Living Walls: Powered By Calories

Monday, August 4, 2014

When you see an incredible mural painted on the side of an old building, your first thought probably isn’t “That was powered by calories!” But artists gotta eat! And when the Living Walls Conference brings them in from all over the world to create breath-taking art that brightens the urban landscape, well, it’s got to feed them, too.

Living Walls is an all-volunteer affair, with massively dedicated unpaid staff and a team of volunteers working in tandem to coordinate and execute one of the most lauded public art festivals in the country. (Don’t take my word for it! Take it away, New York Times!) Wrangling food is just one of many huge jobs for an undertaking like this, and thanks to the generosity and support of chefs, restaurant owners, farmers, and more, it’s also a wonderful reminder of the ways the artistic and culinary communities support each other.

And it’s not just Living Walls. All over our city, awesome organizations do incredible work across a variety of fields, and none of that would be possible without support from Atlanta’s culinary community. At Girls Rock Camp Atlanta last month, young musicians rocked harder because of donated lunches and snacks prepared by a dedicated team of volunteers. Production for this year’s Living Walls conference has already started. Later this week, when 20 artists from around the globe create beautiful pieces in and with our city, they’ll be powered by food donated by some of the following:

Delia's Chicken Sausage Stand

Eat Me Speak Me <-- G&G's new chef, Jarrett Stieber!

Empire State South

Farm Burger

Garnish & Gather

Gotta Have it Food Truck

H. Harper Station

JCT. Kitchen & Bar

Little’s Food Store

The Little Tart Bakeshop

Love is Love Farm at Gaia Gardens

Uncle Maddio’s: Edgewood

Whole Foods Market

Willy’s

So remember, food-loving culture fans: your love of feeding people translates into a really important skill set, so get involved! And if you’re a restaurant or food business owner, consider the impact a donation can make to an organization doing work that you dig.

Next week there are a slew of great Living Walls events—like bike tours!—across Atlanta:

Wednesday, August 13

An Evening with Juxtapoz, Vandalog & Living Walls

Thursday, August 14

an outdoor screening of the street art documentary “Public Discourse” on the Beltline (plus food trucks!)

Friday, August 15

Annual Living Walls lectures at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Downtown Atlanta

Saturday, August 16

The Main Event at the Goat Farm Arts Center

And the most exciting event of all? (For me, at least.) I'll be cooking a Garnish & Gather meal for the whole team of artists. I'm transforming last week's Stewed Okra & Tomatoes with Creamy Cheddar Grits into breakfast by adding some farm fresh eggs, coffee, and a bit of love! Stay tuned to hear about how an international team of street artists reacts to okra for breakfast.

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brookehatfield.com