Atlanta, a city shaped by the civil rights movement and now poised to host the world, has a new lens through which to be seen.
“Through Our Eyes,” an exhibition produced by Atlanta lens-based artist Sheila Pree Bright in collaboration with One Contemporary Gallery and sponsored by Leica Camera USA, opened June 11 on Edgewood Avenue SE, timed intentionally to coincide with the opening of the FIFA World Cup.
The show features Bright’s new series, “Where We Gather,” an exploration of sports fan culture, alongside work by three women photographers she mentored. Each artist was given access to Leica SL camera systems over several months to develop the bodies of work now on display.
For Faron Manuel, founder and director of One Contemporary, the exhibition represents both a milestone for his gallery, which opened just over a year ago, and a deliberate statement about what Atlanta looks like when viewed from within.
“You come to this show to get a glimpse of the Atlanta that’s not always reported during a time like this,” Manuel said. “You get what’s happening in the HBCU culture here; you’ve got four great HBCUs here in the city. You also have our immigrant community here in the city.”
He said the exhibition took between eight and 10 months of planning and includes an original catalog essay on Atlanta by writer Cole Gray. A catalog that is available at the gallery.
Bright, a Leica ambassador, said her interest was in the psychology of fan culture rather than the sport itself.
“I don’t really know a lot about Atlanta sports culture, because I’m not a sports person,” she said. “But I was inspired by the World Cup coming to Atlanta, and I wanted the global community, when they come here, to see a different perspective of Atlanta, besides celebrity culture, Atlanta Housewives, rappers, to get the insights of the community of Atlanta, because that’s what people don’t know.”
She pointed to what she observed at tailgates and Atlanta United games as the emotional core of the project.
“For 90 minutes in the soccer at the stadiums, 60 minutes in football, we all come together, we leave all that noise behind,” Bright said. “I’m trying to go deeper in the psychology of people when it comes to fan culture and see how we can engage and talk and come together.”
Bright also said the gallery’s location in the historic district along Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy corridor was intentional.
“I thought it was very important to do this here at One Contemporary on the historical district of Martin Luther King,” she said. “Because that’s community. It started with the civil rights movement, and now in contemporary times, I think the culture of fan culture is changing, maybe how people look at Atlanta.”
The exhibition also honors Pelé, whose artistry on the soccer field, according to exhibition materials, “transcended sport” and helped elevate the game globally. Bright echoed that sentiment, noting Pelé’s role as a unifying figure who “brought other countries in.”
Leica Camera USA, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, came aboard as a lead sponsor. Mary-Irene Marek, vice president of marketing for Leica Camera USA, said the partnership grew out of her relationship with Bright following a three-day anniversary event in New York’s Meatpacking District last year.
“Leica is, I would say, the only camera brand that really centers its entire mission around the community and art,” Marek said. “The way that we celebrate artists and the work that the artists do is really unprecedented.”
Additional sponsors include Emory University, Canterbury Press, and Color Chrome.
For Manuel, the convergence of the World Cup, Leica’s centennial, and One Contemporary’s first full year in operation carries a weight he’s still processing.
“I want them to be able to celebrate the World Cup as a happening, but also to celebrate all the great things that are already here in Atlanta,” he said, “and really emphasize a lot of different communities and spotlight a lot of different communities that are a part of this moment.”
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