope Christian Ministries building is a crisp creamy-colored beauty.


Calvary United Methodist Church's education building has a personality of its own. I'd guess these aren't the original windows.


The Calvary steeple looks traditional enough and it's almost in the street.


The Citadel Of Hope Evangelistic Church of God in Christ is an architecture-tourist-neck-snapper, all that wood on all that granite.


It's on a 3-point intersection, the granite curve is smack on the street, stairs lead to 3 separate porticoes. My brain is still processing. There are plenty of corner churches in Atlanta but none like this.

I haven't showed you a single cute house which the West End has in abundance. That will have to wait.

I'll leave you with this.


Westview Cemetery is worthy.