Shawn Vinson describes himself as “drawn to the image.” You might know him from the Different Trains Gallery in downtown Decatur. Opened in 2017, it’s an intimate operation where they show one or two artists at a time and provide personal art consultations. Longtime collector Sarah Garvin always dreamt of living in a gallery and purchased the townhome with a work-live model in mind, soon after asking Vinson to run it. He hopes this new gallery, The Sun ATL, can specifically serve as a place to learn about Black culture and Atlanta’s history. It is 8,000 square feet of impactful art in Atlanta's literal (and spiritual) center. He fell in love with the city as a young adult while working as a photographer for his friend’s band, where he would screenprint the photos onto t-shirts and flyers for promotion. This talent for artist advocacy is ever-present today, and it’s a joy to hear the admiration and knowledge he has for every artist he shows.
Art permeates Vinson’s entire life, including his marriage to Ruth Franklin, an English painter he met while working for a wholesale art dealer. He describes her taste as “immaculate”, and she serves as the final word on who to feature in their galleries and home. Her pastel originals and charcoal pieces emote evocative and compelling themes. One painting, “Farm”, is currently for sale at The Sun ATL, and depicts a moving scene from growing up on her family farm in East Anglia.
Vinson’s curation choices seek to celebrate the neighborhood they’re in. One of their permanent fixtures is the art of Pervis Young, currently displayed in a room directly facing the original Ebenezer Baptist Church. Young was a self-taught artist from Miami who learned to paint in prison. His epically powerful pieces depict horses running through the Wild West - the ultimate representation of freedom. Jim Alexander is another permanent fixture. An Atlanta-based photographer, he’s been photographing musicians and civil rights movements since the 1960s. Most of his civil work is in The King Center but you can find his music and culture documentary-style photos here.
Artwork will rotate every two months. Certain artists will always be present (like Franklin, Pervis, and Alexander) while others will cycle in. The massive building includes a conference room that can be rented by the hour and day; a hand-carved print gallery room available for shoots and trainings; and, you can rent entire space for fundraisers or events. Previously an architecture firm, the upstairs features skylights, a kitchen, and an available office space.
Vinson serves as a guide for collectors. Based on a person’s style, taste, and budget, he gets an idea of what they like to introduce them to artists and pieces they might enjoy. He often links the experience of art with the experience of music: the way they both need to speak to you, in a way you might not be able to describe in words, but that you’ll recognize intrinsically. “You know that old question, what kind of music do you like?” he asked me. “There’s only two types: good and bad. I like good, and I feel that way about art.”
The Art of Math: An Exhibition of Mathematical Art
March 7-April 26
Mathematical genius transforms into visual poetry at "The Art of Math," a groundbreaking exhibition celebrating the extraordinary realm where numbers and creativity collide. Inspired by Martin Gardner's revolutionary thinking, this exhibition showcases world-renowned mathematical artists who reveal mathematics as a profound artistic language.