ArtsATL was founded in 2009 to provide comprehensive coverage of the arts in metro Atlanta and has grown to become an essential part of the city’s arts community.

Our cofounders, Catherine Fox and Pierre Ruhe, were leading critics for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution when the paper significantly pulled back on its arts coverage. Fox and Ruhe created ArtsATL to fill that void, and to ensure that there was a place for thoughtful and sophisticated criticism along with news and feature stories. They knew that journalistic coverage is essential to a thriving arts community.

ArtsATL has sections devoted to Art+Design, Theater, Music, Dance, Film+TV, Books and our Arts Calendar. We strive to be the most authoritative voice for the arts in Atlanta and to serve as the conduit between the artist and their audiences.

We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit and depend on donations to supplement our advertising revenue. Please consider supporting our mission.

You can read ArtsATL’s Code of Ethics HERE.

Patti Siegel

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Patti Siegel

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Patti Siegel joined ArtsATL in 2020 bringing 30+ years in advertising, strategic planning and digital content working with nonprofits including the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, American Cancer Society and CARE. Patti is a longtime arts volunteer serving on the boards of Working Title Playwrights, Theatrical Outfit and Synchronicity Theatre.

Shane Harrison

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Shane Harrison

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Shane Harrison spent 34 years at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, retiring as the arts and entertainment editor at the end of 2024. Those three-plus decades included covering Atlanta’s music scene, working in digital production and producing and hosting a weekly podcast. He lives in Clarkston.

Isadora Pennington

SENIOR EDITOR

Isadora Pennington

SENIOR EDITOR

Isadora Pennington is Senior Editor of Art + Design and Dance. An experienced writer and photographer with a deep love for the arts, Isadora founded the Sketchbook newsletter with Rough Draft Atlanta in 2022. She is also President of the Avondale Arts Alliance and Director of the Avondale Arts Center.

Denise K. James

SENIOR EDITOR

Denise K. James

SENIOR EDITOR

Denise K. James is senior editor for Theater and Film+TV. A native of South Carolina, she earned a Master’s from the College of Charleston and relocated to Atlanta in 2021. Denise enjoys exploring the city, attending arts events, reading, cooking and traveling. Her writing appears in numerous publications.

David Wright

DIRECTOR, PARTNER RELATIONS

David Wright

DIRECTOR, PARTNER RELATIONS

David Wright is Director of Partner Relations and has an extensive background in media and the nonprofit space where he has served for the last 15 years. David is a passionate advocate for his clients and always excited to find new and creative opportunities to elevate our ArtsATL partners.

Jesi Hooper

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Jesi Hooper

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Jesi Hooper infuses storytelling into her work with a Bachelor’s in English: Creative Writing. A transplant, Jesi loves creating content to spotlight exploring ATL like a Local! She’s collaborated with many of Atlanta’s small businesses. 

Jim Farmer

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Jim Farmer

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Jim covers theater and film for ArtsATL. A graduate of the University of Georgia, he’s written about the arts for 30+ years. Jim is the festival director of Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQ film festival. He lives in Avondale Estates with his husband, Craig, and dog Douglas.

Benjamin Carr

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Benjamin Carr

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Benjamin Carr has contributed to ArtsATL since 2019 and is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association, the Dramatists Guild and the Atlanta Press Club. His writing has been featured in podcasts for iHeartMedia and onstage as part of the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival.

Cynthia Bond Perry

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Cynthia Bond Perry

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Cynthia, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, began writing for ArtsATL in 2009 and has also contributed to Dance Magazine, Dance International and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In 2017, Perry earned an M.F.A. in narrative media writing from the University of Georgia.

Kelundra Smith

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Kelundra Smith

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Kelundra is a critic and arts journalist whose mission is to connect people to cultural experiences and each other. Her work appears in The New York Times, Food & Wine, American Theatre and elsewhere. She is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association. Twitter: @pieceofkay | Instagram: @anotherpieceofkay.

Cinqué Hicks

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Cinqué Hicks

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Cinqué Hicks is a writer and art critic with a distinguished record of engaging the public in the arts. A graduate of Harvard University and Georgia Tech, he has written for numerous national and international publications. He also co-founded Idea Capital, an organization facilitating small cash grants to Atlanta-area artists.

Kristin Adams
Associate

Kilpatrick Townsend

Alegra Chavez
Arts Advocate

Jean Cho
CEO

Mashburn

Shane Harrison
Executive Editor

ArtsATL

Joshua Kravitz
President and Co-Founder

Extra Good, LLC

Beth Michel
Strategic Director, Center for Native American Studies

Emory University

Eleanor Driver Post
Artist & Arts Advocate
Brent Radcliff
Associate General Counsel, Brand Legal

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

Patti Siegel
Executive Director

ArtsATL

Stephen Swicegood
Principal

Gensler

Jeffrey Welch
Senior Manager

Adobe

Bonnie Youn
Managing Director

The RMN Agency