ColorATL + Meet the Artists

ColorATL, Atlanta’s adult coloring book, combines the power of creative activity with the thriving art culture of Atlanta to benefit those in difficult circumstances. Not only does ColorATL offer a deeper, more interactive look into Atlanta’s artists, but they believe creative activity has the ability to decrease stress, anxiety, and despair - and cultivate peace, joy, and hope. ColorATL strives to unify our city through creativity by workshops, events, and through our 1:1 model - for every book sold, one is given to a person facing hardship at local partnering organizations. William Massey, Amber Guinn, and Connor Dwyer began organizing this project in Spring of 2016 and released ColorATL Volume 1 in October.

Atlanta-born Shanequa Gay (b. 1977) holds an MFA from Georgia State University and BA from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Gay’s accomplishments include selection for Off the Wall, a city-wide Civil Rights and Social Justice Mural initiative led by the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee (2019). Her recent exhibitions include Atlanta Biennial, Atlanta Contemporary (2021); Le Monde Bossale, Montreal, Canada, in (2021); Adorned, McColl Center for Arts and Innovation, Charlotte (2020); Holding Space for Nobility: A Memorial for Breonna Taylor, Ackland Museum, Chapel Hill North Carolina (2020); and Lit Without Sherman, Hammonds House Museum, Atlanta (2019). Gay has exhibited her work in the United States, Japan, and South Africa and will participate in the European Cultural Centre’s exhibition within the context of the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022, Gay is a visiting Professor at Atlanta’s Spelman College.

Max is a mixed-media, Atlanta-based studio artist attracted to the rough, rugged, and raw side of life. From particle board dumped out by construction sites, to the pavement of the streets, I see raw beauty in these elements of humanity that are often discarded and overlooked. I combine photography, sculpture, and painting in order to fully convey this point. I believe it is my personal task to dissect, examine, and reveal the true beauty of these elements for everyone to see and appreciate.